1
It was the morning of the tenth day since I was placed in Yuriko's care. I was in her shack having a breakfast of unfamiliar foods when there came a knock on the door.
That was the first time we'd ever had a visitor. As I hurriedly adjusted my unladylike posture, Yuriko opened the door.
Mr. Harumi stood outside. I was surprised. I hadn't realized he was home. Mr. Harumi made no move to enter, but frowned at the inside of the shack and spoke through the doorway.
“Yuriko, and Mariko too. Something strange has happened.”
“Strange? What is it?”
“Mariko's father called me yesterday. He said that Count Minoshima had made him an offer.”
“Sir Minoshima did?”
“Yes. Your father told a long and unfocused story, but to reduce it to its essentials, this was the offer: 'I would like to adopt Mariko, third daughter of Viscount Kabatani, into the Minoshima family, in exchange for a sum of 10,000 yen. If you agree, we of the Minoshima family will take full responsibility for Mariko's future, including who she will marry.' That was what the Count said to him.”
As I stood there uncomprehending, Mr. Harumi looked at me with, for the first time, kindness.
Me, be adopted? Into the family of Count Minoshima, at that? My sister had already married into the Minoshima family, our rivals in the hunt for the treasure, and now they wanted me as well?
“Why would he ask for that? I can't believe Sir Minoshima would truly desire that... I wonder if it's related to Mr. Kinukawa's treasure.”
If I were still at home, I would have been severely scolded for asking such a prying question.
“I'm told Count Minoshima didn't explain his reasoning. But I can only believe it has something to do with your treasure hunt. Count Minoshima is a man who thinks of nothing but getting more money. I'm certain he's the mastermind behind in this deal. I think he wants you to find the treasure.”
“So then, do you want Miss Yuriko and I to stop looking for the treasure? That would save us from the competition.”
“No, I'd rather you didn't. The Count is so desperate that he offered to pay Viscount Kabatani 10,000 yen, on top of the costs to take care of you.”
“He wouldn't spend that kind of money just to stop your treasure hunt. There aren't many people who could guess that someone like Yuriko has the ability to find the missing million yen treasure.”
It was an extreme reaction. He wouldn't have spent that much money just to stop Yuriko. Yuriko nodded along obediently, but I wondered if she even understood what we were saying.
But what other reason could he have to offer 10,000 yen for me?
“At any rate, if I become the daughter of Sir Minoshima as he wants, and Father receives 10,000 yen, then that will be about half of our family's debts paid off. It won't be the full amount, but we will at least be able to fulfill our obligations to you, Mr. Harumi.”
“That is true.”
“No.”
Yuriko suddenly snapped.
“Mariko is mine. She was pawned off to me. I can't just let someone else take her.”
That may have been, but what Mr. Harumi and I were discussing was a way to repay the debt that I had been pawned for.
“...In truth, I don't wish to be adopted, either. But this is a problem within my family.”
“You shouldn't say things like that so easily. If you box yourself in saying stuff like that, then you're just lying that you're prepared for something you're not.”
Yuriko so casually tore through my inner conflict.
I wanted to respond, but before I could, Mr. Harumi spoke again.
“It does make sense to give Yuriko the right to decide. But that doesn't mean the Count and her father will understand. I don't know why things turned out like this, but I can't just turn him down without hearing his side.”
“So. Viscount Kabatani has asked to speak to me directly. He will be here this afternoon. But I can't meet with him at that time. I don't know what he'll have to say, but you two should listen to him and think carefully about your next moves.”
With that, Mr. Harumi left for work.
I welcomed Father into Yuriko's shack.
Father, whom I hadn't seen in ten days, was, of course, Father, but somehow he looked a stranger. He wasn't haggard or disheveled, but he'd lost all sense of dignity. Had something changed in Father, or had something changed in me? Meeting him again made me feel even more lonely.
Father spent a long time lamenting that I had been reduced to sleeping in such a strange, shabby shack, but finally told us his story.
Father didn't know anything that wasn't in what Mr. Harumi had already told us. There was only one place where he could expand.
“...Mr. Minoshima has agreed not only to pay the 10,000 yen, but also to pay off the mortgages on the house. He also said that he'd let me take my time on the repayment.”
It turned out that Father had already borrowed 6,000 yen from Count Minoshima, offering the house as collateral. That made the Count the person he was second deepest in debt to, only behind President Harumi.
Paying off the mortgages, allowing leniency in the 6,000 yen debt, and giving him 10,000 yen on top of that. That was what had moved Father.
Unknowing of the Count's intentions, Father kept talking.
“Noriko has already married into the Minoshima family, so you must be familiar with them already. One might say you're already connected. It is a distinguished family. You should be honored to become their daughter.”
Noriko was the name of my eldest sister.
“Of course, the Count will ensure your future. Since you are to be adopted, you should be made to learn their etiquette as a former samurai family. Then the Count will surely find you a good match. Of course, it will be someone from the nobility, someone of a family suitable for you.”
