I woke up as the ray of light shone on my face. I yawned and try to shake my head to lose my sleepiness.
"My lady!" The housemaid hurriedly ran and opened the shoji "Your father wishes to see you in his presence." the housemaid panted, as I heard her words. I feel infuriated by a sudden call, it's early in the morning and my father wishes to see me at this instant.
The housemaid helped me put on my kimono, she brushed my hair and put some hair sticks and pins. Minutes after helping me dress, I wore my zori sandals. I hurriedly went to the main house where my father was. As the only daughter of the family, I was harshly treated by the elders of the family and relocated my room somewhere far from the main house. They give me harsh training every single day and always spit words out of their mouths: "She can't keep up with a man." It was a challenge for me, but just because it was difficult doesn't mean I have to give up. I despise men belittling women for how they labeled them 'weak'. The elders could not just accept how a woman overpassedthe challlenges made only for men.
My father is a prideful and strict man, he wouldn't let me step outside without a permission, even if i do ask for a permission the answer I would get is a 'no', he is the fourth head of the Sakurai Clan.
I arrive on time and patiently waited for my father's command to let me inside the main room.
As my gaze averted to the household maidservants I wondered: Will there be an occasion? All the household maids are lately busy, they cleaned the columns with much more effort than before. Will there be visitors?
"Y/n, come in" Father's voice echoed in the room, I open the Shoji slowly "You wished for my presence father?" I bowed.
"Tonight there will be a banquet, I want you to look more presentable. As my old friend will visit with his eldest son" He added, "Father for I am not being rude to ask, who is this old friend you are talking about?" I questioned.
He looked at me with a sharp gazed and sighed "An old friend of mine is a head of the Hyakken clan, his name is Hyakken Banri and needless to say I don't want you to ruin his expectations for you. Do you understand?"
"I willl do my best father." As our short conversation ended, I left the main room and went to the old pond behind the backyard and watch the Koi fish swimming at the pond.
Minutes later while spending my time watching the Koi fish, I heard the household maids talking.
"Have you heard the news?"
"About what?"
"Some townspeople at the border are disappearing."
"It only happens late at night."
"My relative told me the body of the deceased they discovered was rotten like an apple's core."
"That's so scary."
As I accidentally heard her gossip one thing would come up to my mind it was a cursed spirit's doing, only the family members in the specific clan get to know about the cursed spirits, at a young age they were trained by the elders on how to use cursed energy and taught them how to face a cursed spirit if ever they cross one. People who have small energy left in their bodies, most nobles would do anything to have them and mark them as their new family members. Having a jujutsu sorcerer in the family is considered a good luck, to protect the rest of the family from evil.
As I finished hearing them talking, i sighed and not wished to hear any gossips. I decided to have a stroll around the town to look around and try to gather some more info about the disappearance of some people at the border.
"Lady Y/n, where are you going?"
I turn around to the person who called me and it was Naka, my maid.
"I'm going for a walk, Naka" I replied, she pinched my cheeks making me wince "You're not allowed to go alone outside Lady Y/n, also there's a banquet tonight. I would be scolded by your aunt if I didn't stop you." She frowned.
"You could be my company at the town it won't take long having a stroll around." I pointed out.
She shrugged and decided to tag along on my stroll. We strolled around the town and enjoyed a lot of sweets. I tasted each delicacy on the stalls and ended up spending the rest of my earnings on the food. As we sat somewhere on the bench to take a short rest, people's eyes darted to a horrible-looking man in the middle.
"HELP ME! HELP ME!" A man shouted, and people were spooked by the man's words. "Please help me! the spirit who thirst for blood and eats the flesh of a human killed my family and my people!" People were beginning to whisper and some of them call him 'crazy'.
Some people were mad at the man for spreading such unbelievable things. "Naka, what do you think of the man?" I asked. She sipped at the tea and sighed "Well, I do not think he's lying." She answered.
"Also if this is the cursed spirit's doing, let the member of jujutsu sorcerer's handle that." She added. I grinned "You're so straightforward Naka."
"What if we meddle?" I spoke out "Excuse me?" She raised her right brow and give me a hard look. "You know, every heir on the certain clan got a chance to prove themselves worthy to take the position as the head of the family. Also, by proving themselves as worthy they need to exorcise a powerful cursed spirit." I explained.
She laughed "You don't even want to be the family head, what is the point of trying to exorcise one?"
"I DID decide not to be the heir of the clan, I just want to help those people who lost someone important to them." I reasoned.
Things went quiet between us and we decided to go back before the sunset. As we arrived, Naka hurriedly helped me to put on my jūnihitoe, it was a twelve-layered robe. It was quite heavy and hard to move around also she attached my hair with a haircomb and hair pins, and she also applied some light makeup on my face to make my appearance look presentable and appealing in the guest's eye.
Later on, the people of the Hyakken Clan arrived. And things went noisy and cheery, I sigh and wished this banquet would be over soon.
I went to the main hall to meet my father. While walking slowly, people were happily drunk, some were singing and some household servants were dancing gracefully and the men of the Hyakken clan raised their bottles of sake and cheered on the women dancing in front of them.
"Ah! there is my beautiful daughter!" My father called "So this is your daughter? Oh my, what a fine young lady she is." The head of the Hyakken Clan complimented.
I smiled "Your words flattered me much Lord Banri."
"Well, this is my son. I have expectations that you and he could be good friends!" A young man about my age smiled at me and I plastered a polite smile...
"This is my son, Hyakken Akihito." He introduced after the finished introductions, and the conversation between the two family heads went pretty well. They were sharing sake and they were talking about some things and they laughed aloud.
"Want to get out of here?" Akihito smiled and I nodded. I led him to the backyard, it was wide and there was a big pond and the moonlight reflects the pond and I could see the koi fishes swimming. I breathe heavily "Goodness, I feel so suffocated inside there." I laughed.
"Well, I noticed you weren't comfortable inside so wouldn't it be better to loosen up?" He grinned
"These head accessories are making my head heavy," I complained and removed the hairpins and hair combs that attached to my hair making my hair bounce down.
"This place looks beautiful, isn't it? Also, we can see the moonlight reflecting the pond." His eyes gleamed with admiration for the scenery he saw and I couldn't also help but also admire the view. After hours of talking, the household maidservant called us for our presence in the banquet hall.
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"Well, well! Banri your sake taste so good!" My father laughed and drink the sake. Hyakken Banri chuckled "Well you know my friend, these sakes are the best quality in my town!" He hiccups and laughed.
"Well, we decided that these two young lads should get married right!" Hyakken Banri laughed hysterically. Some guests agreed with the idea, and they give a nod showing interest, "I badly wanted grandchildren, also, I want tons of grandchildren! I want to spoil them with my riches!" Hyakken Banri joked.
Akihito looked at me with pity, I can tell he doesn't want to be part of this 'Arrange Marriage.' Couldn't blame him either, he is a victim just like me of this stupid.
I fell silent, feeling the doom and anger in me. I want to rant and speak out about what I wanted to say, but the fact I have to maintain being a lady with an 'etiquette'. I feel so powerless and voiceless to do anything against it.
"Excuse me, I think I have forgot something." I plastered a smile at them and left out of the banquet hall.
"What was that all about?" Hyakken Banri questioned voiced out in the hallway. "She's just shy, I'm sure she's fine." My father laughed echoes and I continue to leave off.
End of Chapter 1
jūnihitoe - is a twelve-layered kimono-like peacefully layered on top of each other in such a way that they would fan out and be splayed beautifully worn on top of a plain white silk robe and long trousers.