Pathway to Japanese Literature

1

"...If we never met that night, why untie the double-layered obi? Our bond revealed through Mount Tatsuta - faces flushed like autumn leaves..."

It must have been what they call rustic charm—a calm, serene, and beautiful voice.
Sitting on the windowsill, leaning his head against a pillar, and gazing enraptured at the night sky, Ibee involuntarily muttered,

"That's truly remarkable."

Sae, who had been sitting close to his feet making a decorative paper box with layered colored paper,

“What might that be?”

She looked up.
When she made that expression, her eyes held a strangely moist beauty.

"That song—what an extraordinary voice!"

"That truly is a splendid voice—is it Lord Wakita?"

"That's right."

Ibee nodded quietly.

"Since childhood, he's been a man who excelled at everything he tried—and even in such popular songs, that quality shows through. Not even Hachiya can help being silenced by it."

"Your face has become visible now."

Sae said this with a laugh.

"Even so, everyone is being quite subdued tonight, aren't they? Not just Lord Hachiya, but Lord Murano and Lord Ishioka too—they've all gone perfectly quiet."

“Since this is an event celebrating Wakita’s return home, they’re probably holding back.”

As he said this, Ibee considered that the banquet’s atmosphere might directly foreshadow Toba Domain’s near future.
...Wakita Munenosuke had arrived from Edo only a few days prior.
His father had been named Munzaemon and served as Chief Retainer to Toba Domain’s Inagaki family until his death six years earlier.
Munenosuke was his only son, who had shown exceptional quick-witted talent since childhood.
At sixteen, he accompanied Lord Tsushima-no-kami Teruaki to Edo, devoting himself to legal studies before now returning at twenty-five to assume the Chief Retainer position.
Tonight ten old friends had gathered to hold this welcoming banquet.
All were twenty-five or twenty-six-year-old men of senior official standing—five being current Elder Council members or those poised to inherit such roles.... Kashimura Ibee, as Head Elder and Munenosuke’s closest childhood friend, hosted this celebration but had stepped away briefly in slight drunkenness after being made to drink heavily for Munenosuke’s sake.

“Something smells.”

Ibee suddenly turned toward the courtyard.

"What flower could that be?"

"It might be plum blossoms."

Sae stood up and came over while saying that.

"Ah, it's cloves."

When she leaned closer to the window and looked out, the warm night air of early spring caressed her face, and the cloyingly intense fragrance of clove flowers wafted over, nearly suffocating in its potency.
Through the thicket of planted shrubs, the lights of the inner banquet room shone brightly, and voices could be heard laughing boisterously.
As was customary for the season, a hazy sixteenth-night moon hung in the thinly clouded sky.

“Pardon me.”

Sae removed the comb from her own hair, carefully wiped it with paper, and then gently smoothed Ibee’s sideburns.

“I shall attend the banquet hall again for the twentieth day celebration; I received a special invitation from the mistress yesterday.”

“Is something happening on the twentieth?”

“My, have you forgotten?”

Sae quizzically tilted her head.

“Is it not your birthday? Last year as well, I attended with my mother.”

As she was saying this, sudden hurried footsteps arose from the corridor beyond,

“That area is for the household staff’s rooms.”

came overlapping the maid’s restraining voice,

“Move aside! I spotted someone from over there.”

Munenosuke's booming voice was heard.
Sae hurriedly inserted the comb into her own hair and tried to tidy the scattered items, but before she could finish, Munenosuke came stomping down the corridor... Standing before the open shoji screen, his handsome face slightly pallid from drink, he looked at Ibee, then at Sae.
He possessed a tall, stately build with thick eyebrows, tightly set lips, and striking features that made him stand out prominently.
His eyes, shifting from Ibee to Sae, glittered intensely for an instant.

“Oh!”

With that, he pursed his lips and, while staring unabashedly at Sae, voiced his admiration.

“...Beautiful.”

“I must apologize for leaving early.”

Ibee said as he stood up and left.

“I simply couldn’t bear it any longer.”

“I don’t mind that, but are you done now?”

