"Good morning, Sakuno." Ryoma said, gently, kissing his wife's cheek. Her long hair was over her naked body. She opened the eyes lazily and smiled at him.
"Good morning." She noticed he was not wearing a yukata. He was dressed with a dark kimono and white hakama. "Why are you up so early?"
"I need to go to the city today. You do not need to get up, rest a little more. I brought your breakfast, you can eat when you are up."
"Okay." She closed her eyes and returned to sleep. Ryoma rubbed her belly a little, feeling his daughter soft kick, before pulling the covers over his wife.
He went to his sister's office and found it odd she was not here. While he was on the hallways, he saw an young servant going to the kitchen and stopped her.
"Excuse me, did you see my sister today?"
"Good morning, Ryoma-sama." She made a polite reverence. "I just took some breakfast to her chambers. Shuichirou-sama said his wife was going to take the day off."
"Is she unwell?"
"I don't know, my lord. But, Shuichirou-sama didn't look worried."
"I see. Thank you."
"If you excuse me." The young maid made another reverence before leaving.
Ryoma found it extremely strange. His sister was a workaholic. She would start her duties early in the morning and was the last one going to bed every day.
He reached Kaori's door and was about to knock when he heard muffled cries. He blushed profusely for realizing his sister was having an intimate time with her husband and jumped away from the door.
"Oh, well, I will tell her when I arrive home." he talked to himself before leaving.
############
"Ryoma-sama!" the short elderly woman smiled when he finally arrived at the community house. There were many people waiting for him.
"Chief." He showed her a small smile. She was the leader of the Muramasa's community and he remembered her working together with his father. She was the one who delivered him the people's requests. "Thank you so much for reuniting everyone in such short notice."
"Don't thank me! Everyone was anxious to hear from our new lord." She took Ryoma to the main seat at the hall.
"Silence everyone!" she clapped her hands. "Our lord arrived!"
The people were happy to see him there. There were men, women and even some children. Ryoma took a good look around and looked at them gently. Many of them were his patients from before he left town.
"Good morning to you all." He said, when everyone sat and were silent. "I apologize for not coming sooner after everything that happened. But, my wife is expecting and after everything that happened, I needed to spend some time taking care of her. I hope you understand." He made a reverence to his people. "Thank you so much for receiving me and taking a time of your chores to meet me today."
Ryoma raised his eyes and looked at them seriously.
"Unfortunately, even if it is a great honor, I cannot be the Muramasa's lord."
Everyone looked at each other with surprised expressions. The old lady looked at him, concerned.
"Ryoma-sama, what are you saying?! Your father entrusted the state to you!"
"I know all of you are aware I am not my father's legitimate heir, so I lived my life so far without any desires or competence to do so. A piece of paper does not change that. I only returned so I could help my sister to deal with Ren, but my wife was the one who ended up saving all of us." He looked at every one of the faces present. "My wife and our unborn child are my only priorities. I would be a terrible lord and it would not be fair to any of you. Muramasa deserves better, especially after everything Ren made you guys go through."
He took a parchment from his hakama's pocket and unrolled it in the middle of the room. There were some words written on it.
"Today I came to ask you to help me to do my first and last act as the Muramasa's lord. Kaori is the legit heir. She is the one that truly posses all the qualities to be a great ruler and I know all of you will agree with me. She always put Muramasa's well being before her own. The ancient law about the male heir is outdated and unfair. I want to give Muramasa to my sister. And certify that the future ruler of the state is going to win this land with their competence, not their birth alone. I do not want to see another cruel leader making people suffer."
Ryoma's forehead touched the ground and the people were completely silent.
"Please, I beg you to help me make things right, not only for now, but the future of Muramasa as well." He sat down and the golden eyes were extremely determinate. "Sign this paper, all of you who agrees to change the law and make Kaori the new leader of this state."