Chapter 503:

The Appointment

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Dressed up in a beautiful kimono, hairpins and make-up, this was far more effort than Yumi ever had known in her whole life. As a choice, she would never have done any of what she was being told to do, but as a child she got none of those rights. This was ordered of her and she obeyed. The presence of her father was intimidating enough, but she would have refused him either way if she saw no value in it.

Despite her not wanting this sort of treatment, she wanted to see more. The day of the appointment had finally arrived and she could leave the mansion. In all of the three months since she had been living the new life they never allowed her anything more than a view into the outside world. They sheltered her more than she imagined.

Based on what she saw from a distance, she had a good idea of what it was like, but nothing of how the people were. Though, they were less of a concern for her at the moment. She had already managed to understand enough from the mansion about the world, everything beyond the walls would be a harsh and cruel world. They kept her sheltered for a reason obviously. As Yuki might say, it was a natural cliché set up.

So she didn’t need to see that to guess pretty easily what the rest was like. There were more important things that she needed now. The highest priority was identifying the objective of this world. Rika remained a candidate that hadn’t done enough to remove her from consideration, though Yumi didn’t feel very confident with her. She didn’t do enough to stand out, she just felt like a rambunctious child. Yumi hoped that the appointment would show some new possibilities, but also give her a sense of what she was supposed to be doing in this world.

She had little clue about the world setting, but guessed that just based on Japanese history, if it followed that, she was likely in a war-like period of time just as a likely scenario. Though it had been well over a decade at this point since she had done any sort of Japanese history, a lot of the details slipped her mind now. Not that she had much of it committed to memory beyond needs for tests, which disappeared the moment she no longer needed it.

Her second objective, which she knew was an extremely long shot given how things worked in Masa’s world, was that she hoped for some clues about where her friends were now. They were hidden around the country most likely and if they had the same treatment as her, it would be extremely difficult for them to actually meet up. But she had to keep her eyes out, they could be anywhere. And if they took it into account that being children and they weren’t trying to intentionally make things more difficult, they could be close by. It was a small hope that she rested upon as fruitless as it might be doing that.

If either of the goals could make progress, she would be happy.

As she couldn’t be happy about her immediate situation. ‘Wearing geta outside is so difficult on this uneven ground…’ Part of her body seemed to remember things better than the three months of training that she had. She had no clue how long she had been getting instruction, but that was the only thing she felt saved her. Walking and manners were continually hammered into her with the afternoon lessons.

‘This girl’s father is so insistent on her being a proper lady, she’s not even eight yet…there should be laws against this sort of treatment…’ She would do what she had to do, but she longed for freedom from this world’s constraints. ‘I worry I’m going to be stuck here a long time with them making me a child…’

A far more realistic concern that Yumi wouldn’t want to ignore.

Chapter 503 – The Appointment

Escorted by her father, who dressed in elegant silk kimono while still maintaining a simple statement, and a squad of generic looking, well trained guards, Yumi left the safety of the mansion grounds. They didn’t take her through what she guessed to be the main street through the city below, but mostly along the outskirts.


The small cart-like carriage that took them around the city only gave Yumi a modest view. Her height made it difficult to make much out of it and she had to keep a proper, unchild-like behavior for her father. If she had been a real child, that might have been more trying for him or perhaps the trying did a very good job instilling discipline. Yumi had no real idea if it worked considering her age. But her goal wasn’t to make his life difficult, at least right now.

About thirty minutes later, they came to a stop and her father stood up stepping out of the enclosed wooden box. It had some luxury to it, but remained very practical and served the singular purpose he needed, delivering his daughter clean to the location of the appointment.

This appointment took on a mysterious quality the more that she heard it mentioned around her. Neither the instructor or the servants would say anything to her about it, and good luck even thinking of asking that stonewall of a man. But that wasn’t to say that she didn’t come up with a few guesses.

The guards gathered around the opening of the door before offering Yumi a guiding hand out of the small wooden room. She caught the rays of the morning sun in her eyes the moment that she stepped out into open air nearly stumbling from it. They caught her the instant that they noticed something slightly off in her balance.

She could only give them a slight nod in thank you for their hard work, anymore would have been improper despite their loyal service. Shadows and bodies covered up her view of the grounds, most important her father.

When he stepped away, she finally got a real look at the estate. Being that this was her first time out of the home in the last three months, she had no way to really judge this against the one that she left. ‘So big…this must be a Lord’s residence.’ She still knew little about the social rank of her own family, but assumed based on the estate and servants they were an important family. Perhaps this appointment would make that position clearer. ‘We’re clearly not in charge…’ she assessed quickly.

There was a grand view that left it imposing as the open grounds only helped to accent the scale of the mansion itself. While only three stories in height, it spread out over the grounds making it look like a nightmare to walk around it. It took her a week to just learn the path that she needed to get to the instructor in her own house and there were still parts of the grounds that she was certain she never had seen yet.

Little more time was allowed to take it in before her father started the march up to the entrance. Near to the steps up, they were greeted by an elderly looking man already half bald with a thick beard. “Lord Kaoin, it’s great to see you again! It’s been what, two years?”

In a surprising move, Yumi watched her father take a deeply respectful bow before the old man. “Master, it’s always an honor.”

“Now, now young Satoru, I’ve long since stopped being the one to bruise and cut those hands of yours.”

‘He was this man’s old sword master?’ she speculated, pleased to have the new information.

With procedure out of the way, the balding man looked down, noticing Yumi keeping a minimum distance behind her father. “Little Yoshi, you’re getting so big! You’re going to be the talk of the court with how cute you are!”