When Munenosuke heard that Ibee seemed to have calmed down, he smiled but suddenly stepped aside,

“Let’s go out to the garden,” he said.
Ibee looked into his opponent’s eyes; Munenosuke undid his hakama strings and swiftly stripped naked.
“It’s been a while—let’s have a go.”
“What do you intend to do?”
“Sumo.”
Munenosuke looked at him with challenging eyes.
“I may have beaten you at drinking, but I might still lose in strength. Back then, I couldn’t win no matter what. Come on!”
“If we’re drunk, we’ll get hurt. Let’s save it for another time.”

“I’m already naked. Are you going to humiliate me?”

Two

This sudden challenge was no simple matter; Ibee’s nerves sensed it.
When she saw him reach for his hakama strings, Sae moved to intervene, but Ibee signaled with his eyes—"Don’t stop me"—and swiftly stripped naked before stepping out.

Munenosuke had a fair-skinned yet robust and splendidly built physique, while Ibee, though lean, possessed a muscular, sun-darkened body—both radiating the vigorous prime of youth.
...Ibee fixed his opponent with a piercing gaze,

“You’ve got a fine physique.”

He muttered, then leapt down into the garden with a large jump.
...A section of the inner garden was covered in lawn; the two men went there and locked in a solid grapple; Sae leaned against a veranda pillar, watching with bated breath.
The match did not last long. After two or three resounding thuds of flesh against flesh and a complete shift in their positions, Munenosuke skillfully swept his leg and threw Ibee down with great force.
But the moment he threw him down—what came over him?—he suddenly straddled his opponent,

“You’re hiding something, Ibee.”

he said through clenched teeth.

“You lost on purpose—you weren’t serious.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“No—suspicious. That footwork was too light. Are you trying to blind me?”

“Stop it, Wakita—people are watching.”

“Speak—are you genuine or lying?”

Munenosuke clamped both hands around Ibee’s throat.

“...Swear by your sword and answer!”

“I yield—it’s my loss.”

Munenosuke,

“You’re certain of that?”

he shouted, but at the same time stood up with a broad smile.
The stubborn, agitated expression from mere moments before had vanished as if wiped away, and he had regained a composure and dignity as though he had become a different person altogether.
Leaning against the veranda pillar, Sae had been watching this scene with bated breath—and at that moment, she crumpled to her knees there.

After returning home that night, Ibee turned over the evening’s events from every angle.
Munenosuke had been fiercely competitive since boyhood—in both intellect and physique, he would accept nothing less than solitary preeminence.
And though he indeed possessed such gifts, Ibee alone remained free of that awareness; they had always driven each other onward in that way—"When we inherit our households," they would say to one another, "let us bring vigorous governance to Toba Domain!"

But this time, he was different.
Ibee had reached this conclusion after considering every angle—the drinking session’s unusual intensity, the fixation on victory during their sumo match that his former self would never have displayed. He was trying to surpass this Ibee—perhaps his sudden challenge had arisen from Sae’s presence; perhaps seeing Sae alone with him had stirred something restless in his youthful blood—but such obsession with winning surely held deeper reasons. Though the true cause remained unclear, one certainty persisted: he aimed to outstrip me.
After repeated consideration, all Ibee could grasp was that alone.

The next day, still early before nine o'clock, Munenosuke came to visit. Upon entering, he first went into the mother's room and spoke animatedly for some time; then,

"Ah, the plum tree in the garden has grown quite large, hasn't it?"

“Ah, the plum tree in the garden has grown quite large, hasn’t it?” he said while coming into Ibee’s parlor.

“I have a request.”

He sat down and immediately began to speak.

“...Starting tomorrow, I want to inspect all political records. Have the Elder Council issue directives to the Storehouse, Finance, Construction, and Port Magistrate Offices to compile their materials.”

“That cannot be done without official authorization.”

“That’s not the case. The Five Elders should have the authority to conduct record inspections at any time.”

“But that is limited to cases where an incident has occurred.”

“There is cause.”

Munenosuke said this without laughing.

“…The Chief Retainer transition looms as a significant event—that reason alone suffices. I ask this of you.”

