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Last edit: 5/2/21

Tags: Romance, Isekai, Fantasy, Drama, Humor, Adventure, Slow Burn

Main Pairing: SasuSaku

Side Pairing(s): ItaIzu

Mangekyou was a thriving territory. Connected to the sea by the Indra River and with its large farms around towns, they were rich in resources and trade. Despite being the largest territory in the kingdom, most of its land up north is uninhabitable—the Charmed Forest spread far and wide throughout the kingdom, and it's far too important and far too dangerous to cut down. The lower regions of the forest were not as dangerous as it was up north, but still, one must tread carefully surrounded by such enchantment, such power emanating through the tall trees and the darkness that swallowed it in the night.

The capital, Amaterasu, was far from the territory the kingdom's second prince was tasked to lead, but that had not stopped the prince-turned duke from visiting as often as he possibly could. It was no secret that the royal family were close and fiercely loyal to one another, so it was to no one's surprise that the duke would visit his mother and his brother, the king, frequently. But what did surprise the people was the duke and the latest whispers of what he encountered on his trip back from his most recent visit.

"Do you perhaps think that the woman he brought was her?"

"The rumored woman he found in the Charmed Forest?"

"With skin as fair as hers? I'm more inclined to believe he brought her from the capital."

"But a knight he traveled with said that he did find her there."

"Perhaps he wanted to exaggerate things. The Charmed Forest? That woman wouldn't have made it out alive."

The distance from the capital didn't hinder people's curiosity, especially regarding the royals. People from Mangekyou did tend to hear the news later than many territories, but they talked. With their duke as elusive as he was, anything he did was of interest to the people. And now, with a mysterious woman by his arm, it only fueled speculations.

"I overheard the two in conversation, and they struck me as two people with a comfortable familiarity. Perhaps she is a friend from his youth that he brought with him from the capital?"

"Would that mean the duke is finally deciding on a bride?"

"A bride! That would be splendid. Though I'd hope our king would find a bride sooner, but if his brother the duke were to marry soon, that would mean His Majesty is also thinking about it."

"I do hope so! His Majesty should very well get married soon."

"But the woman, if she were a noble, we'd know. But we don't. Is it really acceptable for the duke to wed this woman?"

"The fact a woman has captured his attention is something to be excited about."

"But marriage? To a woman from the forest? Could he be enchanted?"

"Not our duke, no!"

"Well, she's not unsightly. Better a beautiful duchess than not."

The room abruptly went quiet, the sound of something shattering on the ground leaving the room in a hush as inquisitive eyes fell on the pieces of a vase scattered on the floor. Shards of white and blue colored the white floor.

Porcelain skin grazes on porcelain,
Beautiful and fragile,
like her ego.

"Oh, dear!" Deep brown eyes stared at the mess beneath her feet. "Fuki, how graceless of you."

The woman in question looked surprised at the mention of her name, turning her gaze to Ami and sensing the intention in her eyes. Understanding the situation, she laughed awkwardly. "Ah, my apologies."

As a worker in the store came to clean up the mess, the countess, Ami, turned, her face away from prying eyes.

How dare they insinuate such a thing! No, the duke could not be betrothed. Let alone to that small thing by his arm. She appeared far too meek, unfit to be duchess of territory like Mangekyou.

For years, Ami had yearned for the duke's attention. From the right family, poised and trained as a woman of nobility, what else could the duke ask for in a wife? If anyone were to be duchess, it shall be her, and no one else.

"And on the eleventh Crescent, a gift would be bestowed by the gods, a bewitching power to the land. However, as with all gifts, a caveat was placed. If found by the wrong hands, the healing force would turn deadly, bringing terror to those caught in its path."

Pages of the Old Religion

The busy streets and colorful garments adorned by the numerous townsfolk continue to fade away into the background until they disappear beneath the horizon. The sun began to shy away from the earth, hiding behind the clouds, its rays blocked, shielding the lush greenery from its gifts. It was as if it was giving the world its privacy, if not for a moment, to allow secrets to be shared, doubts to be voiced, suspicions to come to light. For truth.

