Pathway to Japanese Literature

1

When a case was resolved, Mrs. S would become as cheerful as if she were a completely different person.
The more difficult the case, the better her mood became once it was resolved.

"Please do tell me another unusual story."

Seizing such opportunities, I would hear various interesting stories from her. Mrs. S took the cherry brandy bottle on the table, poured it into a beautiful cut glass, drank some herself, and offered it to me as she spoke.

“Incidents that occur within upper-class households often tend to be buried in obscurity, with their truths forever ending without ever seeing the light of day in society—there must be countless such cases.”
“This story too is one such case.”

As she said this, she rose from her chair and went into the study in the next room; after a short while, she returned carrying a scrapbook.
Mrs. S opened it to the middle and placed it before me.
I unwittingly widened my eyes and said.

“My! What a beauty! This is a wedding photo, isn’t it? Who might this be?”

“It’s Baron Mikii of Azabu.”
“The president of Mikii Partnership Company and his wife.”

“What a young president!”

“When one becomes such a major tycoon, it appears quite troublesome indeed—it seems established that each generation’s main family heir must sit in the president’s chair.”
“Since the newspaper is dated Showa 7 [1932], that would make the groom Mr. Mikii Takeo twenty-seven years old at the time and the bride Lady Ayako twenty-two years old.”

“Where is the bride from?”

“She’s the daughter of Mr. Yamashina from the Seiyūkai.”
“Due to Mr. Yamashina’s extensive interests in the South Seas regions, he had grown quite close with my husband. So when my husband passed away, I was soon invited by Mr. Yamashina to become Lady Ayako’s tutor and lived with the Yamashina family for about a year.”
“That was long before Lady Ayako and Mr. Takeo were married.”
“Shall we now move to the heart of the story?”

After taking a sip of cherry brandy, Mrs. S began to speak in a calm tone.

"When I first heard the rumor that Lady Ayako was to marry Mr. Takeo, I was dissatisfied beyond measure."
"I had so earnestly hoped it was merely a rumor that I neither attended the congratulatory visit nor showed up at the reception in the end."
"However, the next morning’s newspaper had even splashed their photographs like this, so I became thoroughly upset."

“There is a reason why I found this marriage so deeply unpleasant. Lady Ayako was the wife of Fumio—the eldest son of Baron Mikii’s family and Mr. Takeo’s biological older brother—and they were deeply devoted to each other! Yet not even a year had passed since Fumio’s death before she married his younger brother—doesn’t that strike you as distasteful? Moreover—Fumio did not die from illness—he took his own life on their wedding reception day—just four days after marrying Lady Ayako.”

After seeing the photograph of the two, I became so displeased that—though it was still too early to go to my office—I decided to go out regardless since the weather was fine, and took the apartment elevator down.
I was living in an apartment at that time.
As I opened the door to leave, a large man was standing there, and I nearly collided with him.

“Do pardon me.”

He uttered briefly as we passed each other, and I suddenly caught sight of the man’s face. He wore large black glasses and a black mask, with his hat pulled forward over his face, concealing most of it. However, there was a large scar running from below his left eye to his cheek, which seemed to have caused his mouth to twist slightly. He had a rather unsavory countenance and an unsettling air; though his attire wasn’t shabby, he didn’t look like a respectable gentleman by any means. Yet his clothing was something I recalled only later—the chilling sensation I felt the moment I first laid eyes on him remained unforgettable. He carried a large bag in his right hand while clutching two or three packages in his left. He must have been a new tenant who had rented this apartment, but as I stepped outside, I couldn’t help thinking such a neighbor was far from welcome.

Even after boarding the train, I found myself unable to stop thinking about the man I had just seen.
I wondered which floor he might be on—if someone like that moved into the neighboring room, I’d have to flee immediately—and with these thoughts churning in my mind, I transferred trains at Ginza only to find no seats available this time.
Reluctantly standing by the entrance, I watched as an elderly woman boarded from Mitsukoshimae.
When our eyes met unexpectedly, I realized it was none other than Ms. Kaji.

Ms. Kaji was an elderly woman of the Mikii family who had been Fumio’s wet nurse.
Now that Fumio was gone, I had heard she was mainly looking after Lady Ayako.
As the woman managing the inner affairs of such an aristocratic household, she was truly refined—so much so that I thought she might be a lady from some distinguished family.
Having noticed me just as quickly from her side, she immediately came over and bowed courteously.

“It seems Lady Ayako has settled into her new position.”

Reluctantly, I made such a remark that could hardly be called congratulations.
Then Ms. Kaji made a displeased face and stared fixedly at me, but soon complained in a resentful tone.

“Even you, Professor… Do you truly think such things?”
“That is too cruel.”
“Lady Ayako is so pitiful.”

Ms. Kaji seemed to want to say something more, but there was nothing to be done about it in the train, so

“Would you care to have tea somewhere?”

When I tentatively extended the invitation, she appeared delighted and consented at once.

Ms. Kaji explained that she had been staying at her sister’s home for four or five days due to her sister’s sudden illness, but since the patient had improved and she was concerned about Lady Ayako, she planned to return to the mansion around tomorrow. She said that today she had gone out shopping at the patient’s request.

The two went together, chose a quiet café, and entered.

