August, Tensho 9: Odawara Castle
Two weeks have passed since the second joint feast of the Oda and Hojo families. The days are already in the height of summer and I miss the air conditioner. It's a tool of civilization.
The banquet lasted for three days and three nights, and halfway through the banquet, the lords of the castle gathered to celebrate, making it so exciting that even the castle town had a festival going on, perhaps due to the influence of the banquet.
I've never had anyone celebrate anything like this before, so I was very happy.
I've been able to make friends with Fujihime over the past two weeks and our relationship is good.
However, being held instead of holding hands during our date was a bitter memory that ripped my pride as a man to shreds.
I'm not sure where they heard from, but the Satake family, the Satomi family and other forces in Kanto, as well as feudal lords in Oshu such as the Ashina family, the Onodera family and the Date family also sent congratulatory gifts, so it took me a long time to deal with them.
You can find out that the Oda family has been playing poorly with the messengers, and they must be too afraid of their grandfather.
With this marriage, the presence of the Hojo family has grown considerably. From now on, they will be dealing with Kanto and Oshu as a branch of the Oda family.
In the meantime, the preparations are finally over and it's time to leave ...... when the incident occurred.
It all started when I went to Fujihime's room, as usual. I've been playing with her every day lately, so I entered her room without calling out to her.
Inside the room, Fujihime was sitting in her usual spot, and next to her was a girl I didn't know.
She's probably about the same age as Fujihime, dressed in a beautiful red kimono, with crisp, suspicious eyes and a strong will in her eyes. She has a well-defined face, but she looks cooler than cute, and I can see she's going to be very beautiful in the future.
When Fujihime noticed me coming in, she smiled and beckoned me to join her.
This is Sanboshi-sama, good morning. Did you sleep well last night?
Mm, good morning. I could sleep well without being worried.
That's good to hear.
Fujihime pats me on the head as she sits next to me, and this has become a daily routine. This has become a daily routine, and Fujihime seems to like to take care of her young children, taking care of them in a worthy manner.
It is true that I have a mentality that cannot be described as juvenile, but I feel warmed up by Fujihime's care, so I am left at the mercy of her.
I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I'm sure it's a good idea. I need to get her to introduce me to her, which I had forgotten all about.
"Fuji, can you tell me who this girl is?
Then Fujihime, perhaps having forgotten all about it, moved to her side, looking a little apologetic.
I'm sorry. This is Narita-sama's daughter, Kaihime. We are the same age and we are good friends because of that relationship.
"Kai, this is Master Sambodhi. As I told you, he is very lovely, isn't he? He is my fiancé and the most wonderful gentleman in Japan!
We look at each other as Fujihime introduces herself and we look at each other. I've never heard of Narita, but he's probably a vassal of the Hojo family.
I'm not sure if her dignified atmosphere is symmetrical with Fujihime's, or if it's just a good match.
I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work for you.
You are the Master of the Three Laws? My name is Kai and I wish you many more years of good luck!
The voice, which was quite passionate, was somewhat audible and showed that there was no mishearing.
Now, I'm sure she said, 'I wish you a long life', didn't she?
I'm not sure what the meaning of ...... is, but when I looked at Fujihime with that in mind, she was nodding her head as if to say 'well said. This is a complete guru.
It's nice to meet you, Kaihimedono. I'm Sanboshi. So, what exactly was the story you just told me?
"Please welcome me to your side of the house! We will certainly protect you!
What a straightforward and masculine proposal, with a crisp face and strong eyes, he is just as handsome as a stage actor! But the woman. I think I could be a star of the Takarazuka Revue.
But this was a problem. Various people have invited me to take my daughter into a side room, but I've refused all of them. It is true that the grandfather gave me permission, so I can choose as much as I want, but that's a different story.
It's not that I didn't have an obligation to Fujihime, but I'm worried that I accidentally took a spouse as a wife.
Of course, your wife has a family home, too. You could even send a letter. It's hard to check the contents of them, and they are half-heartedly acknowledged in order to create distrust.
That means that information about what happens in my neighborhood is available to them. Therefore, I couldn't choose a bad partner, so I was avoiding it.
I never dreamed that his wife would introduce him to his second wife. Fujihime? Isn't that a little too strong?
"Fuji, tell me what this means.
I'm not sure if a little grumpiness leaked out of her voice, but Fujihime hugged me as if she were soothing me.
You are the one who will eventually rule the world. If that is the case, it is only natural that you should surround yourself with a side room. There is no end to the search for the identity of your opponent. That's why I introduced you to Kai, the person I trust most. Let her and I work together to protect you.
My heart was full. In her own way, Fujihime was trying to protect me and consolidate my position. I'm sure Fujihime would be able to set up a system that would be able to handle it, even if she had to create an inner sanctum like the Tokugawa shogunate.
It's really a great girl, too good to be true ...... I'm a lucky person to have such a girl as my wife.
I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of it. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.
I'm so happy, I thought that with these three of us, we'll be happy forever, and I decided to officially accept Kaihime as a member of my side room.
I'd like you to support me.
I put my hand on Kaihime's shoulder and looked her firmly in the eyes as I said, and she smiled softly as she stroked my cheek two or three times.
"I will stay with you until my body rots.
...... To be honest, I was more excited than I was, and that's a secret I'll have to take to the grave.
And finally, the time has come to leave. I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more information on this.
The news of Princess Kai's entrance into the inner circle was immediately well known throughout Odawara, and I received congratulations and many fond words from many people. To be honest, I pretended not to see the latter part of the story.
Kai's father was at Odawara Castle at just the right time, so I went to greet him right away. The father-in-law cried and said, "You have chosen my daughter, sir, with great joy! I'm sure she has the same personality as her father.
Of course, I reported the news to Ujimasa and Ujinao and their son, and they were also very happy to see me off, and they are still coming to see me off.
Well, I'm on my way to Hakone now.
Yes, have a good trip. I pray that you will be able to reach Hakone without any problems. Also, I have sent advance notice to all the lords of the castle along the way, so please feel free to rely on me.
Thank you very much for everything, thank you very much. I will give my best regards to the present owner.
Yes, we look forward to seeing you back.
"Have a good day!
The Hojo family retainers were all there to see us off, waving to us the whole time until we were out of sight.
Thus, we departed from Odawara Castle.
Our destination was Hakone, a town of hot springs, and now the fun begins!