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The Tale of A Proper Marriage : Chapter 6

by white seraph

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Humming happily, Kaoru hopped down the wooden corridor down the large house, her parents and brother all went to socialize with some family friends who had come to Kyoto to visit. But she had stayed behind because today was too beautiful a day to do something as boring and unimportant as that. She had decided, as the sweet, adorable and loving soon-to-be daughter in law she is, it would be nice to prepare a special lunchbox for her fiancé, just to thank him for "spending a lunch, and then saving her" the other day.

[Bento is like a lunchbox thing]

Kaoru very neatly put a white apron around the front of her kimono, and tied the sleeves up. The kitchen wasn't an unfamiliar place, it was a hot, stuffy place with a large table in the middle and the stoves and ovens were all around the walls, circling the room. Kaoru, when she was young, used to hide in the kitchen, under the cook's wife's apron, whenever she got into trouble, for she was the sweetest old woman Kaoru ever knew of. She was a short, plump woman with an ample breast and the softest black eyes, just the opposite of the cook, who was a thin, grouchy man who always threatened her of stealing food.

But they had both retired long ago, and now the new cooks that replaced them were not exactly the best ones, Kaoru sighed as she heard steps of the cook approaching the kitchen. The low, unfeminine voice had confirmed it. "Miss, lunch is not served until noon"

"Oh no, I'm just making a bento." Kaoru replied evasively and squatted to get some rice from the large bucket tucked in one of the low cupboards, getting herself started with the task she set herself this morning.

"Oh?" Now the girl was surprised, knowing Kaoru never entered the kitchen with the orthodox purpose, the girl knew that her young mistress was either too bored, was up to some evil pranks again.

Kaoru shook her hands dry and put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "yes, I'm just making a special bento for someone. Now don't hang aournd and do nothing" She steered the girl around and pushed her promptly to leave the kitchen.

The girl sighed helplessly and left, back to her chores.

Immediately after she left, Kaoru resumed back to her work, not wasting a moment. She wasn't a good cook, no not at all, but decorating things was another subject. With her small, nimble hands, she rolled the steamed rice into nice elongated balls, after several attempts, she finally got them into a satisfactory shape. Taking a freshly grinned bowl of wasabi, Kaoru smiled deliriously, and started stuffing excess amount of the condiment into the rice balls. And finally, after that, she added some assorted toppings to make the rice balls the more fallaciously attractive and appealing to eat.

[wasabi is this really pungent green paste that people put on sushis, an excess amount of it can be nasty..]

Satisfied with her work, Kaoru smiled, and chose one of the prettier lunchboxes from the shelves. It was ebony lacquered one with carvings that decorated the lid, just the one that could mislead the people. No one ever humiliates Kaoru. No one ever angers Kaoru. Whoever angers her, whoever regrets it, she thought evilly, before closing the lid.

"Miss? What are you doing here?" Another woman came in "Are you hungry? Let me cook you lunch now." She said as she deftly tied an apron to her waist, as if Kaoru had already said yes.

"Actually no, don't worry about my lunch, I'm going to go visit my fiancé today," Kaoru picked the black box up strangely happily and left the kitchen skipping. OH this is going to be the perfect day for her. She tried to suppress the smile appearing on her lips at the thought of her sweet revenge. It was the clostest thing she could do other than have him die.

Nothing was going to pull her mood down. Or was there?

Kaoru had gone back to her room to tidy her appearance, fixing her hair and smoothing her kimono, but not spending an age on it, she quickly picked up her most treasured box and walked out to the porch and then down to the yard where the carriage was waiting.

"Miss Kaoru!" A voice came from behind making her freeze on the spot. "Don't you dare leave the house unchaperoned AGAIN!"

The young girl turned "No, I'm just going to visit my fiancé, see" She put her lunchbox up and smiled triumphantly "I made him a bento." A poisoned bento she added silently

The other woman gave her a skeptic look. "Alright, then I'll make sure you get there safe and sound." She couldn't afford to take the risk. Lady Kamiya had told her that if Kaoru was to go out, that she must not leave her to go out by herself like last time.

Kaoru only shrugged her shoulders casually, fine, let her go with her, it's not like she was lying. "Alright"

So the two women went on the carriage and off to the Himura estate at the other part of Kyoto, not a long journey, but somehow, Kaoru thought it took much much longer htan it should to get there. Why? Maybe because she was excited? Excited too see her fiancé.

Finally, finally, they arrived at the gates of the large house, Kaoru, not bothering to wait for the woman behind, hopped off the carriage and quickly trotted through, making her way to the front door.