“Hey, why do they want her adopted?”
Yuriko asked that out of nowhere.
“What?”
“Well, I mean, they haven't even decided who Mariko will marry, right? Why haven't they?”
“There are various circumstances that keep such things from being easy. It's not something you would understand.”
Father said that with an annoyed expression. He wasn't happy to have Yuriko present during our discussion at all.
However, regardless of where it came from, Yuriko's doubts were valid, and Father had just arrogantly brushed them off.
My sister was married to the Count's third son, and all of his sons were married men. The only conclusion was that the Minoshima family had no need for a bride. And yet, they were planning to adopt me, educate me, and then marry me off to a good family? The idea was too absurd for words.
Count Minoshima must have had a hidden reason behind his actions.
Father knew that much, and he didn't know what to do. 10,000 yen wasn't enough to pay off all his debts, but it was certainly a more realistic plan than trusting Yuriko to find a hidden treasure. The Count's motives may have been a mystery, but it was hard to believe that the Minoshima family, who had already married my eldest sister, would do anything reckless.
Father wasn't trying to sway me. He was only speaking of his own desires.
“Well, it is your future. Think it over carefully before you decide.”
With that, Father left us.
“When did your sister get married?”
“It was about a year ago, though the engagement was already arranged before the earthquake.”
So, that my eldest sister had married into the Minoshima family was a complete coincidence, unrelated to this incident. The Count hadn't started planning to find the treasure until after the earthquake.
“Really? Mariko, you have no ideas whatsoever?”
“There's no way that's it.”
Yuriko had said I might have known something important that would help him find the hidden fortune. If the Count needed me, then perhaps I was the key.
Quite frankly, that was the only possibility that made sense to me. I couldn't see any other reason why he would want to adopt I, a girl with no future.
But what exactly was I meant to know? I'd only ever seen Viscount Kinukawa from a distance, and I didn't know much about his family. And I hadn't known about the treasure until Yuriko told me about it.
So even if I did know something that was needed to solve the mystery, it must have been something that didn't appear related to the treasure at a glance. In that case, no matter how hard I racked my brains, I would never find the answer.
“I think it'd be better to just ask Mr. The Count, to be honest. There's no point thinking about stuff you don't understand.”
“Even if we asked, would he tell us anything? He's seeking to monopolize the treasure for himself.”
Even though we were talking about me, I didn't understand anything. It was like I was sitting on a still wooden horse, while everyone around me circled it again and again, each lost in their own thoughts.
Yuriko just looked at the frustrated me, smile on her face, doing nothing to calm me down.
2
For the next three days, Yuriko didn't leave the shack, but spent her time taking care of her horse, playing with strange circus paraphernalia, and making me read her novels.
“Hey, I want to write a letter.”
Saying that, Yuriko handed me a brush and some washi paper. It was an awful thick paper to write a letter on.
“What should I write?”
“'It's got konjac in it.'”
“'It's got konjac in it'? That's all? Who are you sending this to?”
“I dunno, I haven't decided yet.”
Unsatisfied, I carefully wrote exactly what I was asked.
“Write about three more pages.”
Yuriko took the stack of silly letters and held them up in both hands, near bursting with glee.
“Thanks! I'll probably be able to send these soon.”
Yuriko appeared to have completely forgotten about the treasure. It was possible she was planning something for the future, but that girl never once looked like she was thinking and was always moving around doing something, so I couldn't tell what was on her mind.
I couldn't stay as carefree as her.
I would be adopted, and in exchange, our debts would be paid off and I'd protect the Kabatani family's honor. I'd be educated as a daughter of the Minoshima family, and someday I'd be married to a suitable suitor. That was Father's dream.
Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. I didn't know what Count Minoshima's intentions were, and 10,000 yen wasn't enough to pay off all our debts. But what if the Count agreed to Father's negotiations and offered to pay off all our debts? Then Father would surely persuade me to become part of the Minoshima.
If that happened, what would be left for me? I had no ideas or talents that could stand up before the honor of the nobility. I was just a bookwormish girl who wrote amateur novels between rounds of sulking. If Father used the logic of “It is for the sake of the Kabatani family, and ultimately, for your own sake,” I knew I'd accept that as right, just as he had.
As I worried, my thoughts returned once again to my second sister, who had passed on.
I didn't know how many times I'd wished that Ayako was still alive. It wasn't that I wanted her to take my place. It was just that it would have been better for everyone if I'd been the one who'd died.
My oldest sister, Noriko, didn't look much like me, but Ayako and I had very similar faces. I like to think I was better academically, but Ayako was much more sociable. When I accidentally broke a precious teacup, Ayako was always the first person I'd confide in, and she would encourage me to apologize to Mother, or speak on my behalf. Ayako was the only person in my life I could talk to without thinking about status.
The reason I'd felt so excited when Yuriko took me from my home was because the strange girl didn't seem to care at all that I came from noble blood. The two weeks I'd spent as part of her life felt like a visit to an amusement park. It could never be my home. Sooner or later, I would have to return to where I belonged.