The duke had not strayed his gaze from the woman sitting across from him. A few minutes had already passed since they departed the town. Normally, he would just naturally attract attention based on who he was alone with. It was one of the many reasons he disliked traveling to crowded areas where his presence would be known. He'd avoid balls and things of the like anytime he was able. He had no use of all of the unnecessary small talk shared in these events, nor did he find any kind of amusement or enjoyment in being paraded around a large room, having to deal with the constant clamors for his attention from strangers with intentions that were, more often than not, insincere. It may not be to the same extent when he'd show himself to the masses outside of such things, but having to deal with all eyes on him, or actually, his status was truly something he had grown to be displeased of.

It wasn't like he disliked going out himself. It was more the circumstances and precautions that had to be taken just so he could leave the estate when he's uncloaked. It was why he much preferred hiding behind anonymity when he would go out to the public, surveying his duchy without the awareness of his presence. He had a territory to run, a dukedom to take care of, and he did not rely solely on reports alone. He believed that the best way to know and understand the territory he's been given was to see it for himself without the fanfare, without the prying eyes, all under the guise of someone who did not live in a palace within the mountains away from the people who lived their day to day lives within the busy cities and towns or the fishermen by the riverside or the farmers doing their best to provide for the rest of the territory.

However, as much as he abhorred crowds and unnecessary attention, today he had purposefully sought it out. Arriving in the royal carriage with the royal family's insignia proudly adorned on its side, making his arrival known by spending his time in the town's most popular dress shop, a place where rumors tend to spread among the wealthy noblewomen and men in search of information, where the shop's very owner was known to be quite the loudmouth. But what was going to assure that his presence was going to be the most talked-about topic in the days to come was who he was seen with. A mysterious new woman was seen by his arm, regarded by dressmaker and mage Taiko as his 'madam'.

"Are we just going to stare at each other in silence for the whole ride back to your estate, Your Grace?" Sakura asked, finally breaking the odd silence within the carriage.

Curiosity and impatience have been nibbling away at her ever since they left the private room in Taiko's dress shop. She should have known the duke had other motives in bringing her to town. She already had a feeling that there was something tucked beneath his generosity and hospitality. The man she read about was far too cautious and wary of people to just allow himself to take in a strange woman, a strange woman he found unconscious in his travels no less.

His eyes narrowed into slits, searching her face for something she couldn't quite place. But his scrutiny only fans the flames of her impatience.

"Your Grace," she says between clenched teeth, tired of unanswered questions. "No more tip-toeing it."

"Your strange vocabulary never ceases to surprise me," he finally speaks.

"You agreed."

That he did. Leaning forward with his elbows on his knees as his fingers intertwined, he felt the odd sensation coming from within her. Her chakra. It seemed to have flared along with her growing temper. It's the first he'd felt it react in such a way. It told him that she lacked the ability to quell or control its presence, as though she was untrained. Yet another mystery surrounding his guest.

"Intriguing."

"Glad you think so." Her arms crossed above her chest. "Please. Is it true?"

The impatience in her pools of emerald subsided, drowned in the new waves of worry and, to his surprise, fear that swallowed it. She truly didn't know.

Sasuke prided himself in being a good judge of character. Being of the Uchiha royal bloodline, it was an innate skill instilled in its children. It was as if their eyes held a special power able to discern falsehoods from the truth. And nothing he saw within Sakura at that moment led him to believe she's playing a part, trying to deceive him. He knew she was hiding something, but this, her seemingly dormant power, did not look to be that.

"Chakra," he started, observing her closely, noticing the slight quiver of her bottom lip. "As Taiko said, you possess it."

Sakura had thought she'd prepared herself for his answer during the period of silence between them, having steeled herself for whatever answer would come out of his lips. "Impossible," she whispered. She couldn't have chakra, there was no way.

The duke's brow raised, her faint whisper not going unnoticed by his keen ears. "And why would that be so?'