“I suppose we can at least attempt the scheming part.”

“No—that won’t do. It’s absolutely necessary, and I must insist it begins tomorrow.”

It wasn’t about coercion—it was an attitude of absolute certainty that his will would prevail.
And without waiting for Ibee to respond, he suddenly broke into a smile and continued with his second request.

“...They say last night’s beauty was the daughter of that restaurant—are you particularly close with her?”

Because the topic had shifted so abruptly, Ibee found himself at a loss for a response.

“There’s nothing of that sort.”

“But you’re sitting face-to-face in the family room, aren’t you?”

“Since I was little, I was often taken by my father to that house for meals, so I suppose that’s why I’m more familiar with them than usual.”

“I want that woman as my wife.”

Munenosuke said bluntly.

"She’s an exceptional girl—that serene beauty of hers is unmatched. Her grace isn’t just surface-deep either; it’s rooted in genuine goodness of heart. When I saw her, I suddenly thought of a musical instrument—a famed one that could produce any subtle note depending on the player’s skill. That’s the impression she gives. I must have her as my wife at all costs—will you broach the matter with her for me?"

III

“However, both our statuses would not permit that.”

“I’ll handle such matters myself—you just need to convey my intentions to her.”

“I find this hard to believe.”

Ibee shook his head.

“...After all, this side is about to become Chief Retainer, and the other is the daughter of a restaurant owner—the difference is too great.”

“Don’t be stupid—in Edo, there are those who even take geisha as wives. If she herself is willing to come, I’ll formally send a go-between. I’m counting on you.”

With that declaration that the essential discussion was concluded, Munenosuke promptly stood up and left.
After that, Ibee burned incense and gazed at the plum tree in the garden, now past its peak bloom, remaining deep in thought until the time came for attending castle duties.
Starting from the banquet wine of last night, something decisive had begun moving—this was no mere attempt to “surpass Ibee.” In the relentless barrage of Munenosuke’s attitude—the record inspections at each magistrate office following last night’s events, the marriage proposal to Sae—there was indeed a will striving to settle matters conclusively.

The relationship between Munenosuke and himself—once their closest bond—was now shifting toward a new direction. What meaning this shift held remained unclear, but vigilance to not let it slip away was essential.

With a sense of steeling his resolve, Ibee thought this through, then stood up to attend to castle duties.
He had made up his mind—that very day, he gathered four members of the Elder Council for consultation, obtained the approval of current Chief Retainer Otsuki Matazaemon, and issued notices to each magistrate office regarding "Record Inspection."
When he stopped by the Wakita residence on his way down from the castle to convey the matter, Munenosuke—

“Then tomorrow, we’ll begin with the Finance Bureau.”

He said this, then to Ibee’s retreating back,

“And don’t forget about Momozono.”

The words came sharp as thrown stones.

Ibee turned to meet his gaze, nodded once with measured calm, and exited through the gate.

The twentieth day of that month was Ibee’s birthday, and it had long been his custom to invite only his closest companions each year for a modest celebration.
That day too, he had invited several guests for lunch, and after it ended, he met with Sae, who had been called to his mother’s quarters.
After his father passed away, Ibee once took his mother to Momozono for a meal.
Since then, from time to time Mother would go out to dine with close acquaintances and began exchanging words with the Momozono family as well.

“Sae is such a good girl.”

While saying such things，since around last year，she had even begun occasionally inviting her to her home．

“Here will do.”

When Ibee went to call Sae, Mother said with a slightly concerned look.

“If it’s a talk… have it here.”

“Well, it’s a somewhat complicated matter.”

Ibee answered and took Sae to his sitting room.
Her clothing and makeup were no different from usual; yet her bright, clear features and cheerful demeanor made her appear strikingly more beautiful than ever before. With a slightly dazzled expression, Ibee watched Sae for some time.

“What might your lordship be doing, gazing at me so intently?”

“Because it seems I’ve been mistaking you for someone else all along.”

“You speak of such unusual matters.”

Sae tilted her head and stared intently at Ibee.

