A/N: Hello everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it?
I hope you all are healthy, staying safe and remaining as positive as possible during this time of uncertainty. If this chapter can provide a distraction from your worries for a short while, I will be glad.
So, Temptation is finally reaching its conclusion. I imagine there to be one more chapter, followed by an epilogue. It's been a long time coming (three years, seriously? O.o) but thank you to everyone who has remained a faithful reader and given me your kind words.
Best wishes,
allyelle~
.:. 16 .:.
The afternoon sunlight drooled through the parlour windows, winking at the metal accents adorning the fireplace. Lady Mirai sat across from her mother, sipping her tea. The silence which stretched between them was different, unsure. Minoru Akiyama's stern features occasionally twitched, only broken by the rapid draining of her teacup.
Mirai no longer belonged to the Akiyama family, and she assumed her mother was withholding the bubbling overflow of complaints which threatened to spill from her tongue. She was no longer an Akiyama concern, and Minoru was at a loss for conversation.
"Another," Minoru snapped her fan to the table harbouring a tea-set and a tier of dwarfed sweets.
A servant manifested to her side in an instant. "Yes, my lady."
Once the click of the door resounded, Mirai rose and strode to the window. It was late June, and the rippling summer heat had begun enclosing around the castle walls. She exhaled in satisfaction at the light breeze drying the perspiration from her brow, and the soft tickle of the billowing curtain against her skin.
"I am not with child yet, mother," she murmured, recalling the blood on her loincloth.
Although well hidden, she could detect the dejection in her mother's voice. "The days are young," she said. "You have been wed a little over a month, child. There is hope."
Mirai closed her eyes. "He is disinterested in me," she said, and then under her breath, "and with being a husband."
"Oh, how you speak foolishly!" Minoru chided, whacking the bones of her fan into place. "He did not marry you for your wits. He married you for your breeding. It is wishful thinking to hope for a husband to dote on you. If he is an amiable man, Mirai, you should thank God for your blessings."
Mirai sulked. She hadn't entered the arrangement under the foolish pretence of love; she had entered the arrangement out of duty.
He is kind, she reasoned. I am lucky he is not an aggressive man. But...
"He harbours a greater interest in Lily than that of his own wife."
Minoru gasped. "Lily? His mistress?"
"No," Mirai spun around, fighting against the ruin of her composure. "His cat. If it is not his cat, it shall be his horse. He will occupy his time with anything that is not me." Mirai calmed and flashed a sad smile. The loneliness her new home provided had stolen her voice, and she dearly missed her mother's company to coax out her worries. "He even refuses to share a bedchamber… Mother, is there something the matter with me?"
"He has another," she said abruptly, her gaze clouded.
A fresh pot of tea arrived, but neither women fancied reverting to sipping silence with the sudden intrigue of conversation.
Mirai's eyes widened. "I cannot believe it to be possible. Master Shu is rarely seen leaving the grounds."
"You say he dedicates little of his company to you. If so, how can you say where he is spending it?"
Mirai pursed her lips and returned to the window; she had no answer.
The parlour overlooked the rose garden, overcast by the shadowed silhouette of the stone tower. Master Subaru stood amongst the blooms, swamped by the wash of red, white and yellow, with his head tilted to the sky. She dared to say she spent more time with Master Subaru than her own husband, but that was scarce. She often found him loitering near her, although a conversation was rarely initiated. Perhaps he pitied her solitude, she could not say.
Mirai recalled the outing they had made to Miss Komori's cottage.
"Listen to yourself," he had said to the girl. "Anyone would've thought you were in love with him."
She banished her foolish thoughts; lords would have better judgement than to have romantic relations outside of their social status. However, she recalled Laito, the very product of Lord Sakamaki's outer relations. Her mother was a talented gossip, but at times she was wise.
"You know as well as I that men—especially powerful men—have no inclination to be faithful to their women," she had once told her. "In this world, Mirai, nothing is a sin if it is committed by a man."
"Then you are claiming Master Shu to be like his father," she said, glancing to the tower. She withheld a grimace.
"I trust you will find a way, child. You are well educated on where your duty lies."
Mirai's silence solidified her acceptance, though she could not shake the uncertainty which gripped her heart.
"Forgive me, my lady." A servant entered the parlour, bowing low. "May I present Doctor Reiji Kasei?"
Mirai remained silent, expecting her mother to handle the query. But Minoru gave her a pointed stare, reminding her that this was her household to govern.
Heat rose to her cheeks. "Y-Yes, you may send him in."
"At present, he is Master Shu's personal doctor," Minoru whispered behind the lace of her fan. "Speak to him of your concerns. Perhaps he may relay them with a degree of secrecy."
