by Kate Grove
“Careful. Drink this,” a woman’s soothing voice said as someone held her head up. Suddenly, there was a cup at her mouth, and she sipped at the liquid. Ciara grimaced at the bitter taste.
“Yuck.”
The woman chuckled, and Ciara glanced up to see Yuki.
“The healer said you needed to drink it when you woke up.”
“All of it?” Ciara could hear the disgust in her quiet voice. All she could manage was a hoarse whisper, and even that took all her energy.
“Yes, to the last drop!”
Ciara forced herself to gulp down the bitter potion, hoping it would make her better. Yuki carefully put Ciara’s head down back on the pillow.
“How long was I out?” Ciara asked.
“A few hours. You’ll be fine.”
“I don’t feel fine,” she whispered, putting a hand to her throat. She could feel it was wrapped in a smooth piece of cloth. “Will my voice come back?”
There was a heartbeat of silence before Yuki responded:
“It’ll take some time, but it’ll heal. Don’t worry, it’s just a scratch.”
Ciara breathed in deeply. A single tear ran down her cheek. She already had to give up on her wishes to play the piano. All she had left was her voice. The Voice.
The fact that she’d recover it eventually was great relief. She closed her eyes, relaxing her body.
“How is he?”
“Katsuo? He’ll be fine too. Nothing a good rest can’t heal.”
Ciara opened one eye to peek at Yuki. She seemed sincere.
“Good,” Ciara said curtly and closed her eyes before adding: “Thank you for taking care of me. I appreciate it.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” Yuki replied. “Now sleep. You need to build up your energy.”
35
The next time Ciara opened her eyes, Yuki was nowhere to be found. She stood up, stumbled a bit, but caught herself on a column. She eyed it suspiciously. She didn’t remember her room having one. But the need to go relieve herself was too great to be taken aback by such miniscule details.
She padded to the door and slid it open, looking both ways of the corridor, then up to see the symbols. She was on the corridor with small green flowers. At least it was close to her room, allowing her to find her destination easily. After taking care of her business, Ciara padded back to the room. Her back ached, and she felt exhausted from the short trip. Slowly and surely, she made her way back.
After she slid the door closed, she waddled into the room, straight to her bedding, and settled down. She pulled on the cover and cocooned herself in. A moment later, it was ripped from her, leaving her exposed to the cool, early morning air.
“Hey!” she wanted to yell, but her voice croaked. She turned around, confused and hurt, and saw Katsuo, but her mind couldn’t fully process the situation. She poked him. “That’s my cover.”
“No, it’s not. Yours is over there.” He was half-asleep but pointed a finger to the side. Ciara followed his lead and realized there was another bedding a few feet away from the one she was lying in.
“Oh.”
A moment of silence passed.
“Aren’t you going to get in?”
She quickly measured it would take way too much effort in her state to crawl to her own bedding.
“Too far.”
“What?”
“It’s too far. I’m tired.” She knew she was whining, but she really was exhausted, and everything hurt. She sniffled.
Katsuo shuffled behind her. “Are you crying?”
“No.”
“You are.”
“No!”
She certainly felt like crying. Ciara just wanted to lie down, cocoon up, and sleep away all her worries. But her goal seemed to be at an unreachable distance. She picked at the bedding, frustrated.
“Or you can sleep here.”
She froze. “And where will you sleep?”
“Here.”
“No.”
“I’m too tired to move.”
“You took my cover.”
“Excuse you. Firstly, it was mine,” Katsuo said. “Secondly, that was the last of my energy.”
“So there would be nothing stopping me from taking your cover now?”
“If my lady wishes to leave me to the harsh cold, then no.”
To her surprise, a chuckle escaped her lips. It sounded like a crackle, so she quickly stopped, but her smile lingered. Her head felt heavy. It would be much easier to just stay where she was.
“Okay,” Ciara said and pulled up the edge of the cover.
