"W-Wait! I-I'll go with you—"

"You know I can't let you do that, Hanae."

…

The windows shatter as bullets crash through and the sound of yelling invades the mansion. She stands firm and reaches for the tessen in her sleeve before taking her stance in front of the grand staircase.

Men begin to push through the doors and with a deep breath she readies for action.

…

"…I… I won't be seeing you again, will I?"

He gives her a sad yet gentle smile.

"Take care of Giotto for me."

…

She frowns deeply and he laughs in response, tilting his head to the side as he admired her expression with playful amusement. "I'm assuming you like it?" He questions with a smile.

The brunette slams a fist down on the hard wooden desk. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop buying such expensive gifts?!"

"Hmm? Can't I spend my money on whatever I want to spend it on?"

"Ugh... Well... Yeah..." She falters slightly, furrowing her brows at him. He chuckles again and reaches over to the box, pushing it closer towards her.

"I want to spend it on a gift for you, wouldn't it be a waste if you didn't accept?"

...

Deflecting the knives, she pants heavily and her legs feel close to collapsing from fatigue. She moves closer to the wall and rests up against it tiredly as the enemies continue to search for her. She is seduced by the idea of falling to her knees now but she knows her responsibility. She must buy enough time for them to take his head.

Her vision goes hazy and she can feel her body slowly shutting down before another knife is thrown her way. It stabs her shoulder and she lets out a strained cry in pain. Her hand flies to the wound as blood seeps through the fabric of her kimono.

"Hanae!"

She closes her eyes.

...

She scoffs loudly, releasing a huff of smoke as she flips her red locks over her shoulder.

"If I were you I'd accept 'em all."

"I can't just do that! What kind of man just buys those things so easily?!"

"A man's buying you the most expensive gifts in Italy and you're rejecting 'em. Seriously, women would kill to be you."

G. scowls at the red haired woman.

"Not everyone's like you."

"Shut it, brat."

...

XXVII.

Chattering and the sound of skirts pushing through the wind invade Hanae's ears as she stares up at the large ocean liner. Ugetsu was with some men who were in charge of moving their bags into their rooms so she was left staring up in awe at the western looking ship.

The overall body was decorated with white paint, held together by a strong bright yellow line that supposedly went around the large body of the ship. The wooden decks were clean and she could see some members of the crew already getting ready near the large sails.

To her side, some women dressed in tight western dresses gossiped amongst themselves, their husbands standing behind them in expensive suits also chatting idly. Other passengers wore more common clothes, darker and cheaper then the ones she and the other ladies near her were wearing.

Further away she could see a large group of people, all clothes coloured similar and much louder then the company around her. It takes Hanae a while before she realises that they are of the lower class.

"My, I can't believe they would let such barbarians on the same ship! Thank the heavens the quarters are separated, I wouldn't be able to bare it!" She hears a middle aged woman beside her scoff, fanning herself as she watched the rowdy group laugh.

"Now, don't you agree, young lady? One wearing sophisticated materials like yourself must understand me." Hanae realises that she is the one getting conversed with. With a hesitant and weak smile she nods at the woman who smiles in return.

XXVIII.

"Lady Ume has booked our rooms in the first class chambers."

"I figured as much."

"Hanae-san, don't make that face. It's a normal on western ships like this."

"I don't see why I have to go to a party tonight."

"It is a formality. Lady Ume said to—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. 'Present yourself with dignity and demand the respect of those around with your presence. You represent the Tozuka Clan.'"

"Hanae-san, please behave."

XXIX.

She is one of seven guests wearing an extravagant kimono. Hanae notices the majority of first class passengers being foreigners, all dressed up to the moon with jewellery and puffy dresses. The room is grand, gold statues in every corner and a majestic fountain standing in the middle with small groups of women chatting around it. They all looked as if they were from a different planet. Their mannerisms, their clothes, their appearances. Everything looked so different and unique.

"My, you're that young lady from this morning. A kimono, correct? Exquisite design, I must say, unlike the other ones I've seen." A familiar voice rings through her ears and Hanae turns to find the same middle-aged woman from before standing with a smile on her wrinkled face.

