As Saya lay on the familiar futon after translating a few pages, she discovered that translating from English to elegant Italian was no easy feat. The language she had studied differed greatly from this era; it still contained archaic terms that required supplemental Latin dictionaries for reference.
After lying down for a while, the girl realized she couldn't sleep. She peeked through the door and found Ugetsu still sitting in the same spot, gazing at the sky.
The young man's shoulders remained straight, but occasionally he would bow his head and sigh. The girl went back to bed, waking up periodically only to find Ugetsu still there throughout the night. It was now dawn.
To be honest, Saya didn't feel at ease in the slightest. She sighed before starting to pack away her futon and went to light the charcoal stove to prepare breakfast.
Ugetsu taught her how to cook every time she returned here. Being Japanese, he was the only one with the skills to cook his national cuisine, and he had no one to share that bond with until he met her. Seeing her, he was overjoyed; Saya, too, felt good while cooking.
She began lighting the charcoal stove, blowing through a bamboo tube until smoke billowed out. Being unaccustomed to it, her face was soon covered in soot. Once she managed to control the fire's balance, she began steaming the rice, then lit a grill to cook salt-sprinkled fish before preparing the soup base for miso soup. At that moment, Ugetsu entered, drawn by the scent of fire and smoke.
"Let me help you, Lady Leyla," the young man rolled up his sleeves and grabbed a fan to grill the fish. As the girl went to tend the rice, he kept an eye on the fire and water to ensure the rice cooked over the wood fire wouldn't burn.
Breakfast was finished around 7:00 AM. At 9:00 AM, she had to see Master Talbot again.
Until now, the Rain Flames were still surging, but her body was gradually becoming more comfortable with using the fire. Fon's theory was correct, as was the flame control Giotto had taught her. She believed it complemented Dr. Shamal's medicine as well as Ugetsu's acupuncture.
Saya could feel that her body was improving bit by bit; perhaps she could start running without getting exhausted soon.
"Do you like cooking, Lady Leyla?" Ugetsu asked as they sat down to eat. It might have looked strange—eating in an Italian-style dress within a Japanese house—but it had become their reality.
"I do. It's fun when I'm doing it, but I tend to give a dry smile when it's time to wash the dishes." Ugetsu laughed, while Saya smiled brightly and covered her mouth as she giggled along.
"You have charcoal dust on your face," Ugetsu pointed to Saya's left cheek. "Pardon me."
The young man lifted the hem of his sleeve and wiped it away gently before retracting his hand. "There, all clean. But you might need to practice a bit more so the smoke doesn't billow quite so much next time."
"Yes, Master Ugetsu," Saya thought for a moment before asking, "Do you have anything like sake, wine, or vinegar?"
"I… have some," Ugetsu replied. "What do you intend to do with them, Lady Leyla?"
The girl smiled radiantly. "What follows is the path of fate—something called 'Hygiene.'"
...
...
"We must air out the blankets frequently and clean often," she said as she and Ugetsu hung blankets on the bamboo racks he had built. Afterward, they sat on the porch with a small bottle of sake, an unopened bottle of wine, and a jar of vinegar that Ugetsu had fermented himself.
"You must absolutely not let rats enter the house. As for Fuwa, I know it might sound strange, but I want you to be careful. If Fuwa gets sick, you must distance yourself immediately."
"Though I don't quite understand why, I usually do those things anyway. But regarding Fuwa… I cannot do that; it is my responsibility."
It must be said that for a lone man in this small wooden house, Ugetsu kept it very clean. There were no rats or insects.
"Just keep doing what you've been doing. But today, I want to talk about… magic," Saya winked, but upon hearing that, the other party looked startled.
"…Yin-Yang power?!" Ugetsu cried out. "Does Lady Leyla have the lineage of an Onmyoji?! Or are you actually a Miko—a Daughter of God?!"
"No!" Saya quickly shook her head and waved her hands in denial. "It was just a metaphor… like, something miraculous."
"…I see," Ugetsu placed a hand on his chest, patting it gently as he let out a long sigh. "If you were truly a Daughter of God, I would surely face divine punishment. Even if nothing happened physically, by tradition, it would be a grave matter." He coughed. "Making a Daughter of God become human through marriage because of such a thing… it truly would be too much to bear."
