Leave the Tsugikuni family...
Leave the Tsugikuni family?
These words spoken from Yoriichi's mouth deeply pierced Mitsuba's innermost heart.
It was like a window suddenly opening in a closed room, making Mitsuba instantly aware of another path toward the future.
That's right—she could actually choose to leave the Tsugikuni family too, couldn't she?
Unwilling to accept her predetermined fate, unwilling to accept that terrible and absurd marriage... since that was the case, why not choose to leave?
To repay the Tsugikuni family for raising her, she didn't necessarily have to stay in the Tsugikuni family, did she?
She could completely leave together with Brother Yoriichi, and after growing up and achieving success outside, return together to repay the Tsugikuni family, couldn't she?
She didn't need to use the method of marrying an old man on the verge of death—a way that would nearly destroy her own life—to repay them, did she?
What's more, what's more... once she and Brother Yoriichi left, Brother Michikatsu would naturally become the Tsugikuni family's only heir.
Brother Michikatsu's samurai dream wouldn't be shattered, Father wouldn't have to struggle between the two brothers anymore, and she and Brother Yoriichi could pursue their true lives...
Thus, whether Father or the three siblings, everyone would have the bright future they wanted. This wouldn't be letting down Mother's final entrustment to her just now, would it?
Her heart beat violently. The more Mitsuba thought about it, the more she felt this was a perfect choice.
She didn't know what she would encounter after leaving the Tsugikuni family, nor could she be certain that she would definitely live well after leaving.
But none of that mattered. Compared to marrying an old man with one foot in the grave, she would rather choose this bold and unknown future!
Her heart beat violently, and an impulse called courage surged forth from within.
Driven by this impulse, Mitsuba finally mustered her courage. Looking at Yoriichi before her who was about to leave, she spoke:
"In-In that case! Brother Yoriichi, then I..."
"Mitsuba."
Almost at the same time Mitsuba spoke, Yoriichi also stopped his steps.
As if suddenly remembering something, he turned to look at his younger sister behind him, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"Older brother, I'm entrusting him to you."
The expression on her face instantly froze. Under Yoriichi's smiling gaze, that courage Mitsuba had finally mustered like a tide also receded like a tide at this moment.
Facing Yoriichi's eyes full of smiles and expectation, she subconsciously squeezed out a stiff smile, then replied with a voice even she found unfamiliar:
"Mm, don't worry, Brother Yoriichi."
"You take care of yourself too, Mitsuba."
So even Brother Yoriichi, who had decided to pursue freedom, hoped that she would continue staying in the Tsugikuni family...
[Mitsuba, you are a daughter of the Tsugikuni family.]
Mother's final entrustment before her death resounded repeatedly in her mind at this moment, filling her eardrums.
Watching Yoriichi's gradually disappearing figure, Mitsuba suddenly collapsed to sit on the ground. She still maintained that stiff smile, tears silently sliding down her cheeks.
"..."
Thus, on the same night Mother Juna passed away, Yoriichi also left.
He didn't take anything with him, nor did he alert anyone. He simply carried a shriveled cloth bag and left under the cover of night.
Overnight, his wife had departed, his son had left home.
This sudden drastic change, while filling Father with grief, also seemed to finally awaken him. He hurriedly sent messengers to the temple, hoping to bring Yoriichi back.
Father's action was not to make Yoriichi return to be the heir, but simply from the perspective of a father, hoping his child could return to his side.
However, everything was already too late.
Yoriichi never went to the temple at all. Just as he told Mitsuba, he went alone to pursue his own future.
At this result, Michikatsu breathed a deep sigh of relief.
On the night Mother passed away, Yoriichi seemed to have notified him as well. After that, he even searched through Mother's room and found the diary she had left during her lifetime.
According to this diary's contents, Yoriichi had not only detected Mother's illness several years earlier because of his god-given ability, but even deduced Mother's exact time of death.
His usual behavior of always holding Mother's left side was not acting spoiled, but using his own body to support Mother's gradually paralyzed left half due to her worsening condition.
Regarding this, after his shock, Brother Michikatsu showed deep jealousy and hatred toward Brother Yoriichi...
Perhaps, there was also that little bit of self-blame even he himself hadn't detected.
And Mitsuba... she only felt puzzled.
She couldn't understand—since Brother Yoriichi had detected Mother's illness several years ago, why... didn't he tell them about this?
She could never understand what was in Yoriichi's mind at that time.
Perhaps, there was no longer any opportunity to ask...
"..."
Time flies like a shuttle.
In the blink of an eye, twelve years had passed since Mother's death and Yoriichi's disappearance.
During these twelve years, several major events occurred in the Tsugikuni family.
First was Father's death.
After Mother Juna's death, Father, who had frequently quarreled with her during her lifetime, also passed away depressed a few years later.
Until his final dying moments, he was still calling out Yoriichi's name.
Unfortunately, until the moment he completely breathed his last, the missing Brother Yoriichi did not return.
Father thus died with regret and remorse.
Truly heartbreaking.
Next was Brother Michikatsu.
After Father's death, he finally became the head of the Tsugikuni family as he wished, becoming a true samurai.
Not long after, Brother Michikatsu also married a wife according to convention, and had his own child according to convention.
Truly congratulations.
Finally, there was Mitsuba herself.
She was very fortunate, because just one year after Father's death, even before she reached a suitable age for marriage, that neighboring daimyo who was originally betrothed to her suddenly died one night in a prostitute's bed.
With both people who had originally arranged the marriage dying one after another, this marriage affair thus ended inconclusively. She finally no longer needed to worry about marrying an old man who could be her grandfather.
Truly delightful.
"Mitsuba, why don't you ever smile?"
Looking down at his younger sister who was carefully adjusting the armor on his body, Michikatsu finally couldn't help but ask.
"Brother is joking. Don't I always smile?"
After tying the straps used to secure the shoulder armor on her brother's back, Mitsuba just happened to circle back to stand before Michikatsu, raising her head to show him a brilliant smile.
To be fair, in Michikatsu's view, his younger sister's smile was actually very beautiful, and very standard.
It was just—not the least bit genuine.