“Lady Ayako is truly pitiful.”
“Professor, she has been crying every day.”

“Did she dislike Lord Takeo that much? It didn’t seem so to me, though—”

“It’s because you aren’t aware of the true circumstances, Professor.”
“For some reason, ever since Lord Fumio and Lady Ayako grew close, Lord Takeo began persistently clinging to Lady Ayako. When no one was around, his eyes would take on a strange gleam as he made all sorts of remarks.”
“She was so frightened—if Lord Fumio hadn’t been so kind, Lady Ayako would have been too terrified of Lord Takeo to ever enter the Mikii mansion as a bride.”
“Even after their engagement was formalized, Lord Takeo has repeatedly seized opportunities to harass her.”
“I alone know this.”
“To tell the truth, it would have been far better had Lady Ayako returned to the Yamashina family after Lord Fumio’s passing and remained there.”
“I strongly recommended that course myself, but after all—is Lady Ayako’s mother not her birth parent?”
“Lady Ayako herself declared there was no path left but death—”

Ms. Kaji continued to speak tearfully.

“When one considers it briefly, you see, the current arrangement becomes the most suitable resolution.”
“Given that the esteemed alliance between the Mikii and Yamashina families has been formed with such effort, it is only natural that both households would wish not to relinquish it.”
“With Lord Fumio having passed away and Lord Takeo assuming the succession—her age being just right, and Lord Takeo himself raising no objections—the remarriage becomes advantageous in every way, does it not?”
“Without deigning to listen to Lady Ayako’s thoughts, the matter was pushed forward relentlessly.”

“Did no one know that Lady Ayako disliked Lord Takeo so intensely?”

“Lord Takeo himself was well aware of this.”
“The rest would be someone like myself.”
“It was not my place to interject, and you must never let Lady Ayako know—no matter what happens, she must not be forced into accepting what she detests.”
“I had been saying this, but—”
“Before long, her mother became involved in the discussions.”
“It was out of concern that Lady Ayako’s reluctance stemmed precisely from having been too devoted to Lord Fumio that her mother came to intervene.”
“Insisting this outcome was inevitable eventually persuaded her—though Lady Ayako felt she was betraying Lord Fumio’s memory, and above all loathed Lord Takeo. Even had she told her mother of this aversion, her mother would not have understood. Tormenting her delicate heart alone, she could do nothing but weep.”
“Even so, Lady Ayako never came to know until the very end—”

“No matter how resolute Lady Ayako may be, she is still a woman.”
“Unable to resist fate, she must have been dragged along by everyone’s whims—how utterly pitiful.”

“I don’t know what to do—if I were to meddle carelessly and displease Lord Takeo, leading to my dismissal, then Lady Ayako would truly become utterly alone without a single ally.”

“Without knowing such circumstances—”
“I apologize for my prolonged absence.”
“I will visit promptly to offer consolation.”

“Please do visit her—when no one else is present, she withdraws into herself as though having lost her senses, eyes pooling with tears that never fall.”
“She constantly says she wants to see you, Professor—to meet and speak with you properly.”

“I shall certainly call upon her soon.”

The two left the café.
After parting with Ms. Kaji, I went to my office, but I couldn’t stop worrying about Lady Ayako.
When I thought of Lady Ayako, I immediately found myself thinking of Mr. Fumio.
Above all, Mr. Fumio’s suicide had lodged stubbornly in my mind as an unresolved mystery.

2

Though there should have been days ahead, it happened midway through the celebratory wedding banquet.
It was in the study that Mr. Fumio was discovered lying face down on the desk, his body grown cold.

Based on the syringe found in the wastebasket to the desk’s right, four or five empty ampoules, and the red swollen injection mark on his left wrist, Mr. Fumio’s death was ruled a suicide.
After all, this incident occurred a mere four days after the wedding—it caused quite an uproar in the newspapers—but soon faded from public discussion and print coverage.
I believe this was likely due to influence exerted by the Baron Mikii family’s side.

But why did Mr. Fumio die?

There should have been no reason for him to have to commit suicide.
Though born as the legitimate heir of the wealthy Baron Mikii family—unfortunate in having lost both parents young—he was intelligent, handsome in bearing, raised without hardship, and had even won his beloved Lady Ayako. Was he not truly at the zenith of happiness?
Could there truly exist such an absurd tale—that one blessed with such circumstances would suddenly take his own life without reason?

From that time onward, it had remained with me as a lingering question—an indelible task I could not forget.

3

It was the afternoon of the following day after I met Ms. Kaji that I visited Lady Ayako.

That day, Mr. Takeo was absent.
He had apparently gone to attend a directors’ meeting at the Mikii Partnership Company, and I felt immense pleasure at unexpectedly gaining this chance to speak with Lady Ayako alone.
Perhaps sharing my sentiment, she did not have me shown to the parlor but instead directed me to be guided to her familiar private sitting room—a gesture that delighted me.