Wide green eyes stare back at him in surprise, realizing her mistake. She could not very well tell him the truth. He'd think her a lunatic. No matter how she looked at the situation, there would be no other explanation. The duke found her unconscious, alone deep within the Charmed Forest, barely dressed by their standards and with hair resembling a cherry blossom's hue, cursed with amnesia. All of it felt too preposterous. Of course, he'd think she'd escaped a madhouse if she revealed where she truly came from.

Where she came from. A world entirely different from his, one he would never believe existed. She could barely believe what had happened to her, but she knew it was pointless to make sense of it. She knew she was here, present in a world she thought was fictional. Yet, now, could she even call it fictional? She was physically in this world, feeling and experiencing everything around her. Would he believe her if she told him the truth? Or would he write her off as crazy as she initially thought upon her arrival? But she's in a world where magic existed, would it really be too hard to believe? Would she risk telling him the truth?

Sakura could tell immediately from his eyes that he wasn't going to accept anything but the truth, but would he believe her?

"I am aware you suffer from amnesia, but is it that hard to believe you possess it? Had you not felt that underlying heat within your body?"

If she did, how could she have known what it was? During all her check-ups and doctor's appointments, there was nothing that could have indicated such a thing. Her temperature was always normal, she rarely ever got sick. But maybe that could have been a sign. She always found it odd that she had never experienced being ill, not even a fever nor a cold. She'd noticed she was stronger than most people, but she thought that only meant because she enjoyed working out. That doesn't explain her strength and her stamina as a child during the days before she was as physically active. Of course, that could be explained by genetics or a strong immune system. But what if?

"You've grown quiet," Sasuke states, observing her visage. Her eyes are guarded, her lips in a line, indicating deep thought. He knew she had something to hide. How he found her was dubious enough. But what she was hiding, he had no clue yet. She didn't strike him as a spy, but that could make her a good spy to be able to fool him. But his instincts hadn't failed him yet, and those instincts told him she was not. What she was hiding was something else. He just didn't know what. And that made his curiosity grow. "Or is it something you'd prefer to hide?"

Her lips pursed at his inquiry. He's onto her, more so than he initially was. But how could he not, with her circumstances?

"What could an amnesiac have to hide?"

"Perhaps the fact that she is not an amnesiac."

She swallowed. "And if that were the case?"

"Then, I'd be curious as to what other secrets she has hidden."

If he already had the inclination, it would be safer to be a little more forthcoming, would it not? If she continued to evade his question it would only make him more dubious of her, his gaze more intense, penetrating deep into her soul and mind to find the truth. Then again, she's not doing the best job at hiding her secrets at the moment. She wouldn't be surprised if he already knew she was lying.

But why would he keep her around with the knowledge that she was lying to him and that she possessed Chakra? Wouldn't it be safer for him to have her as far away from him as possible rather than keep her under his roof as a guest? Did he intend to keep her close to study her? To trap her?

To trap her, keep a close eye on the enemy made more sense to her, considering the character she's come to know through years of reading through the books she loved. But that wouldn't explain his behavior towards her since meeting him. Yes, he was intense, the quiet type of intimidating she thought he was, but there was something less hard, less domineering about him than she thought. And there was today. Him in public, intending to be seen by the masses with her in his arm, a woman by his side.

Her mouth dropped. That's it. She thought of it earlier but wasn't sure it would be something he would do, but no, it had to be it.

"I'm not the only one hiding something here," she said, not caring that she'd outed herself. She's confident she's right.

He raised a brow. "Oh?"

"'Something is about to stir the kingdom'?" She threw his own words back at him. "Being seen by the public with a woman in your arm, letting people address me as 'madam'. If the kingdom was in danger of something, like say, war or major unrest, then a rumor about the duke's romantic prospects wouldn't be able to quell something so dire."

"You'd be surprised."

She narrowed her gaze at him. "But that isn't the case, is it?"

"And if it was not?"

"Then, I'd like to know since this obviously involves me now."

