Chapter 8 Crisis 3-2

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Chapter 3 Crisis 3-2 In the past few days, Harun.o.bu would still have Sakura help him during the day but has not asked for her at night. Then, he disappeared altogether. Sakura learned from Setuna that Harun.o.bu had gone to Suruga with his father, supposedly to visit Madam Takeda who has married into the Imagawa family. The visit was really to work on the two territories’ partners.h.i.+p, which was a custom in war-era j.a.pan that Sakura knew. In the days without Harun.o.bu around, Sakura felt as if she was missing something. The room seemed messy, so Sakura proceeded to do clean-up. She found a washcloth, grabbed a pail of water from the well in the backyard, and started to wipe down the table and the things on it.  “Hey you, are you that girl Sakura?” In the middle of working, Sakura heard the voice of an older woman yelling for her. She turned and saw a woman dressed in a deep blue kimono, who resembled a servant. Her face had a thick layer of powder, and her eyebrows were short and thick, in typical Kyoto duke style.  “I’m calling you, are you deaf?” The woman raised her voice, a shrillness in her tone.  “Uh, yes --” Before Sakura finished her sentence, the woman nodded to someone next to her. “M’am, this is the girl. She was the one who did that despicable dance at the lord’s party, and made the backyard a mess. I heard from Tsuru that she is also his bedtime companion lately.”  “It’s fine, Yae. Let me talk to her.” Another woman’s voice came. Sakura saw a younger, expensively-dressed woman appear behind Yae. Also dressed in duke style, this woman’s eyebrows were drawn in the samurai style, in thin slanted lines. Her features were delicate, and she had rosy cheeks. Her belly protruded under an orange floral kimono, and her gaze seemed distracted, while also showing a disdain, making it hard to decipher whether she’s friend or foe.  “How dare you not bow to the lord’s wife? Do you want me to push your head down?!” After Yae yelled at her, Sakura rushed to bow and greet the younger woman. In that instant, she realized she has somehow completely missed this character in the palace. She hasn’t made a mistake, this socialite was Harunonu’s wife, Madam Sanjō, who married into the Takeda family with the help of the lord of Suruga, Imagawa Yos.h.i.+moto.  “I heard the young lord is very good to you, I imagine you’d be a concubine soon. Before then, I’ll visit you as the wife and remind you of some rules, which will be useful. Don’t be formal, come sit next to me.” Madam Sanjō’s thin lips showed a smile as she picked up Sakura’s hand, had her sit facing her, and looked rather kind. Sakura thanked her, while taking a peek at Yae. The older woman looked vicious, her chubby face under the thick makeup made her look even more threatening. It was obvious she and her boss were doing a show, with her boss still trying to act ladylike, being a duke’s daughter.    “We’re both the young lord’s women, so we should support him and think of his future.” Madam Sanjō took a handkerchief from Yae and dabbed at the sweat on her face. “I imagine you know about the young lord giving up the Takeda t.i.tle. If I wasn’t pregnant and can’t always be with him, he wouldn’t need you. When he gets back, remember to remind him that after visiting his older sister in Suruga, don’t forget about Kai, Taro, and my unborn child. At the very least, he should consider Taro’s wellbeing.” How phony could she be? Sakura had gooseb.u.mps listening to Madam Sanjō’s speech. History books have said that while Madam Sanjō was the duke’s daughter, she really represented Suruga’s Imagawa family. Imagawa Yos.h.i.+moto’s mother, Shoukeni, was also from a duke’s family, and she despised the samurai family controlling j.a.pan, which has led to the Suruga estate maintaining a duke style. Shoukeni wanted Harun.o.bu and Sanjō’s son to be the heir to the Takeda family, gain control, and ultimately, to get back the duke family’s power. But what did all of this matter to Sakura? Not to mention, Madam Sanjō was really warning her to not even think of giving a son to Harun.o.bu. Please, you think I want to be your husband’s concubine? Sakura, not used to mincing words, spoke frankly, “M’am, you do not need to worry. The young lord is not someone who gives up easily from some obstacles. As for me, I’m just a maid to him, I’ve never been interested in being a concubine.” Madam Sanjō, shocked by Sakura’s words, widened her eyes. Yae rushed forward, pointed at Sakura’s nose and cussed, “you insolent girl, do you know who our m’am is? How dare you talk to her like this? I think you want a beating!” Staring at Sakura, Yae tried to slap her face. Sakura raised her left arm to block the blow, while using her right hand to strike at Yae’s collarbone, making the older woman yelp and stumble backward onto the floor.  “Yae!” Madam Sanjō was terrified into sitting up from a cus.h.i.+on on the floor. Yae, afraid of her boss hurting her baby, tried to get up to help, but Sakura’s blow was so strong she couldn’t even get up after a few tries.  “Come, come!” Madam Sanjō yelled for help. A tall shape showed up by the door. Sakura was afraid of having used too much force earlier, but when she saw it was Itagaki, she was relieved.  “Itagaki, you’re just in time. Sakura hit my maid Yae, you have to punish her.” Madam Sanjō’s face was stern, her eyes projecting an air of intimidation. Itagaki bowed and smiled, “M’am, please forgive my rudeness. I was actually outside, and saw Yae hitting Sakura first. Sakura hasn’t been here long, and she’s too naive to know all the rules. Plus, I only saw Sakura blocking Yae’s slap, and nothing else.”