Chapter 3

The Bamboo House

The peaceful house seems more peaceful than before, but I feel a little bit of sadness inside. I get inside the house with Mr. Kaiza. He takes me to my room by using the garden path, secretly passing through the waterfall garden, our garden. We haven't said a word to each other since we got here; only his eyes have spoken.

We stop at the waterfall, and I look at him. Mr. Kaiza takes the second to walk with me to my balcony.

I slide the balcony's door. It's not locked. Then, I step inside my room. It's still the same. I turn back to look at the man outside the balcony. 

"...I had the maid light the candle sometimes…"

Mr. Kaiza tells me.

"Why?"

"...It felt like you're here."

"..."

"You must be exhausted, I'll let you rest… and it's very late now…"

He tells me, and I walk toward him.

"...Yes, thank you, Mr. Kaiza. Goodnight."

"...Goodnight."

"..."

It seems like he doesn't want to leave, but he doesn't do anything about it. Perhaps he's still shocked by what I asked him, or he's a bit upset that I left him and came back like this.

"See you tomorrow?"

He tells me with a little bit of asking.

"See you tomorrow, Kaiza."

I tell him and give him a smile. 

He hesitates to close the door, and finally, the door is closed, leaving me alone in my usual room, which I feel so comfortable in. 

I go to the bathroom and look around. It's clean and spotless. I take off my jacket and am about to unbutton the shirt.

"Thug!"

Then, someone opens my bathroom door.

"!!"

I turned around to see. It's Kaiza, looking right at me with a shocked face.

"What's wrong?..."

I walk to him.

"You're still here."

He tells me.

"..."

He's watching me like I am just a smoke figure that can disappear at any moment. Even though he sees me now, his face doesn't look relieved at all.

I grab his fingers and slightly hold his whole hand.

"I'm here."

"I'm sorry...I just..."

Then he speaks with me softer.

He holds my hands and pulls me into his arms, hugging me so tight.

"...I miss you too."

I tell him.

You had no idea how much I tried to deny you and reject you to come into my mind every day. 

"Zephyra...I don't want to let you go…"

"But how can I change my clothes… I'm in the middle of..."

"Oh..."

He pushes me out gently and observes my body, which I have unbuttoned halfway.

"..."

I tilt my head.

"I'm sorry."

"Can you wait for me outside?"

"...Can I wait for you here?"

"..."

I say nothing back after seeing his expression. I turn my back at him and take off my top, even I realize that he's watching me. I drop my clothes on the floor, and I am about to raise my hand to pick up the thin robe beside the mirror. He puts another robe covering my body from the back.

"Thank you."

I turn to talk to him, and his eyes still have the same expression.

He touches my hand, and I hold his hand and take him out of the bathroom.

I don't know how to explain or tell him that I'm here to stay.

"If you don't want to leave, would you like to lie down with me?"

I ask.

"I don't want to leave."

He answers.

Then, I lead him to the bed. I let him sit on the edge of it, and I walk to the left side of the bed and put my body down on the soft mattress. He turns to look at me and crawls toward me, stepping a bit to the right side. He pulls the blanket out, tucks me in, and lies beside me.

I know he probably has a lot of questions, but he holds his tongue.

He raises his fingers to put my hair back behind my ears slowly and moves to touch my lips.

"Will you forgive me?"

He asks softly.

"...Will you forgive me... for leaving you without... saying anything?"

"..."

He puts his left hand on the back of my head and holds me into him.

"I would never be angry or mad at you...Zephyra...you must have your reasons...I'll be waiting when you're ready to talk."

"..."

I put my face into his chest and surrender to his embrace.

"I try my best...Zephyra. Please, stay with me."

"...Um."

I make a sound in my throat to answer him.

His smell, I miss him so much.

And the sun is rising again; the familiar light is seeking inside through the window near the balcony. But it's flickering and not that bright to my sight. I try to open my eyes, but my eyelids don't want to obey me. I curl myself inside the big, hard bolster.

"Ummm."

I never felt so comfortable for a long time.

Then, suddenly, I feel the big bolster holding me in to comfort me.

Eh?

