Chapter 4

Karuta dragged me with her alongside the path. Thoughts began to go through my mind. 'Just where was she taking me? This place sure is strange...' I thought.

Karuta and I arrived at a house with a long table outside in the garden. As we walked towards the house, I took note of it's features. The house itself looked decent but up close. I saw that it looked rather abandoned and neglected of repairs. The roof was a pale red and needed new shingles while the exterior of the house was an off-white complexion. The windows needed to be cleaned and as Karuta opened the door to the house, the door made an eerie creepy sound that sent shivers down my spine. 'Was I… was I in some horror movie setting!?'

"This way, Chiyo-chan" Karuta said in a whisper as we walked through the house.

The inside was better than the outside but still was a mess. Ripped curtains, dusty furniture and cobwebs everywhere. 'Just who would live in a place like this?' I thought.

There were a set of stairs but the clutter made it almost impossible for me to climb up and investigate the upstairs and because I couldn't see what was up there, it only made me more curious as to what was up there.

I followed Karuta and she led me out to the back door. Outside was a vast garden and it looked just about as neglected as the poor house. I cringed at the sight but Karuta turned my attention away from the garden and to the table. There I saw bunny man, Watanuki and the guy in the mouse cosplay.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked Karuta.

Karuta nommed on a lollipop as she turned her head to look at me.

"Chiyo-chaaaaan~" Zange said as he waved. "Come on over here and we'll answer any questions you may have."

I narrowed my eyes and looked at all of them, wondering if I could fully trust them or not. I sighed in defeat and then nodded, walking over to the table.

⊰ . . . . . ⊱

I sat down at my spot on the table and Watanuki handed me a tea cup.

"Thank you" I said, taking a sip of the tea.

"Now, Chiyo. What questions do you have for us to answer?"

I remained quiet for a bit. I wanted answers about everything to be honest but the question that was on my mind from the start was…

"How do you all know me…?"

It was quiet for a while and then Renshou sighed. "Well, she wants to know the truth. We might as well tell her."

Watanuki sat there with his arms crossed.

"Hmph. Guess I'll tell her then."

"Tell me what?" I asked, confused. 'Are they hiding something from me?'

"The Prince was once the Mad Hatter and my former best friend…" Watanuki started. "We would drink tea all the time while making up countless riddles. We were mad. Stark raving mad but no one cared for he was the Mad Hatter and I was the March Hare. Anyway one day-"

"- Sou-chan saw a beautiful young lady!" Zange interrupted Watanuki.

"Hey! Why do you always do that!? I was trying to tell her and you interrupted me!" Watanuki shouted at Zange.

Zange held up his flash cards. "One day, Sou-chan met a beautiful young lady" he continued, ignoring Watanuki which made him angrier.

"She was the princess of Ayakashi Kan and she was quite lovely. Sou-chan fell madly in love with her and asked for her hand in marriage. The princess accepted and they lived happily ever after" Zange said, smiling.

"How does this concern me?" I asked.

"The princess soon fell ill and died. Her death led Sou-chan into a state of depression. He locked the gates and neglected his old home. He governed Ayakashi Kan from the inside but never saw his own people. He went mad without his love!" Zange said, holding a handkerchief to his eye.

I sighed for I wasn't getting a straight answer to my question. Then, Karuta held a lollipop in front of my face.

"Chiyo-chan… want one?" she asked.

"No thanks-" I said but Karuta put the lollipop in my mouth anyway.

"Ririchiyo, the reason we are telling you this is because it is connected to his response to seeing you yesterday at the ball" Renshou said, lethargically. "We'd best show you so you understand."

⊰ . . . . . ⊱

Renshou and the others went back inside the house and removed the clutter from the upstairs. Once that was finished, I walked up the stairs and saw a door. After urging for me to open it, I did. The door creaked when I opened it and I stepped inside.

There was a long corridor from when I opened the door. I slowly made my way down it. There was a single room that the corridor led to. I opened the door and from the light that leaked in, I saw that there was a portrait. I turned on the light and saw that it was a portrait of Soushi.

He was smiling in the portrait and his eyes held no sadness within them. That made me happy as I smiled up at it but then I noticed a torn up piece of cloth was covering up the other half of the portrait. I lifted up the cloth and my blood froze as I saw the other person with Soushi.

It was me.

The woman was very beautiful and was wearing a light blue gown, which was identical to the one I was wearing and had long, waist length blackish-violet hair and deep purple eyes.

"That is the princess, Chiyo. That is Princess Ririchiyo" Zange said.

I backed up away from the portrait. Then… everything went black.