...Was Yuriko trying to help me?
I had a feeling it was like that. Perhaps she didn't believe she could really find the Kinukawa family's treasure. Perhaps she'd gone to the trouble of taking me from my home because she understood the way I felt.
Perhaps she was trying to teach me about interesting parts of the world, show me acrobatic tricks I'd never seen before and take me places I otherwise never would have visited. That may have also been why she opposed my adoption, making the absurd argument that I was “pawned off to her.”
When I thought that, my pride as a noblewoman stung. Why should such an enigmatic girl, one with no education and no refinement, be the one to teach me about the world? I would never accept Yuriko's selfish way of life.
“Mariko, let's practice horse riding.”
Yuriko called out to me as I was reading a book in the shed.
For some reason, Yuriko wanted me to learn how to ride a horse. Whenever she had any free time, she would call me over, sit me on Katsuyo, and teach me horsemanship. I'd been taught to be diligent in all my studies, so I obediently headed out to the garden and practiced as Yuriko instructed.
When I put on my hakama and left the shed, I found Katsuyo waiting for me, saddled and ready to go, as usual.
I wasn't very good with horses, but Yuriko was a patient teacher. In two weeks, I had learned to call the horse's name first to avoid startling it, and to avoid accidentally hitting her stomach with my legs.
“You're getting pretty good. I think you're ready to do a lap around the garden without me beside you.”
“No, I'm still a bit nervous about that...”
According to Yuriko, Katsuyo was an abnormally gentle horse. But whenever I was on her back, she would walk especially leisurely, and I felt like she could tell I was afraid. It would be one thing if Yuriko was sitting behind me holding the reigns, but there was nothing fun about riding a horse alone. It was far too frightening.
“Shall we stop here? Miss Katsuyo looks in need of water.”
“Alright.”
Before I knew it, I had been practicing for over two hours. I dismounted, handed the reigns off to Yuriko, and left the caretaking to her.
Leaving the stable, I lifted my collar and lowered my nose to my kimono, checking how it smelled. Since I'd worn it day after day without washing it, it had gradually absorbed the smell of compost and animals. I could have taken it to be laundered, but the only laundry workers I knew were the ones who came to the mansions. Besides which, the only times in my life I'd been given money were when I needed it for the train fares, so I didn't even know how to ask to have clothes cleaned.
I didn't want this. This dirty, filthy life...
That thought, which had been hidden within me, gradually spread throughout my body as though it had reached its melting point. I wanted to get away from that place. I didn't have anywhere else in mind, but I wanted to be alone.
If Yuriko noticed me, I was sure she'd stop me. I looked around and saw that she was doing some kind of work in the stables.
I quietly slipped out the gate to the backyard.
I hadn't made up my mind yet. I just wanted to forget, even for a moment, about my impending adoption, and about the smell that was gradually seeping into my pores.
I just wandered the area near the mansion. I didn't have the courage to run away.
After some time, I saw a car stop in a nearby alleyway.
It was a fine car with a closed top. I had a feeling I'd seen it before, so I stopped for a moment to search my memories.
But before I could recall anything, two men emerged from the car.
The men looked at each other, then at me. Then they ran at me.
I tried to turn and run, but the men were on me in an instant, and I found myself cornered, with my back to a wall.
“You're Mariko Kabatani, the daughter of Viscount Kabatani, aren't you?”
“Yes, but–”
“We need you to come with us. Our employer has something important to talk with you about.”
Something important?
At that moment, I remembered where I'd seen that closed car.
It was the Minoshima family's car! Count Minoshima had sent these men to have me taken away for the adoption.
“What is it you want?”
The men ignored me, and one took me by the arm. Just as I was about to cry out “Miss Yuriko!”, the other man covered my mouth. With me unable to struggle any further, the two men led me to the car.
As the car pulled away, I looked back. I had thought I might see Yuriko behind us, chasing us on Katsuyo's back, but there wasn't a soul to be seen.
3
I was kept in a sunless four-and-a-half tatami room. The only furniture was a futon and a low chair, and my nightgown, a change of clothes, some old girls' magazines, and a random selection of novels had been thrown on the floor.
Were they mocking me? One of the novels was a copy of Burnett's A Little Princess. When I'd read it as a child, I'd never dreamed that I'd end up in the same situation.
The sliding doors were barred from the outside. I could probably break them down if I kicked as hard as I could, but I was sure if I did, someone would just run over and recapture me. I had to shout for an escort whenever I needed to use the bathroom. And then I'd be watched all the way until I returned.
The lone window had been carefully fitted with iron bars. It looked like recent work, and done by amateurs; glue was still seeping from them. But it still looked too solid for me to pull them off.
From the window, I could see a bleak garden, a mowed lawn, and a simple fence of plaster blocks. Beyond lay endless rows of trees. No matter how loudly I shouted, nobody would hear.
It had taken about two hours of driving to reach here. I hadn't been blindfolded or anything, but all I knew was that we'd driven through an unfamiliar town, through an empty forest, and arrived somewhere in the mountains.
