Regarding Mother Juna's passing back then, Mitsuba hundreds of years later no longer had many memories of it.
She only remembered that the night was very quiet, the moon very bright—a very cool summer night.
And as usual, after wiping Mother's body and preparing to rest, she saw Juna, who should have been asleep on the bed, suddenly wake up.
Over the past half year, Mother, tormented by illness, had already become gaunt and extremely weak. Normally, let alone communicating with others, she rarely even remained conscious.
But that night, the suddenly awakened Mother was unusually spirited, without any of her usual weakness, and even had an abnormal flush on her cheeks.
Everything was so strange, as if... she had summoned her last breath before death.
Mitsuba instantly realized that Mother before her had reached the final moment of her life.
"Mo-Mother! I'll go get..."
"Mitsuba, come here."
Amidst her panic, Juna didn't let her go call for others outside, but beckoned her to come sit beside her.
"Mother has always known that you were a sensible child since you were young.
Intelligent and with your own opinions—a child like you, no matter where you go in the future, will surely be able to live well..."
As if leaving final words, Juna spoke slowly like this.
"Mother..."
She raised her hand and removed the green jade leaf hairpin from Mitsuba's hair that she had made with her own hands.
Her fingertips repeatedly caressed this hairpin. Borrowing the moonlight, she examined it carefully again and again, and finally inserted it back into Mitsuba's hair herself.
Looking at her daughter before her, Juna's eyes were full of pity.
She reached out to embrace Mitsuba, her chin gently resting on that small shoulder, and whispered in her ear:
"Mother knows you hate the marriage your father arranged for you. You don't want to marry that old man.
But, silly girl, you are after all a daughter of the Tsugikuni family...
The neighboring country is powerful. Forming a marriage alliance with them is crucial for our Tsugikuni family's future.
Mitsuba, you have enjoyed the glory and wealth of the Tsugikuni family since birth, so naturally you must bear its responsibilities for it, and devote yourself to it when it needs you... These are the rules of noble families."
"Mo...ther?"
Feeling the trembling of her daughter in her embrace, tears also flowed from Juna's eyes.
But she didn't stop there. Instead, she raised her hand and gently brushed her daughter's hair, continuing:
"Some things, since they can no longer be changed, all we can do is learn to accept them...
Because only this way can we make ourselves live relatively better within this not-so-good outcome... Do you understand?"
Between her own daughter and the future of the Tsugikuni family, Juna ultimately chose the latter.
For the future of the Tsugikuni family, she chose to bury her daughter's future.
Because she was not only Mitsuba's mother, but also the mistress of the Tsugikuni family.
"Cough... cough cough!"
"Mother?!"
"Mitsuba, listen to me..."
Her breath suddenly became chaotic, the pain in her chest triggering violent coughing, but Juna paid it no mind. Supported by her daughter's thin shoulder in her embrace, she took a deep breath and urgently said:
"What Mother worries about most in her heart are your two brothers.
Unlike you, your two brothers are each too stubborn without realizing it. They are like two sharp thorns, always inadvertently hurting each other...
If this continues, something will surely happen between the two of them in the future... cough cough!"
"Mother, please don't speak anymore. I'll go call the physician right away..."
"Mitsuba, listen to me. After Mother leaves, you must take good care of your two brothers. You must reconcile their relationship, make sure they are harmonious as brothers, and don't let them hate each other. Do you understand?
Otherwise, the Tsugikuni family, the Tsugikuni family will surely, surely..."
Her voice abruptly stopped, and the weight pressing on her gradually disappeared.
Her tightly embracing arms slowly loosened. Juna's eyes wide open, she gently slid to the side and fell beside Mitsuba's feet, who was still stunned.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
Until nearly half a minute later, Mitsuba seemed to finally react to what had happened, stiffly lowering her head to look at Juna beside her feet who had already lost her breath.
Mother had passed away.
After leaving her so many final words, she had suddenly left just like that.
What should she do now?
Should she cry first?
Or should she first...
"Mitsuba."
A familiar voice suddenly sounded behind her. The stunned Mitsuba abruptly turned her head, only to see Yoriichi standing at the doorway of the room at some unknown time, looking at her with his consistently hollow eyes, looking at Juna beside her feet.
"Brother Yoriichi? When did you arrive?"
"Just now."
Facing Mitsuba's subconscious question, Yoriichi's tone was very calm.
He didn't enter the room, but stood at the doorway, his gaze passing through Mitsuba, deeply gazing at Juna who had fallen on the floor and passed away.
No sadness, no crying, not even much change in expression. After who knows how long of gazing, Yoriichi finally raised his head and looked at Mitsuba before him.
"Mitsuba, I am leaving."
His tone remained calm, as if he had just said something very ordinary.
"Leave? Brother Yoriichi, where are you going?"
"To the temple."
Facing Mitsuba's question, Yoriichi gave his answer.
"Father seems to want to change me to be the heir. This must be an unbearable result for older brother, who has always longed to become a samurai."
A trace of helplessness finally appeared on his face. Yoriichi explained softly and calmly:
"I don't want to destroy older brother's dream. Going to the temple to become a monk is the best result for both me and older brother."
When saying these words, Yoriichi subconsciously lowered his head, not looking into Mitsuba's eyes.
This action of his made Mitsuba keenly sense something unusual.
She immediately stepped forward to grab Yoriichi's shoulder, looked up directly into his eyes, and pressed:
"Brother Yoriichi, do you truly wish to go to the temple to become a monk and be a monk for your entire life?"
"I..."
Lowering his head to look at the clearly visible worry in his younger sister's eyes, Yoriichi opened his mouth. He hesitated, and finally spoke the truth.
"I don't know."
Deep confusion appeared in his eyes. Yoriichi shook his head and raised his hand to gently break free from Mitsuba's fingers.
"Perhaps I will go somewhere else... But regardless, for older brother's sake, I will no longer stay in the Tsugikuni family."
Yes, Yoriichi had already decided to leave, though he had not yet figured out where exactly he should go.