“.....Asuta, do you intend to go to the Ruu’s house?
It is now night.
After saying “I will come again tomorrow morning” while lowering her head, Rimi Ruu went back.
“It’s okay to reply at that time.” “I will also try to persuade my family this evening.”
After cleaning the dishes and cookwares in the iron pot, there are no other task to do.
Usually, we just talk a little and then go to sleep ――Ai Fa had been silent for a long time while having an expressionless face.
I have to acquire the common sense of this world.
That’s why, last time before I went to bed, Ai Fa told me about the rules and taboos, anecdotes about kingdoms and Gods, the time when they haven’t discovered about inn town Junos, although she did talk about many things, today she didn’t say even one thing.
Then, finally we started to talk, it’s the starting word.
Sitting against the wall with her eyes directed to the darkness outside the window, she didn’t look at me.
In the dark the fire on the candlestick fall, with only the stove fire to rely, I answered quietly while looking at her strangely cold face from the side.
“I want to try to go….I think.”
I would like to try serving the food I made to Ruu Family’s eldest member Jiba Ruu――Although it’s a request from the desperate Rimi Ruu, but when I heard about it, it isn’t a really complicated talk.
Jiba Ruu is an old woman with the age of 85 that has lost most of her teeth to the point where she can’t eat any solid food anymore.
Currently, she only had a diet consisted of thinly minced giba meat and vegetables mixed with broth, it seems that the amount also decreasing every day.
“There is no point if you try to prolong your life by injecting this mud-like juice in your mouth.”
It is said that she shed tears everyday saying that.
Even though she lived well until a couple years ago, now her mind had completely weakened.
I guess it’s something like a worry to Rimi Ruu as the one loved as the youngest daughter.
If I think about that sentiment, I would like to go.
“But, you can’t agree right, Ai Fa?”
When I asked, as expected Ai Fa answered with a voice that I can’t feel any emotion in it.
(TL : instead of just emotionless, the author did write it like this.)
“.....Although the one that reigns as the patriarch of the Morihen people is the Sun family, Ruu family member’s size is also not inferior. Also, both families had feuds in the past.”
“Feuds?”
“About 20 years ago, a man from the Sun family kidnapped a woman that was decided to be wed to Ruu’s main family. Although the Ruu’s men got into the Sun’s house with swords, but Sun family’s predecessor said that it’s this woman that have sinned with another man before marriage. We will judge the sinners according to the law, to say it simply, looks like they give back her remains.”
“......”
“Perhaps the girl was tortured so she died by killing herself. But since there was no witness, the Ruu family’s men can only throw cursing words without releasing their swords…If the Sun and Ruu family went into war, it will be a big war that will divide Morihen into two, with both being destroyed. But if Sun family didn’t give back the girl, Ruu Family would have taken their swords. They didn’t take their swords to honor the dead. And then both families sever their fellowship. And the feud is still unsolved even now.”
“It’s a sickening story. Is the Sun family the place where good for nothing gathered?”
“Who knows. At least on the Patriarch lineage, good for nothing man aren’t born.”
Ai Fa murmured with a small voice while having the same face and tone.
“And then, 2 years ago, is the when the dispute between me and Diga Sun happened. Ruu Family’s Patriarch Donda Ruu offered me marriage to Ruu main family.”
“W, What?”
“If I accepted, Sun family’s men will not be able to make a move on me. In short, Donda Ruu said while laughing that time will be the time when Sun family be destroyed. That’s why I turned down that talk and sever my fellowship with Ruu family.”
“Ah...so what you mean is that you don’t want to be the cause of war.”
“Without borrowing the power of Ruu family, I will not yield to Diga Sun. I don’t have any intention of entering fellowship with either house.”
"I see. I understand. That's why, you are can't be happy with your position right now that me that you're looking after want to help Ruu family,
I sigh deeply.
Then Ai Fa turned toward the other way just like that and twisted her mouth as if she mock something.
It was a way of smiling that is not Ai Fa-like.
"However, you still wanted to be Rimi Ruu's strength, is what you think right, Asuta?"
"Un?...Well, that certainly is. That Rimi Ruu also looks like a good child and I feel like I want to make her grandmother remember the joy of eating food."
"Right. It's okay to do what you want to."
"Eh?"
"It's a simple talk. If you want to save Rimi Ruu and Jiba Ruu, you can just break this relationship with me. And then this time, you can be looked after by Ruu family....It's not a difficult talk right?"
"What is that? Why did you suddenly talk like the other party is a casually loose girl."
I shrug my shoulders because I can't read Ai Fa's true feelings again.
"I am not worrying about that, I am really sorry, but I will refuse any request from Rimi Ruu."
"...What?"
"No matter how cute child she is, I just meet Rimi Ruu for the first time, I don't even know her grandmother's face...Although I thought of you as a cold person, if it make you standing worse, I can't help."
"...Why?"
Ai Fa turned over with a great momentum.
Her face has been frozen due to intense surprises.
This is more and more not Ai Fa-like, I thought, I made a surprised face for the other party that that has a serious air.
"If you ask me, that is of course you are more important than the people I just met and do not know...Don't make say embarrassing things, stupid."
"....."
