Chapter 123
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Prelude to War (6)
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"So, in that case..."
"But, assuming we're holding the castle for now..."
The meeting dragged on even as night fell.
A good number of retainers had returned to their fiefs or homes for various reasons, but Il-yeong and the other warriors were still pulling an all-nighter in Kiyosu Castle's inner conference room.
It was only natural.
Facing an enemy four or five times their size in raw numbers was no small matter, after all.
But even that had its limits.
They were human, too, and needed rest, so Oda Nobunaga called for a break. Il-yeong joined her atop the tenshu tower for a simple meal.
"It would've been nice if Yoshinari could have joined us."
"Tch, yeah."
Il-yeong nodded regretfully at Oda Nobunaga's words. Mori Yoshinari had left abruptly for a family matter at her main home.
Of course, it was a rather odd thing for her to say.
Missing another woman while dining with the man she loved. But that was just from a conventional viewpoint, wasn't it?
'...After sharing a man once already, why put on airs or play games of one-upmanship.'
Oda Nobunaga mulled over such thoughts as she casually popped some Joseon-style side dishes into her mouth and chewed.
Suddenly, her gaze landed on Il-yeong's face.
"Hm."
His chewing lips.
His eyes, slightly widened as if savoring the taste.
And even the way his gaze occasionally fixed on her.
Scanning Il-yeong's features, she took a sip of broth and thought to herself.
'...It'd be better to compete against those other women instead.'
Nobunaga absentmindedly licked her lips, then bit down on them lightly with her teeth.
The women who irked her.
...No, there were more than one or two.
She could excuse Mori Yoshinari since she'd been the first to share his bed, but there were far too many women around him.
...Lots. Way too many.
'First, Nobuyuki with her political marriage proposal.'
Of course, it had been a scheme to provoke her older sister—herself—and seduce him, Hirate's adopted son, to gain an advantage in the family dispute.
She could let that slide leniently since they'd already promised marriage.
But after that, she couldn't ignore the rest even if she tried.
'Shibata Katsuie.'
A fierce warrior called Oni Shibata, and rumor had it her veiled face hid exceptional beauty, though Nobunaga wasn't sure.
And that was just the start.
The princess who'd fled Mino, the one they called Nohime 'Kicho,' had outright asked him to marry her. Even Niwa Nagahide had started acting oddly aware around him after fighting together a few times.
'He's either the type women flock to without him even trying, or he's slyly seducing them and acting innocent.'
—She froze.
It was then.
'Wait.'
As she inwardly vented her jealousy and reached with her chopsticks to pick up some grilled fish, she suddenly recalled his recent trip to Mikawa—no, to the Matsudaira clan. And she realized one fact.
'Motoyasu's a woman too.'
Matsudaira Motoyasu, the lord of the Matsudaira clan—who'd once lived as a hostage in the Oda home and been like a close younger sibling—was also a girl.
And it didn't end there.
'Even her guard, Hattori Hanzo...'
She could overlook Hattori Hanzo since ninjas rarely showed their faces, but even by her standards, Motoyasu was plenty cute and pretty.
How else to explain why even she, back when she was infamous as a reckless punk, had been at a loss against the girl from the enemy Matsudaira clan?
'Come to think of it.'
There was one more thing that nagged at her.
Il-yeong had rushed to Mikawa so hastily that all she knew was that he'd gone to see Matsudaira Motoyasu's face.
Of course, she could guess the reasons.
Perhaps to seek aid from Motoyasu using their old friendship, or to scout the Matsudaira clan, who had essentially become the vanguard for the Imagawa.
Yeah, that had to be it.
He'd always thrown himself into danger for her sake, so she didn't doubt him for a second.
But even so, the worry gnawing at her was...
'Should I ask him?'
Even knowing his intentions roughly, would asking why he'd gone make Il-yeong think she doubted him?
'No, but still...'
As his lord, wasn't it perfectly reasonable to ask?
'But he's my husband now too?'