“Now that you mention it… your lordship’s bearing does appear different from usual.”

“That may be—I’ve reasons for it. To speak plainly, there’s one who desires you as his bride, and has charged me to sound your intentions.”

“My, what gravity this holds.”

“This is no jest—it’s truth earnest-spoken.”

“But such a thing…”

And Sae continued gazing into Ibee’s eyes with mingled doubt and belief.

“Could such a thing truly exist? That someone would want a girl from another household and ask directly about her feelings without even going through her parents…”

“Customs vary greatly depending on one’s perspective and circumstances—to speak plainly, the suitor is Wakita Munenosuke.”

“Lord Wakita—the one who returned from Edo...”

“Since around last year.”

Ibee said in a suddenly reminiscent tone while averting his eyes from Sae’s probing gaze.

"...I sometimes thought about when Sae might marry—the image of her from when Father first took me to dine there had stayed unchanged in my mind through her growth, making it impossible to properly connect her with matrimony. It felt strange somehow. But there was no denying she’d reached that age—soon enough, the time would come when she’d lower her eyebrows and blacken her teeth... Whenever this thought came, what I wished was simply this: that her marriage be happy, that both partner and future be blessed with fortunate union."

Four

Ibee’s tone had become unexpectedly earnest, so Sae unconsciously lowered her eyes and hunched her shoulders.

“From that perspective—”

Ibee continued quietly.

“...Wakita is a man of exceptional talent, with that commanding presence of his, and his status and family lineage are beyond reproach. If I were to point out a difficulty, it’s that his circumstances differ too greatly from yours—but given his character, he’ll surely handle the formalities himself, so we can trust him on that... All I can say is this—what do you think?”

“You speak so earnestly about this, as if it were your own matter.”

Sae raised her eyes with a tremulous smile.

“...Were it anyone else, I would find it unpleasant to even consider such an inquiry. But as these are Lord Raizaburo’s words, I shall give them thought.”

Suddenly addressed by his childhood name, Ibee turned as if startled.
Sae’s cheeks flushed crimson as she fixed him with eyes unlike any he had seen before—pools of light shimmering from their depths.
It was the gaze of an eighteen-year-old maiden laying bare her passion.
Ibee rubbed his eyes to avoid meeting that stare,

“Since Wakita seems to be in quite a hurry, it would be best to give your reply as soon as possible,” he said.

Several days later, three young men returned to the domain from Edo—Matagi Naizen, Toda Daigaku, and Tsumura Jotaro—who appeared destined to join Munenosuke’s inner circle upon his appointment as Chief Retainer. They immediately took up residence at the Wakita estate and remained constantly at Munenosuke’s side, soon assisting with record inspections within the castle. Their investigations frequently overstepped authority, but with Chief Retainer Otsuki Matazaemon being exceedingly mild-mannered and the transition period approaching, none dared challenge these irregularities. People could only watch in dumbfounded silence.

“This is a dreadful state of inaction.”

Whenever Munenosuke saw Ibee's face, he would often say that.

“...However peaceful the times may be—however small this domain of under fifty thousand koku—this political incompetence is inexcusable! To speak plainly, it’s as if you’ve been slumbering these past ten years! What exactly have you been overseeing all this time in your role as Elder Council?”

“Where precisely was governance dormant? With such vague accusations alone, there’s no proper way to respond—but if the domain remains peacefully ordered and all people voice no discontent—”

“No no, that’s not it at all.”

Munenosuke laughed brusquely.

“...Squeezing a hundred yields from a hundred resources—that’s domestic accounting. But making a hundred spawn thousands, then ten thousands—that’s governance. There’s no point arguing this now. I’ll show you proof soon enough—proof of what true statecraft means.”

And then without fail,

“Hurry up and get Momozono’s daughter’s reply.”

And he would press insistently.

One day, while returning from the castle, lured by the increasingly spring-like hues of the sea, he suddenly stopped by Momozono.
It was still early with no customers present; he was ushered to the second-floor room overlooking the sea and asked for tea.
...As this establishment often received patrons coming solely for tea, they devoted considerable care to their confectioneries.
Particularly the sweet named "Uguisu" proved delicious—Ibee would frequently savor it even after drinking sessions.