‘Should be acting casual with him? I probably should be safe, since I don’t even know if we have pet names…’ All of this established history between characters made her wish that she had a script that told her about everyone and their relationships. Having to fly blind into mistakes gave her no end of stress. She was just thankful that adults were generally more forgiving of children making errors.

She gave a polite short bow to the elderly man. “Good morning, Uncle.”

“So formal, you’re being too strict on your daughter. Last time I saw her she had so much energy!”

“Yes, Master.” Despite it being possibly a mistake on Yumi’s part, she could see a bit of pride from her father that she was being respectful rather than childish. It seemed like she would have had trouble either way. The course she could be happy with. “Is everything prepared?” he inquired, redirecting the conversation to the topic at hand.

“Yes, Lord Matsushina has made all of the arrangements for you. Follow me.”

The guards remained behind with only her father and the old man walking through the mansion of the Lord. ‘This is one an arranged marriage meeting, two a test for joining the Lord’s court or three a new instructor.’ Those were the guesses that Yumi made for what this appointment was about. She put her highest odds behind the arranged marriage as it just made sense. ‘At least if it is marriage I won’t be around here long enough for that to be something I have to worry about. I’ll be done before that happens…’

Focused on her thoughts, she didn’t give much notice to the interior of the mansion until they had already arrived in the room. Servants waited at the door letting them in and one stayed inside to go into action at a moment’s notice for any requests. Her father’s Master directed them to the left side of the table where they sat down waiting.

Two minutes passed and the door slid open with a servant delivering a steaming pot of tea and cups for their guests.

Another five minutes and the pot of tea was only a third filled still.

Finally after a full ten minutes of waiting the door slid open to reveal several people dressed clearly to not be servants. As her father and the old man stood up, Yumi took it as a sign that whomever it was that entered was very important, likely the Lord.

The old man confirmed it a moment later with a greeting, “Lord Matsushina, good day.”

“Good morning, Shimedzu and Kaoin.” The Lord was a surprisingly tall man appearing roughly a similar age of her father, probably a few years older if she had to guess. He was dressed in delicate silk kimonos and a well maintained beard. Short black hair mostly hid behind the headdress he wore.

Following up closely behind him was a young child dressed in a simple kimono made to give them a basic and practical look. Yumi assumed that they were nobility or maybe even the Lord’s son, but they seemed to be keeping things understated.

Behind the child was another man roughly similar age as the other adults and looked comparable to her father. He had a noble and strict bearing about him despite his quiet presentation. ‘I feel like he’s judging me…his eyes haven’t stopped staring since he stepped in…’ There was something off about him that Yumi couldn’t place about the man. She wished that she had improved her skills to be able to read the situation better.

With everyone arrived in the room, the parent and child sat on the right side of the table with the child placed across from Yumi. On her left was the Master and on her father’s right the Lord. ‘Definitely marriage…so young…some political gain? Is that why the Lord is here?’ She still had a lot of questions that the meeting would hopefully answer for her.

Lord Matsushina opened with introductions of the parent and son that sat across from them. “Lord Satoru Kaoin, this is Lord Tsuyoshi Fujimoto and his son Takumi Fujimoto.”

“Lord Tsuyoshi Fujimoto, this is Lord Satoru Kaoin and his daughter Yoshiko Kaoin.”

With introductions out of the way, the adults began to talk as the children could only wait and be ignored. Important matters for the marriage were being sorted out.

“This union of the two clans will be before myself and the court,” the Lord confirmed.

“The Kaoin will stand behind you, my Lord.”

“Your family’s legacy will be of great boon to us. These times are dangerous and it’s good to know who you can count on.”

“With this union will the Fujimoto be able to enjoy the same relationship you’ve had?”

“As allies, we will share and teach all we have.”

The old man finally spoke up in the meeting. “The Fujimoto and Kaoin Clans joining should be a strong deterrent for Lord Komagata and his eyes on the west. Though his craving for conquest will not be put off just by this.”

“We will have to make a show of strength for him.”

“Lord Komagata thinks you’re weak, my Lord. More than a show may be necessary.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that Shimedzu. Komagata would see Japan in flames if he had his way.”

“Then we should begin quickly,” Fujimoto answered.

“Yes, though it will merely just be in word for the moment we can’t wait.”

“Then as Lord, I hereby approve of this union. Fujimoto and Kaoin…”

After ten minutes of staring at Takumi, the feeling kept gnawing at her side until it finally cleared up for her. ‘That’s it! I know why I’ve been getting that awkward stare from that man the whole time!’ She looked around at everyone else trying to see what their faces read like. Only Fujimoto however seemed to be the one with something that he was trying to hide. And she understood why now. ‘This could be bad, but I think this is important…’

Leaning forward and straightening up to perfect posture that Miss Kunkata taught her, Yumi stepped out into the adult world that would completely change the course of her fate in this world. “Forgive my disrespect, Lord Matsushina, but I have a question.” She immediately got a glare and hand out of view of the others that grabbed her arm from her father that told her to not say another word.

It would have just ended there with an apology from her father to the Lord, but that never happened. The resolved expression on Yumi’s face seemed to have gotten the attention of Shimedzu who spoke for her, “The girl is getting married, I think a single question is fair, my Lord.”

Lord Matsushina stared over at the old man and then at Yumi making a silent appraisal. He looked back at the old man again who seemed to be communicating something that also convinced the Lord. “You have my curiosity as well.”

“My Lord…” her father uttered and Yumi looked over to him for final approval. He had little position left to deny her the request and acquiesced.

“Why am I being married to another girl?” Shock immediately washed over Lord Fujimoto’s face at Yumi’s question. Silence fell over everyone as Yumi stunned the whole room.

Sota
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Eytha
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