What was clear was that this was a second home built in secret on orders of Count Minoshima. But because it had been built in secret, it hadn't been well constructed. Everyone inside was someone close to the Count.
After I was placed under house arrest, a long time passed.
It seemed the only people in the residence were servants. There was no one from the Minoshima family itself. Unlike the men who'd brought me there, the servants treated me with the respected appropriate to a daughter of a noble family, but they were just as cold. It seemed they were trying to convince me I hadn't been kidnapped.
“Count Minoshima will come to see you soon.”
“Viscount Kabatani knows that you're here.”
No matter how many times or how many different ways I asked, that was all the information I was given.
It was on the evening of the third day since I'd been brought there. The maid came to call on me.
“The Master has arrived. Please, come see him.”
After getting dressed, the maid escorted me to a small reception room near the building's entrance.
Count Minoshima was waiting for me, dressed in a casual kimono, sitting with his elbows on a low table. When he saw me, he straightened up.
“I am Mariko Kabatani.”
“I am Minoshima. Sit down.”
The Count sat me down opposite him at the table. Not wanting to glare at him, I kept my eyes down.
Until that day, I had only met Count Minoshima as one of many guests at evening parties and my sister's wedding; this was my first time seeing him face-to-face. He was approaching sixty, with a moustached face and gold-rimmed, circular glasses. I had always thought he looked the way a Count should, but facing him up close changed that impression.
The Count didn't quite hold the dignity of a nobleman. His clay-like skin, his stubborn eyes, his cold mouth... everything about him seemed to hold an air more of practicality than of pride. I felt as though I was seeing for the first time a piece I had only ever read about in art books and was disappointed to see the effects years of weathering had had on it.
“I'm sure you were surprised to suddenly find yourself here, but I trust you haven't been inconvenienced?”
It was an absurd thing to ask someone he'd had kidnapped and locked away. I felt a brief urge to complain about the quality of the food and ask for fresh snow crab and rock oysters.
“...No, not at all.”
“I see.”
“But I would like it if you'd explain why I'm here, Sir Minoshima.”
“Of course. That is why I've come all this way. I assure you, this whole affair was sudden, and I never expected something like this would become necessary. However, it became absolutely necessary that the two of us speak as quickly as possible. I understand it will be difficult for you to accept, but allow me to explain. That is my hospitality.”
“First, there is the issue of your father. I feel sorry for Viscount Kabatani, I truly do. He is having a hard time in life as a result of his outrageous debts. I helped him out with a bit of money, some 6,000 yen or so. Of course, I haven't been charging him any interest.”
Indeed, Father had already told me he'd borrowed money from Count Minoshima.
“However, it would appear that wasn't enough to save the Viscount from his predicament. The man's largest creditor is the president of Harumi Trading, who I hear loaned him about 10,000 yen.”
“And do I also hear that the president of Harumi Trading is being particularly aggressive in asking for repayment?”
“No, that's not it–”
“Is that so? But then, why were you involved? You were made into collateral, weren't you? You were told you wouldn't be allowed back home until you paid off your debt, correct?”
That was true. Thinking back, I hadn't realized how serious that was.
“What an absurd idea. So absurd, I understand why President Harumi didn't take action himself. Apparently, a homeless girl came to visit you?”
“Yes – a homeless girl who looked like she was visiting a foreign festival.”
“Since he sent a girl, it avoided looking like a kidnapping. But in reality, that's exactly what it was. They kidnapped the daughter of a noble family, using a thin veneer of only 10,000 yen.”
“Of course, since the man in question is the president of Harumi Trading, it would be best to resolve things peacefully. That's why I asked your father to convey my request to Mr. Harumi, which he did. I was planning to discuss the matter with Mr. Harumi further to resolve the issue, but he never responded.”
“If I'd waited too long, there's no telling what would have been done to you. I had to protect you before anything else, before something was done to you that could never be taken back.”
So I was being protected. Certainly, anyone other than Yuriko would have likely seen it that way.
“What do you mean, 'something that can never be taken back?”
“Eh? What are you saying? Don't you understand how much danger you were in? You were educated by your parents and at school, weren't you? Our customs, our virtues don't apply to the merchant classes. That's why Mr. Harumi didn't hesitate to leave you in the care of that barbaric girl.”
Barbaric? Yuriko hadn't even forced me to sit astride Katsuyo when she was taking me from the house.
“I think it's only natural to struggle with customs and virtues that are only seen from the outside. One might look into someone's house through their fence and criticize how poorly built their annex is, not realizing that what you actually saw was the chicken coop.”
The Count raised his eyebrows at my passive attempt at resistance.
“Surely you don't mean to say that you've grown attached to a life being led around by that girl?”
“That's...”
Of course, I couldn't have such an attachment. Neither Father nor Count Minoshima would allow it.
If I was a true daughter of the Kabatani family, I would never dream of a life riding around on horseback with a circus girl. I couldn't. I shouldn't.