The girl could only laugh nervously before saying, "I might have said something a bit strange, but I want to speak about how I view you, Mr. Ugetsu."
"Please do. I, too, wish to hear how I am seen through another's eyes," he said, lifting his miso soup bowl. Saya began to speak.
"Staying at your house, I've seen that you are a very calm person. You are peaceful, yet you have a sense of humor and an aesthetic soul. Even when I nearly burned the kitchen down the other day, you only gave a strained smile, helped me clean up, and taught me with such politeness. Most importantly, I almost broke your weapons, yet you never lost your temper with me."
Even though the girl knew he was displeased—leaning toward feeling terrible about losing his swords—he remained a rational, kind, and very broad-minded person.
The young man went still before coughing slightly and taking a Japanese fan from his sleeve, spreading it to hide half of his face. "A person's heart is hard to fathom… Lady Leyla, you are merely saying this to comfort me, aren't you?"
"I saw that you looked troubled," she said, swinging her legs back and forth. "I just wanted to say that even if a Daughter of God had to become human because of you, Mr. Ugetsu, she wouldn't regret marrying you."
"…I am but a nobleman who loves music and his comrades. I do not know how well I would handle the responsibility of a family, or if I would be a good teacher to my children. It is a future I have never considered… but Lady Leyla," the young man turned to look at her and spoke, "You truly speak beyond your years. Are you aware of that?"
"Forgive my rudeness, Mr. Ugetsu," Saya gave a strained smile. Ugetsu closed his fan, a faint smile appearing.
"Anyway, what did you want these items for?" Ugetsu asked before walking to the medicine cabinet and bringing out a brown ceramic bottle with a red cloth stopper, placing it with the rest. The girl smiled mischievously before answering.
"I think I want to make a 'Comet-Slaying Fragrance'!"
"What do you have to report, Alaude?" Giotto asked, sitting on a red leather sofa across from Alaude, who was sipping coffee.
"Since the death of Princess Irina, there has been a great deal of unrest, including quite a few damaging rumors about Vongola. Regarding the funeral rites, though they have been settled, it seems the majority of the populace is in deep mourning. There may be a public mourning period where people wear black."
Giotto nodded; he had already expected this. "The rumors… what are they saying?"
"Overall, most believe Vongola is the victim. However, a significant number have raised suspicions, leading to conspiracy theories that Vongola might be gathering forces for some clandestine purpose. Some say Vongola actually supports the Protestants but staged the situation to lure the Princess to her death at their base to look like victims. There are even rumors that Giotto, the leader of the Vongola Family, was actually the Princess's lover."
"…That sounds completely irrational. But whatever you do, never let Daemon Spade hear that last sentence, Alaude," the golden-haired man said. This caused Alaude to give a small smile before returning to his usual stoic expression. "And what about the underworld?"
Alaude handed him a small paper parcel. Giotto opened it, read it, and immediately burned it using the Dying Will Flame ignited on his ring.
There were secret communications, but the origin was uncertain; it could be from Spain, possibly the Nocturna Family, or perhaps places like France or Sweden. Several mafia groups were collaborating with the intent to destroy the Vongola Family.
"Continue the investigation, Alaude." Once finished, the silver-haired man handed Giotto another piece of paper. After reading it, that too was burned.
The matter of Princess Irina was an assassination. The mastermind was…
So, this is how they eliminate thorns in the Royal family's side. Giotto gave a slight smirk. "It's no wonder Lord Francesco sent Lampo to stay with us. He truly is a far-sighted man, just as he wrote in his letter."
A neutral party cannot survive in a situation where one must choose sides. The Princess had made her choice, but not everyone was pleased with it.
And someone had benefited from this.
The war occurring now was no longer a war for religion; it had become a struggle for profit using religion as an excuse. The death of Princess Irina would only drive the people who adored her to pour more hatred onto the Protestant state. It ensured that the coming battles would see many volunteers becoming soldiers to avenge her.
Vongola is… weak.
Giotto thought of the Princess, who was always strong, beautiful, and smiling. Though she was Catholic in name, she was actually neutral at heart and disagreed with war or violence as a solution. Thus, she favored Vongola's ideology of helping people. Because she was neutral and cared for the populace, she was killed by someone's malice.