“Ooooh, so cold,” Katsuo mumbled, but true to his words, he didn’t struggle for the authority over the cover. To his surprise, Ciara lay down next to him and snuggled to his side.
Katsuo opened his eyes.
“Am I still sleeping?” he asked.
Ciara chuckled, peeking at him.
“No, but the other bedding is way too far. I’m afraid you’ll have to share.”
“I don’t mind, but don’t you?”
“You can barely open your eyes. Sleep.”
“Yes, my lady.”
He carefully arranged the blanket so they’d be fully covered. Soon, they drifted off.
Ciara woke up to her own scream. She sat up, panting heavily. Her throat hurt, and she was shaking like a leaf in the harsh wind. She put her head in her hands.
“What happened?” Katsuo asked from next to her. He sat up, too. She looked at him to answer, but her gaze was caught by the item in his hand.
“Is that a dagger? Where the hell did it come from?” Ciara was flabbergasted. She acknowledged in the back of her mind that at least her normal speaking voice was back.
“I have my reasons,” Katsuo avoided the question.
Ciara quirked an eyebrow.
“Did you have a nightmare?” he asked, changing the subject.
“Yes. Am I still dreaming?”
“No,” he put a hand on her shoulder, but as much as she longed for reassurance, she shrugged it off and leaned away.
“Put that thing away!”
Katsuo promptly put the dagger back under the pillow. Ciara shook her head in disbelief then pulled up the cover. Adrenaline was still coursing through her veins, giving her a boost of energy.
“Where are you going?”
“Away from pointy items,” she replied without missing a beat.
“Come back,” Katsuo said. He managed to get hold of the hem of Ciara’s yukata. She was sitting just on the edge of the bedding. She glanced back at him.
“I’m not going back there. I can’t sleep with a dagger near me.”
“Why?”
“Why? He asks me why… Unbelievable.” Ciara muttered, shaking her head. She hid her face behind her hands for a moment before taking a deep breath and steeling herself.
She let her hands down and looked Katsuo straight in the eye.
“Because I can’t, that’s why!” She tried to move away, but her yukata was caught in Katsuo’s firm grip. “Let go of my clothes!”
“Come back.” His voice was soft, catching her off guard. Ciara looked into Katsuo’s eyes, not understanding the emotion she saw in them. Eventually, she crossed her arms.
“It’s the dagger or me.”
Katsuo gaped, and Ciara tapped her fingers in the nook of her arm impatiently. He let go of the hem of her yukata. Hurt glinted in Ciara’s eyes for a moment before she turned away.
She was half-standing when she heard a thud. Ciara twirled around to see Katsuo looking in the far corner. She followed his gaze to see the dagger embedded in the floor. Now it was her turn to gape.
“I’m not letting you out of my sight again,” he said, leaning over and tugging her closer.
“Was that the only one?” Ciara squatted down, not even waiting for a reply.
“Yes.”
She looked underneath the pillow then the sheets but couldn’t find another weapon.
“Are you satisfied, my
lady?”
Ciara huffed and sat down on the edge of the bedding. The adrenaline rush was beginning to wear off. Her limbs became heavy.
“Has anyone ever told you you’re a bit possessive? Maybe a little too much?”
“One of my many virtues.” He smirked.
“I wouldn’t categorize it as such.”
Interested, Katsuo moved closer and touched Ciara’s face. He looked her in the eye.
“Does it bother you?” His voice was neutral, and Ciara couldn’t read his expression.
She shrugged. “As long as you don’t want to put me in a tower room for the rest of my life and throw away the keys, I guess it’s fine.”
“Good idea. Why didn’t I think of it?” he mumbled to himself as he rubbed his jaw.
Ciara swatted his shoulder, and he fell back on the bedding. He opened his arms.
“Come here.”
“Do you swear you don’t have more weapons in the bed?”
“Where would I put them?”
Ciara lifted an eyebrow.
