Always The Spare [ Okkotsu Yuta ]

Chapter 8

"You're home, Kaede-sama."

Kaede gives a smile to the other lady ,who had always been in the household working as a maid, as she gives a bow back.

"I heard mother wants to meet me." She was done with a mission when she received a sudden call from her mother's assistant. After the fight which led to an injury to Kaede's face, the pair hadn't been in contact and neither did Kaede go back home.

"Madam is already waiting, I'll lead you there. "The older lady bows as she raises her hands and shows the way, leading the girl. Kaede follows quietly along the hallway, the same hallway which never changed ever since she was a baby forever embracing its stillness, showing that's it's a place rooted to its tradition never changing.

"You have to be kidding..." Kaede mutters as the maid shook her head in denial.

Kaede expected her to be in a hall where mother usually conducts her discussions, meetings and hobbies of flower arrangement. But she was standing in front of a door which leads to a special room, the room where her brother was.

She lets out a sigh as she hold on to the handle of the sliding door and slowly slides it open. "I have arrived, Mother."

"I see..." Her mother doesn't spare a glance as she looks at her brother,sitting by him on a chair. The room had a faint beeping sound, a heart rate monitor, IV drop stand and so much more but one thing that caught Kaede's eyes were the wonderful flower arrangement,an Ikebana, on the table by his bed.

Her eyes then glance to her bother who was wearing a white jinbei and an inner shirt , his hair was well trimmed and eyes covered by a scar, the injury long healed.

"Zenin Naoya had requested a meeting with you." Minori, her mom, starts as she finally looks at her; her words made Kaede's body feel cold. Years have went by without him ever finalizing the engagement and to add on he never wrote to the clan a reply despite her mother constantly writing to him. Does our clan know no shame? Is our clan so weak we have to turn to marriage to pull up our status?

"You know he has no such interest. Naoya-sama simply likes to drag this on while he beds other women." Kaede grits her teeth. She thought Naoya had finally lost interest as he had not had contact or had any talks regarding the engagement for a few years now. "He will not treat me well, Mother. He is not a kind person."

Her mom finally turns to look at her, her eyes brow were furrowed, eyes cold ridden with dissatisfaction showing her disappointment at Kaede's answers as she opens her mouth. "Zenin Naoya most likely to be the next head of the Zenin Clan; only the announcement of it awaits, why is it so hard to understand that I'm doing this for you? Stop being selfish."

"This was never about me." Kaede speaks in fustration as her grip around her fist tightens as her chest starts to constrict."I have given everything and did everything you've told me but I can never be enough. Do you even realize how exhausting this is? Waking up everyday day ever since I was a young child, emptying myself out for you yet you have the heart to tell me I'm being selfish? I'm just not simply good enough for you mother."

It was true though. Kaede did what ever her parents did. Looked over to respectable adults near by and copy their demeanor. Observed head of clans and copied the way they speak. See what woman of clans do and do the same; because she wanted to a child her parents could be proud of.

A flash of anger is seen in her mothers eyes as she gets up swiftly to look at her daughter straight in her eyes. "Kaede,What nonsense are you spouting-"

"Where...am I?"

It was as if the whole world went silent for a second, the eyes which once started at each other with frustration turned confused, trying to register the new yet familiar voice in the room. Kaede was the first one to react as she took one step to the side and peer over to the person on the bed. "Nii-sama...?"