I continued to go back up the mountain for the next few days but I made sure to finish up before the sun set. Also I made sure I was around other people to keep those bandits from trying to hurt me. The old man I gave advice to was also there and he would often make small talk with me and keep me company when other people would finish their jobs and leave.
“My lady, will you be going to the outskirts on your own?” Mei asked. I nodded. She looked worried.“Why? Will Prince Shiro allow you to go on your own?” Mei asked. I felt annoyed by her question. It’s been almost 2 weeks and Prince Shiro didn
“I really need to go in, huh?” I said out loud. I sighed and ventured forward. I took out my bow just in case an animal would jump out and attack us. As I was walking forward, there was a faint smell of wisteria in the air. The more I walked forward the stronger the smell got. Out of curiosity, I decided to follow the scent. I was wary of it but something told me I was going in the right direction.
“I need to go back. I need to warn everybody.” I told the scholar. He looked up from his work and he stared at me.“Didn’t you come here to look for answers about how you came into this world?” He asked. I was suddenly stopped in my tracks. I
“Is that so? Well, no matter. Since you are already here. I will tell you what’s going to happen.” She said. I smiled at her, still pretending to be oblivious. The First Prince suddenly came out and walked towards me. He had his arms wide open and when he came close to me, he took my hand and smiled at me. I was confused about what was happening but I smiled at him to tell him that I mean no harm and that I was on their side. The First Prince turned to his mother and said:
The threat against the Empire has been dealt with. The Empress, along with her family and the First Prince were sent to be imprisoned. The Empress didn’t manage to fully implement her plan because of me. Everything in and out of the Palace was back to normal after a few days. The guards that pledged their loyalty to the Empress surrendered and they were banished from the Empire. As for me, while I was recovering, I thought about what I needed to do. I pulled out the book that the scholar gave me. As I opened it, the once boring map suddenly jumped to life. There were colors in a few places and my name suddenly appeared at the botto
As I stood outside the gates of our city, I looked back and thought about how long I would be gone for. I don’t know how far I’d be able to go but I promise I would come back. I’d come back home to my father once I found what I’m looking for. I was hoping for someone to say goodbye but no one showed up. I turned my horse and left the gates. I made my way to the northern border, where I’ve been to before. According to the map in the book, the Taiyou Empire is in the middle of the land. Nanto is in the south so I need to go north until I reach it. I reached the city by the northern borders by nightfall and I w
We arrived in an old dilapidated inn by the shadiest part of the city. This looked like a place where thugs and criminals would hang around. There were a few patrons at this inn but they all looked very shady. The man stopped in his tracks and pointed towards a group of men talking and having a drink by the bar.
After a long journey, I finally arrived at the borders of the Taiyou Empire. There were a lot of merchants passing through the border gates and I decided to just walk along with them. The guards by the border weren’t as strict as the guards we had back home. The merchants scattered all over the city to put up their shops and trade with the people. I walked aimlessly for a bit, trying to observe what the Taiyou Empire had to offer. I noticed that the Empire is much more modern compared to our empire. They have streetlamps now and even though they’re not powered by electricity, they’re powered by gas which is advanced for this age.“Miss, can I interest you in some candy?” One of the merchants walked up to me and showed me an array of candies. I was surprised to see that they had a lot of modern candies. Most of them were in the shape of animals and flowers and I know that
“Miss, here are the papers that need your signature for the finalization of the Spring Collection that will be featured in our fashion show.” My assistant came into my office and handed me a stack of papers. My name is Nagatsuka Akina, I’m the Founder and CEO of Hanazu Couture. Although my company hasn’t been around for as long as the other famous brands out there, we’ve become a household name in the fashion industry. I’ve worked tirelessly for the last 15 years to make this company what it is today.“Miss, I’ve received a call from...your father.” My assistant reluctantly told me. I had instructed her before that any business with regards to my family, I will not accept. I’ve told her that if anyone called saying they were my immediate family, disregard what they say and blacklist their number so they won’t be able to call again. She
I walked towards the shadow guard who called for me. When I was finally in front of him, he slowly lowered his mask, revealing his face. This was considered taboo for a shadow guard. No one, not even their master should see their faces. That was the only secret they were allowed to keep from their masters. I was surprised when he pulled down his mask."What are you doing?" I asked him frantically. I didn't want him to get into trouble. He shook his head and sat down on the windowsill. He was calm and it didn't seem like he was going to cause trouble. I relaxed my shoulders a bit and I took a step back from him."Why did you do that?" I asked. He was looking down on the floor when I asked that question. He turned his head towards me and shrugged."All this time, I believed that the master that I was serving was a good person. I knew of his story yet I couldn't understand the decision he made." He answered. I wasn't able to recall any memories fr
“Miss, here are the papers that need your signature for the finalization of the Spring Collection that will be featured in our fashion show.” My assistant came into my office and handed me a stack of papers. My name is Nagatsuka Akina, I’m the Founder and CEO of Hanazu Couture. Although my company hasn’t been around for as long as the other famous brands out there, we’ve become a household name in the fashion industry. I’ve worked tirelessly for the last 15 years to make this company what it is today.“Miss, I’ve received a call from...your father.” My assistant reluctantly told me. I had instructed her before that any business with regards to my family, I will not accept. I’ve told her that if anyone called saying they were my immediate family, disregard what they say and blacklist their number so they won’t be able to call again. She
We arrived at the Imperial Palace and all of the guards weren't present outside. This was really unusual since guards were supposed to be stationed all over the Palace to ensure the safety of his Majesty. Whatever is happening must be big for all of these changes to happen. Prince Shiro held my hand as we ran towards the audience chamber of the Palace. There were guards sprawled all over the place, thankfully there was no blood which means the guards are only unconscious and not dead. When we arrived at the audience chamber, I was shocked to see the chancellor, on his knees in front of the Emperor. Imperial guards and Shadow guards were scattered all over the whole room, all of them were unconscious. "Father!" I instinctively called out.
