Ahh, my new story. Hope you'll like it. I wrote it along with my dear friend Azu-chan. Hellouw…Azu-chan, are you there? Finally…I uploaded it in my account! Let's finish it together, and since I wrote some of the chapters in class, so would you please let me borrow your note and take a slight peek on your homework? He he he…

Disclaimer: Not the owner of Ghost Hunt…

伯爵の恋

The Earl's Love

Chapter 1

The official residence of Agawa, Tokyo; early spring 1899.

The sliding door of one particular room opened and closed again smoothly. A black figure slipped inside and soon merged with the darkness. The movement was so agile and quiet, as if that person had known that room very well. That mysterious person tiptoed stealthily to a certain wardrobe and tried to open it when suddenly...

"Finally, you got caught this time..." a voice had startled the now stiffened figure. "You cann't go anywhere; if you try to run away I'll shout for the guards ..."

"Oh ..."

Suddenly the light of a lantern illuminated the room. A girl with wrinkled clothes and a mud streaked face stood at the front of the wardrobe with her mouth hung open. One of her hands held the worn veil tightly while the other still clutched the handle of the wardrobe.

"Taniyama-sama, how could you go out dressed like that, alone without bodyguards, and...and..." a woman who was still holding the lampshade stood up and walked approached her menacingly. "…and close your mouth shut. It's not appropriate for a noble girl to stand with her mouth gaping like a fish."

"H...how do you know?"

"My eyes and ears are sharp, young lady. What did you do outside at night?" The woman shook her head angrily, then opened the wardrobe and took a clean kimono. She helped the young girl in front of her to strip the dirty and ragged clothes that she wore.

"I wanted to take a stroll, watched the sakura at night." The girl, Mai Taniyama, let the woman stripped her. She was still too shock to change her own clothes. The woman before her, who has took care of her since she was a crying toddler could be scary sometimes. "...I heard from the maids yesterday. They said sakura at night were no less beautiful than they were in the day light. So I wanted to see them for myself."

"I see...so you sneak out without permission, dressed like a carpenter who had just returned from work, and wandered alone without a single guard. Oh how so impressive of you, Taniyama-sama…" the woman scolded her as she threw the unacceptable clothes aside. Mai snatched her own clean kimono from the woman's hand and quickly wore it by herself.

"Ah, Taka...you're too exaggerating. You know that grandpa would not allow me to go." Mai pouted as she knelt and cupped the water from the basin to wash her face carefully.

"Sure, Taniyama-sama. And what do you think you should do if something happened to you out there? Well, you certainly will say that you would be alright, but please think about the fate of your servants. If the master finds out, surely he would fire and expel them. So what could you do?" The woman, Yuuko Takahashi but known as Taka, now combed her young lady's hair carefully.

"Ah...I...that did not occur to me." Mai bowed her head regretfully. "Sorry..."

Silence surrounded them. Taka was busy to comb the long brownish hair raptly, one hundred times each night just like her mother had taught her. Mai looked at her hands on her lap with sadness.

"So, how was the sakura?" Taka's voice startled the girl.

"Er...ah...the-they're really beautiful," Mai stammered, "…you should see it yourself before they fall."

"There's still a week's time before they fall. So, where do you get that handyman's clothing? "

Mai grinned. "I told the servant to buy it, to be given to the carpenter who repairs the west wing's house. Of course I kept it for myself. He he he..."

Taka sighed desperately. "Mai, now you're already grown. It's about time you stop those ridiculous habits. Moreover, Agawa-dono wishes to match you with someone from..."

"What!" Mai shouted, snapped her head to face her mother-like servant. Her chocolate rounded eyes widened in shock. "I'll be betrothed? I don't want to; I'm still too young for that!"

"Mai, please don't yell... Actually I was looking for you tonight to talk about it. And what is it with you're still too young? You're 15 already, a decent age to think about marriage. Beside, it's not that you'll be married right away." Taka explained calmly.

