Discussion and Comparison

While Sachie and Takumi were talking in the garden, Haruto had already managed to reach Takahara. He was telling him about his business and the importance of factory employees' health. He wanted to create an alliance where he could offer a discount and sell ointments, medicines, and even find the best doctors for the employees wholesale.

Keiichi Takahara was surprised that Haruto was the father of Lieutenant Yanagi's fiancée, and that was the reason he decided to listen to him. If Lieutenant General Yanagi had chosen Himawari as his fiancée, the family was respected.

"Takahara-san," one of the guests said, interrupting his conversation with Haruto. "Several guests are commenting that your son was talking to a maid."

Haruto turned pale, and Keiichi asked where his son was. Apologising, Haruto tried to divert attention from the moment.

"It must be a waitress," Haruto said. Keiichi sensed his nervousness, his apology, which annoyed him.

This led Keiichi to go look for his son. For his part, Haruto was regretting having forced his daughter to go to the event. Keiichi found his son talking with Sachie in the garden. He found it curious, somewhat amusing, but knew it was something that shouldn't be happening in public. Seeing his father, Takumi joined him leaving Sachie alone.

"Why are you speaking so casually with that servant?" he asked him directly.

"Apricot Sachie is no servant," Takumi explained. This surprised Keiichi, who didn't believe it. Meanwhile Sachie look the discussion with curiosity. She wanted to know what will happen. 

He turned to look at her. He saw her unfashionable kimono, her unadorned hair, and her tanned skin, which was still noticeable despite the darkness of the night.

Haruto watched from the entrance and not wanting to get involved, he remained an observer. Sachie saw her father judging her, while Keiichi insisted that his son should socialise with the single ladies of his same status.

"Sachie-san is single. Also she is quite different from the other ladies. She studies traditional medicine," he calmly told his father. “I like to talk with her.”

Keiichi became angry, and his face contorted. He forced his son to enter the hall. Both met Haruto at the entrance.

"I will think about what you told me, Apricot-san," Keiichi said to Haruto. 
"There are... rumours about your daughter that will not benefit my business."

Haruto, angered, went to find Sachie, and an argument began. As always, the argument repeated: that she was a disgrace, that she should already be married, and how Himawari was the perfect example, she could be like her.

"Why can't you be like Himawari?" Haruto continued to reprimand Sachie, who was losing her patience. "Your education was the same."

"I am Sachie Apricot," she shouted, trying to defend herself. Her father slapped her.

"Stop embarrassing me. Just for today, behave; this is important to me."

Haruto left his daughter there, her face flushed from the blow. Sachie tried to calm down, to regain her composure. She was tired of being treated like a doll, a puppet who was only there to obey her father's orders. For first time she questioned why she was assisting that event. Why her father wanted to be there if she only is a shame?

Sachie tried to relax, to drink and eat something. But the situation in the hall was worse. There were more stares, more criticisms, and she didn't like the crowd. Many times they confused her with a maid, and even the Kurogane family asked her to be more discreet, that she should continue working and serving.

Without saying anything and laughing softly, she just nodded. She was amused to see the Kuroganes' reactions when they realised she disobeyed their orders. Maybe asisiting to the event wasn’t as bad as she thought. When she was tired of this behavior, she went to a corner of the hall to rest, to hide from others.

"Onee sama," Himawari sat next to her sister. Sachie groan when she saw her sister. ”May I sit down?"

"Go ahead, Hima-chan," Sachie said listlessly. The tension between the sisters was visible. But Himawari wanted to spend time with her sister.

Himawari admired her sister, her tenacity, her rebelliousness, and her skill with plants. In contrast, she believed she had nothing. Only basic skills that in her perception had no value.

"I heard you helped heal a wound of the Takaharas' son," Himawari said to start a conversation.

"It was nothing," Sachie replied. "I just cleaned and treated a superficial wound. Anyone would do it."

Not far from where the sisters were chatting, Haruto watched. He was nervous, worried about what Sachie might do. At the same time, he tried to save the relationship with the Takahara family.

The sisters remained silent for a while. The difference between them was more obvious when they stood together. Sachie wore an old-fashioned, soiled kimono with no jewelry. Her hairstyle was basic she wasn’t wearing any makeup, Himawari was her most obvious counterpart.

Himawari wore a silk kimono of light colours where peach was the main, her hair, adorned with pins, surely gold-plated or direct gold, shone in her elaborate hairstyle. Sachie could detect a bergamot-based perfume that her sister had applied. Was it a perfume brought from India or London? Sachie was getting imptience.

"I see you've allowed yourself to be manipulated by novelty, Hima-chan," Sachie finally commented to her sister. "Where are your own ideas? Or are you one of those who choose to be silent and let others decide?"

Himawari said nothing. She remained silent while looking at the floor. The last thing she wanted was to argue with her sister. This made Sachie angrier, and she continued to provoke her.

"I see," Sachie continued when she saw her sister getting nervous. "You are simply a puppet of father and now of the Yanagi family."

Himawari trembled nervously. She only wanted to be with her sister; she wanted to remember those childhood memories when they both played, that time before responsibilities. She remembered those days when they played the story of Princess Kaguya. Sometimes they played Momotaro, and she wanted to see her sister smile as they remembered those stories.

But she also didn't want to leave. She was overwhelmed by being surrounded by people and tired of always answering the same questions.

"I remembered that time we played Momotaro, do you remember?" 
Himawari began to speak to change the subject. "When you were Momotaro, you said he arrived in an apple. I always got angry because then he stopped being Momotaro. You said he could be Ringotaro insted."

Sachie became angrier at remembering those embarrassing moments from the past. She stood up to prevent her sister from continuing to talk.

"Enough, Hima!" she told her. "I don't want you to talk to me about those moments. I am tired of them, they’re useless.”

"Onee sama..." Himawari tried to continue, trying to be patient. "I want you to relax, to smile a little remembering those happy days."

“Happy days? Are you serious?” Sachie shouted, standing up from her chair. She no longer cared if they heard her. "I, at least, am fighting for my happiness, I am fighting for my freedom. You, on the other hand, exchanged it for a secure future, for something superficial."

Someone nearby discreetly left the area, seeing that the Apricot sisters were arguing. Sachie continued to reprimand her sister for her lack of independence, lack of dreams or ambitions.

"A damn doll has no right to lecture me," Sachie told her. Himawari did not respond to her sister's attacks; she simply remained silent, enduring her sister's shouts. "You are a pathetic prize that the Yanagis won and that they can show off as a perfect doll, a simple trophy. What will happen if you can't give Lieutenant Yanagi an heir? Will your sacrifice, your education, be worth anything?” Sachie though she was winning. She could see her sister trying not to cry, but the first tears began to fall. 

She continued attacking her sister. “At least if I fail, I can move forward, I can get back up. I can try again and improve. You will be discarded, you’ll be a piece of trash.”

Himawari couldn't take it anymore; Sachie realized she hit a nerve, where hurt the most. She had won and saw tears falling from her face, smudging her face and ruining her makeup. Victoriously, she tried to leave, but saw her father and mother arrive in time so she couldn't escape.