“I swear there’s no pointy items here.”
She waited a heartbeat before nodding and moving closer to him. “Good.”
With that, she crawled back underneath the covers and into his arms.
36
As sunlight filtered through the shutters, the room became gradually brighter. Katsuo usually rose before the sun to do his morning exercises, but today was different. Maybe because he was recovering. Maybe because of the beautiful woman sleeping in his arms.
He took a deep breath, smelling the spicy vanilla scent enveloping Ciara. She fit in his arms perfectly, and he sighed in content. He could hardly remember the last time he felt so at peace.
Regardless, duties awaited him, and he had to get up. Katsuo carefully moved away, but Ciara stirred. She opened her eyes, and time seemed to stop for a long moment as he stared into her purple gaze. As soon as she recognized him, she smiled.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning to you, too,” he replied in a trance. “Have you slept well?”
“Very well, thanks. You?”
“Yes.”
She looked at him for a moment longer before she glanced away. Her gaze landed on his arm as he leant above her. Ciara narrowed her eyes and gently stroked his forearm. Angry red lines lingered where he was cut. Her light touch sent a spark through Katsuo’s nerves.
“You got injured protecting me,” Ciara observed, her expression sad.
“It’s not your fault. I’d happily do that again. If only I had arrived there earlier…”
She chuckled, looking up at him with a grin.
“What is it?” Katsuo asked, curious at her reaction.
“You know what they say about heroes?”
He shook his head.
“They always arrive at the right time. Not a minute earlier than necessary,” Ciara finished.
“What does this mean?” Katsuo leant closer.
“You’re officially my hero.”
“Hmm…” He mulled it over. “It does have a nice ring to it.”
“I’m sorry you were injured. Even your hair is shorter,” she frowned, playing with a lock of his dark hair between her fingers. She sounded sad. “Your manbun is gone.”
“I told you not to worry,” Katsuo repeated and leant down for a brief kiss. They both froze as he drew back. Ciara blinked at him in surprise, and even he seemed shocked at his own reaction.
He cleared his throat and got up. “I’ll see you at breakfast?”
“Yes,” Ciara replied curtly and sat up. She looked around, unsure for a moment, before she got up.
“See you in a bit,” she told him as she exited the room.
Katsuo nodded and went to the corner to wash his face in the basin. The cold water did nothing to clear his thoughts. He mechanically went through his morning routine while his mind raced. Something had changed between them, but what did it mean?
Ciara tiptoed back to her room in a hurry. Fortunately, it was only a short trip from Katsuo’s room and she had walked this route many times.
As soon as she slid her door open, she was greeted by Yura.
“Milady!”
“Ciara,” she corrected on instinct, shut the door, and walked in confidently as if nothing happened. Nothing happened, anyway, not really.
The knowing smile on Yura’s face did nothing to calm her nerves. Ciara went to wash her face in the basin.
“Did you rest well, Ciara-sama?”
Yura’s question reminded her of how safe she’d felt lying in Katsuo’s arms. Then the kiss—
She quickly splashed another handful of cold water over her face before replying, “Yes, thank you. You?”
“Did you…” Yura stood up and hurried over to her. She handed a towel to Ciara, and as she dried off her face, Yura whispered, “Did you spent the night with Milord?”
“Yura!” Ciara gasped. She didn’t expect that question from the servant girl. Yura paled at the reaction and immediately bowed.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s… fine,” Ciara replied and tossed the towel away. “I was just surprised. Yes, I was there.”
Yura looked up with a smile.
“I’m so happy for you, Ciara-sama!”
“Really? Why is that?”
“You and Milord Katsuo make such a nice couple, if I may say so.”
“Erm…”
Ciara was torn. Yura misread the situation, but she couldn’t really tell her the truth since the girl was under the impression the engagement was real. She opted for keeping silent and went over to the closet.
“Let me help you with choosing today’s kimono, Milady. I think the midnight blue would fit you well.”