"Gra-grandpa is so…so cruel!" Mai stuttered almost hysterical. "Does grandpa hate me that much that he can't wait to get rid of me from this house?"

"Hush, Mai! Don't speak like that. Moreover, Agawa-dono is very-very concern about you. Among all of his granddaughters, it seems that you're the one he cares the most." Taka arranged Mai's hair into a ponytail and tied it with a ribbon.

"That's not love. That's a pity, because I don't have parent. I'm all alone in this world…"

"Mai..." Taka sighed sadly. "It's not like that. Trust me, Agawa-dono don't feel like that at all. When the news of your birth came, Agawa-dono was very-very happy. After your mother passed away, Agawa-dono insisted to take you home. He even came in person to the Taniyama residence to request that. If that was sorry, he could just let you raised by the Taniyama family and sent a lot of beautiful clothes and money each year, don't you think so?"

Mai rubbed her nose slowly. "Taka, why do you think grandpa didn't let me stay in the Taniyama residence? Even if they have to, I'm sure that they would still take care of me."

The older woman folded the carpenter's clothes that scattered on the floor, and kept it to be discarded the next morning. "Maybe, that's because your mother was Agawa-dono's only daughter and he adored Lady Midori very much. He brought her with him on every trip, regardless that was for business or vacation, ever since lady Midori was still a baby. Doesn't that the same? Agawa-dono insisted to take you with him every time he went abroad."

Mai was staring at the wall gloomily. "Taka, grandpa would pair me up with whom?"

Taka leaned over and whispered. "Actually, this is not an official match. From what I heard, Agawa-dono is helping his friend in a…well, some problem related to his grandson. "

"So I'm not really engaged?" Mai looked at her with glowing eyes.

"Well not really." Taka took the futon from the closet and set it on the floor. "Do you know the Shibuya family? As I recall, you were once took by Agawa-dono to their residence. Well, Shibuya-dono is very upset about his grandson who recently has a close relationship with a geisha. If they continue the relationship even further, it would cause a scandal. Well, Agawa-dono met with Shibuya-dono last week at the parliament building. They've become friends since they were very young, and Shibuya-dono asked your grandfather for some advice. So, Agawa-dono suggested that maybe they should engaged their grandchildren to each other."

"Eeehhh...so what's wrong if his grandson is in love with a geisha? She's human too." said Mai as she lay on the futon, pulling the blanket up to her chest.

"Oh Mai, I know this is already the modern age, not like that ancient time. But the successor of a noble family should not marry a geisha. Moreover, according to what I've heard, this geisha is the kind who likes to ensnare the noblemen and gentlemen of the rich and noble family for her own advantage. Reportedly, she wanted to be a mistress to raise her social status."

"Shibuya... Shibuya... Shibuya..." Mai chanted the name, her brows furrowed. "Hmm, I kind of remember the name. You said I ever went there with grandpa? Is Shibuya residence situated on the hillside, and there's a lake nearby? The entrance is lined with the white sakura trees? "

Taka looked at her doubtfully. "I think so. Agawa-dono said that when he was young, he frequently visited the residence of Shibuya and boated in the lake. And why is that, Mai?"

"Ah..." Mai's face suddenly flushed. "I knew someone there. I remember grandpa ever took me to someone's house on the hillside. There was…someone I knew who ever saved me."

"Uh-oh...what have happened?" Taka was wide-eyed with the look of worry on her face.

"I fell into the lake when I was playing alone, I could not swim. And that boy rescued me. The boy was also lying to his grandfather, stating that he was the one who pushed me into the lake while playing so that grandpa would not angry at me. Oh, I remember, he was eventually reprimanded by his grandfather and locked away in storage for one day without being fed. I cried so hard..."

"Oh Mai, you should now realize that your reckless behaviors could conduct a nuisance to others." Taka shook her head.