After Sae’s mother brought tea and sweets, expressed gratitude for her daughter being invited the previous month and left, Sae soon came upstairs carrying an unfinished kimono.
“Try putting this on your shoulders,” she said.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“I need to check the length. While I believe the sleeve measurement is adequate, it’s just that the overall length seems slightly...”

“Did your mother ask for this again?”

“It was I who made the request.”

When Ibee stood up, Sae moved behind him, draped the kimono over his shoulders, and checked the length,

“There we are. Thank you very much.”

And she sat down there.
Ibee absently watched Sae’s figure for some time as she remained seated there, needle in hand, continuing to sew quietly.

“Have you considered the matter we discussed the other day?”

“…………”

Sae raised her eyes—a gaze that seemed to peer into one’s very heart—then smiled softly and nodded.

“……Yes.”

“So what’s your reply?”

“I truly cannot give any answer on my own accord—for I genuinely do not know what to do.”

“That doesn’t constitute a proper reply.”

“If Lord Rai...”

And once more, Sae called him by his childhood name.

“……If Lord Raizaburo were to tell me to wed…”

“I already stated my feelings previously.”

“You counseled me to accept then.”

“But my feelings aren’t yours. What Wakita seeks is your own heart. This concerns your entire life—what value lies in weakly clinging to others’ opinions?”

“Then I shall give my answer.”

Sae responded after a pause.

“……I accept.”

V

That summer was the hottest in over a decade; from the end of the rainy season until after the 210th day, not a single drop of rain fell as the sun blazed relentlessly.
And as autumn approached, the weather turned unsettled; gloomy overcast days and rain followed one after another, as if in a returning rainy season.
...With this, a poor harvest seemed unavoidable—and just as such anxieties began spreading, rumors swiftly emerged: this year’s annual rice taxes would be halved, it was said, passing from mouth to mouth.

“They say both the annual rice taxes and commercial levies will be halved across the board.”

“They say villages yielding only half the normal crop will be exempt from annual rice taxes.”

Claiming it came from a reliable source, the rumor surged from villages across the domain to the castle town itself. Moreover, following that,

“They say that starting next fiscal year, all retainers in the domain will have their stipends restored to their full nominal yields.”

Even rumors of this began to circulate.

At that time, in every domain, there was a considerable discrepancy between retainers’ nominal stipends and their actual income; this was because their rice-based salaries were subject to fluctuations in grain prices, and even during stable periods, it was customary for actual stipends to be 20 to 30 percent less than their nominal value. In contrast, status protocols strictly adhered to nominal yields, making the retainers’ lives considerably constrained. [...] Therefore, even as mere rumor, the prospect of “restoring stipends to full nominal values” proved sufficient to boost morale among the domain’s retainers; albeit with skepticism, this too could not help but provoke a significant response.

Since hearing Sae’s reply, Ibee’s legs had grown heavy, and days continued without him visiting Momozono. He had promptly conveyed Sae’s reply to Munenosuke, who laughed with his characteristic broad smile—declaring he would immediately dispatch a formal envoy—and confirmed this course of action. Thus until their marriage was settled, he found himself hesitant to meet Sae.

The weather suddenly recovered from late August onward, with an unimpeachable succession of days continuing until a bountiful harvest was assured.
Nevertheless, the rumor of “halving annual rice taxes and commercial levies” did not disappear.
And on the first day of September, four members of the Elder Council visited Kashimura’s house together.

“We have an important confidential matter to discuss.”

At this, they opened the fusuma sliding doors to the inner chamber and sat facing each other.

“You must have heard the rumors that have been unsettling society of late.”

Then, the eldest among them, Ishioka Tanomo, began to speak.

“...We have discovered the source of those rumors—the halving of annual rice taxes and commercial levies, and the restoration of all retainers’ stipends to their nominal yields.”
“In particular, regarding the rumor that the annual rice tax—despite being confirmed for a bountiful harvest—will still be halved starting this fiscal year, we have found not only evidence substantiating this rumor but also the fact that it bears a subtle connection to the Chief Retainer transition.”