"And you do not think letting a stranger into my home, having her as a guest despite not knowing of her intentions nor where her allegiance lies does not involve me?"

Her eyes did not falter, and neither did his. The two watch each other, observing each other's faces, every slight movement.

Sasuke was right. At present, she did present more of a threat to him because of her unknown background. Though she was not at all a threat to him, he did not know that for certain. And there was the fact that she had Chakra, something she never imagined she would ever have. And why is that? Why would she have it?

There was an opportunity for answers.

"You need my help," she said, leaning back onto the seat. "What for?"

"Something tells me you have an inkling about it."

"An inkling, but not an answer."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"I don't have anywhere to go, and you so graciously allowed me to be your guest. You, on the other hand, have something in mind regarding me."

"An exchange."

She nodded as a smirk raised the corner of his lips. "I need your help, and evidently, you need mine."

"And you think that would be enough to satisfy my curiosity?"

"No, I'm saying, if you agree to this, then I'd answer your questions if you answer mine." She leaned forward. "An answer for each question, an eye for an eye."

"It seems you get more from me than I from you."

"That's because you don't know the truth."

On the outside, she tried her hardest to appear confident, but her heart was racing beneath it all, threatening to escape her chest from the dreaded mix of fear and anticipation. This was an incredible risk to take, but she had no other choice. She cannot just remain as she was, hoping he'd believe her ruse as an amnesiac until who knew what happened next, and she had so many questions to ask and no other way to get them answered unless she had the duke's trust, which she didn't currently possess despite his hospitality.

"And you think once I know the truth, you'd be of use to me?"

"It looks like I'm of use to you now, our presence in town considered."

Her words leave her lips without delay, without a second thought. She sounded confident, sounded convinced that what she had just offered to him was something he'd accept. Yet, he could see in the very slight quiver of her bottom lip that she's afraid. He could see the concentration in her eyes masking the nervousness she didn't want him to see. But he did, and it fascinated him.

So far, everything he had thrown upon her had only left him with more questions, made her an even more intriguing person. She was a conundrum. Just when he thought he had the upper hand, it would seem she was ready with something else to dangle in front of his eyes, to tempt him with knowledge or truths. And this particular one was working.

She hadn't posed a threat to him, and he had little doubt she would pose a major threat to him. Whether it be exceeding confidence in himself or her, he was not certain, but she was right on one matter. She was an essential part of his plan to help his brother. And if this exchange would give him the pleasure of the truth, then it would work in his favor, and he'd have her by his side, still present for him to keep an eye on or if the need arose, dispose of.

Despite his personal thoughts more convinced she was not someone to be wary of in an enemy sense, but he still had to keep his guard up, especially with whatever truth she would finally lay in front of him.

"You are correct in your suspicions," he finally spoke. "I do intend to use our shared presence for something important. But, perchance I accept your offer, would you share your truth?"

"Yes."

"Your whole truth?"

She gulped. "Yes."

"Very well then." He crossed his arms above his chest. "I accept your offer. We shall continue this in my study."

She would let out a breath of relief, but she didn't. Something told her it was not yet the time.

Chapter Five: Of Truths and Half-Truths

The moment the duke had left with Lady Sakura, the estate had been abuzz with curiosity. It was rare for the duke to leave the estate so confidently and without complaint that that itself would have fueled the talks shared by the servants who served under him. But today was perhaps the rarest thing they would ever have the pleasure to witness the duke do—Escort a young, unmarried lady to his duchy.

Lady Sakura, whom he instructed the servants to regard as such, was a peculiar woman. With tresses of light pink, skin fair and soft, and way of speech relaxed and informal, perhaps she was a woman from foreign land. It would explain her unnatural hair, the unusual clothing she first wore, and her choice of words. But it would not explain her soft hands and the first appearance most in the estate have come to find out. Nor would it explain the duke's atypical kindness displayed to her.

"I still think that the two had met somewhere before," a maid tells a knight as they do their work in the stables.

