jychan: I don't own Saiunkoku Monogatari so no suing please….

11. A Confusion

"Hidari-hime..."

"Eh? Doushite?"

Hidari woke up as she opened her eyes,

"In a few minutes the sun would rise up already."

Shuuei told the younger princess who shifted her

"Eh? So, what? I'm a princess, so I can sleep whenever I want to!"

Hidari grumbled as she covered her face with the blanket,

Shuuei sighed at this and thought of an idea, while smirking at this.

"Go away already."

Hidari said as Shuuei lied down beside her,

"Eh? What's happening? Get out of my bed."

"Your bed? I must disagree with you Hidari-hime, but this is my residence."

Shuuei said as he smirked at his remark,

"Eh?"

Hidari said as she sat down on the bed,

"Where am I?"

She asked as she looked at her surroundings while Shuuei laughed at her remark,

"It seems you forgot that you are still on my residence, which is why I wanted to wake you up so that you could go inside the Palace already."

Shuuei told her as she nodded at what he said,

"I remember now."

"Good. Now, shall we go to the Palace together?"

"Ah. Nn!"

"Seriously, where could Hidari-hime be!"

Himeko said as she ran in circles,

"Eto, Kogo Himeko, just stay calm. I'm sure Hidari-hime is fine."

"How would I know if she's fine!"

Himeko shouted at Seiran, who sweatdropped,

"E-to..."

"Gomen nassai, Shi-san. I'm just worried of Hidari-hime. If I knew that speaking to Seien-sama would have something in return, then I should not have taken the chance to talk to him!"

Himeko said as she buried her face into her hands,

"Eto... I don't think so."

Seiran said as he sweatdropped on what the Empress of Shinyen said,

"And oh, Shi-san, are you sure that you won't go home yet? I'm fine here."

"Himeko-nee-sama!"

The two of them turned to see Ryuuki on light clothes,

"Ryuuki-ten'no!"

"Shujou!"

"Ani- I mean, Seiran, why are you still here? And why are you still awake, Himeko-nee?"

Ryuuki asked the two of them as Seiran replied,

"I had to comfort Kogo Himeko-sama."

"Hidari-hime's lost. I don't know where she is. I tried looking for her in her room, but she's not there. Goodness. If I only knew then..."

"Eto, Himeko-nee, I was sure that Hidari-hime was with Shuuei, looking for you."

"Saa, she's with Ra-. Shimatta."

Seiran said as Ryuuki and Himeko looked at him,

"K'so. If I only knew that they would take this late..."

"Shujou, I will look for the two of them."

Seiran volunteered as Himeko raised an eyebrow,

"What's the problem if Hidari-hime is with this 'Shuuei'?"

Himeko asked the two siblings as they looked at her,

"Shujou, should I tell Kogo Himeko-sama?"

"Eh? But Seiran..."

"You see, Kogo Himeko-sama, Ran-shogun is..."

"EH? All of you are still awake?"

The door opened revealing a Shinyen Princess and a certain general,

"Hidari-hime!"

The three of them exclaimed as Hidari raised an eyebrow,

"Doushite desu ka? Is there any problem?"

Hidari asked as the two of them went in,

"Thank goodness you're alright. Where have you gone this time? Shuuei-san, I'm thankful that you brought Hidari-hime safe and sound."

Himeko thanked Shuuei as he just smiled,

"Maa, maa, at least, I'm back now, which reminds me, Onee-sama, where did you go? I was worried of you, which was why I looked for you with Ran-san."

'Ran? Then, this man, no, according to the way he dresses up, he is at least a noble, no, a government official. And he's part of one of the noble families.'

Himeko thought as she looked at Shuuei,

"Worried of you... or probably hungry because we cannot start without you..."

Shuuei whispered as Hidari stomped off his feet,

"Itaii..."

"Maa, maa, it was nice of you to let me sleep in your house, by the way."

Hidari said as the others widened their eyes in surprise,

"Hidari-hime, you slept on Shuuei-san's house?"