“To put it plainly,”
said Hachiya Kyonoshin.

“...All these rumors originate from Lord Wakita’s inner circle. Among them, some have even been officially communicated to the villages through documents—I have seen them with my own eyes.”

And what the four individuals took turns recounting was—though the reasons remained unclear—the fact that rather bold populist measures had emerged from Wakita’s inner circle as a precursor, and that these were spreading with tremendous momentum throughout the domain.

“Though Lord Wakita’s true intentions remain unclear, propagating such impractical measures is certain to have detrimental effects on governance. Believing it imperative to devise countermeasures now, we have come to seek your counsel.”

“This is difficult to credit immediately,”

After thinking for a while, Ibee said.

“...If these rumors did indeed originate from Wakita, then whatever schemes he may harbor cannot be left unattended.”

“This brings us to our consultation—since making this official would escalate matters unduly, we wish for Lord Kashimura to approach him and arrange to eradicate these rumors at their root with all haste.”

“I will undertake it.”

Ibee gave a decisive nod.

“Depending on his considerations, he may not agree… but in any case, I will go speak with him at once.”

The four men further detailed the facts that the rumors had indeed originated from Wakita and, stating they would immediately convene an Elder Council meeting if necessary, took their leave.

......Ibee felt as if lead had been packed into his chest—a suffocating weight of emotion.
He couldn’t clearly discern why he had come to feel this way, but to be honest, it was certain that he did not want to meet Munenosuke.
In the present situation, he was the only one who could discuss this matter with him, and it was precisely because he understood this that he had accepted the task—but judging by his attitude since returning to the domain, the likelihood of him accepting their proposal even through direct discussion seemed slim.

What on earth was Wakita thinking when he did such a thing?

After the four men had left, Ibee remained alone for a considerable time, gazing out from the opened room at the garden where autumn hues were beginning to show among the trees, lost in thought.
Just then, the mother came and,

“Miss Sae has come.”

she conveyed.

“She says she has something to discuss with you. Should I have her come here?”

“Yes.”

Ibee looked at Mother.

“...I don’t know what this is about, but here should be fine.”

Six

Sae entered and sat in the corner of the room, bowing as she curled in on herself. Her entire frame seemed gaunt—in the way she hunched her shoulders, in her bashful smile tinged with sorrow—all exuding a shadow of loneliness he had never witnessed before. Ibee found himself momentarily speechless at her drastic transformation, watching her figure as though pierced through the heart.

"It has been so long since last we met—have I done aught to displease you?"

After exchanging their greetings, Sae replied.

“...With no rumors of illness heard nor any visits from you, Mother worried we might have caused offense. Though impertinent of me, I’ve come to see how you fare.”

“There’s no particular reason. My visits simply grew less frequent.”

“Please do call upon us. Mother and the household await you.”

“So that’s the matter you wished to discuss?”

“Well… no.”

Sae gently shook her head and, while folding both sleeves over her knees, bowed her face downward.
While Ibee remained silent, she sat absorbed in thought; then suddenly lifting her face and fixing him with challenging eyes, she abruptly said:

“Half a year ago, you asked me whether I had any intention of marrying Lord Wakita—was that... was that in jest?”

“A jest...”

Ibee widened his eyes at the unexpected words.

"Why would you say that? Did something happen between you and Wakita?"

"I gave my reply that I would accept."

“I conveyed exactly that to Wakita.”

“What did Lord Wakita say?”
“He said he would soon formally send a representative to arrange the marriage.”

“There has been no discussion of the sort, no such person has come, and no such notice was received.”

In that instant, Munenosuke’s robust face suddenly flashed across Ibee’s mind—the face that had pinned him down in Momozono’s garden while obsessively pursuing victory, then abruptly transformed into that defiant smile... That peculiar smile now seemed to strike something deep within Ibee’s heart.

“That’s true.”

“That’s why I came to ask.”

“Go home.”

Ibee looked at Sae with eyes that seemed to pull her close.