The kimono Hanae wore was a mix of purple and dark brown with white floral embroidery decorating the silk. Lady Yuki's ornament sat on the left side of her head, her short brushing against her slightly exposed neck.

"You can call me Madame Valeria, dear. Now, I must know the name of such a refined young lady." Madame Valeria says.

"Hanae Tozuka, a pleasure." She is not used to switching her name and the foreign language dancing on her tongue. Madame Valeria looks pleasantly surprised at her response. "You sound fluent," she remarks. Hanae smiles, "My mother was a good teacher."

"It was a good decision on your mother's part," Madame Valeria nods, "I myself am a mother but I cannot say I have done a good job."

Hanae notices a frown beginning to form on the woman's face. "My son worries me, you see. His taste in women isn't as refined as I hoped." Madame Valeria explains. "He found this awfully unsophisticated wrench from Italy when he's handsome enough to bring the whole French court to his doorstep! A waste, I tell you, a waste!"

"Forgive me for asking, but what makes the lady so unappealing?" Hanae is careful with her tone of voice, always making sure it carried the gentle but firm touch her mother taught her.

"Oh, dear, there's so much I could just complain about!" Madame Valeria huffs and motions for her to follow her to an empty table, waving off any bumbling waiters that approach her. They both take a seat and Madame Valeria furrows her brows at her, "I don't want to take up your time if you have other meetings, will you be alright keeping me company?"

Hanae smiles, "I'll be fine. Just go on, Madame."

XXX.

Ugetsu sits in front of her after pouring some freshly brewed tea into her teacup. He is wearing a style of attire she notices him wear frequently after boarding the ship. It was close to the robes of noblemen in the imperial court, something she had once seen her own father wear a couple of times.

"You have behaved yourself swimmingly, I congratulate you on your efforts. Lady Ume would have been pleased." Ugetsu remarks, bringing his own tea cup to his lips and taking a sip. Hanae clicks her tongue in irritation, jerking her head to the side to stare at the deck.

"Seriously, just when I thought she'd give me a break…"

Ugetsu chuckles, "Lady Ume is not the type to send her only heir out to a foreign land for fun."

Hanae sighs disappointed. "She definitely isn't."

XXXI.

The first month on board ends quietly.

Hanae finds herself incredibly idle as she is forced to limit her training within her own suite. She could not comprehend how the other nobles on board kept themselves entertained with chatter and gossip alone. She took part in any recreational activity the ship offered to ease her boredom but now she was left spending her days staring at the vast ocean.

Ugetsu joined her sometimes whenever she decided to have tea or simply admire the scenery. Other than that, he often entertained the lower class guests with his flute, playing beautiful music that even caught the attention of the nobles in the first class. Hanae once asked Ugetsu if she could join him despite knowing his answer.

"Majority of the passengers here are Japanese, Hanae-san. You know Lady Ume will not be happy."

If she was recognised then their clan's dignity would be questioned. A clan known for its connections to the government and the highest of nobles in Japan would surely have their name questioned after the appearance of their sole heir participating in the activities of commoners.

"What a pain," Hanae remarks as she continues to stare out at the sea.

XXXII.

The second month is even more boring than the first.

Her daily routine is almost exactly the same.

Sometimes she listens to Madame Valeria complain about her son's woman and her days living in France.

Sometimes she trains longer than she is supposed to and gets scolded by Ugetsu.

But usually she just wanders around the ship, greeting workers on board and even the other first class passengers.

None interest her though.

XXXIII.

The third month arrives and nothing changes.

Hanae gazes up at the sky often.

XXXIV.

The fourth month arrives and Hanae anticipates the day they arrive in Italy. She grows a bit restless, evident in her movements lacking the usual grace her mother had raised her with. She finds herself wandering around the first class deck as Ugetsu gets their tea prepared.

Clumsily, she lightly knocks the shoulder of a gentleman standing near the stairs. Hanae quickly bows her head at the man, "My apologies."

"No, it's quite alright, m'lady." His voice sounds rather youthful and Hanae turns her gaze and meets bright blue eyes. He looked only a few years older than herself. His short blond hair made it obvious he was a foreigner and the neat suit he wore showcased his wealth. If Hanae guessed right the man was probably a noble of some sorts. Such expensive material could not possibly have made it to this man's hands without some expenditure. His sophisticated mannerisms made it evident the man was one of those 'gentlemen' she read about in her books.