"Oh?" The knight leaned against the wooden door. "Perhaps that would explain the duke's eagerness to carry the young Lady."

She gasped. "His Grace carried her?"

He nodded. "I saw it. After the healer had confirmed her health was good, he took it upon himself to carry her and have her ride on his steed with her in his arms."

The maid all but fanned herself. "Our duke? How romantic!"

"Do you not think it perplexing? She's a stranger found in the strange wood. Perhaps she could be a nymph. It's the only way to explain the duke's almost immediate fondness."

"Or perhaps she's someone he knew in his youth."

"A noble, then?" He scoffed. "Impossible."

"You cannot say that! Her skin is fair, her hands lack the roughness of a servant, her dress well woven. Who is to say she is not a lost noble?"

"If she was as you think, would there not be news traveling all over the kingdom, the continent about a lost noblewoman?"

"You know nobles have the means to hide their secrets."

"So you assume they're hiding such a secret?" He pondered over it for a moment. "That would not be wholly impossible but it still seems unlikely."

The sound of a steed's neigh interrupted the conversation between the two servants, and they looked up to mischievous lavender eyes that told them had not gone unheard.

"Gossipping about His Grace?"

"Sir Suigetsu!" The two bow their heads to the duke's trusted knight.

A knight in mercenary colors,
His honor worn in dark leather and his pride in his mischief

Suigetsu will never get used to the formality that came with being in the duke's favor or formality with being adjacent to nobility for that matter. No matter how many new advantages came in his life because of it, he found the drudgery of such things so unnecessary, but what he thought didn't matter when it came down to it.

"Raise your heads." He waved his free hand, his other still on the horse's reins. "And be thankful it was not His Grace that caught you."

The knight took the reins from Suigetsu just as the maid bowed once more before leaving the stables.

"How was your trip, Sir Suigetsu?" The knight inquired as he guided the horse into its stable.

He gave the knight a look before focusing on removing his gloves. "Uneventful, unfortunately." Sui sighed. "Is His Grace in his study?"

"No, Sir." Sui heard a grunt and turned his head to see that the knight had removed the horse's reins. "He is in town."

"In town?" Surprise laced his response, his brows furrowed at the news. "Are you surely talking about His Grace?"

"Yes, Sir." He chuckled uncomfortably. "He is escorting Lady Sakura."

"Escorting, you say." A wry grin formed his lips, mischief twinkling in his eye. "Never thought that would happen."

"Ah, Suigetsu." Kakashi appeared from the garden, hat in his hand. "You've returned."

"Yes."

Suigetsu waited until the viscount was closer to bow his head. After a beat, he straightened his back and Kakashi motioned for him to join in his stroll about the garden. Now away from close ears, he spoke, "Now is it true that the duke-"

"Is escorting a certain young miss? Yes."

"Never thought that would happen."

"Well, he said he had a plan."

"Is this to get her to trust him and divulge her secrets?"

"Perhaps." Kakashi hummed. "Or there might be something else of more import to him that requires the young lady's assistance."

"Is there not a moment you are not vague?" Suigetsu groaned, the sound coming from his throat. "One would think I deserve to know of this 'plan' that concerns the very same woman he has me scouring the continent for information about."

"Speaking of, have you found anything?"

"If I did, I would have said so." This time, he sighed. "I've yet to leave the Kingdom in search of more information, but based on my findings or lack thereof here, I'd doubt I'd find anything of use in Shintenshin."

"Giving up already? You're unusually undriven by this mystery."

"Usually there would already be interesting information at hand once I get an assignment. The only thing I find interesting about this woman is her presence in the forest. Who's to say she's not a woman that merely ran away from her family?"

"Have you forgotten about the power she possesses?"

"Is His Grace really certain of that? I would have heard about a woman with pink hair that had power such as that before."

"We all are aware of your skill in getting information. Perhaps you are just frustrated that this is not as easy as you thought it would be." Kakashi frowned. "You had not mentioned that she had pink hair while on your search, did you?"

"No, I was told to leave that part out unless I found something of import, and as I've told you already, nothing."