“……I’ll go later.”

“You will be going to Lord Wakita then?”

“I have other business to attend to.”

“This time—”

With that, Sae looked at Ibee with blazing eyes.

“...This time, I may refuse him—would that be acceptable?”

“No—wait for that. I’ll meet him—”

“No.”

Sae sharply shook her head.

“...I have thought a great many things since then.”
“And what I had been waiting for these six months was not merely Lord Wakita’s marriage proposal, Lord Raizaburo.”

Ibee stood up abruptly as if to bodily escape something.
For the gravity of Sae’s impending words had struck his emotions like a flash of light.
While turning away from her clinging gaze, he once again—

“Go home.”

he said.

“I’ll go later. Then you can hear the rest. I have things to say too—all right?”

And he strode off toward the living room.

A tepid wind blew in from the sea.
The sky threatened an evening shower, with fragmented gray clouds streaming low northward and northward.
When he visited Wakita’s house outside the main gate,

“Lord Wakita has gone to the castle.”

With that, he proceeded directly to the castle.
Munenosuke was at the commissioner’s office, surrounded by towering stacks of documents, brush in hand as he wrote something.
At his side were only the usual three trusted aides; there was no one else present.

“I’ll be done soon, so wait a bit.”

When he saw Ibee, he said this and continued writing, but soon began handing them out in order as he finished each one,

“This goes to construction, this to naval affairs.”

handed them to the three, and as they left,

“My apologies for making you wait.”

he said as he came to Ibee’s side and sat down.

“We’ve been missing each other for a while—do you have some urgent business?”

“I will speak plainly, so I want you to answer without embellishment.”

Ibee placed a hand on his knee and said.

“...There have been strange rumors circulating lately—about halving all taxes and levies across the board, and restoring samurai stipends to their nominal yields. Is it true those rumors originated from your hand?”

“Ah, here it comes.”

Munenosuke smirked.

“...Is that a question from Kashimura Ibee, or an inquiry from the Head Elder? Which is it?”

“For now, I’ll ask as an old friend.”

“Well then, I’ll answer as such—it was indeed I who spread those rumors. Do you have any objections to that?”

“My opinion comes later. If those rumors did originate from you, then there must be a basis for them.”

Seven

“There is.”

Munenosuke nodded.

“...Should I assume the Chief Retainer’s seat, I will carry it out exactly as stated.”

“Do you believe the domain’s finances can endure that way?”

“It would undoubtedly make circumstances rather strained.”

“And yet you still consider implementation necessary?”

“That itself isn’t necessary—you might rather call it a means.”

“A preview of Wakita-style governance?”

“You found the tender spot.”

Munenosuke laughed unperturbed.

“...That’s certainly one aspect. To practice living governance, I must first seize the confidence of both retainers and subjects. For warriors—stipends; for peasants—taxes. These two directly govern livelihoods. Faith in rule hangs largely here. Through these two things, I’ll secure trust in my administration.”

“Understood. Then I’ll state my opinion.”

Ibee stated bluntly.

“...I don’t know what governance you’ll conduct with that gained popularity, but there’s falsehood in a method that prioritizes winning favor. If your policies were truly just, there’d be no need to deliberately seek popularity beforehand. As Head Elder, I absolutely oppose this.”

“I want to see how far you can oppose me.”

Munenosuke laughed cheerfully.

“Behind Wakita’s governance stand the united retainers and the people.”

“Then I’ll have you show me how much power that really holds. Next, there’s another matter to discuss.”

Ibee coughed as if to mark a break.

“Half a year ago, you said you wanted Momozono’s daughter as your bride. I was asked to mediate that proposal. The woman agreed, so I should have brought you her response. Do you remember?”

“Ah, right, there was such a thing.”

Munenosuke theatrically furrowed his brows.

“...Right, there certainly was such a thing.”

“At that time, you promised to formally dispatch an envoy to propose, yet you neither sent anyone nor visited the girl yourself… Wakita, how should this be interpreted?”

“The truth is—I’ve settled on a bride.”

He stated without any trace of discomfort.