I try to open my eyes again and clear my sight by blinking multiple times. I see and smell the skin, and I shift my eyes to the big, robust arms that are pretty heavy over my body. Then, I force myself to look up to see the face of the body's owner.

"..."

Kaiza is sleeping. He's still here, holding me.

Did I use his arm as the pillow? I couldn't remember when I fell asleep. And why is he topless?

I have to get up, but it's very comfy and warm.

"Umm..."

I accidentally make a sound again.

Get up!

Then, I slowly and carefully turn myself away. So I don't wake him up.

"!!"

All of a sudden, he holds my body from behind while I'm sitting.

"Where are you going...?"

His sleepy voice is like a humming tone in his throat, so low that I want to turn my face to look at him.

"..."

I tilt my head to see where he is. His head is against my back, and his red hair flows all over my bed and my lap.

"I'm...going to get ready...we should get ready..."

"...But you sound so snuggly before you can sleep more."

"!!"

I quickly turn my face back. So he heard me earlier.

"Zephyra..."

He calls me, sits comfortably behind my back, and snuggles me, putting his chin over my right shoulder.

"I haven't greeted your grandpa yet...And I have some explanation to tell him...and to you."

"Hmm...can you tell me first?"

"I want to tell…together..."

I slightly move my face to the right side to tell him, but my cheek touches his nose and his lips.

"You and grandpa...together."

I finish my sentence.

He pushes my hair away to the back, exposing my bare face. He uses his nose to touch my cheek, slides down to my jawline, and puts his lips on my neck to kiss.

"How come you are beautiful like this?"

"..."

"Alright, let's see him..."

He tells me.

Then, I get off the bed while he's not letting my hand go, and he moves his body to sit at the edge of the bed. I wait for him to let go of my hand, but he doesn't.

He stands up and takes me in front of the bathroom door. He holds my left hand up and puts both his lips on the back of my palm.

"I'll see you in a minute."

He tells me, giving his red lingering eyes to me. And leaves the room on the balcony.

"Ha..."

I put my hands on my chest.

The Gather Zone

Kaiza and I are walking past the eyes of the Takaki's men outside on the way to the tea room where Mr. Saya is. I glance at Jodai, standing out from all the men watching us enter the room while Mr. Kaiza puts his hand around my waist.

"Grandfather."

Mr. Kaiza calls his grandfather to announce that we are here.

"Hm, you guys woke up?...come in, take a seat."

Mr. Kaiza leads me to the lying-out mat seats in front of us, facing his grandfather.

"...You cut your hair, young lady?"

"Um, Yes, Mr. Saya."

"...There's no black in them anymore. It suits you... even if I think you look great with or without."

"Thank you. You're also looking great..., sir."

I'm awkwardly conversing with the man that I respect, but I did something unpleasant to him or the man beside me, making it feel so tumbling to open my mouth and look at him in the eyes.

"I am hanging there, young lady. What about you? You look tinier. Have you been eating well?"

"I ate well, sir, but because I had to use a lot of my energy..."

"Now you come back, and you can eat all you want to feed and recover what has been used."

"...Mr. Saya... I..."

I am struggling with words. He still behaves the way he always does to me; kind, genuine, and a lot of love.

I adjust my gesture and bend down my body, bowing my head, with both hands moving to the front and putting them under my forehead.

"I...I'm sorry, Mr. Saya...I did something that caused you to worry. And I did something that was...unforgiven."

"Hmm, you totally are Takaki."

"!?"

"No matter what your last name is, or you were raised in what family. Your action and posture are giving me full Takaki itself... I forgive you, young lady, so please sit comfortably... as it's your home."

"..."

"Zephyra..."

Mr. Kaiza calls me and holds me up. I wipe my tears before they run down and face the old man in front of me.

They both witness it.

"I assume that you might have the reasons to explain it to me... is it the time?"

"...Yes, but before that...I would like to ask your permission, Mr. Saya."

Both of them sit and wait for me. to spell out why I was running away from them, but they also want to know what topic that I create to interrupt the main conversation.

I glance at the man next to me...

"...I..."

Just hold your breath and spill it out. You can do it.

