Sakura could not react at this moment. The name he called was not of the dead Masuko, but her own – Sakura. How could this happen? She dared not to take Itagaki’s words seriously because the historical daimyōs didn’t take the issue of love seriously. But he was calling her name right now; the truth of what she’d just heard with her own two ears was hard to deny.

She reached out her right hand to touch his face; his skin turned from hot to cold every now and then. He was much thinner than before; was this lovesickness?

That night, she stayed in his room willingly. Though nothing special happened, she felt different than the last time. Maybe, she did want a warm shoulder to rely on in this strange ancient world, even if this was only a temporary hiding place for her soul.

The next morning, when she woke up, it was about ten. The sun was s.h.i.+ning on her tatami bed.

Where was Harun.o.bu? She found n.o.body in the room. Wait, why was she wearing a bathrobe? Did he do anything to her last night?

“Takeda Harun.o.bu?” she called, and n.o.body replied. She had to put on her dress herself and went out to the entrance to look for him.

“Takeda Harun.o.bu? Where are you? You take advantage of me and then dare not to face me? Takeda. . . ” She yelled everywhere, unafraid. However, when she turned back to try another direction, someone knocked into her. She guessed it was him and caught his collar. When the man turned to face her, she became very awkward. This was his brother, Takeda n.o.bus.h.i.+ge. He looked similar to his older brother.

“Sakura, my brother went to the mountains with the underlings to inspect the enemy activities; they’re still searching for Yiu. He will be back tomorrow, and I’ll be picking up where he left off. Did he make you unhappy? He had gone to our mother to ask for permission to let you enter the main house of the inner compound to take care of her.”

His explanation astonished her. He wanted her to go back to Lady Ooi?

“I am sorry for my rudeness just now, Lord n.o.bus.h.i.+ge.”

“Sakura, why do you keep this distant politeness with me? Call me n.o.bus.h.i.+ge. You also called my brother his name.” He showed her a bright smile that was like the sun s.h.i.+ning overhead.

Why did this weird Harun.o.bu have such a cute younger brother? Were they really from the same parents? This was the second time that Sakura was in such close quarters with him. If they were in the modern age, she would want to grab his hand and stroll around together like best friends.

“Do you feel like your brother’s heart is hard to understand?”

“I know he dislikes Tsuru. Once you are back there, she will be going to serve my father. Brother wants a trusted one to accompany our mother. Though he banished him, he had no choice, because father was too cruel. Trust me, Sakura, Brother is a good man.”

n.o.bus.h.i.+ge was described as a reasonable person in the history books. How could she not trust him?

“Sakura, there’s one thing I’ve been wanting to ask you for a long time. Would you tell me what that dance was that you danced last time? Can you teach me?”

“Oh . . . that dance . . . yes, sure, it’s called the Pala Pala Dance.”

“Pala . . . pala . . . ? Isn’t it called the Rose Dance? Or . . . Sakura Dance?” He didn’t get the meaning of the name.

“Don’t think too much. It’s just a name.” Sakura lightly patted the confused young man.

“But I can’t learn from you today. I have to go to my master.” Soon his sunny face turned gloomy.

“Did something happen?”

“The wet weather in Kai hurt his health. His hands have serious rheumatism. Brother gave me some medicine for him. I will go visit him myself.”

“n.o.bus.h.i.+ge, no medicine can cure rheumatism. Let me teach you a way of Chinese kung fu. You ask him to keep on practicing. This will cure his illness after some time.”

“You have knowledge about medical issues?”

“I only know this method for rheumatism. Nothing else.” Sakura reached out her arms, with her palms facing herself. “Come, follow me. Relax your wrists when you are doing this.” Then she pushed the palms out with her arms slowly, as if she was pus.h.i.+ng a ball. When the arms reached the furthermost position, she took back the invisible ball by rotating her hands to face herself again. “Ask your master to practice this each day; if he doesn’t feel his condition’s improved, I will make it up to him.”

n.o.bus.h.i.+ge nodded, though he had not one bit of confidence in her strange technique.

Sakura went back to Harun.o.bu’s room. She used a bamboo chopstick to up do her hair. She couldn’t bear wearing her hair loose like the ladies in this ancient time, especially in such a hot weather. She took a bronze mirror to look at her new style. It was like the type worn in the final years of the shogunate, beautiful and delicate.

She went to greet to Lady Ooi. Due to this beautiful new hairdo and her dress, she was so happy that she walked as if she were a fas.h.i.+on model on the runway. Suddenly, a fat shadow stood in her way.