In the half year since our last meeting, Lady Ayako’s face had grown shockingly gaunt—her already large eyes now appearing even larger, the once-plump cheeks completely hollowed out, lending her an inexplicably aged appearance.
While there exists a certain allure in the weariness of beautiful women, Lady Ayako—who had once radiated the voluptuous splendor of a dahlia—now exuded a loneliness reminiscent of pale cherry blossoms glimpsed at twilight; one could scarcely describe it as charming.
At first I wondered if she might be ill, but this did not seem to be the case.
Yet she bore no resemblance to a newlywed—devoid of bridal radiance or vitality.
Seeing her entire form enveloped in desolate shadows, forcing smiles upon lifeless cheeks, even I found myself drawn into that gloom until my own spirits sank.
What a gloomy bride, I could not help but murmur inwardly.

Lady Ayako spoke little but watched as the maid with her hair in a Shimada-style updo brought tea and carried in sweets,

“Until I ring the bell, don’t let anyone come.”

With that, she dismissed the maid.
When we were finally alone together, Lady Ayako’s demeanor shifted abruptly. She began laying bare her emotions with startling candor, voicing a sorrow beyond remedy.
I had to labor to find words of consolation before I could offer any congratulations.

“Actually, Lady Ayako, I happened to meet Ms. Kaji on the train yesterday and heard about your circumstances—I truly sympathize.”

Even upon hearing those few words alone, Lady Ayako’s eyes were already glistening with tears; though there were those to congratulate her with “Best wishes,” there was no one to console her with “How dreadful.” I could not help but sympathize wholeheartedly with Lady Ayako’s circumstances.

Lady Ayako took my hand and abruptly began to speak.

“Professor, won’t you come move into my home?”

“...?”

“Would you live with me?”
“Like we used to—”
“Won’t you stay by me?”
“I’m so lonely—so terribly lonely—”

I found myself unable to respond.

“You dislike apartments, don’t you?”
“I remember you once said they were dreary but unavoidable.”
“You could choose any room—any at all—and commute to your office from the house.”
“Please—won’t you do this?”

“Yes, thank you, but—”
“But Ms. Kaji will be returning soon, so...”

“Hey Professor, since you know everything so well, I must tell you—I deeply regret why I married someone like Takeo, with such a detestable person—”
“with such a detestable person as Takeo—”

“I do understand.”
“But it would be best if you didn’t mention such things now.”

“A political marriage!”
“I became my parents’ sacrifice.”
“But I’m the one most to blame.”
“It’s precisely because my will was weak that such a tragic outcome has come to pass.”
“Because I’m spineless.”
“Because I’m a fool.”

Lady Ayako continued speaking while tearing a handkerchief with her teeth.

“Ah, and when I think of it—if only Fumio hadn’t committed suicide—”
“Why did Fumio die?”
“Professor, I do want to know the cause of that.”
“If there were circumstances that made his death unavoidable—if it concerned the truth—I think he could have at least told me alone.”
“To die alone in silence—”
“How bitterly I resent that—Professor, can you understand my feelings?”

As Lady Ayako grew increasingly excited and her voice rose louder, I tried to calm her down by

“Someone has come.”
“Lady Ayako, we mustn’t be overheard.”

On the spur of the moment, I came up with such nonsense and strained my ears.
Then Lady Ayako stood up while wiping her tears,

“Takeo may have returned.”
“He’s truly so paranoid.”

Lady Ayako slid open the fusuma door and looked into the hallway, but finding no one there, she returned to her former seat.

“If you disliked him that much, then you shouldn’t have married Mr. Takeo.”
“You should have remained Mr. Fumio’s widow—”

“If I could have done that, then none of this—”

Lady Ayako muttered half to herself, then suddenly began to sob.
My careless words had struck Lady Ayako’s most painful wound.
I regretted having said something so reckless.

After crying for a long time, Lady Ayako—as if she had resolved something within her heart—soon lifted her face decisively and spoke.
“Professor, you must find my marriage to Takeo disagreeable too, mustn’t you?”
“When even I myself find it this disagreeable.”

“But it was unavoidable, I suppose.”
“If there was truly no other path than doing so—and besides, Mr. Takeo has liked you all along, hasn’t he? In truth, even if he had to take you from Mr. Fumio, he wanted to have you for himself, didn’t he?”

Lady Ayako did not answer that and instead stared fixedly, lost in thought, but—

“I have something I must ask you, Professor—but if it were to reach others’ ears, it would cause complications—so please, do not speak of this to anyone.”

Lady Ayako repeated over and over that I must not speak of this to anyone, and then she began to talk.

“It’s something I simply cannot believe, but I’ve heard the blame for driving Fumio to suicide lies with me and Takeo.”

“Who said such a thing? Was it Mr. Takeo?”

“Yes—Takeo said it.”
“Fumio became convinced there was a romantic relationship between me and Takeo—without ever confronting us about it—and tormented himself alone over this complete misunderstanding. Being the kind-hearted man he was, he kept it all bottled up until finally committing suicide to make me and Takeo happy—or so Takeo claims. At first I dismissed this absurdity entirely, but upon reflection, there seem to be elements not entirely divorced from truth.”
“Examining Fumio’s diary confirms he indeed suffered some anguish.”
“I don’t know if it concerned me, but Takeo also mentioned this.”
“Apparently several people secretly informed Fumio of an intimate relationship between Takeo and me shortly after our marriage—I saw an anonymous letter from his bookcase stating such things.”
“The day before dying, Fumio allegedly told Takeo—jokingly—‘If anything happens to me, I leave Ayako in your care.’ Now Takeo insists this feels like a final testament and claims responsibility.”
“But what do you think, Professor?”
“If this were true, I might understand the feelings of Fumio—who died without uttering a word—”

“So Mr. Takeo states that since his brother entrusted him with your future, he must marry you for protection—is that his claim?”