"The Emperor knew of the Empress' schemes however he was unable to stop her. The fight for the throne was a battle that your mother shouldn't have been a part of yet she was killed because of it. The Chancellor was blinded by his grief and anger over the loss of your mother. Ever since then, in his heart, he blamed the Emperor for the death of his wife." The shadow guard finished his story. I couldn't believe what I heard. How could something like this happen to Himawari's family? Is this the price the chancellor had to pay by being so close to the Imperial Family? "But it wasn't because the Emperor didn't do anything for the Chancellor, he was unable to do anything for fear of the people's reaction towards the Imperial Family. He had to keep everything in secret and so the crimes of the Empress were never investigated and she was never found guilty for all the people she killed and all the crimes she committed. Until recently, when you exposed her crimes for the whole
I walked towards the shadow guard who called for me. When I was finally in front of him, he slowly lowered his mask, revealing his face. This was considered taboo for a shadow guard. No one, not even their master should see their faces. That was the only secret they were allowed to keep from their masters. I was surprised when he pulled down his mask. "What are you doing?" I asked him frantically. I didn't want him to get into trouble. He shook his head and sat down on the windowsill. He was calm and it didn't seem like he was going to cause trouble. I relaxed my shoulders a bit and I took a step back from him. "Why did you do that?" I asked. He was looking down on the floor when I asked that question. He turned his head towards me and shrugged. "All this time, I believed that the master that I was serving was a good person. I knew of his story yet I couldn't understand the decision he made." He answered. I wasn't able to recall any memories
I didn't know how long I was trapped in my room but it felt like forever. The shadow guards would put water and food down by my door during meal time. I tried talking to them but they were silent as usual. The maids never came around to my room either. Even Mei, who would usually be with me, never came to visit. Did father do something to her? DId she leave or is she just following my father's orders? Either way, I really have to get out of here. All my windows had shadow guards under them. I couldn't even try to escape through them. There was no other way for me to contact the outside world. I was locked up and trapped inside my room. It's been a few days and maybe Prince Shiro will figure something out. Unless my father talked to him about my whereabouts, he would surely try to look for me. "Hima..." I heard father's voice on the other side of the door. I walked closer hoping to hear what he had to say. "I hope you're not putting your fait
I was in front of the door to my father's office. My heart was pounding in my chest and I was unsure of whether or not I should confront him directly or investigate further before I jump to conclusions. I trust my father but it was just too suspicious of him to be in contact with the First Prince all this time. My gut is telling me that I should get to the bottom of it. After all, I know he wouldn't hurt me. If he really wanted to hurt me, he could've done so long ago. I took a deep breath before I knocked on my father's door. I slid it open when I heard his voice calling for me. He was standing by his desk, a cup of tea in his hand. He was looking out the window when I came in. He turned his head towards me and smiled. When I saw my father like that, I felt guilty for concluding that he was a bad guy when I haven't even heard of his side yet. Maybe it was all just my own misunderstanding. "You called for me, father?" I asked. He nodded and pointed towards the
I had to know more. I had to be sure that my father was innocent and that he wasn't involved in any way. There was an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach and I didn't like it. I didn't know how to go about with my day knowing that my father could be an accomplice. But I couldn't understand anything. If it was true, why would he do that? Why would he work with the first prince to kill the Emperor? If I was right that the First Prince was the one behind the assassination attempt on me and Prince Shiro, that wouldn't make any sense. He's my father, he wouldn't do anything to hurt me. "Miss? Are you still awake?" Mei knocked on my door. I quickly composed myself as to not seem too suspicious. I told her that I was still awake and she slowly opened the door and peeked her head through. "The master is calling for you." She said. I felt my heart drop to my stomach. This is such a coincidence. My father calling me right when I was being suspicious of him.