With another bow of her head, she spun around and made her way back to Ugetsu who was now sitting at their table, a teacup in his hands. He smiles at her, "Hanae-san?"

She thinks for a bit before taking a seat on the opposite chair. "It's nothing." Hanae replies, taking a sip.

XXXV.

Hanae begins to notice the man more often than ever before. Whether it be during the dinner parties or simply during the daytime when she is outside on the deck. He seems to have noticed her too, often tipping the edge of his hat whenever they crossed paths. It was painfully obvious the man was raised to respect women.

His attitude also seemed to be noticed by the other upperclass women standing around the deck, often giggling and waving when the man went passed. Did they have nothing else to do? Ugetsu had informed her that not every woman trained their body to fight like she did. Hanae found it a waste. When she questioned Ugetsu about it he simply laughed but agreed with her. "You truly are your mother's daughter, Hanae-san." He had said which caused Hanae to reply with a frown.

She began to observe this foreign man with interest. There was just something about him that was somewhat different from the rest of the passengers.

Her first observation was that his popularity amongst the other nobles was not to be underestimated. His encounters with women were questionable but and she could not help but consider them flirtatious.

"How undignified," she comments quietly to herself as she plays with the handle of her teacup.

XXXVI.

She makes more observations after two weeks.

The man seems to have had some combat training of some kind. His stance and the way he upheld himself were strong clues. His reflexes were also incredibly fast, much more than a normal person who did not undertake self-defence. She had also witnessed him break up a fight on the lower levels of the ship effortlessly.

Secondly, the man seems to be aware or has had some contact with every passenger in the first class chambers, seeing as there were not a lot of them.

Finally, courtesy of Madame Valeria, the man was of British descent. The Madame had talked with him once during dinner and had informed Hanae during their usual conversations.

XXXVII.

"A lovely ornament, my lady. It suits you very much." The man tells her one night at a dinner party.

Hanae quells the urge to narrow her eyes in suspicion and the weighty feeling in her chest. She gives him a strained smile, "Thank you, sir."

XXXVIII.

"That man," Hanae pauses for a second, "Ugetsu, by any chance do you happen to know who he is?"

In surprise, Ugetsu stops pouring their tea and widens his eyes at her. "Hanae-san, with all due respect, I don't think it's appro—"

"I didn't mean it like that!" Hanae interrupts him straight away, almost aghast that he would even think she would have such indecent thoughts. "I… I just don't think he's normal." Hanae finishes, glancing in the man's direction for a moment.

Ugetsu follows her gaze before returning back to preparing their tea. "I have seen that gentleman walking around the lower decks."

She raises a brow curiously, "Any idea what he's up to?"

The male shakes his head. "I'm afraid not."

Hanae gives the foreign man another glance.

XXXIX.

The sixth month comes in the shape of a pirate ship.

The liner is surrounded and there is panic in every part of the ship. Ugetsu runs to assist the lower deck passengers and Hanae attempts to calm down the first class. The employees on board run about trying to get in contact with officials for help through communication.

There is screaming and wailing everywhere and Hanae has to force her voice into yelling at unladylike levels.

There is a loud crash and Hanae finds one of the intruders only meters behind her as she pushes some ladies down the hallway to safety. She yells at them to run and she holds her stance, turning to face the sinister-looking man.

"My lady, please head to the safe area." The same familiar voice enters her ears. The voice of that suspicious gentleman she had been observing for the past few months. "I will take care of this." He tries to reassure her.

Hanae frowns in response, "Do you think I'm incapable of handling this?"

He turns to her in alarm, blue eyes widening in shock at her words. Hanae simply ignores his reaction and takes a step forward, reaching into the sleeve of her kimono and pulling out her tessen.

The intruder charges at them before the blond beside her could even unsheathe his blade. Hanae observes the man's movements before jabbing the criminal's hand, making him drop the knife before swiftly thrusting the end of her fan into his stomach. The intruder falls to his knees in an instant and she raises the fan again before whacking the back of his neck.