They hadn't held the formal wedding yet, but from the moment they'd shared a bed—or even from her declaration before Kiyosu's citizens—he was her husband.
Was it right to question him like an interrogator in such a relationship?
'What if he misunderstands? I-I don't want that...'
Her thoughts spiraled into a chain.
No, calling it spiraling delusions was more accurate.
She could already picture it: Il-yeong setting down his chopsticks, saying, "So you suspected me. I'm disappointed," storming out, and seeking solace in the arms of Mori Yoshinari, who happened to enter just then.
—Rustle.
Oda Nobunaga blankly stirred the neatly arranged vegetables in her wooden bowl several times. Watching her quietly, Il-yeong smiled faintly and asked,
"What are you doing?"
"—It's a misunderstanding."
"Pardon?"
Of course, Il-yeong wasn't the version from her delusion, so he just chuckled and asked back. At his utterly calm response, she blinked a few times, realized it had all been her imagination, and sighed.
"Ah, uh... Ahem."
Her already pale skin flushed slightly.
At the same time, she awkwardly avoided Il-yeong's steady gaze and muttered,
"It's nothing. Ahem."
"Is that so?"
Il-yeong had been about to ask what she'd been thinking so deeply about, but seeing her avert her eyes, he nodded considerately instead.
He then set down his empty rice bowl on the table with a clack and spoke up.
"Ah, about that trip to Mikawa the other day."
"Huh?"
"With help from the Ikoma merchants, I crossed the border and met the Matsudaira clan's new lord. We talked things over, and I secured plenty of cooperation."
At Il-yeong's words, Oda Nobunaga's golden eyes—more profound than sparkling—blinked once before she let out a sharp sound.
"Things went well, so no need to worry about defeat. If worst comes to worst, we have Plan B—our second plan—ready."
Of course, Il-yeong tilted his head slightly at her reaction, wondering why, but finished speaking regardless.
Nobunaga wasn't a fool, naturally.
She instinctively realized her worries were pointless and that fumbling her response here would only make it more awkward. She let her hand drop to her waist.
Was it because war—the battle that would decide Owari's future—was looming? Or had she become one with the man before her?
Swish, smack!
She took a swig from the sake gourd tied to the rope around her waist instead of a proper belt.
"I see. So what help did you get?"
And she responded to him.
The woman lost in wild delusions had vanished, leaving only Oda Nobunaga, who would never yield in war, awaiting his words.
'Probably plotting rebellion from within.'
That was the first thing that came to mind.
No, anyone hearing Il-yeong had visited Mikawa and met Matsudaira Motoyasu would guess the same and wager on the Oda clan's victory in this war.
And Oda Nobunaga was no different.
'We can win this.'
If the Matsudaira rose up internally, the Imagawa forces invading Owari would be pinched front and back, ripe for annihilation.
But if so...
'Imagawaa Yoshimoto isn't a fool either, so the Matsudaira would have to abandon much.'
It was a high-risk gambit: not just the relatives held hostage in Sunpu, the Imagawa stronghold in Suruga Province, but possibly Mikawa territory itself.
"Hard to believe, Hikage. Persuading that child Motoyasu to make such a decision..."
So she said, thinking of her old little sister who'd made such a grave choice.
"What are you talking about, my lord?"
"Huh?"
No, she tried to.
"There's no rebellion or anything. You think the Matsudaira are pushovers who'd do that?"
If not for Il-yeong calmly sipping his tea after the meal.
She had no choice but to ask back.
"Then what...?"
If not internal support, what deal had he made?
It was a natural question.
Not just for her—even the absent party to the deal, Motoyasu, had guessed it, rashly refused, then apologized.
"One thing's for sure."
This time, with Matsudaira Motoyasu.
The future Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The deal they'd struck was simple yet ambiguous, built on nonexistent mutual trust—but Il-yeong was certain.
"Matsudaira, or rather..."
Slurp.
"The Kanto tanuki won't miss this chance."
At that moment, he rolled the last of his tea in his mouth and curved his lips into a smirk.