The Count's feigned ignorance emphasized that idea. He knew if he emphasized that idea, I wouldn't resist any further. Ever since I was born, Father, Mother, and everyone around me had used such underhanded words to solidify my pride as a member of the nobility.
Count Minoshima acted as though he hadn't heard my response. Then he began speaking as though about something totally unrelated.
“Come to think of it, there's something you likely don't know about the president of Harumi Trading. I think it's important you know.”
“You were supposed to work with that girl to find the hidden treasure of the Kinukawa family, weren't you? The girl having heard about the hidden treasure from Mr. Harumi.”
“Haven't you wondered why Mr. Harumi knows so much about that hidden treasure? Of course, Mr. Harumi is a leading figure in the financial world with a keen ear for information. But even then, didn't you find it strange how he even investigated those who were looking for the treasure in the aftermath of the earthquake? Did he ever tell you why?”
“He said it was to repay Father's debt.”
“I'm sure he did. But that's not the real reason. There's no way Mr. Harumi would go to all that trouble over 10,000 yen. I'm sure he doesn't want to share the real reason.”
“The truth is, it would be a great trouble for Mr. Harumi if I were to get my hands on the Kinukawa family's treasure. That's why he's been following my search for it so closely.”
“Are you familiar with the mansion in Shibuya owned by Marquess Asakura? It's a vast mansion built on an area of 130,000 square meters. Recently, the Marquess decided to sell it. Since the earthquake, life has gotten so expensive, you see, there was nothing he could do.”
“Mr. Harumi and I are engaged in a bidding war over that land. An affiliate of Harumi Trading is trying to buy it. Shibuya is expect to develop quite a bit in the future, so it will no doubt be a profitable purchase.”
“That's why I've thrown my own hat in the ring. Since it's land that had been passed down in his family for generations, Marquess Asakura would much rather see it in the hands of a fellow nobleman than sell it to some merchant that comes from nothing.”
“However, Mr. Harumi does have quite a lot of money. It seems he's made the Marquess a considerable offer.”
“If we went against each other as-is, it wouldn't be much of a battle. What has Mr. Harumi worried is Viscount Kinukawa's treasure. If I could get my hands on it, I could make an offer that would rival Mr. Harumi's. If that were to happen, I would definitely be able to acquire that land.”
“Mr. Harumi wants to prevent that by finding the treasure himself, and using it to monopolize Marquess Asakura's estate. He exploited you to that end. He wants to use you to gather information.”
Count Minoshima looked at me, trying to judge if that revelation had upset me. I strained to keep my expression neutral.
“...But what do I have to do with Sir Kinukawa's treasure? I don't know the first thing about Sir Kinukawa. Whether I am there or not will have no impact at all on the treasure hunt, will it?”
“It's only natural you'd think that. But that isn't the case. You are extremely important to obtaining Viscount Kinukawa's treasure. Well, I can't imagine Mr. Harumi knows that–”
“What are you saying? Do you mean that I know something about the treasure's hiding place?”
“I can't tell you that now. I'll explain later.”
“This is my proposal. I will protect you from Mr. Harumi by making you part of the Minoshima family. In exchange, I will pay off the debts your father is currently facing. I'm sure you feel sorry for Mr. Kinukawa, but if we manage to obtain that treasure, we can prevent Marquess Asakura's mansion from falling into the hands of some merchant.”
“I don't want to leave anyone unhappy. Including yourself, naturally. You do plan to marry someday, don't you? To be frank, I think I can find you a much better match than your father could. So there's no reason for you to worry too much about becoming part of my family. You'll just keep doing the same things you did as a Kabatani.”
“That's all I have to say. There's no need for you to respond right away. Viscount Kabatani will be here soon, so you should talk to your father and decided on what it is you want.”
I spent several more days in that sunless four-and-a-half tatami room.
I couldn't stand the boredom I felt. But whenever I tried to read a book or magazine, I found myself unable to concentrate and abandoned it.
Mr. Harumi's company was competing with Count Minoshima over valuable land. The Kinukawa family's treasure would determine the outcome of their bidding war.
That story was probably true. Mr. Harumi had said that Count Minoshima desperately needed funds for something.
What was it that Mr. Harumi was thinking? No doubt he did want to prevent the Count from finding the treasure. Then, as Count Minoshima had said, did Yuriko taking me out of the house as collateral have something to do with that?
Apparently, I held the key to finding the treasure. However, according to the Count, Mr. Harumi didn't know that. So then, was it Yuriko's idea to take me after all? What was that girl thinking?
Yuriko was working on President Harumi's orders. Perhaps those orders weren't to pay off Father's debt, but to stop the Kinukawa family's treasure from falling into the hands of Count Minoshima? To Mr. Harumi, the 130,000 square meters of land were far more important than the Kabatani family's debt of less than 10,000 yen.
Count Minoshima thought that if I learned that Mr. Harumi wasn't looking after me out of the kindness of his heart, but was using me for money, I'd be disappointed in him. The Count had revealed his own hand in all this to disillusion me.
