Empress Natsume ✓

XXV

I followed his order to change and in my anger him, I throw my fancy kimono and pin.

I was dressed like a commoner, a plain red kimono that is so old that it turns brown after repeated wash, which we unbelievably buy from a stall, how could they sale a clothe this old. Well, it's old so we bought it at a very cheap price.

And if you're asking where did we slept? Luckily for us, we didn't sleep outside. Lord Ryuu found an abandon shack house but the thing is that it's in the middle of the forest. God knows how did he find it by himself. He just told me to wait in the middle of the market place so I just entertained myself by looking around and after half an hour, he came back and said that he found a shelter.

When we walk there together, I almost complain at him. We've been walking for a long time in the forest and I don't know where we're going since he didn't tell me anything. He just said to follow him and after an hour, we found a lost village in the middle of the forest. The village is surrounded by trees.

There are no people around and all of the houses were destroyed and this shack where we're resting for a while now is the only one left standing. It's small and I thought that it was enough for the two of us but when Lord Ryuu entered it. He filled the whole place and has to bend his neck because he's too tall that his head is bumping on the ceiling.

He sat on the wooden chair but as soon as he laid his butt on it, the chair began to creek so he offered it to me instead and just sat on the ground. I sat down and look at him.

He's sharpening his sword with a stone, he didn't say anything while seriously looking at his sword.

"You didn't really find a free room in all of the inns around here?"

He throw me an annoying glance.

"You said that you're not a complaining person that you can even sleep in a camp"

"I'm not complaining. I just find it hard to believe that there's not a single free room in all the inns here in this town since it's too rich and big"

He stopped sharpening his sword and put the stone down.

"It's because of that bastard Isoroku"

I gave him a confuse look. He was staring at his reflection on his sword with that dark expression.

"Who is this Isoroku? If you don't mind me asking"

"He's my uncle"

The way he uttered the word 'uncle' sounds like he was so disgusted by it, as if it was a dirt on his shining shimmering sword.

"Your uncle? So why is he a problem? He's your uncle, we could ask for his help"

He was thrown into a fit of laughter but it was not a laugh that you would like to hear, he didn't sound so happy or joyful. It's like a devil's laught.

"You're still a kid after all"

I blush in embarrassment and anger of what he said.

"I-AM-NOT-A-KID!"

I said in anger but he just ignored it.

"Blood will make you bleed. Just because he's my uncle, it's relevant to love each other"

He spit at the word 'love'

'It's reasonable to hate you because you killed your family. Your mother, father, brothers, sisters, cousins, and the rest of your relatives and servants that are residing at the main house of Ryuu. You killed all of them, isn't it enough reason to hate you or even loathe you?'