"...What is it? It's bad if I get involved with the people from Ruu family right?"
Even though it's temporary, if you who became Fa Family member saves someone from Ruu family, they have an obligation to reward you for your distinguished service. Dondra Ruu will bring back the story about marriage again. And then if I decline it again――this time, it will be a disgrace to their family, they will anger will come toward me.
"He is really a troubling old man huh. By the way, are there no attractive person from the Ruu main family? That guy should be Rimi Ruu's brother right?
I tried asking with half jealousy and half curiosity. But she only answers with incomprehensible words like 'I decided to live as a "giba hunter"'.
"As a woman we knitted grass, tanned the fur, just waiting for the mens to return, it's the tradition. As a "giba hunter", I live in the forest, die in the forest. When I lose my father, I decided it like that."
"Hmph. Even though you have a beautiful face, it's a waste."
Those teasing words doesn't even reach her.
It's just that, Ai Fa's eyes are filled with an unknown rage, flickering like a big wildfire.
"No matter what happens, you don't have to worry, I will refuse the request from Rimi Ruu, so it will still be the same as always. It doesn't seem like the people from Ruu Family will begrudge me if I refuse Rimi Ruu's request."
Rimi Ruu did said "Because I will persuade my father!"
In other words, this request is only from Rimi Ruu herself, even if she talked to her family, she will get more opposing people for asking help from me, an outsider.
"...Why? If you break your relationship with me, you can do whatever you want you know? If that is so, then it's okay to do what you like right? Compared to me an isolated person, depending on Ruu family should be more desirable to you."
"Not at all. It's actually undesirable for me. All this time I completely relied on you, to be separated from you just because something like this and then come to live up with people I haven't even seen yet, It's just a pain in the neck when I thought about it...Hey, you, you really look strange from earlier? Just, what do you want me to do?
Ai Fa didn't answer.
That's why I stand up and decided to sit up cross-legged in front of Ai Fa.
Ai Fa keeps her face emotionless while her eyes have flickering flame of passion.
"Ai Fa. My existence is like a luggage to you, if you want me to get out from the house――I have not choice bot to do so. So it's not a talk about that right? If it is about that, you can just say it clearly to me right?"
"......"
"I really don't understand. Please tell me clearly what you think. I will follow your words. I will behave in the way you want the most."
Ai Fa slowly raised her face and look staright at me.
While still holding the flame of passion in that blue eyes of hers.
Ai Fa's eyes was little wet.
"...My father Gil Fa died 2 years ago."
Her cherry colored lips quietly said those words.
"Until that time, I was still close friends with Rimi Ruu. I didn't socialize with other Ruu Family though, I also met with Jiba Ruu which loved Rimi Ruu from time to time since childhood."
"...I see."
I can only answer like that because I was disturbed by the tears that wet her eyes.
Ai Fa's eyebrows frowns like she is a little suffering.
"I don't want to have fellowship with Ruu family, but for Rimi Ruu and Jiba Ruu to be sad...also makes me sad."
"If that is so...For me to cut my bond with you, and leave you who doesn't have any relationship and social status alone to help Rimi Ruu. is it the most desirable road for you?"
The moment I said that, my chest was grabbed.
Eyes like blue flame, stare at me as if it eat into me.
And then.
Tears that has accumulated in her eyes, silently slipped down her smooth cheeks.
"I..." that voice also trembles a little.
"...I, don't know what should I do."
Why, didn't you understand?
If you cut your bond with me, I can help Rimi Ruu.
If you don't want to be involved with Ruu family, but still wish to lend your power to Rimi Ruu, there is no other way.
But.
Ai Fa's fingertips has caught my chest real tight.
It's like, If I let go of this hand, she thought I might dangerously disappear just like this.
"I see." I put my hands on Ai Fa's shoulders.
Her bare shoulders, smooth skin, and her hot body temperature――and her weak trembling was transmitted.
I spontaneously pulled her shoulder forcefully.
Ai Fa's slim body collapses in my chest without any resistance.
"If you don't know, it can't be helped. Well, even I don't know what is the best way."
The scent of my beloved Ai Fa tickled my nose.
While my mind being filled with her scent, I quietly spoke.
"But I know exactly what is is if it's about the most desirable way for me...If you don't show me the way to go, I will chose my own path myself you know?"
"....."
"I want to lend my strength Rimi Ruu. But, I don't want to separate from your side. That's why I, as Fa Family freeloader, fair and square, will lend my strength to Ai Fa's very important people, Rimi Ruu and her grandmother."
After I said that, I gently tapped Ai Fa's golden hair that was tied to a complex shape.
"Something like Sun family and Ruu Family feuds, that kind of talk doesn't matter to us right? Why do we have to abandon important people just because of that stupid internal conflict? Something like Morihen village's important fate, should be okay to be left to the gramps that was responsible for it. For you to kill your own feelings for something like that, it's wrong."
"....."
"Let's help Rimi Ruu. I don't care what Rimi Ruu's father said.If it's marriage marriage and marriage again, then I will tell him to bring a more delicious looking man than a giba!"
Ai Fa didn't answer anything.
Her fingertips never let go of my chest, and her tears kept wetting my T-shirt.