"Wait! Missy" The chaperone called from behind obstinately. "Would you like me to come pick you up later?"

Kaoru shook her head briefly, "No, don't bother, I don't know when I'll leave."

"I'm not sure if Lady Kamiya would want you to go home all alone." She pressed.

"Don't worry, I'm sure the Himuras can always give me a ride home." Kaoru turned her heels and walked off, not caring if the woman got run over by a horse or whatever. She could have stood there for half a day talking to her like that, making sure she was home by blah blah blah..

"Hello" Kaoru said politely to the men who guarded the main gates "I wanted to see Lady Himura, is she around" Kaoru gave the guards an innocent smile, she deliberately asked for the Lady, knowing she would definitely back her up later.

The men looked at her skeptically "Who are you to see the Lady?" No one was allowed to enter and leave the estate casually, unless they were the owners of the estate, and since she was not, they had to thoroughly question her.

"Me?" Kaoru asked "Oh no, I'm nobody of any importance, just her son's fiancé." She answered with sarcasm.

They looked at her from head to toe, judging from her attires and manners, they came to the conclusion that she was indeed, one amongst their league, and so, had allowed her enter.

She had not even taken off her shoes, and Lady Himura, upon hearing of her unexpected visit, had rushed out to great her effusively. "Oh Kaoru darling! How sweet of you to come drop by today!" her shrilly voice cried.

Kaoru smiled, trying to look as genuine as she could "Yes, Lady Himura" Kaoru showed her the neat bento she had prepared. "I made a special bento myself, just for your son, to thank him for the wonderful lunch" and then she added more calculatingly "But I'm not sure if he'll like it, it's my first time making a bento myself."

As Kaoru had expected, the Lady replied, very happy that she had put so much effort in making a lunch for her son "Oh! I'm sure he will like it." Then quickly turning to a girl who was serving tea, she ordered "Mineko, quickly get the young master here."

And as ordered, Kenshin soon made an appearance. The girl had evasively said her mother had guest. As soon as he slid the door open and met the same, annoying, obnoxious sapphire eyes, his jaw dropped. This was totally unexpected! Okay fine, he could and should have guessed that this girl would want to drop by to visit him to impress both his parents and himself. Damn, and he thought she had run out of tricks already!

"Come, kenshin, Kaoru had dropped by today to give you a bento she made especially for you!" She put her hand on top of Kaoru's as a sign of affection, and Kaoru smiled at kenshin innocently.

Kenshin sighed with disapproval as he let himself drop to the mat opposite his mother, and glared at his fiancé with all the loathe he had for her. He had never met someone as annoying and obstinate as her! fine if they were betrothed, but did she have to do all that elaborate stuff? God..she's SO annoying.

Kaoru shuffled a bit, pretending to look nervous and embarrassed. "Um, K.." Kaoru couldn't bring herself to call him by his name "Um.I came to bring you a bento, to thank you for saving me other day." She said as genuinely as she could and took the black lacquered lunchbox out. Lady Himura was perplexed, but did not press on it, as she was silently anticipating for her son's reaction.

Kenshin only snorted. Another way of trying to win his heart; how very cliché of her. "I don't think-" He stopped in the middle as he met his mother's dangerous stare. Gulping, he dared not defy her words, knowing he might need her help in the future to persuade his father to break the marriage. Thinking fast, he tried to save the situation. "I don't think I could appreciate your efforts any more than I am now." He found it hard to get those words out, but once he did, he felt.not bad. just anything but bad, as he would have expected. [Do you get what I'm on about?]

Kaoru giggled, feeling very smart. She knew, with Lady Himura with them, that guy would no way do something indecent, but she never thought his mother had that much an effect on him. Gingerly she pushed the box to her fiancé, "It's my first time making a bento, I'm not sure if you'll like it."

"I'm sure Kenshin will love it, right?" The older Lady asked her son, who only gave a rude snort in reply. Well, it's the best response she could get from a reluctant, stubborn son like him. Oh well, Lady Himura decided to spare her son some face in front of his betrothed, he really needed some anyway.

Kaoru looked with anticipation and excitement as the redhead very reluctantly took the elaborately decorated box, and took one of the assorted rice rolls and fingered it gingerly, as if examining the quality of the food.

And finally, the long awaited moment arrived; he took the rice ball and ate it in one bite. His expression was rather blank, as he chewed the rice, but suddenly, his face screwed with disgust and distaste, on the verge of choking, he coughed disgracefully.