“Yes—he insisted it aligned with his brother’s final wishes too, pressuring me repeatedly. Each time, I nearly fled this house—but as you know, I had nowhere to go. And there was another reason I couldn’t bring myself to leave this place.”

“Did you think leaving this house would be disloyal to Mr. Fumio?”

“No, that’s not it at all.”

“Then what reason?”

“What do you think, Professor? Do Fumio and Takeo resemble each other?”

“Well, I don’t think they resemble each other in the slightest—they don’t seem like brothers at all—their dispositions and appearances are complete opposites, aren’t they?”

“You’re right—people say they can’t possibly be brothers. But you see, strangely enough, there was a time when they looked so very alike to my eyes. In certain fleeting expressions and gestures, I would catch glimpses of my dear Fumio’s features, you see. But upon closer inspection, it would turn into Takeo’s utterly dissimilar, ugly face—‘Fumio hasn’t died at all,’ I suddenly thought. I felt as if he were somewhere in this house protecting me, you see—and so I couldn’t bring myself to leave this place or step away from Takeo’s side. I was lonely. That ended up causing me to marry Takeo, you see—but isn’t it strange? It’s truly a strange tale, but after marrying him, Takeo—whom I merely disliked before—has become someone I even detest. Some say that even if you marry someone you dislike, new affection may blossom there, but that’s a lie—at least in a situation like mine. Now I hate Takeo as if he were my enemy—I hate him so much—so unbearably much. On the contrary, my love for Fumio has only grown deeper—I miss him unbearably. But the sad thing is, lately, I can no longer catch even a glimpse of Fumio’s features anywhere in Takeo. The illusion vanished simultaneously with the marriage. I think Fumio must also hold me in disfavor. Even if I did fall for Takeo’s scheme—oh, what a reckless thing I’ve done—though it’s far too late for regrets now, when I think of it, I’m overcome with both infuriating frustration and wretched pity—I’ve grown utterly sick of myself.”

Lady Ayako quietly sobbed.

4

At that moment, Ms. Kaji, who had been away on leave, returned.

When Lady Ayako saw Ms. Kaji’s face, she suddenly perked up, so much so that even I somehow felt relieved.
Ms. Kaji was a milk sister to Mr. Fumio’s mother and had also been his wet nurse, so now, feeling as though she were serving Mr. Fumio himself, she cherished Lady Ayako with all her heart.

“I have something to show you, Kaji.”

Lady Ayako took out a cabinet-sized photograph from her sleeve.

“Have you seen this photograph before? When I tidied Lord Fumio’s study, it slipped out from between the letter papers on his desk.”

Ms. Kaji took hold of the photograph. The moment her eyes fell upon it, her expression twisted strangely.

“This photo—oh!”
“Why would—”
“This was in the study?”

“You know about this, don’t you, Kaji?”
“I’ve never seen such a photograph before.”

“It’s quite strange, isn’t it? How did this come to be in the study, I wonder?”

Ms. Kaji seemed to be staring fixedly at the photograph, yet in truth her eyes weren’t truly seeing it—rather, they appeared to chase phantom visions while sinking into some profound reverie.
I thought to myself that something was off.

“Let me take a look.”

Casually saying so, I took the photograph from Ms. Kaji’s hand and examined it.
Though stained here and there with considerable fading, the facial features remained distinctly visible.
Beside a young woman seated in an antiquated chair stood a youth leaning intimately close.
The woman was immediately identifiable as Mr. Fumio’s mother, Baroness Mikii.
The man was not the late Baron himself—but when I saw his face, I started.
This was that unforgettable visage from yesterday morning: the unsettling man by the apartment elevator I couldn’t erase from memory. Wasn’t this face precisely his?
Yet I remarked nonchalantly.

“Mr./Lord Fumio’s mother was truly a beautiful woman.”
“And who might this person be?”

Lady Ayako, evidently unaware of who this man was, looked at Ms. Kaji and spoke.

“Kaji, who is this?”

“That would be the Uncle.”
“The honorable younger brother of the late Baron—”

Ms. Kaji said in a heavy tone and let out a deep sigh.

Upon hearing it was the Uncle, Lady Ayako also suddenly re-examined the photograph.

“Is this the Uncle who went to India?”

“Yes.”

“Kaji, I’d never had the honor of seeing a photograph of the Uncle until now, you know.”
“So I was wondering what kind of person he was.”
“If there’s such a good photograph, why on earth wasn’t it pasted in the album?”
“Especially since Mother is also in it.”
“I thought there wasn’t a single photograph of the Uncle in the house.”

“Yes.”
“There should not be a single one.”
“Especially this photograph—there is absolutely no reason for it to be in this residence.”
“It’s not as though the photograph could have walked here on its own—”

Lady Ayako burst out laughing.
Drawn in by that, I too laughed.
Yet Ms. Kaji alone remained deadly serious.
More than that—as if assailed by some terrifying vision, breathing heavily, she seemed to have utterly lost her composure.

While carefully observing Ms. Kaji's state, I said to Lady Ayako.