Himeko asked,

"Ah hai. It seems it would be bad if someone saw me at this time outside of the Palace, so I thought that it won't hurt if I just stayed in Ran-san's residence. But if you're worried if something happened between us, that would be utterly impossible. Nothing is happening between me and Ran-san, neh?"

Hidari said as she glanced at Shuuei who was strucked by the words that Hidari said, but nonetheless, nodded,

"Is that so? Then, good. Now, allow us to retreat ourselves."

Himeko said as Himeko, Ryuuki and Seiran left Hidari's quarters,

"So, Ran-san, you're still not going to go?"

Hidari asked as she looked at the person remaining,

"Iee. I just wanted to tell you something, because most likely, tomorrow I won't see you again. Probably forever."

"Eh? Well, probably, I won't be back..."

Hidari said as she went near Shuuei,

"So, I wanted to use this chance... Could I ask you something?"

Shuuei asked as Hidari's head tilted to a side,

"Sure. I'll answer."

"Is there someone inside your heart as of this moment?"

Shuuei asked as Hidari's narrowed her eyes on the thought,

"Eto... There's none as of the moment..."

Hidari said as Shuuei sighed in relief and said,

"That's good. Well then, I'll tell you this. Don't make anyone go inside your heart except for me. I'm the only one allowed to invade your heart."

"EH? What do you mean?"

"You heard me. Ja, Hidari-hime. Sayonara."

"Chotto matte! Ran Shuuei!"

Hidari called on the older guy as she was blushing from what he said,

"I'm confused. Was that a confession or what?"

She dropped on her knees as she blushed

"Maa, I guess this is your place then, Kogo Himeko."

"Ah hai. I suppose Shi-san."

Himeko said as Seiran bowed and said,

"Excuse me."

"Please wait a minute Shi Seien."

Seiran turned around as his eyes widened in surprise,

'How could she possibly know?'

"If you think I didn't know that you're Seien-sama, then you're wrong. Definitely wrong. A 100% wrong."

Himeko said as Seiran sweatdropped and said,

"You're wrong, Kogo Himeko."

"Kindly stop the act. You can fool anyone but me, Seien-sama. From the first time that I saw you, I always knew that you were Seien-sama. That was very much proven when I acted out there and you tried to comfort me back being Seien-sama. Please don't lie anymore."

Himeko said as she bit her lip,

"I'm sorry, Kogo Himeko, but I am not the exiled prince."

"Stop denying there! I knew that you were Seien-sama. How could I not recognize you! Only a fool would not realize that you are Seien-sama."

"I was Seien, now I'm already happy being Seiran."

Himeko smirked what he said,

"Oh? Earlier, Ryuuki-ten'no slipped on calling you 'Aniue'. You have to teach him good, Seien- iaa. It's Seiran. Shi Seiran. Nice name."

Himeko said as she turned around,

"It's a good thing that you understood me."

"Well, I won't be the Empress of Shinyen for nothing."

"It was also a good performance earlier."

"Oh? But everything that I said except for some few, likemissingyou. Yes, I hate admitting that, but what can I do. Oh well, anyways, most of what I said are true."

"What do you mean? Then..."

"Oyasuminnasai."

Himeko went in her room, leaving a confused Seiran, outside.

She bit her lip and tears started drifting down her face.

jychan: Well, that was it. So, surprise! surprise! Himeko knows!. OK? Thanks for the reviews!!!

Stelra Etnae: Yup... I guess... It's pretty bad for Shuuei since Hidari is totally oblivious in the last chapter... But oh well... Concerning how Himeko looks... She has the same hairstyle as Ryuuki's... But she has gray hair... She probably looks like her mother since Hidari has blue hair like her father... And then, for what she wears... I kinda modified the kimono.... LMAO... It seems it should be quite different from the clothes from Saiunkoku since they came from another country... With Hidari... It's quite difficult to describe... LMAO...

unknown player/ keia mizuki: Oh thank you! I hope you'll like this chapter...