Nadeshiko

Chapter Sixteen

21.00 p.m.

The clock in the hallway chimed and that brought me back to my senses. The howling wind and rain showed no signs of mercy as it continued to torment this world. I stared at the clock absentmindedly as I watched the needles move with a practiced gesture. I've been gone for two hours. Sighing, I felt slightly dejected. Now that both diaries are gone, I only have Sayuri's which is useless. There isn't a single piece of informative stuff in there. I clenched my fists and swore to myself. If only I had those other two diaries, then maybe I might have found some clues.

I pressed a hand to my forehead, trying to remember whatever information we've gathered or thought of. This is a matter related to the past. The demon is summoned by Nadeshiko for revenge. This means that it must be related to grandfather. But if it's because grandfather didn't marry her, then it'll be all too easy to figure out! Okay, so if it's based on the clue that demon had just given me, then it must be grandfather's sins to the child-his child. But what if...this demon is not summoned by grandfather's mistress but the child? I laughed bitterly. What an idea! But I get the feeling that names could be passed on. The demon didn't really specify which Nadeshiko so it can be assumed that the name was passed on to the real Nadeshiko's child and that child bears a certain grudge which leads her to summon a demon in order to carry out the revenge she wanted. Well, at least this sounds like a pretty reasonable logic.

Now that I've probably got the answer I desire, it's time to figure out the sins. It must be a miracle for me to live this long. There must be some significance to it. I sighed and leaned against the wall, trying to think of something; anything at all.

All of a sudden, an image of the girl in my dreams appeared. What? Surprised, I found myself thinking about her even though I didn't mean to. My heart wouldn't stop pounding as I considered a certain possibility. This girl I remember so vividly might actually be one of the diaries' owner. The death of Kubara and Ryoko is not coincidental. It must be because they possess those diaries. If so, the diary I held on to might belong to this girl in my dreams. In other words, there's a high chance she's Sayuri.

"Oh!" I gasped, as the pieces slowly reformed into a fixed shape. "She...died." In my dreams-no, it's not a dream but more like a journey to the past via dreams-she fell off the cliff covered in blood and I couldn't save her. But, doesn't that mean she's Nadeshiko's daughter and that she's already dead? If so, I must have some connection to her in the past! Otherwise, I wouldn't have been shown this scene of the past.

"I have to tell Jun!" I resolved to tell him what I've figured out. Rushing up the stairs, I headed straight for his room and banged on the door hard. There was no reply. Frowning, I knocked again but I received the same results. Placing my ear close to the door, I tried to make out any signs of sound which might indicate he's inside. However, only silence answered me.

Placing my hand on the doorknob, I tried to open the door but it's locked. After jingling it with frustration, I decided to go ask one of the servants for the key to his room. Since the servants work here, they each have a bunch of keys to every door in this mansion. It is part of their duty to keep the mansion tidy and clean so they needed those to unlock locked doors.

As I was rushing off to the servants' headquarters, I bypassed Amaya. She looked a little shocked when she saw me. "Where are you heading off, Master Seere?"

"Ah, Amaya! Please lend me your bunch of keys. I've been knocking at Jun's door for several minutes but there's no reply. I want to make sure he's okay." I explained everything to her in a rushed manner.

"Oh, here you go!" Amaya handed me her bunch of keys without hesitation.

"Thanks!" I gripped the bunch of keys tightly and rushed off in the other direction. The mansion felt eerily silent. I couldn't help feeling goosebumps as I climbed the stairs. A sense of loneliness pierced me as I prayed for Jun's safety. I've lost most of my family. I couldn't bear to lose another. Fumbling with the bunch of keys, I tried them one by one. Since I'm not familiar with these, it's only natural for me to use this one method. At long last, the lock clicked open and I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what's to come next.