How he'd misjudged me. I would never have been disappointed to learn a company president had a profit motive.
If anyone could disappoint me now, it would be Yuriko. What if Yuriko had been working to help President Harumi win the battle for the land without telling me? The very thought filled me with loneliness.
I believed that Yuriko, who had dragged me this way and that as she pleased, acted out of something other than self interest. That was why I'd so arrogantly looked down on her and her attempts to help me, even when she objected to Count Minoshima's proposal. Now, though, I prayed and prayed that the circus girl's kindness was that innocent.
Did Count Minoshima think that would convince me to become his daughter?
As I ruminated over his words, my anger grew ever stronger and more focused.
He'd lied to me, deceived me, or been outright hypocritical more times in that one conversation than I cared to remember. To say nothing of trying to claim he'd kidnapped me for my own protection, he'd talked about taking Marquess Asakura's land for himself as though it would protect the pride of all the nobility, and blindly assumed that adopting me as his daughter would bring me happiness. Every single thing he'd said was full of attempts to deceive me.
There was no way the Count was worried about me, or that he would have treated Marquess Asakura's land with any respect whatsoever. The “happiness” he'd promised me would surely amount to nothing more than a kimono with the word “happiness” scribbled on the front, shoved onto me without even checking the fitting.
The Count had made no effort to hide those feelings. Did he really think he'd be able to convince me or fool me with words like that?
But of course I realized, Count Minoshima had no intention of convincing me, and had no need to deceive me. The Count had kept up appearances as an aristocrat, but the appearance itself didn't matter. It could be awkward, with the seams visible to the naked eye. So long as it wasn't torn, it was fine. Even though I realized how wrong it was, I had no choice but to obey. I'd never been taught how to rebel. Perhaps nothing was more important than keeping up appearances, even for someone like me.
The Count understood that very well. Even a speech like that was enough for me.
I couldn't suppress my surge of frustration. The frustration mixed with regret, though I didn't know which part of my life to regret first.
What on Earth did I know? What did Count Minoshima want me for that would lead him to the treasure? The Count must have had some confidence that I would never figure it out, no matter how hard I thought about it. Gradually, using my brain began to become too much trouble, and I felt my sharpened anger begin to dull.
4
Just as the Count had said, Father did come to visit me.
Once again, I was brought from the four-and-a-half tatami room to the reception room, where Father and I were left alone. He looked even less dignified than before, as though he'd come to visit me in prison.
“I discussed everything with Mr. Minoshima. He'd said 10,000 yen before, but since his goal is to ensure that you and I have no more problems, he has no intentions of being strict about the amount, nor does he intend to negotiate it like a business transaction.”
“Do you mean to say that Sir Minoshima will pay off our entire debt?”
“Yes. Well, that's up to you...”
It was exactly as I'd expected.
If he was trying to get his hands on a hidden treasure worth one million yen, he wouldn't let such a petty sum dissuade him. It seemed the Count was determined to make the Kabatani feel indebted to him.
“I realize this is sudden. I'm sorry it's all been so confusing. And I shouldn't have let Mr. Harumi's messenger take you away like that. I should have stood up to him. But, even though it's all so sudden, that also means it's all been resolved sooner. You don't need to be held hostage any longer.”
“I'm not sacrificing you for the sake of the family. Of course, this will save the family, but it will also benefit you. Your future self will thank you for taking this chance.”
“But I want to hear how you feel. What do you want to do? Do you want to become part of the Minoshima family?”
I wanted to be rid of Father's simpering voice, so I gave the first answer that came to mind.
“No.”
Father's gave me a bitter look, as though we were acting in a play and I'd gone off-script.
“You don't want to? Really? Then what do you want to do?”
I had no answer.
“Well, think about it a bit more. Mr. Minoshima says it's fine if you stay here for a while.”
Once again, I was sitting in the four-and-a-half tatami room, mulling over my situation.
The situation must have been more urgent than I'd thought. If I was a necessary piece in the treasure hunt, then there was no way Father could refuse the Count's proposal. Not only that, but Father owed the Count money, so there was nothing he could do. There was no choice but for him to submit.
This deep in the mountains, no one could hear me scream. If I didn't accept my adoption, I'd never be allowed to leave the mansion.
After so many days locked up in the mansion, I noticed some strange things.
First of all, the structure of the building itself was odd. I only ever left my four-and-a-half tatami room to be escorted to the reception room or use the bath or toilet, but that was enough for me to tell that the building wasn't designed according to a straightforward plan.
When you entered via the front door, the corridor you found yourself in didn't lead to the back, but stretched off to the left and right. It went a few meters in both directions before curving back. I was only ever allowed to pass down the right hallway, but after a while, that hallway curved back to the left.
From that, I could deduce that this mansion must have had a courtyard. It was surrounded on all four sides, as though the mansion were a series of tenement buildings. Observing the comings and goings of my caretaker, I was certain that was how the house was designed.