"Well, then, that was good foresight from the duke considering what he's doing now."

"Yes, you mentioned a plan of sorts." Suigetsu looked to the blue sky, watching the clouds cover the sun, shielding them from its heat. "Are you planning on telling me said plan?"

"That is His Grace's job."

"Yet you tell me of the plan's existence."

Suigetsu had known the viscount for years now, and yet, the viscount remained as mysterious as he did now. One mystery he had yet to uncover was what lurked underneath that dreaded mask of his. He knew what the public knew, essentially. That he was from a noble family in the Anbu Bureaucracy, a noble family that was no more. But the way he found support from the Kingdom's royal family was still unknown. All Suigetsu had gathered was that he had been close with the current king since they were children, but that was all.

Now there was this woman of fairy-colored hair found in the forest whose mysteries he had to uncover. He knew at the start of every single one of his missions of intelligence how those missions would go, how much information he would get judging from initial searches. Just like how his investigation about the viscount had gone at first, he's beginning to gather that this woman and her secrets were something similar to the viscount's secrets, something that would take long to uncover. And that aggravated him. How hard was it for him to gain information on someone with features as unique as hers?

"You could always ask the duke what the plan is when he arrives."

"And how long until then, My Lord?" He spoke his title with the obvious distaste of the formality. It did not affect the viscount, though.

"By the looks of it, sooner than you think." Kakashi cocked his head to the entrance of the estate, telling him of how far they had walked since the start of their conversation. The black gates opened to a carriage of the same color with gold embellishments adorning its sides, embellishments that caught their eyes even from as far as they were.

The two stood and watched as the carriage stopped in front of the front steps of the palace. The doorman opened the door, letting the duke step off. Suigetsu observed the man, checking to see if there was anything different to note, but there was none. He was still straightlaced, stiff, ever so proper of the second prince turned duke.

The duke waited by the carriage door, his hand outstretched, and a fair hand met his gloved one, gripping onto his hand for support as she exited.

Suigetsu blinked. "Well then..."

"It's only customary to help a lady out of the carriage."

"Viscount, this is the duke we're talking about."

Even in big events, the duke was renowned for his stone-cold expression, especially towards women vying for his affection. "He never cared for said customs in public where most would care for it more."

Kakashi laughed. "Exactly as I said to him. But you know the duke. He always has his reasons."

"Is this in part of the plan you alluded to?"

"And as I've also said, best ask him."

Vague and careful,
Wise but wary,
A man who relishes in the unknown.

Sasuke led Sakura to his study, nodding in acknowledgment to every servant they happened to pass. Once the door closed and the two were alone, neither moved to sit first, rather they stood, a short distance apart, observing each other keenly.

"Do you not want to take a seat?" Sasuke asked, walking to the spot behind his desk, his fingers feathering over pieces of parchment left on the wood.

"No, actually," she said in an exhale. "I think I've been seated for quite a bit. I'd rather stand."

"If you insist."

He made his way to the bookshelf, his fingers looking for the familiar hard cover he intended to show her. Based on her demeanor, he knew she was nervous. But that did not mean to say she was plotting something against him. Everything about her should warrant wariness from him, but while he was wary, he wasn't quick to accuse. Instead of pouncing at the very insinuation of falsehood, he waited. He had use of her now, so he couldn't just toss her aside. Though, if what she was about to say would suggest any sort of danger, she could be replaced.

He glanced at her, and she stood by the window, her profile in his view as she readied herself for whatever explanation she had for him, and it looked as if it was difficult for her to say. And that difficulty, that reluctance, only fueled his desire to know.

With the hardcover in hand, he walked to his desk, placing it above the parchment he had on the surface. At that moment, she turned to him, resolve in her eyes, her features determined.

Onyx eyes watched her carefully, watched the decisions being made through her eyes and the rise and fall of her chest as she inhaled. "Promise me you won't throw me out if this sounds insane."

He raised a brow. "Considering your appearance itself wasn't insanity already."