"I would like to marry Mr. Kaiza."

Then I shout it out.

"!!!"

Kaiza and his grandfather look at me with stunned eyes and faces. The old man slightly and slowly widens his mouth and smiles so wide.

"Hahahahaha."

He laughs out loud.

"Zephyra...Should I be the one who says it?"

Kaiza asks me with blushing cheeks and ears. I turn to see his face, his eyes full of joy, but they have a gloomy red in them.

"I'm sorry... You don't want to marry me?"

"Zephyra...Of course, I want to! I want you to be with me!"

He grabs my hands and answers me.

"Hmm...so my permission is..."

"..."

Kaiza and I look at the old man and wait for his answer.

"...Grandfather?"

Kaiza calls him and gives him wondrous eyes.

"Yes."

Kaiza tells himself.

"I will marry you no matter what."

Kaiza continues.

"That..."

I mumble.

"I say yes if you, young lady, call me grandpa again."

The old man tells me.

"...Hehe."

I chuckle.

"Yes, grandpa."

I answer him.

"Good. Then, yes."

He says it with a smile.

I take a deep breath.

"...That day...I went to the Mansion to meet Achlys. He told me everything about the agreements... the truth behind those deals between your family and them, including Mr. Kaiza's."

"..."

Mr. Kaiza looks a bit disappointed but still holding my hands.

"He also told me I don't have Stygian's blood."

"..."

"But those are not the real reason why I left...I found out that Veronica, the head lady of the Stygian, killed my mother."

"!!!"

"What..."

Mr. Kaiza.

"She poisoned her drink and let it slowly kill her and blamed her death on her sickness."

"Zephyra..."

Mr. Kaiza calls me in his throat and squeezes my hands.

"I didn't know what to do... So I ran...and acted impulsively and tried...to just...I don't know. I was trying to wrap my mind, but at the same time, I wanted to not think... about anything...just gone...far away from this place."

"Hmm."

"And...one place I first thought of was my hometown. I decided to go there, and...Jodai didn't want to leave me. He held his duty to his heart. So...we went to The North Mountain."

"..."

Mr. Kaiza glances at the man who I speak of outside the room. 

"It took almost 2 days to get there...And I recovered this..."

I pull my hands out from Mr. Kaiza's.

"Hm?"

I give him the chest with the Value of the North stone and open it for him.

"That's...the value stone?"

"Yes, grandpa. I would like to give you this one since the color of it...it reminds me of Mr. Kaiza and you...The Takakis."

"Because it's red... the value stone has a red color."

"No, the red one is quite rare, but I found it while searching for the right one. Mostly, I found white, yellow, and green ones."

"Why did you search for them, young lady?"

"...I want to make a sword from it."

"..."

"I see...I've heard that the value stones are not just lying there and beautiful like this."

"Yes, it's inside the rock. I had to crack it open."

"How?"

"I used the sword to cut it, your sword, to be exact. And I broke it... including Jodai's...It took me a whole 2 days to get it...heh."

"..."

"So please, accept it, grandpa. You can do anything with it. It's precious to my hometown, and it took a lot of my sweat to have them...because you're very important to me...the least I can do for you." 

"..."

"Thank you, young lady...I'm very honored."

He gets up, takes the chest, and gives it to Kyo. 

Then, he sits on his knees before my face and holds me gently.

"!!"

People from outside can see us because of the open window, which is connected to the yard.

"You must be very drained during the journey..."

"Yes, but I met my...people."

"..."

The old man smiles and also Kaiza.

"And there's anything else?..."

The old man asks.

"Umm..."

I glance at Jodai.

"Can you please forgive Jodai?"

"..."

Kaiza looks at me directly this time.

"He kept me safe...and took care of me. He followed me and left the duty of this house...because of me."

"Hmm, he is your man. He announced himself from the beginning that he wanted to be yours. How could I forgive him since he did no wrong."

The old man tells me, slightly shifting his eyes at his grandson, and gets up.

"Thank you, grandpa."

"And I am sincerely sorry for what happened to your mother, young lady."

"...Thank you."

Then, he pats on my head slowly.