Kaoru gasped and pretended to be horrified. "I.I.was it that bad? I'm sorry it was my first time making rice rolls, I didn't know they would be ." She drifted off and gave Lady Himura a sorry glance.

Upon seeing the poor girl's disappointment, Lady Himura quickly took the initiative. "Kenshin, be polite and finish the lunch our dear Kaoru prepared for you." She said warily, and then turning to Kaoru she added "I'm so sorry, it must have taken you a whole morning to make this, and my son isn't appreciating your efforts at all!"

Kenshin finally had the pungent food swallowed, never had he in his entire life eaten anything so bad before. He couldn't bear to have another bite of the food, not in this life. he couldn't. So, shaking his head, he refused to eat. "I'm sorry, but I'm full." He said as realistically and politely as he could, knowing how his mother would react if he told the girl that the food was bad.

But Kaoru wasn't going to let him off so easily, not ater all the nasty things he did to her, and pulling an innocent frown, she said "Oh, is my cooking that bad? I tried my best already! Please, won't you try one more?"

Kenshin furrowed his eyebrows and was about to decline again when his mother cut in "Kenshin, don't keep Kaoru waiting, it's good food she made, now finish it all up before you make the poor girl cry!" She ordered him.

The lad shot his eyes wide open with shock and disbelief. How could his mother do such a thing to him! Sighing, he knew what it meant if he defied her. words would go directly to his father, he would get the yelling, pocket money cut, and probably have him confined in the estate, in the worst possible case. And Kenshin knew he coulsn't afford to elt this happen, for it meant he could no longer go to tea houses, no longer visit the beautiful geishas.

So docilely he picked up another rice ball, and slowly as if it were poison rolled it around his fingers, not wanting to eat it. He took a deep breath, after this one, there'd only be 3 more left. Just bare with it, don't let the wench see you like this. He told himself, wanting to preserve the gentleman, handsome image of himself, which was strangely contradictory to his ultimate aim; to extricate himself from the marriage. He gulped again, and felt a little dizzy at the three remaining rice balls. The soft white balls that Kenshin started to fear more and more..

Kaoru watched as the great show ended. It was quick, but at least she enjoyed the tormented look displayed so totally on this face, but it didn't dampen her loathe for the jerk one bit. Oh well, there wasn't much of a point for Kaoru to loiter around their house any longer, after her little revenge was completed and she was well satisfied. "Lady HImura, thank you for spending an afternoon with me, but I have to be going now.."

"Oh, are you sure, Kaoru dear?" Lady Himura asked effusively "do you have a chaperone waiting for you? Would you like me to give you a ride home?" Kaoru looked at the older woman gratefully "I'd very much appreciated if you will." She replied politely, though it was an offer she had pretty much expected anyway as it was general manners that one should offer their guests a safe journey home. But Kaoru hadn't accepted her offer a moment afterwards.

"Alright, Kenshin, please be the nice gentleman you are and escort your fiancé back." Lady Himura smiled happily. This was perfect! Sending Kenshin baby to escort Kaoru back was even better than the old plans she had in stock, oh how they can talk about the beautiful sunset, how Kaoru would ask for Kenshin to stay for dinner.. She started to fantasize all the possibilities that might happen.

Not letting the young couple protest, she quickly pulled the door open. "Kenshin, I expect to hear of dear Kaoru's safe and sound journey home, you hear me?"

A/N: GAH I have a timed essay on kalam cosmological argument tmr . here is my practice thing: (wait..does anyone read authors note?) nvm..

Okay God exists because: Everything has a cause, and the chain of causes goes back and back and back until we get to a cause were it transcends our universe, that is timeless, space less eternal etc.

But what if the universe is infinite?

Ah but it can't be infinite as the present occurs because successive additions of previous events. i.e. I'm here to write because I'm bored, I am bored cos I didn't want to do my hwk anymore, I had hwk because the teacher gave me some etc. so you see? If time were infinite we would never get to the present day, as it would have taken us an infinite amount of time to get from the past to the present.

Time cannot be infinite, as it will mean that it took an infinite amount of time to reach to today, which is logically, mathematically and in any other way, impossible. Now the present does exists, so time must be finite. Time is finite; it must have had a beginning. The beginning must have been something that is not .blah blah blah and so, the being is what we understand as God. enough revision for now.

Aiight see you next time.

Oh I forgot! NEXT TIME: Kenshin seems to have some very nasty stuff to say to Kaoru.and oh? Tae doesn't seem to think Kaoru's doing the right think to provoke her future husband..and kenshin's got new plans to get rid of the girl!? YAY

Love you all :D