“Could it be that Mr. Fumio brought it from somewhere?”

“In that case, he would have definitely shown it to me.”

Lady Ayako immediately denied this.

“Then after Mr. Fumio passed away, someone must have placed it there, I suppose.”

Ayako shook her head.

“After that, absolutely no one besides me was allowed into the study.”

Ms. Kaji remained silent, continuing to think.
Given that there was a photograph present, it had to be concluded that someone had entered.
Someone must have sneaked into the study where no one was allowed to enter.
And for what purpose did they leave this photograph behind and depart?
When on earth did that happen?
Could this be somehow connected to Mr. Fumio’s death?
My curiosity had gradually begun to stir.

I tried asking Ms. Kaji.

“You stated there shouldn’t be a single photograph like this in the entire residence, didn’t you?”
“What is the reason for that?”

“I cannot elaborate on the details here, but all copies of this photograph were destroyed save for one.”
“Even the original plates—”

“And the remaining one?”

“That—”
“Could it be that the person who had that one remaining copy came here?”

Ms. Kaji was trembling with agitation, her face having turned deathly pale.
I examined the photograph once more, then asked Ms. Kaji.

“Actually, I believe I saw this gentleman somewhere yesterday—isn’t that right? He appears to be around fifty years old, and might he have a large scar on his cheek?”

Hearing this, Ms. Kaji turned even paler.

Suddenly complaining of dizziness, she pressed a hand to her forehead and withdrew, making it impossible to question her further—but seeing Ms. Kaji in such a state, I couldn’t help but suspect there must be some connection between this photograph and Mr. Fumio’s suicide. Could it be that Ms. Kaji had also realized this and been thrown into such unusual distress?

5

Since visiting Lady Ayako and meeting Ms.Kaji, her doubts regarding Mr.Fumio’s death had grown deeper.

While thinking I must somehow meet Ms. Kaji alone again for a proper conversation, two or three days passed as I was caught up in busy work.
One morning, I unexpectedly received a visit from Ms. Kaji.
I gladly welcomed her into my room right away, but Ms. Kaji—unaware I had been wanting to meet her—seemed concerned about her sudden visit and kept offering unnecessary apologies.
After exchanging the usual greetings, Ms. Kaji hesitated for a moment, but soon began speaking resolutely.

“The truth is, I can no longer keep this to myself alone—”
“That is why I have come here, earnestly wishing for you to hear this in confidence, Professor.”
“Regarding the matter of Lord Fumio—”

"There it comes!" I thought, and instinctively leaned forward.

“What about Lord Fumio?”

“Professor, what do you believe led to Lord Fumio’s passing?”

“――”

“I kept thinking something was strange, terribly strange, but ever since meeting you the other day, Professor, it seems to me that this mystery has been entirely resolved.”
“Lord Fumio was undoubtedly murdered.”

This left even me astonished.

"But wasn't it concluded to be suicide? On what grounds are you making such claims? And who do you believe killed him?"

“It’s the person in that photograph.”
“The Uncle residing in India.”

“The Uncle?
“But isn’t the Uncle residing in India?”

“No, it is undoubtedly the Uncle.”
“If you have seen that person somewhere, Professor, there can be no mistake.”
“I believe it was that person’s doing.”
“He undoubtedly slipped in amidst the commotion of that day and skillfully killed Lord Fumio.”

“But—even if that person did slip in, isn’t he your own blood-related Uncle?”

“It’s precisely because it’s the Uncle that he’s suspicious.”
“Professor—though you may not know—this Uncle killed his own elder brother the former Baron, tormented Her Ladyship beyond endurance, and schemed to seize control of the Mikii household. He’s an absolute monster.”

“Is that true?”

“That’s why merely hearing he’s entered Tokyo chills me to the bone.”

“But even if he wanted to take over, wouldn’t killing Mr. Fumio alone be pointless?”
“There’s still Mr. Takeo to consider.”

“Lord Takeo is perfectly fine.”

“Why?”

Ms. Kaji remained silent for a time, deep in thought, but eventually lowered her voice as though she detested speaking and said:

“But—”
“Lord Takeo—he’s his own child.”

I heard this and was startled by the matter’s unexpectedness.

“If that were true, wouldn’t Mr. Takeo be one half of a blood feud against Lady Ayako? Of course, Lady Ayako likely doesn’t know about it—”

“Lady Ayako is pitiable. As you know, she detested and detested Lord Takeo’s persistent advances—utterly rejecting him to marry Lord Fumio instead—so despite appearances, Her Ladyship has been enduring considerable hardship. Since she consented to remarry Lord Takeo due to her parents’ coercion, it would be too pitiful to make her feel any worse now.”

“My, these are quite tangled circumstances indeed.”
“But—since there’s not a single soul besides me who knows the full circumstances.”
“So, is it only you, Ms. Kaji, who knows the truth?”

“That is probably the case.”
“Since I have received all the secrets directly from the Baroness herself.”

“Does the Uncle know that you hold the key to the secret?”

“I believe he is likely aware.”
“That is why, Professor, I am afraid.”
“If only I weren’t here, this secret would never have come to light.”
“Knowing the Uncle has come to Tokyo terrifies me so much, I cannot sleep peacefully at night.”
“It is now my turn to be killed.”

