Chapter 4
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Hirate Family (1)
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“There. No need to be so tense. You just have to prove you're not suspicious.”
Mori Yoshinari said that with a deliberately innocent smile. But from Il-yeong's position, with a spear pressed to his throat, it felt more threatening than an outright declaration that she was going to kill him.
‘…The situation has gotten way too tangled.’
There were plenty of excuses he could make right away. Like chasing the ninja whose head had been severed right in front of him all the way here, or getting lost.
But the reason Il-yeong couldn't spit out those words immediately was simple.
‘Putting a spear to my throat out of nowhere like this…’
Il-yeong glanced down at the spear nearly touching his throat and swallowed hard. Acting this aggressively meant she already suspected him.
“One.”
At that moment, her pink lips parted softly, and a short, curt voice rang out between them.
“Two.”
‘Guess I have no choice.’
The option of sneaking away from prying eyes to meet ‘him’ had already been foiled by Yoshinari catching on. For now, clearing her suspicions and heading back seemed like the priority.
“Three. Then…”
“Right now, I…”
Just then, Yoshinari and Il-yeong's mouths opened at the same time, right as they were about to speak.
“Please stop, Lady Mori.”
A stranger's voice echoed in the space where the moonlight had once again been swallowed by clouds, plunging it into darkness. Unlike Yoshinari's voice, which blended subtle femininity and boyishness, this one was clear and resonant. The two turned their heads almost simultaneously, and soon Yoshinari narrowed her eyes and murmured her name.
“…Uemon?”
Unlike Yoshinari, who was dressed for battle, the neatly worn kimono and straight bob haircut clearly marked her as someone of high status. Her small stature due to her age created a strange sense of incongruity, though.
“Uemon…?”
Il-yeong murmured softly, but fortunately, Yoshinari didn't seem to hear. And rightly so—she was flustered herself.
“Why are you, the daughter of Chief Advisor Hirate, here in the dead of night?”
‘Uemon… I see.’
Hearing her name, Il-yeong nodded as he looked at Uemon.
Not all male warriors or daimyo in this world had become women, but he had reached the point where he wasn't surprised anymore no matter who turned out to be one. At that moment, Uemon spoke.
“That's exactly what I wanted to ask. Lady Mori, with our province lord—the Daimyo herself—exposed to assassination risks right now, why is a warrior like you, who upholds the clan, out here in such a remote area?”
“Th-that's…”
Uemon's question didn't sound like it could come from a girl at all. Yoshinari seemed momentarily flustered because of it, but then she spotted Il-yeong and spoke up.
“I discovered a suspicious figure while chasing a ninja. A low-rank samurai, from Joseon no less, wandering alone in a remote area like this at night…”
The moment Yoshinari began her lengthy explanation, Uemon and Il-yeong's eyes met. Uemon flashed a meaningful smile and promptly cut her off.
“Then there's no need to worry. This warrior is an official guest invited by my father, who is the current Daimyo's chief advisor and guardian.”
“...W-what did you say?”
Yoshinari looked back and forth between Il-yeong and Uemon with an expression that said she couldn't comprehend it at all. But Uemon, who had spoken, showed no change in expression as she continued staring at the spear still aimed at Il-yeong's throat.
“My father has a keen interest in Joseon, so he wanted to speak with Il-yeong here, who hails from there. I never imagined Lady Mori would show such rudeness to a guest of the Hirate family.”
“N-no, this, this is!”
Only then did Yoshinari realize the situation was turning serious, and she hurriedly pulled the spear away from Il-yeong's throat. She stared at him with eyes full of disbelief.
“…So, can I take this as an official statement from the Mori family?”
Uemon let out a small sigh of relief at the sight of Yoshinari, who was visibly flustered, and delivered the final blow.
“Uh… w-well, I mean, it wasn't my intention or anything…”
Il-yeong alternated glances between Yoshinari, who was sweating coldly in her panic, and Uemon, who was giving him subtle looks. He chuckled softly and sheathed his katana.
And looking at Yoshinari, who was on the verge of tears, he said,
“Yes, well, that was more or less the gist of it…”
“Th-then you should have said so from the start!”
Yoshinari protested to Il-yeong as if she were wronged, but it was Uemon who actually responded.
“If a low-rank samurai like Il-yeong from Joseon receives an invitation from a clan heavyweights, there would be many who grow envious. That's why Father ordered it to be done quietly. Though I suppose neither side expected things to get this messy, making it awkward for both.”
Of course, it was an excuse full of holes that anyone who thought about it even briefly would see through. Unfortunately, Yoshinari was in a state of extreme fluster.
Uemon said that as she glanced at the corpse lying at Yoshinari and Il-yeong's feet, then spoke to Yoshinari.
“I'm glad the misunderstanding is cleared up now. So, may I take Father's guest now?”
“Uh… y-yes. Yes.”
Yoshinari nodded hurriedly, her face completely flushed, and stepped aside to let Il-yeong pass. Il-yeong suppressed a laugh at her appearance and walked toward Uemon.
“Then, shall we go?”
As Il-yeong stood beside Uemon, she gave Yoshinari a simple bow and guided him away.
Once Uemon and Il-yeong departed, Yoshinari stood there dazed for a moment before murmuring with a pouty expression.
“H-how is that girl even real…”
Meanwhile, Il-yeong was glancing around awkwardly for an entirely different reason.
Part of it was because they were passing through a street lined with grand halls incomparable to the lodgings for low-rank samurai, where the clan's heavyweights resided. But the biggest reason was the warriors surrounding them.
‘No wonder I didn't see any escorts.’
No matter that it was inside the castle walls—the heart of the territory—having a prominent family's young lady wander alone at dawn after an assassination attempt was suspicious. That's why he'd questioned Uemon venturing out by herself.
But that question was resolved the moment he followed her through the fallen wooden wall: behind it, ten warriors knelt on one knee in unison, awaiting her.
“They're all trustworthy. Come, let's go.”
She led the way ahead with a perfectly composed face, apparently oblivious to Il-yeong's momentary fluster. Naturally, the warriors now formed a formation surrounding Uemon and Il-yeong.
‘Feels like I might suffocate.’
Il-yeong ignored the warriors eyeing him with clear displeasure and silently followed Uemon, who only came up to about his solar plexus.
How long had they walked?
“We're here.”
Uemon's voice rang in his ear just as he was about to ask when they'd arrive. Il-yeong looked up at the massive house that soon came into view.
‘To think this is the mansion where someone stays inside Nagoya Castle. Wow.’
He'd seen it from afar many times, but this was his first time up close, right at the front gate.
“This is…”
“Yes.”
Kiiiek—.
Uemon nodded slightly as the doors slowly opened and said,
“This is where our father resides—the godfather and guardian of the current Daimyo, Oda Nobunaga, and now her chief advisor.”