Ciara let Yura help her prepare for the day. As she looked into the small handheld mirror, she discovered bruises covered her face. The wrapping around her throat was ragged and soiled with spots of blood.
Yura cleaned the wound, and while she was retrieving new strips of cloths to cover it, Ciara looked at the mirror with judging eyes. The injury on her neck was still visible, but it had already closed. Fortunately, that man didn’t manage to make a deep wound. She shuddered inside as flames of rage engulfed her for a moment. Her passion had been playing the piano and that ability was taken away. Was that not enough? Now her Voice was put in jeopardy.
“Are you feeling all right, Ciara-sama?” Yura tentatively asked, coming closer. She set the clean strip of cloths down on a pillow.
Ciara looked at her, pondering.
“I’ll be fine, Yura. Everything will be fine.”
Katsuo knocked on Ciara’s doorframe.
“Enter!”
He slid the shoji open and found Ciara sitting at a low table, looking at herself in the mirror. Yura was behind her, doing the finishing touches on Ciara’s hair. For a terrible moment, Katsuo felt as if he was sent back in time, as if he was looking at his late wife just before they wed. Kikyō had often spent time on her appearance. It took up way too much of her time.
“Thanks, Yura.”
Ciara’s voice drew him back from his memories. He blinked to take in the scene before him. Ciara smiled up at the servant girl.
“You’ve done a wonderful job. I don’t think the bruises are visible. What do you think, Katsuo?” She turned to him.
Katsuo’s gaze landed on the silk scarf covering Ciara’s throat, and he looked at her face. He could see some bruises forming, but his eyes were better than most men’s. Ciara’s face fell, and she looked into the mirror with a frown. He was immediately reminded it was not Kikyō sitting before him but a different person.
“You look beautiful,” he said, and Ciara’s breath caught. She looked at him, surprised to hear those words. Yura quietly withdrew to the background and left the room.
“Thank you,” Ciara said, breathless. Her gaze traveled down to his feet and back up, finally settling on his face. “You clean up well, too.”
Kat
suo chuckled. Yes, Ciara was definitely a different woman.
“Shall we?” He held out his hand to help her stand. Ciara took it but winced as she stood. Katsuo was immediately concerned. “Are you feeling all right?”
Ciara let a small, bitter smile slip.
“It’ll be fine. Just a little sore from all those kicks to my stomach.”
“Do you want to—”
She cut him off before he could suggest she stayed in her room.
“I’m fine. As a woman, I’m used to dealing with the occasional pain.”
Ciara squeezed his hand to let him know it was all right. She smiled up at him and opened her mouth to say something, but her stomach chose that moment to make her hunger obvious. Instantly, her face flamed.
“Let’s go.” Katsuo suppressed a chuckle and led Ciara to the conference room.
37
This time, Ciara entered through the door at the back of the room, at Katsuo’s side. Yuki was on his other arm, and he led both women to the aisle. All three of them were seated there. The layout of the rest of the room was basically the same as how it was on the day Ciara arrived. Except Takeru’s place, which was occupied by Orihime.
Katsuo’s gaze found the woman, too. He frowned but otherwise didn’t comment on it. However, this didn’t escape Yuki’s attention.
“I invited her,” she whispered, hardly audible. Katsuo looked at her in disbelief. “You need to keep up appearances, my boy. Her father is a powerful ally.”
“Please don’t encourage her,” Katsuo asked before he turned to address his vassals.
“Itadakimasu!”
His men echoed his words, and everyone started eating. Ciara reached for her chopsticks with a smile.
“Itadakimasu,” she said, amused.
“What is it?” Katsuo glanced at her, curious.
“It was a bit abrupt.”
“Abrupt?”
“Yes! I thought you’d say a short speech or something.”
“About what?” Katsuo asked.
“I don’t know,” Ciara replied. “It’s nothing. I was just surprised, I guess.”
“You guess…”
