“But if you don’t stay with me, where can you go?” Yos.h.i.+moto rolled up his sleeve and took the cup of tea he just made to Sakura, saying, “You know very well the needs of an exile.”

“What do you mean by this?” She was shocked by his words before taking the tea.

“Sakura, I should appreciate your help with the anonymous letter. Because of it, I learned about the situation of Kai and Harun.o.bu. Though I handed it over to Yamamoto Kansuke, it doesn’t mean he will help Harun.o.bu betray me. Until now, the Zen Master was still taking care of his family members.”

“You seized his family to push him to get information for you?”

“If I don’t use him, you will continue to be the spy. However, this arrangement makes me feel sorry for my love to you.” Yos.h.i.+moto smiled with nonchalance. He opened the golden fan in his hand and said, “The exiles need two things: one is a steady living environment, and the second, is money. You are a smart girl. I am sure you know that n.o.body would love to give you both except me.”

Hm! Sakura was very angry at his pointed reasoning. Though Harun.o.bu liked to debate with her, she never lost a round. But Yos.h.i.+moto’s comments made her so bitter. He was right to speak aloud her deep thoughts. Yes, in war time, even in Kai, she was not sure Harun.o.bu would be obedient to her since he was born a swordsman. Suruga for sure was a state with the least amount of wars and the most success in diplomacy. She didn’t think any other woman in this era could reject his invitation.

“You have a wonderful plan! It looks like a trade more than a love story. Do you think I am someone who will give up morals for money?” Sakura complained.

Yos.h.i.+moto c.o.c.ked his head, with his fan knocking at his legs, which were crossed. Then he suddenly laughed out loud. “Yes, from your point of view, it is right. It is I who told you that I have feelings for you. But you should doubt it because I framed you to force you here. However, I am not like Harun.o.bu who always conquers women with power. He could even rob away the daughter of his brother-in-law. Instead, I want your heart, Sakura. Though I don’t have it right now, I have a long time to try.”

So he planned to lock her up here and wait for feelings to blossom? What a horrible scheme! But . . . it was not bad to stay here for a while. Anyway, Suruga was such a peaceful and beautiful seaside city. Meanwhile, the street stores sold many fresh things to play with from Kyoto. What a land of respite..

“Hey, by the way, is the father of Harun.o.bu in your apartment? I don’t want to see him anymore.” Sakura thought of the issue of Takeda n.o.butora’s exile.

“My father went to Kyoto already. He won’t come back in the future.”

Her heart turned easy when she heard this. But Kyoto was her dream place. What if she’d time-traveled to the flouris.h.i.+ng Heian period? If she was sent to Heian period, she would have been rich, and without worries. Anyway, in this Sengoku Era, even if the masters of state loved her, they couldn’t protect her simply at will. Who knew how long she could sustain herself this way?

“Little stone, tell me your secrets! How can I go back to my home? Would you help me go back? If not, how about sending me to a better place instead of here?”

She lay on the tatami, looking at the stone with desperation. Should she rely on the stone? She was not sure. The current her, who had been here for more than two years, was almost used to living here. However, the stone was still the same, and showed no sign or supernatural power.

“Sakura, are you here?”

A woman’s voice came in from the outside. She sat up straight, coughing to hint to the person coming in.

It was Nades.h.i.+ko. Sakura remembered her—she was the daughter of Yos.h.i.+moto’s mother’s maid. She was obedient and cute, and carried the blood of Kyoto residence, so the mother had planned to marry her to Yos.h.i.+moto several years ago. However, the master didn’t agree, so she had been the maid of the Outer Compound ever since. Though she didn’t give her a bad impression, her pair of amorous eyes made her believe that she and Yos.h.i.+moto must have been involved in an affair many times.

“Is the master asking you to find me?”

“Yes, the master told me that after seven days, he will hold a tea banquet to welcome some visitors from afar. He wants to invite you to come along, so you can show off your ikebana and sing some songs. He promises to buy you anything you want in the future, in return for coming to this banquet.”

Her speed of speech was slow, somehow lazy. Her face didn’t look different with a thin cover of whitening powder; only some wrinkles showed when she was smiling. Sakura was quite sure that she was envious of this, and though she pretend to be tender, she must have suppressed her fury deep in heart.