Simply because she was too well-loved by the people, it affected the right of succession in the future should something unexpected happen—as well as the power of certain nobles that would vanish if the succession did not go as intended.
Furthermore, they wanted to diminish Vongola's power because, in recent years, the hearts of the people were no longer solely with the Holy Roman Empire; part of it lay with Vongola, which had built its power base within the empire. This displeased many parties who wanted to shift that power back to the monarchy.
Though this was a time when everyone should cooperate to minimize the war's impact on the people, it was also the best opportunity to take action.
Currently, the King was far away, and his eyes and ears here were few. Although Princess Irina was not the favorite, her ability and heart were more prepared than the actual heir, to the point that even the monarch had to acknowledge it, along with the power base she had diligently built among the people.
If an unexpected event occurred—like the sudden death of the King and the heir, who were currently in the middle of a battlefield—who wouldn't be afraid? Especially those currently in power.
Giotto's intuition had already told him that the official investigation seemed strange and not as thorough as it should be. So, that was it. In reality, if they wanted to destroy Vongola, they could have planted more evidence or charges. But they didn't.
This was like a warning from the other side: from now on, how should Vongola 'behave' toward the monarchy? But it also meant Vongola was still very useful to them.
Lord Francesco didn't want Lampo involved too much with the monarchy because he knew his son's nature and inability to fight the battles of the royals. Even though Lampo had royal blood, he had no legal rights, but if the monarchy lacked heirs and something happened to Lord Francesco, Lampo might become a considered option as well.
Anything can happen during a war. The matter of Princess Irina was proof of that.
If that were to happen, given Lampo's personality—which was not yet suited for being a King—he might end up as a puppet for other royals if he were actually chosen.
Lampo's father wanted Vongola to prove itself to erase the many rumors surrounding the family and clear the doubts of the people. It was as if part of the Holy Roman lineage was on Vongola's side. However, that was only the meaning in the 'light' world.
In the underworld, Francesco didn't want trouble with the 'Vindice' or Vongola's allies regarding the trouble the monarchy had caused, which Giotto could understand. Even if Francesco wasn't involved, his family's Holy Roman blood meant they could be lumped together.
Making friends is always better than making enemies in any era.
Sending Lampo to build ties was the fastest way to resolve the immediate situation, even if great risks followed. But both Lampo's parents—his mother being a nun at the city's chapel—as well as Giotto and most of the family's Guardians, had consulted and agreed that this was the best method they could manage for now.
That was why Vongola's reputation in the eyes of the people recovered quickly. But it was also lucky that the people in this city had been with Vongola for a long time and already trusted them, because what Vongola brought to the city was a better life for all citizens of every status.
However, from now on, the cooperation between Francesco and Vongola would surely be closely watched by the monarchy. That would be both annoying and very dangerous. Showing too much power would only make many parties uncomfortable.
In reality, over the past years, Giotto had made many allies until the Vongola Family grew larger and larger. If this continued, he might awaken the monarch's suspicion one day.
Regarding the strength of his family, sometimes even he feared whether Vongola could still maintain its original objective of helping people. And now, the monarchy was involved more than expected.
Vongola is… weak.
Perhaps what Princess Irina said didn't refer to the family, but might have meant him—'Giotto di Vongola' himself.
"In less than ten years from now, there will be a transfer of power or a change in the monarchy, along with many changes the Holy Roman Empire must face. Most importantly, I've heard that King Ferdinand II was forced to withdraw from northern Germany. He will surely pull his troops down to wait in Italy, though I don't know if it's permanent or temporary."
"I'm listening, Alaude."
"Two rumors have emerged," Alaude raised a finger. "One: this withdrawal is a condition of the Edict of Restitution by King Ferdinand II, requiring the Protestant states to return assets taken from the Catholic League." He raised a second finger. "Two: because… Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden is about to invade the border, backed by France."
"Invade the Italian border?" Alaude nodded. Giotto could only sigh. "If they clash again, the villagers might flock here for refuge. We won't be able to help everyone, and ill-intentioned people might hide among them."
"But if we help them all with the power we have, it will surely make the monarchy pay more attention to Vongola. If the monarchy is interested now, it has benefits because they surely want someone to help handle the impacts of the war they started. You should know this well, Giotto.
But after that… if we're lucky, we might get support or certain powers from the monarchy in exchange for something. But if not, we might end up no different from Princess Irina," Alaude explained. "Because we are neutral."