Hanae turns back to the gentleman, "Will my skills suffice in aiding you?"

He blinks in disbelief, "I… My apologies, it's not common for ladies in my country to possess such skill."

Hanae closes her eyes and walks passed him.

"How disappointing then. Women are capable of so much more."

She opens her eyes and continues to walk down the messy hallway. She hears nothing for a few seconds and then the man quickly moves to follow her.

"I certainly agree." He says behind her.

She peeks at him from the corner of her eye. She needs to find Ugetsu.

XL.

"My deep apologies, I wasn't able to introduce myself properly. My name is William Blackwood, a Viscount from England."

"I'm assuming your reasons for visiting Japan was for business."

"Your assumption is correct, my lady."

"I see. I'm Hanae Tozuka, a pleasure to make you acquaintance."

"Tozuka…? Could it be you're from the—"

"I certainly am. Now, let's head to the safety area and make sure no intruders attack the rest of the passengers."

"Y-Yes, of course."

XLI.

When they arrive Ugetsu is already inside trying to calm the people down. When Hanae approaches him he gives splash of relief appears on his face, "Hanae-san, was everything alright?"

She nods and asks for the current situation on the ship. Ugetsu frowns slightly, "I was able to get rid of the men on the lower decks," he gives William a nod of acknowledgment, "Are the upper levels cleared?"

William sheathes his blade. "We have taken the men that have attacked the first class cabins and the deck into custody. The workers are rounding up the criminals as we speak."

Hanae turns to Ugetsu, "Let's go and visit the captain. I've been told by the workers that an emergency message has already been sent. Mr. Blackwood, I'll leave things here with you."

William gives her a nod before the two head out of the room. Ugetsu carefully closes the door behind them, "Hanae-san, that man…"

"A viscount from England apparently. It explains why his body language was so different." She quells his curiosity as they move quickly down the hallway towards the stairs. "He carries a sword," Ugetsu notes as they reach the stairs.

"Fencing is his passion."

"I'm happy you're getting along so well."

"Ugetsu, even if you keep smiling like that I know you're making fun of me."

XLII.

"Yes… I will be able to reach the port in only a few hours. I am terribly sorry for all of this, Miss."

"It was something you could not help, please do not worry. We will ensure that the rest of the passengers calm down."

"O-Of course! Thank you!"

XLIII.

William assists them in quelling the panic in the safety zone.

Ugetsu helps the workers bring in water and food for the passengers.

Hanae makes sure everyone is fed.

The hours go by in an instant.

XLIV.

Hanae and Ugetsu leave the ship first and continue to help passengers walk down the stairs as Italian officials arrive to provide more assistance. When the numbers decrease she finally takes a look at her surroundings and finds a foreign world. The buildings, the people and the clothes were so different to her own. Wealthy women skip down the hard walkways with tight dresses that revealed the shape of their waist and men stood in dark colours amongst others like them.

This was Italy and Hanae did not know what to think of it.

XLV.

"My lady," William begins, "I heard that you are here to meet with business partners."

"That's correct," Hanae nods as she glances at Ugetsu assisting the carriage driver in storing their bags.

"I have come to meet with my brother-in-law after hearing some rather… disturbing news." William lowers his volume, cautious of anyone who could possibly listen to their conversation. "The attack we just experienced is apparently common around here, the amount of crimes have been going up in the area and it looks like the policemen are having trouble completely their duties." He explains.

"I don't see how this is 'disturbing', crime can be found in every society." Hanae says. William shakes his head, "That is certainly correct, however, in this case the disturbing news is in regards to a certain group."

"Group?"

"Vigilantes." William answers, "I believe they are quite small at the moment, just recently formed. I've heard rumours these vigilantes are only young men as well, probably close to your age, my lady."

Hanae notices that Ugetsu and the driver have finished loading their bags. She turns to William, "I see… Thank you for the warning."

The blond man smiles softly, "Your performance at the ship amazed me, this is the least I could do." He tips the edge of his hat, "If ever you shall need me I'll be staying at the De Squalo family manor."

She nods, "Thank you, Mr. Blackwood."

XLVI.