"That's when I was little...very, very little..." Mai defended herself.

"So maybe that boy was that grandson of the Shibuya-dono, right? Well, maybe now you can return the favor by removing young master's evil gold-digger. So…you will accept this arranged engagement?"

"Mmm...if the purpose of this matchmaking is to drag the young master to the right path and then after that the match would be canceled..."

"Mai...of course Agawa-dono is hoping that the match will lead into a real one." Taka mopped the water that dripped from the basin onto the tatami.

"So, why does grandpa choose me to be matched with the Shibuya descendant?" Mai looked at the ceiling; her restlessness began to disappear little by little. If that match was just an act, she could still handle it.

"Weelllll, isn't that great? That way you can reunite with your beloved hero."

"It's not like that..." Mai sighed quietly. "I mean, grandpa has other granddaughters who are better than me."

"What do you mean by that? But maybe, Agawa-dono chooses you because you ever went to England with Agawa-dono for several times. And the grandson of Shibuya-dono grew up in that country. So maybe, it would be easier for you two to adapt to each other." Taka put the bowl near the door to be carried out later.

"Heee...? Just because of that?" Mai stuck her tongue out. "You're supposed to say something like…that among the granddaughters of grandpa's, I'm at top of the list who has the greatest charm and captivating personality, the most beautiful, intelligent and also resourceful person. Hmm, so he grew up in England…"

"If I say those things, I am afraid that after my death, I will be reincarnated by gods into a donkey, Mai. According to the story from Agawa-dono, the son of Shibuya-dono was a diplomat in England. I do not know the rest of the story." Taka winked at the girl."So, I can tell Agawa-dono that you accept this matchmaking, right?"

"Mmm..." Mai was reddening slightly. "But don't tell grandpa about the boy, will you? We're still not sure whether the Shibuya grandpa wants to match me with is the same boy who saved me before. If you would, let's just tell grandpa that you get to force me to accept it..."

"Eh, what's this? Old love is blossoming again? Don't worry, Mai. I will say to your grandfather that I had to force you, even had your hands and feet tied and then whipped you until you said 'yes'." Taka covered her mouth with her hand, laughing heartily.

"Hey, it's not that blossoming love...I just wanted to see the boy again. First, I had not said thanks at that time and also I want to say sorry to have troubled him. If now I can return the favor to free him from the clutches of the evil, I'd be very happy. That would be like paying my debt."

"Alright Mai." Taka lit the smaller oil lamp and blew the fire from the main lantern, then walked toward the door. "And as punishment for sneaking out tonight, tomorrow you will write an essay in detail about tea and its connection to Zen. Starting from its trip from China when was carried by the Buddhist Monks, until the current presentation right now. It should be finished before noon. And do not forget, Agawa-dono will probably want to talk about this matter in the evening. I will send extra men to keep you in place, so do not think about messing around, you got that?"

"Urrgh..." Mai groaned softly, and raised the blanket up over her head.

"I don't know how you could always trick the servants and the guards. If you repeat it again, I will tell Agawa-dono and have him put the bars for your doors and windows." Taka said softly as she closed the door slowly. "Well, go sleep now. Good night, my lady... Do not forget about the task tomorrow, I'll wait for it in my room and you know I'm not a patient person..."

"I'll be death..." Mai muttered from behind the blanket. She believed that she would have nightmare tonight.

To be continued…

My head is still full with my sister's wedding, so this is just our short chapter as a prologue. But I do really can't wait to post this story… (Nope, Azu-chan unsheathed her blade and put it on my neck, whispered that I should upload it before the end of this week. Hic-hic, you're such a friend, Azu-chan…)

About the title, you'll read it 'Hakushaku no Koi', The Earl's Love. And yes, we took it from one of DEPAPEPE's song. Actually, we love this song and you may find it in YouTube under the title The Love of The Earl. I forget on who made the 3D animation, but that's quite sad story there. Enjoy...