Ms. Kaji, with a face as if all her hair were standing on end, looked around her surroundings and lowered her voice,

“Doesn’t it seem like someone is outside the door?”

she said.
When she said that, I felt as though someone was peeping through the keyhole.
I stood up and opened the door.
At that moment, it seemed a shadowy figure slipped swiftly into the next room.
However, that might have been a mistake, but it did seem to resemble the figure of the man I had seen in front of the elevator.
I wasn’t exactly feeling at ease either, but since I couldn’t let Ms. Kaji become frightened, I deliberately feigned composure and said laughing:

“Who could possibly be there? It’s because you’re thinking ‘scary, scary’ too much.”

I inserted the key into the keyhole from the inside.
With this, it was safe—there was no risk of being peered at from outside.
Moreover, the surroundings were partitioned by thick walls, and there was no risk of voices leaking outside.
Ms. Kaji finally seemed relieved,

“Had I not received the secrets from the Baroness myself, I would not fear the Uncle to this extent—”

With that, Ms. Kaji disclosed part of the Baroness's confession.

6

According to this, when the Baroness was in her maidenly prime, she had been simultaneously the object of ardent affection for both Lord Fumio’s father and his biological younger brother.
She gladly returned the elder brother’s affection but detested the younger one.
It exactly resembled Lady Ayako’s situation.

The younger brother, defeated in love, soon began adopting a violent attitude toward his elder brother, and through coercing the Baroness, Mr. Takeo came to be born—such was the circumstance—and it is said that photograph too was taken forcibly at that time. However, declaring even the sight of it defiling, the Baroness burned every last copy together with Ms. Kaji.
At the same time, they apparently destroyed the printing plates as well.
(That’s why, aside from the copy in the Uncle’s possession, not a single one exists in this world.) Then he murdered his elder brother.
And he sought to make the Baroness his own while conceiving the avaricious intent to usurp the Mikii family, ultimately resolving to eliminate Mr. Fumio for Mr. Takeo’s sake.
Having seen through this, the Baroness grew resolute and would no longer yield to coercion.
So he gave up and returned to India.
After that, he has kept his whereabouts hidden until today.

“Even after committing such grave crimes, he didn’t go to prison?”

“Other than the Baroness, no one knew of it.”

“Did the Baroness never disclose it to anyone?”

“She must have considered it her own disgrace and her family’s disgrace.”
“She clamped it down deep within her breast without breathing a word to anyone, suffering her entire life until she perished in anguish, as it were.”

“Now that you mention it, Mr. Takeo does bear some resemblance to that photograph.”

“Yes. The Baroness was deeply troubled by that—”

“Was the Baron aware of that?”

“No.”
“The Baron was not aware of any of it.”
“His Lordship believed Lord Takeo to be his own child.”

“Hearing that clarifies much about Fumio’s situation, but I still cannot definitively state there is evidence that the Uncle indeed took action.”

“However—to me, since the method matches what came before, I believe there can be no mistake.”
“I also recall Her Ladyship’s own words when she revealed the secret—and according to them, I must say there can be absolutely no one but the Uncle who killed Lord Fumio.”

“And why is that?”

Greasy sweat oozed from Ms. Kaji’s ashen forehead.
Wiping it away, she began to speak as follows.

7

“Her Ladyship passed away about twenty years ago, precisely at twenty-eight years of age.”
“When Lord Fumio was ten and Lord Takeo eight—after His Lordship the Baron had passed away—Her Ladyship lost all her strength and grew frail, until at last she too passed away.”
“Originally her constitution had been weak, and after giving birth to Lord Takeo, her lungs had also become somewhat unwell—or so I had been told.”
“It must have been because she had strained her nerves so terribly that things turned out that way.”
“When one considers her circumstances, I believe it could not be helped.”
“I remained constantly in the adjoining room, but at night Her Ladyship hardly ever rested.”

“When I would wake late at night, Her Ladyship would surely be awake. She would typically be in His Lordship the Baron’s study. There hung a large oil painting of His Lordship the Baron. She would sit before it and weep quietly and steadily toward His Lordship’s portrait. It was so pitiful I couldn’t bear to watch. This occurred every night, but later I even came to suspect Her Ladyship’s mind had become disturbed.”

One rainy evening—as had become customary—I quietly peeked from behind the sliding door to find Her Ladyship speaking rapidly to His Lordship’s portrait.
At times, she would even let slip a lonely smile.
“The sound of rain striking the shutters made her words intermittent and hard to make out, but an indescribable loneliness caused me to shudder involuntarily.”

“Her Ladyship’s illness was not so critical, yet it showed no signs of improvement whatsoever.
The doctors had strictly ordered her to maintain absolute bed rest.
As for the nights, they were as I have described—but during the day she rested quietly upon her bed.”

“One day，Her Ladyship expressed her wish to visit His Lordship’s grave.”
“If we had consulted the doctors，they would have undoubtedly forbidden it.”
“Yet no matter how we pleaded，Her Ladyship refused to listen.”
“In the end，we chose a warm afternoon on fair weather，and I secretly accompanied her on this unauthorized pilgrimage.”