However, there were no windows overlooking the courtyard in any of the corridors. Why would someone create a courtyard they didn't want to view? Instead, at the very end of the corridor was a sturdy door with no peephole, which appeared to lead out to the courtyard.
What was also strange was that when the maid brought me my meals, whether it was breakfast, lunch, or dinner, she'd always bring along what looked like a boxed lunch, separate from my own. I'd heard this mansion was filled exclusively with servants, so perhaps it was for one of them? But it was suspicious that there was always only one lunchbox.
What solidified my suspicions was a conversation I overheard one night. It was a conversation between two men, which I heard coming from the corridor one night as I lay awake in my futon after turning off the oil light, unable to sleep.
“...I'm sick of this. I'm fed up with taking care of that guy.”
“...What else are we supposed to do? It's for a million yen. Once we get that out of the way, we won't need to keep watch over this place anymore.”
At first I thought “that guy” may have referred to myself, but no matter how hard I thought, I couldn't recall ever once having been taken care of by the male owner of that voice. Since I'd been brought to the mansion, I'd only ever been accompanied by a maid.
All of those details led me to one conclusion.
Someone other than myself was being held captive in the mansion's courtyard. And that someone must have been an important part of the hunt for Viscount Kinukawa's treasure. Combining the layout of the mansion, the maid's second lunchbox, and the conversation between the men, that was the only conclusion.
Thinking about it, there was something strange about the mansion built by Count Minoshima. It was far from civilization, in a place without a particularly good view of anything, and astonishingly poorly made for a Count's villa. No matter how I thought about it, it was purpose-built as a prison.
Here, even if people came and went, and even if the person being held captive made a fuss, there was no risk of arousing anyone's suspicion. There was no telling how long the treasure hunt would take, so he must have gone to all the trouble of creating a place like this to hold me captive.
I was terrified. Who was the other person being held captive? What would happen to me if I didn't obey the Count?
What was Yuriko doing right then? Whatever her purpose was, there was no way she wasn't worried about me. At least, I hoped that was so.
But Count Minoshima would ensure this place remained a secret. He'd had no choice but to tell Father, but he would ensure Mr. Harumi and Yuriko never found it.
And even if Yuriko did ever show up, what exactly did I expect the acrobat girl to do?
5
A few more days passed without any developments.
I had finally given up hope that Yuriko would ever come save me when I received a different unexpected visitor.
The maid opened the sliding door and immediately announced
“The Lady Noriko Minoshima has come to see you bearing a message.”
“Lady Noriko?”
Noriko Minoshima... my eldest sister who had married into the Minoshima family. By far the person I least wanted to see.
I was led to the reception room, where my eldest sister, dressed in a formal kimono, waited for me with a placid expression.
“...Sister. It has been a long time.”
“Indeed it has, Mariko. Please, have a seat.”
I hadn't seen Noriko since her wedding last year. Seeing her look at me like a student who'd just been called to the principal's office, I realized that she had completely become part of the Minoshima family.
“I heard what happened from Father and the Count. It would appear you've had quite the journey. There is something I must tell you, Mariko. That is why I've come here.”
In other words, Father and Count Minoshima had asked her to persuade me. My sister would have never done something so immodest otherwise.
Unable to stand up to Noriko's cold gaze, I instinctively bowed my head. That prompted my sister to begin.
“I hear you spent a time living with a girl from the circus. It wasn't that you were tied down and unable to escape, was it? I wonder, why is it you didn't run away at the first opportunity?”
“Because I made a promise due to Father's debts...”
“Yes, I'd heard that things ended up that way because that girl kept telling you as much.”
“But Mariko, setting aside that little promise for a moment, didn't you want to go back home? You didn't enjoy being with that girl, did you?”
“I...”
I couldn't have. That was only natural.
“Of course. I don't know if you recall, but ever since you were little, you were the sort of girl who would wander off and follow any old street performer who passed outside your window.”
“Of course, if you truly do enjoy these sorts of things, then there's nothing I can do. But Mariko, isn't it about time you sat down and really thought about the responsibility that comes with being a Kabatani?”
“You think you already understand, don't you? Certainly, you have pride that you were born into the family. But you've lived your whole life without ever once feeling responsible.”
“It's all Ayako's fault, really. She was so kind to you. I'm sure you thought that she would take care of all the unpleasant things in life. You thought it was Ayako's job to actually contribute to the family, not yours, am I right? Am I?”
“...Yes.”
Every time Noriko talked about Ayako, my heart trembled. I was afraid of what she'd say about Ayako if I protested. I also didn't have the confidence to declare that my eldest sister was wrong.
“Unfortunately, Ayako is no longer with us. She's gone. I know it's sad, but that doesn't mean you can just sit around moping forever. You can't just read books and playact at being a novelist, either.”
My sister said it as though it were common knowledge, which took me by surprise.
“How did you know I've been writing novels?”
I'd kept that part of me a secret for years. No one should have known about it except Ayako and Yuriko...