The carriage ride is long and Hanae finds herself observing the scenery of this new country. She did not think that Italy would be so different to Japan. Even the people were so much different, women were so much bolder than in Japan and Hanae could not help but be in awe at how loud and boisterous some women were being in public. If this had been in Japan those women would probably have shamed their families and received punishment.

Ugetsu practices the flute for the rest of the ride, receiving compliments from their driver who seemed very entertained by the music. Hanae from time to time talked and asked their driver questions about how people lived in Italy and the man happily answered any of her questions.

Hanae could not ignore the excitement building up in her chest.

XLVII.

When they arrive at the manor Hanae tries to hide the amazement when she lays eyes on building. It is beautifully sculpted and looks as if it was a piece of art. It is so different from the Tozuka estate that she sheltered her all her life and this would be her new home in Italy.

The head of the family greets her and Ugetsu enthusiastically, expressing great excitement at their arrival and had even assembled his family to meet them at the front yard. He is a plump but jolly man and his wife smiles gently at them, taking her hands and asking her how the trip had been.

"Now, I would like for you to meet my daughter, Elena."

Hanae is introduced to a girl the same age as her with bright eyes and wavy hair. Elena reminds her of the sun, her smile so bright and pure, her eyes so innocent and her posture so ladylike. Unlike Hanae, Elena looks as if her mannerisms were natural. She is the very opposite of Hanae who forces her body to listen to her mother's teachings.

Elena is not tainted.

"I hope we can become the best of friends, Miss. Hanae."

Hanae is enveloped by her light.

"As do I, Miss. Elena."

…

"Why don't you give them pocket watches? You could even use the photo from the other day."

"You're not in the photo, Hanae. It doesn't sit right with me knowing you aren't in the picture as well."

…

She cannot help but narrow her eyes at the reckless fire that dances in the boy's eyes. Giotto stands beside the younger male with a small smile, "He's a cousin of mine."

She crosses her arms, "That doesn't change my decision."

"Just try for a while, Hanae."

…

"Oh! Hanae, dear! Over here!"

"Seriously, must you be so energetic in the morning, Elena?"

The blonde woman laughs, "I've been waiting to introduce him to you for a long time and you just got back so I can't help it!"

…

Hanae can't help but chuckle at Giotto, "I told you it's fine already. There's plenty of photos of me around already."

He frowns, "If you're really okay with it."

She smiles and rests her hand atop of his, "I am."

…

"I refuse to train some kid who just wants to fight to his death."

"But it's only been one—"

"If he doesn't give me a reason to continue helping him train then you'll have to find someone else."

"Eh—!"

…

Elena hugs the man's arm, "His name is Daemon Spade. We met at a ball a few months back."

Hanae watches as the young man nods his head in greeting. She bows her head, "Hanae Tozuka, a pleasure."

Elena gives them a wide smile, "I know you'll get along well!"

Author's Note: Honestly, I don't know why I never finished this chapter despite months of it sitting in my laptop. This fic is honestly the hardest to write because of the pacing and all but I'm going to try to upload more chapters throughout the year. I haven't updated this since July and that is just shameful. I thought I should at least publish this chapter being I'm still in the first phase of my final year with the second semester steadily approaching which would probably result in me going missing for a while again. Sighs.

This chapter is the journey chapter which took forever to write. Probably historically incorrect when it comes to how long they travelled on the boat but it's hard to know the exact amount of months it took for ships to go from Japan to Italy during those times so please just ignore my fails. (I kind of just wrote all this ship stuff based on really dodgy research and Black Butler's zombie arc.) Additionally, besides Ugetsu, another canon character has appeared! Giotto has yet to appear and I doubt he'll even appear in the next chapter just by looking at the plot timeline. The OCs, Madame Valeria and William Blackwood aren't just extras. They were introduced this early for a purpose so please don't forget about them! Probably try and remember William more though.

Speaking of William, the mansion he mentioned owned by the 'De Squalo' family is what you're probably thinking. If you connect the dots, William is an Englishman and a Viscount whose younger sister married into the De Squalo family which is why he talks about his 'brother-in-law'. So, the members of the De Squalo household at the time of this fic are technically Superbi Squalo's ancestors.

Thanks for reading! Any reviews would be appreciated!