“...I should have informed you—the bride is from the Andō Tsushimanokami family’s Edo residence.”

“Answer my question—what do you intend to do about Momozono’s daughter?”

“What do you mean, ‘what to do’? I can’t have two wives.”

“Is that your answer?”

Munenosuke, unable to endure Ibee’s piercing gaze any longer, averted his eyes as though dazzled,

“That’s right.”

he said.

“Alright, stand up.”

Ibee stood up himself as he said this. Munenosuke glanced at Ibee, then quietly rose.
Ibee was staring fixedly at those eyes when he raised his right hand high and struck Munenosuke’s cheek with a sharp slap.
It was a searing slap delivered with all his strength.
Munenosuke's upper body lurched sharply to the right.

“This is an old friend’s farewell.”

Ibee said in a suppressed voice.

“...You live as you please—I’ll walk the path I believe in. I’ll say one thing: don’t underestimate the power of what’s right.”

And as he started to leave with large strides, Munenosuke called out from behind, “Kashimura.”

Ibee stopped in the corridor and turned around.
Munenosuke looked fixedly at him, his eyes that seemed to churn with some unreadable emotion.
“...I pray for the happiness of you two.”

After saying this in a low voice, Munenosuke returned to his original seat, and Ibee likewise turned on his heel.

As he descended from the castle and emerged at the main gate, a torrential rain began to fall.
Ibee walked straight toward the coast through the rain.
Finding relief in the rain striking his flushed cheeks, he repeatedly looked up at the sky and took deep breaths.
When he arrived at Momozono, Sae—who had been waiting impatiently—came out to greet him. Upon seeing his drenched-rat appearance, she let out a cry of surprise; she seemed to think something had happened.

“Oh my, what happened to you?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. I just got wet.”

Ibee waved her off with his hand and moved aside.

"...Let me borrow something to change into."

"Yes, but you must be uncomfortable like that. I shall prepare your garments, so please take a bath."

“I suppose I will.”

Ibee swiftly stripped naked at the veranda's edge.
After bathing and changing clothes, Sae guided him to a detached room overlooking the sea……The rain had cleared unnoticed, and the afternoon sunlight poured brightly into the tatami room.
Ibee took a seat by the window and quietly beckoned Sae closer.

“Wakita has made his move. Let me ask you again… Sae… will you come to Kashimura as my bride?”

“Yes.”

Sae nodded with unexpected sincerity and looked up at Ibee with her beautiful eyes that glistened with a dewy light.

“...I wish to become a good wife.”

“You said you’d thought about many things these past six months—so had I. To be honest, it was only after you accepted Wakita’s proposal that I first truly saw you for who you are. Before that, I’d never even dreamed of such feelings. But once you were destined to become another’s wife, you became something irreplaceably precious to me—so precious it tormented me.”

“If I were to say that I suffered in the same way, would that be too presumptuous of me?”

Sae boldly looked at Ibee.

“Ah.”

With a smile, Ibee nodded.

“...It’s better not to say more—if it’s thanks to Wakita appearing that I found you.”

“No, Sae has been... since long before that.”

Perhaps startled by her own words that she had begun to say, Sae—her cheeks flushing—stood and went out to the veranda. And suddenly, bubbling with excitement, she spoke in a bright tone as if calling out: “Do look—what a beautiful, large rainbow!”

Ibee also stood up and went over.

In the pale green after the rain, a rainbow spanned the cleared sky—large, vivid, and refreshingly bright.

“How beautiful.”

Ibee raised his voice with awakening clarity.

“……It’s because of that rain that we can see this rainbow’s beauty.
“Wakita Munenosuke was our sudden shower.”

The moment he spoke, Munenosuke’s parting words—“I pray for your happiness”—reverberated in his ears.

Ah—Ibee involuntarily gazed upward.

That bastard Wakita... Had he known all along? That without him making it rain, no rainbow would bridge over us two.

……That bastard knew my temperament all along—is that how it was?

Recalling Munenosuke’s resolute expression from when he had endured the slap, Ibee suddenly looked at his own right hand.

......Sae was gazing intently at the rainbow.