"Mother, must I—"
But Mirai was silenced by the arrival of the bespectacled, dark-haired man. His clothes were refined, but they possessed no ounce of finery. He carried himself proud, his features strict.
"Lady Akiyama," he gave a curt nod to pay his respects, then swivelled his heels to her daughter, his eyes holding an anticipated glimmer. "Lady Sakamaki. How unfortunate we have only just met."
"Mirai," spoke her mother, her gloved-hand touching her forearm. "I will leave you now. Good day, Doctor Kasei."
Mirai curtsied and gestured for him to sit.
"I understand you have been assigned to treat my husband, Doctor Kasei. And my father too, in the past. You must be a talented physician to gain the trust of so many."
Doctor Kasei scrutinised the servant pouring hot tea into his cup, shunning the offer of milk and sugar. "Of course," he said, with the slight quirk of his lips. "Every respectable physician must have a motive to be able to perform his best work."
"Yes," Mirai smiled, "what a joy it must be to be able to help those in need."
Doctor Kasei hummed into his tea. "My lady," he began, encircling his finger along the rim. "Your mother has requested a check on your health. Tell me, are you feeling well? The summer is deepening and with it comes the rise of sickness. But I assure you, I am able to provide the best possible remedies."
"No, sir, I am well. My mother merely has a habit of fussing. I'm afraid your visit was unnecessary. I apologise for taking you from your work."
"Not at all," he dismissed, and Mirai thought he would stand to leave. After all, he did not seem the type of fellow to remain when necessary conversation had ceased. But he did not, and Mirai grappled for words.
"Sir, is my husband well?"
"He is a weak man," said Doctor Kasei, with an edge of distaste. "Therefore he must be under constant observation."
"I—" Mirai stopped. Master Shu would dislike her prying into his matters. "No, it is nothing."
Doctor Kasei inched forward, dripping in interest. "Please, what troubles you? If it involves a matter of your husband, it would benefit him in my knowing."
"Yes, perhaps you're right," said Mirai, furrowing her brow. "You see, I saw a peculiar mark. As though he had been scorched by fire."
When Mirai raised her eyes from the teacup, she did not expect the doctor's features to be registered in alarm, his complexion white as salt. "A scarlet mark," he said, without question.
Mirai nodded, her head tipped in concern. She had witnessed the mark before, on Miss Komori's infant. Disease was rampant in the village and she could only assume it to be a mark of sickness.
"Is his health in danger?"
He rose suddenly, and Mirai rushed to follow suit, brushing down the creases on her skirts. "Do not trouble yourself with trivial matters, my lady. Be reassured that I will investigate this matter thoroughly." He gathered his bag with haste. "I have taken up too much of your time. Good day."
Once Doctor Kasei fled, her skirts puffed as she returned to her cushion. She did not believe she had spoken terrible words, but she could not dispel the anxiety which crawled within her.
.:.
Reiji left the parlour and paused, his hands grabbing fistfuls of his shirt in an attempt to steady his frantic heart. Normally he would be furious at the unnecessary creases he had caused, but his mind was a whirling, chaotic beast. He was breathless, numbed, almost giddy.
Shu Sakamaki, you obstinate, indolent, good-for-nothing! It's you... it's you... it's you!
He was a fool to believe that man had left nothing of himself within the child, when he had given her the most apparent marking there could be. His sin had penetrated his heart so deep, the scarlet letter had manifested upon his very flesh. Reiji berated himself. How had be not noticed sooner? Of course, Shu Sakamaki detested a doctor's fussing. The prescription of herbs was the extent he allowed, and all physical examinations were refused.
A wife, however, would be closer...
He could see it clearly, like the clearing of fog after a spell of murky rain. The guilt slowing eating away at his soul, his mind, his health. Their stolen glances and the convenience of his involvement with the girl. Reiji recalled when Yui fell into childbed. Shu's fierce, unrelenting grip and the fear flashing in his eyes. Those were not the eyes of indifference; they were the eyes of love.
He willed himself to calm. Nothing could be conducted well with an irrational mindset. But Reiji could not decide his next course of action. He was tempted to summon Lord Karl Sakamaki immediately. After all, he had witnessed the scarlet mark on Yui Komori's bastard himself. His research proved that marks of the skin can be passed down to kin, and the Lord could not deny the labour of science nor the will of God.
No... he needed more. He needed traces of him, physical attributes which would confirm their relationship.
The village's common thief came to mind; the self-obsessed boy who would steal gold and trinkets as though they were the staple of bread. Reiji would have no time for his hesitation this time. He would propose an offer he could not refuse.