"Please." Her eyes are determined, her lips a thin line, but he can tell the nerves had not left her.

"I believe I have already accepted your offer in the carriage."

She nodded, taking another deep breath for herself. "Truth be told, I honestly don't know how I got there."

"The forest."

She shook her head. "Last I remember, I was pushed by someone and woke up here."

Sakura's treading lightly, gauging his reactions, or rather, what little reaction he'd permit showing. His face remains impartial, listening and digesting her words carefully as if to judge by each syllable. Any detection of lies, and he'd know.

During the rest of the ride back, she'd thought hard about how and what to say. She knew she couldn't just admit everything. Who knows what that would do? But she knew she couldn't lie, so that left her in the rough spot of having to thread together a believable enough narrative for him to trust her without divulging all of what she'd hidden. For both her sake and his. What would happen if he was aware of the events coming up? She'd imagine she'd be locked up and grilled for every morsel of knowledge she had and if not, and most likely if she did tell him, she'd be off to fend for herself in a madhouse somewhere.

It's a precarious situation. Any wrong word, any wrong move, and she'd be on his bad side, and she doesn't want that. As much as she knew how good a person he truly was at heart, she was a stranger to him.

"I was walking home, and an old woman, I think it was, pushed me. I ended up unconscious and you found me on the forest floor."

"You're not from the kingdom." It's not a question.

"No."

"Where are you from, then?"

It's a simple question, but the question she dreaded the most.

"Not the continent."

He raised a brow. "Vague."

Better vague than spilling everything she knew. But that was it. Aside from the Konoha continent, the people of Konoha only knew of a few other lands and were friendly with even less. She could say Tokyo without garnering that much suspicion but that would only lead to more questions.

"You've seen my clothes." She motions to the attire she now adorned. "This is considered a lot from where I'm from."

"So you're not from the continent, and seemingly not from the Suna continent either."

"I come from a place called Tokyo. Truth be told, I'd only ever heard the name of this continent, but nothing much about it."

"But you know of our customs?"

She tried her best not to react. "I'd heard the maids, and not a lot, as you've seen when we went out."

Not too unbelievable, he thought. It did make sense. It was easy to feign amnesia because she really didn't know much about her surroundings, and she could have easily listened in on the maids—maids, he was aware, that loved to talk. Still, he couldn't shake his skepticism. Perhaps it was his nature, or perhaps it was warranted.

He opted not to comment on it, choosing to wait until their conversation had reached its end.

"And this place you are supposedly from—Tokyo, you said—I assume Chakra doesn't play as big a part in your culture as it does here."

She nodded slowly. "It's rare. No one really has it. Which is why I reacted the way I did when you told me."

He hummed, in understanding or thought, she didn't know. All she hoped was that he didn't catch that small lie. Would it truly count as a lie if it wasn't specified? Sure, chakra existed in physiological practices of some religions, but not as the power source it was here.

It felt like an eternity before he spoke, her nerves wearing down on her as she fought to suppress any sign of them from showing. He still looked as impartial as he did when they first arrived in his study. The bookshelves did not distract her from her errant mind nor did the view of the garden from outside the window. Instead, all her focus was aimed at him. At his unmoving features, at his guarded eyes and his well-made clothes. He was an immovable force, certainly one that warranted his reputation as a steel-hearted and steel-minded man.

"Though I have answers, all I can seem to think of are more questions." His eyes narrowed slightly, and Sakura braced herself for what he had to say. "This person that pushed you, what did they look like?"

That was his first question? Sakura couldn't hide the surprise on her face. "The person?"

He raised a brow, not repeating his question and certain she had heard him.

"I couldn't see much of their face. I'm not even sure if it was a man or woman." Succumbing to her tiredness, she takes her seat on the chair closest to the window, one facing his desk. "They had a cane. Their voice was ambiguous. I did see their eyes, but they looked blind. The moment I noticed them, I had a bad feeling."