“We performed customary rites—offering fragrant flowers at His Lordship’s tombstone，then pausing briefly at the main hall—when she announced her desire to visit the memorial chamber behind.”
“That deserted temple’s gaudy main hall already chilled our hearts，but this ancestral shrine—dank，dim，heavy with mildew—might have been hell’s very antechamber.”

Having no choice but to follow behind, I found the floor layered with grime and rat droppings, spiderwebs occasionally brushing against my face, while the sound of rats scurrying away in alarm at our presence made me shrink back. The sunlight streaming through the small window rendered that solitary room even more ghostly pale and desolate. Her Ladyship the Baroness walked unperturbed, but then she pointed to the right side midway and suddenly exclaimed in a shrill voice.

“My Lord is over there.”

I shuddered.
Her Ladyship the Baroness plumped down before it and signaled with her eyes for me to go outside and wait.

I exited outside the entrance as instructed but, feeling uneasy, remained constantly vigilant.
Her Ladyship the Baroness initially wept quietly and steadily, but at times her voice could be heard calling His Lordship the Baron’s name.
Finally, in a grating tone like grinding teeth, she cried out, “Please forgive me!
“Please forgive me!” was so utterly abnormal that I rushed to her side.

After offering various words of comfort, I finally managed to help her rise from there.
As we were leaving that place, Her Ladyship turned back once more and entreated, “I too will be joining you soon. Will you forgive me?” before beginning to wail loudly in great sobs.

I said, for though I knew nothing of the circumstances, I also knew no other words of comfort to offer.

“You will forgive me.”

Her Ladyship suddenly seized my wrist and exclaimed.

“No, you will not forgive me. To do that—Kaji, you must defeat the enemy—”

Having said that, she collapsed in tears once more.

It was that evening.
Her Ladyship the Baroness returned with composure, summoned me to the parlor, secluded herself from outsiders, and fully disclosed the painful secret she had long harbored.

“As I mentioned earlier, the younger brother lost in his rivalry with His Lordship the Baron over love.
After His Lordship had married Her Ladyship, the younger brother’s attitude became frightfully violent and could not be controlled—they had no choice but to bestow upon him one of their inherited rubber plantations in the South Seas at great expense and have him depart Japan.
However, through drink and women, he soon became penniless, and the year after Lord Fumio was born, he suddenly returned and began his extortion.”

Before long, His Lordship the Baron departed on official business to Hokkaido, while Her Ladyship the Baroness—declaring Tokyo too noisy—took Lord Fumio to their villa in Hakone.
It was then that **the younger brother** secretly paid a visit.

At first, he engaged in casual conversation about various matters but soon brought out a cage containing a fearsome venomous black snake he claimed to have tamed in India. He showed it to her while explaining that if released it would immediately bite someone’s neck; once bitten their face would transform instantly becoming unrecognizable like that of a leprosy patient. Gradually intimidating Her Ladyship with this threat he finally attempted an outrageous act. As Her Ladyship suddenly grew terrified and tried to flee **the younger brother** seized her shoulder with a powerful hand pinned her against the corner of the doorframe and breathed hotly against her neck while—

“Do you find it so detestable? I am serious—I’m staking my life on this.”
“I’m prepared to die—”
“Do you intend to trample my heart—these feelings of mine—so heartlessly?”
“Ah—how many years do you think I have waited for this day to come?”

Tears spilled from the Uncle’s eyes and trailed down his cheeks.
Her Ladyship the Baroness froze as if electrocuted, rendered completely immobile and utterly overwhelmed by the Uncle’s force—what people of old would call demonic possession, perhaps.
Despite her heart burning with indignation, she confessed to having felt a certain allure in the violence of this frenzied, madly infatuated younger brother.
And then, completely unresisting, she ended up doing exactly as that man desired.

However, that was merely a fleeting mistake—entirely a momentary impulse—and did not signify any newfound affection toward the younger brother. "As evidence of this," she said, "since that time, her hatred toward the younger brother had only deepened, and their relationship had become like that of sworn enemies." Her Ladyship the Baroness shuddered and wept as she called him "a man whom killing would not satisfy—a terrifying demon."

To her misfortune, Her Ladyship the Baroness had become pregnant, and her anguish only deepened.
Then, before long, the incident of His Lordship the Baron’s tragic demise occurred.

His Lordship the Baron had gone hunting with the younger brother, fallen from a cliff into the valley below, sustained grave injuries, and thus met his demise—or so it was officially recorded.
There were people who saw the scene, and it is still believed to be so even now.

However, when the Uncle subjected Her Ladyship the Baroness to coercion for the second time, he confessed to having murdered His Lordship the Baron.
At that time as well, he had brought that black snake with him, declared “The culprit is this one! This one!”, and recounted the entire incident, so it was said.

According to this account, his Lordship’s younger brother had persuaded His Lordship the Baron to stand at the cliff’s edge; then—positioned several meters away—he uttered some jest to draw everyone’s attention toward himself before stealthily releasing the black snake. As expected, it bit His Lordship’s neck immediately thereafter—causing him to collapse and tumble into the ravine below.
Whether fortunately or unfortunately—His Lordship’s face had been shattered beyond recognition; had that not occurred—the discoloration might have raised suspicions.
Having delivered this account—his Lordship’s younger brother proceeded to intimidate Her Ladyship until she neared unconsciousness—then seized this advantage—declaring—“From now on—I want you—Sister-in-law—and control of House Mikii—and this one”—pointing at Lord Fumio—“stands in my way”—or so it was recounted.

