Chapter 1 Sleep Companion 1-1

Chapter 1 Sleep Companion 1-1 How many women would want to be born into j.a.pan’s Sengoku era, a time of endless warfare? It’d be a rare choice, as women’s lives were more fragile than weeds back then. Sakura Liang wanted to believe her being back in the ninth year of Tenben was just a dream. Dream or not, she couldn’t wake up. She wished she had just died in the earthquake. “Sit as soon as you go into the sleep chamber and wait for your lord. Make sure to serve him.” She couldn’t stop hearing the maid’s scary warning. Should she accept her fate? Looking at the sheets and bedding, as well as her bathing gown, all in snow-white, she started to hate this color. What was the point? If she didn’t serve their lord in bed, she couldn’t get back that rock, and she’d lose all hope of returning to her own time. The maids half-closed the door and left via the entry way. A moment later, she heard the sound of someone kneeling outside. She straightened her clothing, posed like a traditional j.a.panese woman in lowering her head and bowing, and prepared to act. The footsteps got closer and closer. She could feel a big hand stroking her cheek; she was about to feign happiness and execute her plan when she looked up and screamed. The man sitting in front of her was that man she’d seen in the garden earlier. “Why are you so shocked? It’s a good thing I have your precious rock, or my head would have another b.u.mp now,” the man said next to her ear after lowing his head. The b.u.mp on it looked a little blue. “Why . . . why are you here? I’m supposed to serve the lord tonight. Aren’t you afraid of offending me and getting in trouble?” Sakura wanted to get up, but the man drew closer to her. There was less than three inches between them. “What do you want?” The man didn’t advance further, seeing how fl.u.s.tered she was. He didn’t get up, either. “The person you’re here to serve is me. You really have no idea what I want?” “Serving you? You’re . . .” “Takeda Harun.o.bu.” No! Sakura’s heart fell. What luck! This man was the legendary Tiger of Kai, Takeda s.h.i.+ngen. He was supposedly brave and had a n.o.ble face. But the guy in front of her didn’t look n.o.ble. If a pale square face could be called n.o.ble, then traditional j.a.panese beauty standards were too low. She could tell something was hiding in his single-lidded eyes. Great, she should have never underestimated ancient wisdom. Thinking of what happened two days ago, when she was desperate, the scenes flashed in her mind. Rosewood pillars and beams, an entryway, tatami, square windows . . .  The place didn’t seem like a Chinese-style home but a traditional j.a.panese one. She felt around with her hand; she was laying on top of a tatami mat, which was different from the soft bed she had at home. The texture was closer to the wooden bed in her grandpa’s martial arts studio. “She’s awake. Tell the madam.” A new voice came from outside the door. It was a woman in her thirties, with long hair styled into a bun in the middle. Her clothes resembled what was worn in the Han Dynasty of China . . .  Wait, it was actually a j.a.panese kimono. And Sakura understood what she said even though it was j.a.panese! Before she could figure out why, the woman respectfully led a middle-aged lady inside. The lady sat next to her, held her hand, and wrapped her own hands around it. “Thank goodness you’re awake.” “Please tell me . . . where am I? And you are . . . ?” She had studied traditional j.a.panese with her grandpa when she was younger, so conversations were easy for her, and she knew to use polite terms. The lady only smiled, while her maid added, “This is the s.h.i.+ngen family in Kai. The lady is Lord Takeda n.o.butora’s wife. When she was wors.h.i.+pping at the mountain temple, she saw you had fainted there and had you brought back.” Kai? Takeda? Lord n.o.butora? Sakura felt overwhelmed. She knew enough about ancient j.a.panese history to know that Takeda n.o.butora was the father of the Tiger of Kai, Takeda s.h.i.+ngen. Then the lady must be n.o.butora’s wife, Ooi. “Tell us now, who are you? Where did you come from?” the maid demanded. “Um, I’m from Kawanakajima. My name is Sakura.” Her j.a.panese was good enough to help her pa.s.s as j.a.panese. “Kawanakajima? Another poor thing sold to Kai. Even your clothes are pathetic.” The maid and Lady Ooi both looked at her with pity. Sakura realized what she was wearing, a Li Ning brand short-sleeved tee and denim shorts; no wonder they thought she was a refugee. It was lucky that her lie of being from Kawanakajima Island actually blended with the truth that slaves were sold there. Seeing her state, Lady Ooi couldn’t help but be chagrined. “You must be eager to go home. You’re not well enough, though, and there’s so much warfare on that island that it’d be dangerous for you to leave. Stay here a while.” Author’s note: Takeda Harun.o.bu was the name Takeda s.h.i.+ngen used before he joined the monastery, which will be used throughout this book.