Power. Status. Glory.
.:.
A black-robed figure, silhouetted by the fat, white moon, slinked through the doorway of the tavern. It was customary for men to gather here at nightfall, drowning the worries of the day with whoring and bottomless ale. It was a nest for disease, Reiji always thought, with the crowds and the apathy poured into Kanato's mopping. The boy only perked at the sight of a rat, which would be thrashed until bloody with the opposing end of his utensil. It was a sight he was sure few came to see.
Reiji tiptoed around the men to find a well-spaced seat at the bar. He was reminded of the last time he visited the place seeking Ayato's services to investigate Subaru Sakamaki's confession. But the young lord had wanted to be known as the father, for he could not stand the thing to be fatherless. Lord Karl Sakamaki gave it no breeding ground to fester; it was a rumour which came and went with the season.
The people soon became disinterested in the subject of Yui Komori, like the admiration of fickle pink blossoms which come and go with spring; they had softened their blows in respect for her charity and church work.
But not he; he would expose his true identity if it cost him his last breath.
It was easy to spot Ayato, his fiery hair a vivid marker even under the low-candlelight. He rolled his eyes when he approached and did not offer a pitcher. Reiji was relieved, for he would not touch it.
"Seein' you here can only mean one thing," said Ayato, marking hands upon his hips.
Reiji unclipped his hood. "Quite right. I come with a second proposition. However, this time it is not the same man I seek."
"Huh?" The tenseness which plagued him disappeared. "Well, who is it?"
"The identity of the man does not concern you. The reward I am offering will," Reiji replied. He flexed his hands to rid the temptation of fisting them. "It is beyond gold. If this man is taken care of, there is a prospect of you and your kin being legitimised. Subaru Sakamaki has the wrong temperament to rule, and I imagine him to flee from his duty if given the chance."
Ayato's eyes clouded as his mind ticked. "Fuck," he breathed, "Shu?"
Reiji did not answer. Ayato turned away and struck his fingers through his hair.
Ayato was not sweet on any of his brothers, but neither did he care to cause them misfortune. He could not ignore the occasions when Shu Sakamaki had slipped him gold in return for tormenting their father when he visited the tavern, or when he had halted an official moments before their whip cracked.
Yet, here was an offer of everything he had ever dreamed of beholding. To be a lord, to have wealth, to be recognised for his worth. He imagined his mother's glee, finally spared from her ruthless abuse. In her eyes, he would be the best, no longer a worthless creature dragging their family into further disregard.
"Yours Truly will do it," he declared, standing proud.
Reiji's lips upturned at the strength of the boy's resolve.
"I advise you to visit on a Sunday as the house will be vacant," he instructed, rising and swooping back his hood. "She will head to church early, and visit her father in the afternoon. You will have to pick locks, for I imagine she will possess enough tact not to leave anything of intrigue out plainly. I will meet you at the docks on Sunday evening. It is not in your best interest to disappoint me."
Ayato felt empowered, like a bolt of lightning was striking through his veins. He looked upon himself, already envisioning gold to hang his throat, supple leather boots which did not soak up the wet, the fine embroidery stitching his robes. He scanned the tavern, across the sea of grimy, sour-smelling men who he was forced to serve without complaint. Raising a pitcher, he drank to the day all of them would be ordered to serve the one and only, Ayato Sakamaki.
.:.
Sleep did not find Yui Komori that night. Sora had fought his weariness to be her late-night companion, but he was drooping heavily, and she soon sent him to bed with a pewter of steaming milk. Eve slept better when the night's were filled with heat; most would be restless confined within their sticky sheets, but not she. It was the cold she detested, wailing at the grace of summer's breeze.
Yui was perched on the doorstep, wriggling her toes into the long grass. She hoped the night bird's song would give her an inclination to rest.
But she did not like being idle for her mind would wander, and thinking of him would do little good. He was married, taken, out of her reach once more. How she ached to return to her careless youth, to be a witness to his flirts and smiles. Yui recalled the birthday gift he had presented on her sixteenth year. That beautiful gold and rose ring. That ring she had so cruelly returned to him, and he was crueller still, refusing to remove it from his hand.
"Sixteen... you're getting old," Shu had drawled, his lips pulled into a frown. "Don't women usually desire kisses at your age?"
Yui did not notice his lingering stare and laughed. "At my age! Shu, I am not an old maid!"
Subaru was a few yards ahead, kicking through the forest leaves. "Huh?!" he piped, raising his fists. "You better not be offering, creep!"
At fourteen, Subaru was a thorn in his brother's side. Continually hot-tempered, disobedient, clingy. Shu sighed and dismissed him with a flick of the wrist.