She looked weary, as if the memory itself scared her. Understandable, he thought. It did sound darkly peculiar, yet not unbelievable. It could have been a rogue mage that managed to travel past the barriers of other continents.

"I remember just going still. My body wouldn't do what I wanted it to, and then I fell, was pushed."

Sasuke ran his finger up and down the leather cover of the book on his desk, the story sounding all the eerier. He didn't do it out of fear, though, more out of an increasing realization that her story sounded similar to the Old Religion story. He'd told Kakashi of his thoughts on it prior, but the more he thought about it, the more he wondered.

He was by no means the religious type, but the Pages existed for a reason. If he entertained the idea, the possibility, what would that mean for her? He sighed, relinquishing the thought for now. He'd gotten his answers, more than he honestly expected, but there were so many things left unspoken, so many new queries that he would have to save for another time.

Oddly enough, he could feel her fatigue, as if admitting to that much pained her, her usually flushed cheeks paled and the life in her eyes dulled just a little. Perhaps she had shared too much. Perhaps it was the brevity of the day's events. He couldn't place it.

Instead, he moved the book aside, the topic to be buried until he needed it back on the surface. She posed no threat. He didn't detect anything to insinuate she was against him. Rather, there was a drip of sadness swallowed by her emerald pools that made its way to the surface for just a beat. He didn't know what that meant, what it entailed. Perhaps one of her many stories that she had yet to divulge. For now, he was satisfied. They'd continue this another time.

It was his turn.

"Your suspicions are correct," he said. She didn't react, only a simple nod before he continued. "I did intend for us to be seen in town. It was to make a statement."

"That what? You're not entirely cold as I assume everyone thinks you are?"

Her lightheartedness was slowly resurfacing. He smirked at her remark. "Another topic you've heard from the maids, I imagine."

She shrugged. "That, and it's not that hard to come to that conclusion."

Sasuke could only scoff. "It was no lie that the kingdom is about to be rocked with news that might garner a series of reactions."

Her brows knotted in interest.

"The king, my older brother, is to announce his betrothal to a commoner."

She didn't know how he would tell her the news exactly, but the straightforwardness of his statement should not have been a surprise.

"And it will undoubtedly cause a stir, among the nobles especially."

She nodded, following where he was going. "So you intend to use me as a distraction away from your brother. News of you being seen with me."

"In a few days, the betrothal will be announced. Best to sow the seeds now."

"And what? What will you being seen with me do but fuel rumors about you thinking about getting married?"

"Rumors of you being found in the Charmed Forest had already spread thanks to the knights and the maids. What would cause more of a scandal to the bored elite: the king marrying a commoner or the king's brother, the 'evasive' duke, seemingly taken by a strange woman with no backstory, one found in the Forest with the unknown lurking beneath the wood?"

The smirk on his face did little to her slow realization. "You want to use me to help your brother."

Her choice of words surprised him, but it shouldn't. She's as unpredictable as she is mysterious.

"What makes you think this will work? And why do this anyway? No matter how big the scandal we make up, people will still talk about the king's betrothal."

"I've no doubt my brother knows how to handle the upcoming storm, but distracting the scale of his betrothal with my supposed attention being caught by a possible nymph not only shifts the criticism to myself but also could squash rumors of my desire for the throne."

The throne? "So what, make yourself look ill-fit to make your brother look better? I doubt you care what other people think, and I highly doubt your brother distrusts you too."

"My brother and I trust each other implicitly."

"So what is it really?"

"Hopefully with this, we'll know."

And it hit her. He suspects someone already, and it shouldn't be so because it's too early in the story for him to know. So her nerves turn into worry. Things are already changing, and she didn't know if that was for their benefit or not.

"Things are progressing quite nicely."

"Had I not told you before? It's just as I foresaw."

Note:

Long time no see lol. Sorry, this semester and my mental health did and still is doing a number on me. It's been a while since I felt well enough or motivated enough to write, so I hope this doesn't look too bad.

Also, new cover! It's so pretty! Thanks again to Mai for it T.T

Tell me what y'all think!