"Vindice and other families, including our allies, are watching us," Giotto said. "My decision this time is very important for both Vongola's standing and its existence."
The golden-haired young man was deep in thought, even clutching his temples. He thought for quite a while until Alaude said, "There is still time. I will gather more information for you to decide what to do next, or what plan to make."
Giotto knew well that his decision this time would be a major turning point for Vongola and the underworld. He had to decide wisely. "I'll consult with G and Daemon Spade. This is quite a big matter; I'll call a meeting again later."
At that moment, the door swung open. As Alaude went to open it, he found Old Man Talbot behind the door.
"Are the little lady Leyla and young Ugetsu here?"
"What happened?" Giotto stood and walked to the old man.
"Those two haven't arrived at the workshop yet. It's almost afternoon."
...
...
Alaude walked out, followed by Giotto and Talbot.
The three of them walked to the Japanese house. Seeing that there was no sound at all, they slowly walked inside. Alaude split off to the other side of the house while Giotto signaled Talbot to wait at the door. The young man slowly walked the other way for safety.
Faint voices came from Ugetsu's bonsai garden—the sound of two people talking. Giotto listened and was stunned.
"You must do it slowly… if you are impatient like this, it will…"
"O-Oh no! It's getting hot all over! Help me, please!"
"Lady Leyla, you must be calmer. Otherwise, it will splatter; you can't do it so forcefully."
The young man froze. He thought he shouldn't enter, yet a certain cool scent made him curious, along with a smell that seemed like roses and alcohol. It made his throat feel tight with curiosity, hoping it wasn't what he thought, even though his intuition said otherwise.
"Oh, Master Alaude, when did you arrive?" Ugetsu spoke in his normal voice. Then Saya's voice followed, "Hello, Mr. Alaude. Do you have business?"
Seeing that everything looked normal, Giotto, who had been still for a moment, walked out. Ugetsu and Saya were both disheveled and covered in black smoke. Before them was a pot resembling a Chinese soup pot, which was being heated over a wood fire. Around them, numerous bottles were scattered haphazardly.
Saya and Ugetsu froze in the middle of stirring the pot with silver spoons.
At that moment, Saya's pot suddenly burst into flames, startling Ugetsu beside her. Giotto was stunned, and even Alaude instinctively stepped back. The girl slammed it onto the ground, waiting a long time for the fire to die out.
"This is so hard to make. Or did I do something wrong?" Saya stood up, lost in thought. She paced around several times, unaware of Giotto's presence. The golden-haired young man coughed lightly, and Saya finally noticed him.
"What exactly are you two doing?" Giotto asked. Saya was at a loss for words, so Ugetsu spoke up.
"We are making perfume," he said, causing Giotto and Alaude to look curious. "It is a perfume used in our country."
"Oh, is it?" Giotto asked, crouching down to pick up a bottle and sniff it. "This is sake. And that's a wine bottle."
Alaude picked up two more bottles before Ugetsu and Saya could stop him. "Vinegar… rose oil."
Giotto saw a bottle the girl had been trying to hide from the start and pointed to it. "And that one?"
"Uh, well… it's…" Alaude picked it up to sniff it last and spoke. "Camphor. Yes, definitely camphor."
"Alright… normally, I would let this pass, but seeing the pot that just burst into flames, I must ask you both: what exactly is this perfume you're making? Ugetsu, Leyla."
Giotto looked at them with sharp eyes, making Saya jump. Meanwhile, her partner in crime tried to put on a brave face to negotiate with the Golden Lion.
"Now, now, Giotto. It's not a big deal. She is still a child…" The Vongola Boss gave him such a stern look that Ugetsu's voice trailed off. "…still young."
"I can explain, Mr. Giotto," Saya raised her hands in surrender as the golden-haired man looked down at her. "Please don't be cross with us."
"That depends on how well you can explain it to me, Leyla," Giotto gave a slight smirk. "I want all the details. I'm free from now until tomorrow morning."
Saya felt that today Giotto was not gentle at all. He had become a Golden Lion ready to pounce on a rabbit like her.
Lady Leyla, this is all the help I can give. Ugetsu looked on with resignation, while Alaude could only sigh before walking out of the Japanese house to continue his work.