Once Subaru's attention had been diverted, Yui felt the quick, cold brush of skin against her hand. Shu halted his footing and pushed a small box into her palm. She opened her mouth in question, but his words were faster.
"Take it and don't drop it, you clumsy cricket."
Yui blinked. She was not accustomed to gifts, even on her birthday. Seiji Komori would stretch the month's gold to add a strip of lace to her frock, or return from the market with a piece of juicy, foreign fruit, in colours Yui did not know nature had the ability to create.
"Shu," said Yui. "I... It's beautiful, but I cannot wear such a thing. It's above my station—"
"Enough." He seized her left hand and slipped the ring onto her wedding-finger. Yui gasped and retracted, but Shu's grip remained. Arching forward, he whispered, "If it displeases you... I am happy to give you my lips instead."
Yui softened, unwilling to offend him. "Thank you for thinking of me... I'm so happy."
Yui encircled her arms around his waist and he uttered a sound of surprise, his body stiffening at her touch. The brothers always had the upper hand with their taunts and strength, frequently rendering her flustered. But affection was a foreign thing in their world, and for once, Yui relished in the control.
Shu hummed and gave her head a single pat. "I will never forgive the man who replaces it."
She gently pushed his chest. "Shu?"
"How forward," he smirked. "Don't let Subaru see you do that... he'll get jealous."
Perhaps he had loved her then, Yui wondered. Certain moments are perceived differently with age.
During their brief affair, doubts of their differing rank would surface, a sharp fragment of reality seeping into their perfect bubble.
"I am a lord," Shu had murmured, taking his head into his hands. The rough edges of her meagre cottage clashed against his finery, doing little to soothe their nerves. "And you... you..."
Yui crouched before him, searching for his hand. "I am Yui Komori, a girl who loves you," she began. "A girl who would love you whether you were a pauper or a king. None of that matters... I love the man I see before me. Shu, please... let me stay by your side for a while longer!"
His eyes were gentle when he raised, his thumb tracing her cheek. "You have been part of my destiny since long ago. Perhaps I am a fool to think I could shake you off so easily..."
As time passed, Shu's episodes of panic became frequent. His soul was tormented, and Yui knew of nothing to chase away those demons but to hold him close until he slowly came back to her.
The recollection of the week she suspected she was with child surfaced in her mind; dashing to the nearest alley to empty the contents of her stomach, the refusal of Subaru's sweet baskets.
"How this will hurt him," Yui had whispered as she sat by the riverbank, finding her loincloths unspoiled.
His silence seemed eternal when the news spilled from her lips. Shu's hands quivered at his sides.
"This is my fault," he spoke at last, refusing to face her. His voice was empty. "I have been selfish, and because of that, I..." He exhaled heavily and slumped against the wall. "I have ruined you."
"Shu, you have done no such thing—"
She silenced when he met her eyes. "It will be acknowledged. I will provide—"
"No," said Yui, bunching her fists. "You will do nothing and speak not a word. This will be my burden to bear, and mine alone."
Shu gave a humourless laugh. "Do not speak nonsense, Yui."
Yui sucked in a breath and strengthened her resolve. She would not allow him to carry another weight upon his shoulders.
"Please understand!" she implored, "they are destroying everything that is good in you! Your kindness, your smiles, your spirit! I will not let them add shame to your ruin—I will not have you compared to your father. I may not be able to save you, Shu, but at least I can save you from this."
"To think... a woman like you would be willing to play God?" He shook her shoulders, pleading with her to see sense. "Yui. I would rather not breathe at all, than to breathe with this lie."
"I will not change my mind," said Yui, banishing the tremors which threatened to seep into her voice. "I will do anything to ease your burdens, even if you think me unkind. If you speak a word of it, I will deny it under the name of God." She scrunched her eyes at the hurt etched across his features. "Please!"
He created distance and panic coursed through her. She could feel him slipping through her fingers, like silken grains of sand. Their time had run out.
"So this is your choice," he spoke low, and Yui gave a broken nod. He closed his eyes in defeat and breathed, "I will not forgive you for this."
A single tear trickled down Yui Komori's cheek as she thought of their bittersweet beginning, middle and end. Her conscience was entwined with countless lies, and she was afraid one day she would lose sight of the truth. It had taken Shu three years to pluck up the courage to forgive her for marrying another. This time she had snatched him away from his own flesh and blood, rendering him a helpless figure to overlook their suffering. It was an act Yui knew he could not forget.
She gazed out into the black night and asked, "Have I truly helped you, Shu? Or have I caused you more pain?"
But the forest fell into quiet.