“What kind of attitude is that? Returning my fan? Even if I was only your lord, don’t you have something else to say to me?” Harunobu stood up and walked right next to her, holding onto her wrist tightly as he used to do.
“Hey, you’re being unreasonable! I’m going to Shinano as a dowry maid now, and you want to play games?” Sakura was actually kind of afraid, but her stubborn nature stopped her from showing the emotion.
“Do you really want to be a dowry maid that badly?” Harunobu looked down, still refusing to let go, as if trying to control his temper.
The competitive Sakura wanted to win even more now. Thinking of the things Nene told her, she continued to play with fire and said loudly, “what do you mean? You say you like me, but keeping me as a concubine won’t keep me safe. Don’t you know your wife is not easy to deal with? Not to mention your father, they both want to kill me. Should I just stay here and wait to die? I’m not an idiot.”
“You’re out of control! Don’t forget you still belong to me!” He grew angry.
“Belong to you? Was I sold to you? Where is the deed? Listen up, women have freedom too, we’re not men’s playthings. Even if you told me right now you loved me, I’d just be someone’s replacement. I get to decide who is going to be my man, and not you! Goodbye!”
Sakura got out of his grasp and walked quickly toward the door, unfortunately, her kimono’s narrow skirt prevented her from moving fast. When she bent down to adjust her clothes, she was hugged from the back by a pair of powerful arms. Harunobu didn’t speak, his hot breaths moved next to her ear, adding no danger, just an unnamed pain.
The heat came fast and left fast too. After Harunobu said, “leave, don’t come back if you don’t want to,” she tried to tell herself the way she felt in that moment was just an illusion.
In November, when Japan was in early Winter, Sakura accompanied the rest of Nene’s wedding party and dowry to the Suwa family in Shinano.
Suwa Yorishige actually seemed kind, and was different from what Sakura imagined. In just a few days, her opinion of the man had changed. The way Nene and Yorishige seemed so loving as a couple was also the envy of everyone. Perhaps it was because all the locals believed in the deity Myōjin, and often worshipped the god on Lake Suwa. People seemed even-tempered and had few conflicts, so this time actually became the most peaceful period since Sakura time-traveled.
Maybe it was because Yorishige really cared for Nene; since she married into the family, she was given at least a dozen more maids. Sakura had nothing to do and became quite leisurely, so she’d just walk around in the yard for days.
Shinano was a bit colder than Kai. It’d probably snow in a few days. Sakura reached out her right hand, letting the winter sakura petals fall onto her palm and slide through her fingers. Were the sakura flowers blooming where Harunobu was? She couldn’t help but think of his smile. She patted her forehead, in the sakura garden was how they first met... Why was she even thinking of that man, being so far away? She should be grateful that she had found a place to hide in this war-torn era. Even if it was temporary, it was infinitely better than being on guard in Kai.
Taking out a gold emblem, she looked at the lion-riding God on it and put it away. This was a treasure Nene gave her yesterday, saying it was a wedding gift from Harunobu. The God on the emblem was Marici, which, as Sakura remembered, should be riding and was surrounded by pigs in folklore. Maybe the Japanese changed the design for aesthetics.
She didn't believe in God, but Nene was so nice she had to accept the gift. She understood Nene's intention. Even now, the newlywed young woman wanted to fix her up with Harunobu. Would history really change? She didn't want to overthink it. As long as Nene seemed happy, she should be relieved
She strolled from the front yard to the back; she couldn’t help sighing for herself while appreciating the beautiful cherry blossom trees. Too bad she couldn’t go back to her own time; if only she had her camera, she could take some photos. It wasn’t easy for her to come to Japan, and an ancient Japan at that. These unpolluted sakura trees were more stunning than contemporary ones. Nene has said that in January, Shinano Lake would have a sight called “God’s Passage” where waves froze at more than one meter high. She couldn’t imagine what that would look like and was hoping to see it for herself.
Although, at the moment, what got her attention was not “God’s Passage” but a person standing under a tree.
It was a slender young woman about Nene’s age. She was looking up at the falling cherry blossoms. Wearing a kimono with a pink background and white flowers, the hem of her dress moved slightly in the wind. It was as if she couldn’t feel the chill, as she still stared at the tree. Her dark eyes looked like black pearls in a pond, serene and deep, gentle, yet melancholy.
Sakura almost yelled with her surprise. She has seen many celebrities’ historical looks but no one this amazing. This girl had an ethereal quality that made her seem out of this world, holy, and not to be violated.
“Hello!”
Sakura blurted out in English, which made the girl turn around and stare at her. She quickly resumed her serenity and smiled gently.
What an angel... Sakura realized good-looking men were no big deal, beautiful women were irresistible, which was why she said “hello” out of nowhere.
“Hello... what does it mean?” The girl walked toward her and asked.
“Means ‘how are you,’ it’s just my dialect. Um, I’m Sakura, here as a dowry maid with Madam Nene from Kai. Please forgive me.” Sakura greeted the young woman in Japanese, bowed, and then scratched her head. There was so much ritual involved in Japanese greetings.
“My name is Yiu.” The young woman was still smiling, only she was now slightly shy.
Author’s Note: Marici is a god of invisibility and obstacle-removal. Meaning light or flame. Holding a lotus flower and wearing a pagoda, the god sits on a golden pig and is also surrounded by pigs.