Chapter 49: Suruga’s Retainers’ Hostility, a Letter from Master

Imagawa Residence – Isshiki Masataka

1561. Winter.

“We have been waiting for you.”

“Please forgive me for my lateness in answering your summon, my lord.”

Here, in the audience hall, aside from Ujizane-sama, several Suruga retainers were also there. Katsurayama Ujimoto, one person I marked as a potential trouble, was also there, sitting beside Ujizane-sama.

Hisa positioned herself around a step back from me, sitting while bowing my head.

“It is not something you need to concern yourself too much about. Welcoming a wife to one’s household is an event worthy of your full attention. We understand that very well. Moreover, you did not fail to send us a notice beforehand, totally unlike what had happened not too long ago. We were able to wait for you with a peace of heart.”

“Thank you for your magnanimity, my lord.”

“Hisahime, you may raise your head.”

“Yes.”

I didn’t steal a glance at her direction, but I could tell that Hisa was raising her head. That aside, man, the uncomfortable atmosphere here was something else. Well, I kinda guessed that this would happen, but still…

Not only Ujimoto-dono, Haramishi Motoyasu-dono and Hasegawa Masanaga-dono were also sending hostile glances toward Hisa. It would be great if she could endure this, just like what happened with Kira Yoshiaki-dono just now. The problem was, I couldn’t comfort her like back then.

“Please let me introduce her again. This is the daughter of Matsudaira Hirotada-dono, as well as the sister of Matsudaira Motoyasu, Hisa. My wife.”

“She is someone that we know well. Our father once told us that Hisahime was Hirotada-dono’s pride and joy. To have an opportunity to meet her like this, we couldn’t be more pleased.”

There wasn’t even a hint of disapproval from Ujizane-sama regarding our marriage. That meant he had been ignoring all those bad rumors about me.

I threw a quick glance toward the corridor. At the end of my gaze was Asahina Nobuoki-dono, nodding his head, as if he knew what I was thinking.

“My lord, may I have a moment?”

“Ujimoto. What is it that you want?”

Immediately, Ujizane-sama’s face soured. He probably found the guy annoying. If so, that meant we were safe. Maybe.

“There is just one meager thing that I wish to confirm, my lord.”

“Speak.”

“Do you recall the words that Inoo Tsuratatsu uttered the last time he came here?”

“Tsuratatsu’s words? Elaborate.”

“He mentioned that Matsudaira began making their real move to take over Mikawa only after they successfully secured a marriage with Isshiki.”

“We remember those words. However—”

“No, my lord, this isn’t a trifling matter. Around that time it happened, Matsudaira completely wiped out our Imagawa’s forces stationed in northern Mikawa.”

“There is no evidence that Masataka was involved in that.”

“Indeed, but there is no evidence that he wasn’t involved in that either.”

Endlessly throwing one argument after another, couldn’t say that I didn’t expect this. It didn’t seem like this conversation would stop any time soon either.

“Moreover, even if Masataka-dono has no such intentions, we cannot be sure that woman was not tipping information to her family on her own initiative.”

What was this guy even doing? What was his goal here? To make me look bad? Or to ridicule Hisa? Either way, I couldn’t stay silent.

But, Ujimoto-dono wasn’t the only one who wanted to throw dirt at us.

“Word has it that Motoyasu, fearing some people in his clan would choose to support her and divide his clan in two, decided to marry her off to an enemy clan. Even though the wisdom she has is only on a superficial level, they treated her like she is a talented woman. Fate can truly be a cruel mistress…”

“I have to agree with that. Makes me wonder from which lowlife of a master did she learn from.”

Motoyasu and Masanaga hurled their insults one after another toward Hisa. They even dragged her master—Taigen Sessai—in.

I could sense that Hisa moved her body a little, maybe trying to get a word out or two, but that would be a bad move. She’d only be playing right into their hands if she did.

So, I raised my hand to stop her and turned my gaze toward those who kept on hurling their insults at us.

“Please forgive me for this, but could you please keep your noisy mouths shut?”

“W-What did you just say?! Such behavior—!”

“What behavior are you trying to point out here? Might I remind you three that my clan’s status is higher than yours? If anything, you are the one who’s out of line here. Furthermore, I cannot just sit down and accept your insults toward Hisa. Hanahime-sama, a woman in whose veins run thicker Imagawa blood than mine, has acknowledged Hisa as the wife of Isshiki, and Hisa has vowed to support me and Imagawa. Also, you asked who it was that Hisa learned from, correct? Hisa, tell these uncouth people who it was.”

“Yes. During the time Matsudaira was under Imagawa-sama’s protection, Taigen Sessai-sama taught me many things.”

Four people made immediate reactions. The three retainers looked horrified as it dawned upon them that they had made a terrible mistake, while Ujizane-sama, someone who had always carried himself in a calm manner, was trembling in anger.

“My lord, t-this isn’t what you think!”

“There is simply no way that he was telling the truth, my lord.”

What pathetic excuses. 

I handed Ujizane-sama a letter from my pocket. It was a letter that Sessai-sama had written to Hisa back when he realized that his time was about to come. He never even sent Ujizane-sama or me a letter like that, which showed how much he treasured Hisa.

Ujizane-sama read the letter carefully. I could hear a faint sob escape his lips—was he crying?

Meanwhile, the three retainers were watching this unfold, trembling with fear.

“…How nostalgic. This handwriting is Sessai-sama’s, there is no doubt about it. Shame, we have never received such a thing from him.”

“I was as surprised as you when I first received this letter from Hisa, my lord. To think that our quiet master would be so eloquent in his letters…”

So, you three, what were you going to do next? Keep insulting Hisa?

Even though this wouldn’t serve as a proof that Hisa wouldn’t betray Imagawa, if they were to continue pressing this issue, they wouldn’t gain anything other than Ujizane-sama’s wrath.

See, they stopped saying anything. With this, we accomplished our goal for coming all the way here. From now on, Ujizane-sama would never take any slander toward Isshiki from these three seriously.

“Hisahime, you vowed to support Masataka, did you not?”

“Yes, I did, my lord. I had been cast out by my own younger brother, Isshiki is the only place left that I could call home. Until the day my Dear Husband no longer needs me, I vowed to dedicate myself to Isshiki and Imagawa-sama, what come may.”

“Understood. These people had acted rudely toward you. Please accept my apology on their behalf.”

““M-my lord?!””

Now these three had no way of defending themselves. After all, they had just made their lord bow his head in apology.

“Ujizane-sama, please raise your head. This all stemmed from the fact that I still haven’t proven myself enough yet. From now on, I will strive even harder, so please, I ask for your continued support toward our Isshiki.”

“Yes. We ask the same on behalf of Imagawa as well.”

After that, Ujizane-sama left the audience hall. The three retainers also didn’t linger around and left almost immediately, a faint sound of clicking tongues left their lips.

“You did great, Hisa.”

“No. Had you not stopped me, Dear Husband, I would have surely made a huge blunder.”

“About that, my heart is still pounding from nervousness…”

As I said that with a chuckle, I could hear someone calling me from the corridor.

“So was mine. I really thought that a huge quarrel was about to break out in front of the lord.”

“Apologies for showing such an inappropriate sight, Nobuoki-dono.”

“No need to apologize. I will not speak a word of what has transpired here to anyone.”

Nobuoki-dono let out a hearty laugh and went back the way he came from. We followed him and left the Imagawa Residence.