Her Ladyship the Baroness suddenly regained her senses and asked, “What do you intend to do?” whereupon he sneered that there was no need to use the black snake for this—and upon hearing Lord Fumio’s name, Her Ladyship abruptly stiffened with resolve.
As for what followed, Her Ladyship remained vague in her account, but it seemed some manner of struggle had occurred with the Uncle, for she—in desperate resolve—had grabbed a naval knife lying nearby and slashed at him.
“Her Ladyship said she believed she wounded him below the left eye.”

"That scar which caught your eye must be a memento from that incident."

Her Ladyship the Baroness then came to worry about Lord Fumio’s well-being and was tormented solely by the fear that the Uncle might reappear someday to inflict harm.

However, what tormented her more than that was the weakening of her body, along with her feelings of guilt and remorse toward His Lordship the Baron.

For brothers to fight over one person is dreadful enough, but that such strife has persisted across two generations—what a cursed fate it must be.
“However, even after murdering His Lordship, he remained unsatisfied—to then target and kill Lord Fumio as well—the depth of the Uncle’s vindictiveness leaves one no choice but to marvel.”

“It was claimed to have been after the injection, but I am convinced the Uncle used the black snake to murder Lord Fumio.”
“Could he not have thrown syringes and ampoules into the wastebasket to stage it as suicide?”
“It was precisely because Her Ladyship considered this a family disgrace that she endured such agonizing restraint. I implore you to comprehend her sentiments—to keep this concealed from society—and could you not find some means to vanquish Her Ladyship’s enemy?”

8

What a terrifying man he was.

The incident was likely exactly as Ms. Kaji had described.
At any rate, I hurried to the police to report this entire account.

Before long, the Uncle was arrested from his apartment.
As a result of the house search, the black snake was also discovered.
“When confronted with both the photograph and the black snake—rendering any further witnesses unnecessary—he finally confessed everything.”

Mrs. S finished speaking, then extracted one small photograph from the photo book and showed it to me.
It was a photograph of a black snake encased in wire mesh.

“So after all, was Mr. Fumio killed by this black snake?”

I asked Mrs. S.

“Yes, that’s correct. On that day, they held a garden party combined with a wedding reception at Baron Mikii’s residence in Azabu—I remember it quite clearly as I had been invited and attended.”
“It was truly magnificent.”
“He apparently chose precisely three o’clock in the afternoon—the peak of commotion—to disguise himself among the guests before suddenly appearing before Mr. Fumio.”
“Mr. Fumio first escorted His Lordship’s brother to his study.”
“Amidst all that bustle, not a single person noticed Mr. Fumio’s absence.”
“The study had been constructed at the far end of the main building’s expansive grounds—structured almost like a separate annex—making it exceptionally quiet, particularly on that day when not a soul lingered nearby.”

“Why on earth did Mr. Fumio usher the Uncle into such a lonely study, I wonder?”

“That’s precisely it.”
“Everyone finds it puzzling, but as I consider it—the Uncle had been roaming the South Seas for a long time, so his appearance must have seemed rather outlandish, and above all, that scar on his face made his features look quite sinister, you see.”
“I believe Mr. Fumio initially mistook him for yakuza or something of the sort. Therefore, intending to resolve the matter himself without attracting the guests’ attention, he deliberately chose the deserted study.”

“Did Mr. Fumio not even know the Uncle’s face?”

“He must have forgotten.”
“Therefore, the Uncle had brought that photograph with him and, using it as evidence, declared himself to be the younger brother of the late Baron Mikii—a down-and-out uncle—and requested some assistance, or so it was said.”
“He stubbornly insisted that he absolutely had no further plans.”

“Then why did he decide to kill?”

“At first, he likely had no such intentions—but then again, the Uncle was a man of such tenacity that when it came to matters of the Mikii family, he would leave no stone unturned. Of course, he had also heard about Takeo’s failed love affair. On his part, Fumio knew nothing and, believing him to be his true uncle, had let his guard down and spoken candidly about various matters—when suddenly, into the Uncle’s mind arose the image of Takeo, who must have been weeping in the same predicament he himself had faced over twenty years prior. That day too, a grand reception just like today’s had been held—and moreover, within these very same residence grounds. That radiant face of his brother—brimming with joy and shining with love’s triumph—he could neither forget nor erase from his memory. And in contrast—how wretched must his own state have been. Ah, poor Takeo!”

It is said that upon this thought, he suddenly began to loathe Fumio before his eyes and ultimately conceived murderous intent—though I find this somewhat dubious—for Fumio, unaware of the Uncle’s change of heart, gazed fondly at the photograph and said, “You looked quite youthful here too, Uncle. With your permission, I shall keep this photograph as a memento,” whereupon he carefully placed it between sheets of letter paper. At that very moment, the Uncle secretly released the black snake he had brought with him.

“The black snake coiled around Fumio’s neck—startled, he frantically grabbed it and tried to stand up, but when his wrist was bitten, Fumio collapsed with a thud.”

“The Uncle, who suffered from morphine addiction, left behind his own syringe and ampoules and departed—or so it is said.”