“Ayako told us everything. I know, it was meant to be a secret, but... Mother and Father were quite torn over whether or not they should force you to quit. Ayako seemed convinced you had talent, though.”
“Mariko, you have a strong desire for the pure and innocent things in life. It's nothing unique. It's normal for a girl your age. You think you deserve things like that.”
“I'm sure that circus girl you were with was the same. Oh, I don't think she's a bad girl. She's just boorish and ignorant. I've no doubt you sensed something within her that you admired.”
“But you mustn't forget, Father and many others have gone to great lengths to support you. Who bought the books you read? Who bought the fountain pens and the paper you write your little novels on?”
“You can't admire such things forever. And besides, how can you hope to ever write stories that move people's hearts when the real you is such a child?”
I bowed my head in frustration and couldn't speak for a long while. The memory of when Noriko realized I'd taken her hand mirror ran through my head. She had the exact same expression on her face now. I was sure she'd seen through my child self's ill intentions long ago.
If I wasn't a child of the nobility, I'd be nothing but a spoiled brat. That was what Noriko was trying to make me understand. I wasn't sure if she was right or just trying to manipulate me. But the tightness in my chest left no doubt that there was at least some seed of truth in her words.
Finally, I managed to squeeze out a question.
“Do you know what Count Minoshima is doing at this mansion? There's something strange about this place...”
My sister exploded with rage.
“Can't you do anything for yourself? Must you always search other people for ideas? Don't you understand how much of a struggle it was for Father to accept the Count's proposal? Of course, he had a thorough discussion with the Count before he came to his decision. But here you are, pretending to be the heroine of some sort of detective novel and casting baseless aspersions on other peoples' characters.”
“Now, Mariko, Father and the Count have given you your time to think. Of course, if Ayako were here, she'd already know what you need to do.”
“...Yes. I'm sure she would.”
“So, do you accept Count Minoshima's proposal?”
“...Yes.”
It's not that I couldn't have thought of a counterargument. It was just that if I'd kept defending myself, I'd have hurt my pride. The pride created within me as I followed the ways of my parents and sister.
“I understand. I'll let Father know.”
And with that, her mission complete, my sister immediately left me.
I returned to the four-and-a-half tatami room.
It might have been my last day there. When the Count found out I'd agreed to become his adopted daughter, he'd no doubt send someone to pick me up right away. After that, I had no idea what would happen. My sister had told me that I shouldn't think about anything but fulfilling my responsibilities.
The reason I no longer had the energy to resist was because I'd been confronted with the knowledge that my entire family knew my secret.
Ayako had told them. After I'd asked her to keep it a secret.
It wasn't something I could blame her for. If I hadn't been in that exact situation, I wouldn't have been so upset. The fact still remained that Ayako had accepted me. ...The effort to protect my memories of Ayako sapped all my energy to resist.
In the end, my life had always been a tool of the Kabatani family, and no amount of writing would help me escape that.
An empty feeling filled my body, and I was suddenly so sleepy. Without finishing my dinner, I went to bed.
6
I felt a touch on my cheek.
When I opened my eyes, it seemed to be near midnight. The light of the moon, which had just begun to wane from full, shined faintly through the open barred window. A caramel was rolling on the futon.
When I closed my eyes, assuming I was dreaming, I felt another touch in the exact same place. I looked again and saw a second caramel, right next to the first.
That was strange. I wasn't dreaming. Finally, my brain started to work again, and I sluggishly pulled off my blanket.
“Ah! You're awake!”
A light, happy voice came from outside the window.
Slowly, the events of the past few seconds clicked into place. I quietly rose from the futon and looked out the window, holding the iron bars.
“Miss Yuriko!”
Standing there was the girl from the circus. Today's outfit was all black, but it was a gorgeous lacy dress.
“You were deep asleep, huh, Mariko? I was worried you'd never wake up.”
“Okay, but that doesn't mean you can throw candies at me.”
“But I didn't want to startle you and make you scream. Caramel is the second least startling thing to get hit with while sleeping. Marshmallows are the first, but you can't wake someone up by throwing marshmallows at them, so I went with caramel.”
“You're a hard girl to find, Mariko. I followed everyone who came out of the Count's place until I found you here. And then I had to spend all this time trying to figure out what was up with the people here.”
“Everyone in the mansion is asleep right now. We can talk if we whisper.”
“...Miss Yuriko, what exactly have you come here for? Are you here to rescue me?”
“Well, I don't know what rescuing you means right now. That's why I need to hear your story.”
Outside the bars, Yuriko was calm and unhurried. No matter what unexpected things I said, I was sure she'd accept them with that same expression.
“Miss Yuriko, Count Minoshima is extremely suspicious. I've noticed many strange things...”
I told her about all the suspicions I'd developed about the Count and his mansion. I felt like that was the correct first thing to say.
“...I see. Mariko, you're in a lot of trouble. What are you going to do?”
“I've already told Sister my answer. I will do as Count Minoshima asked.”
“Aw, you just said 'sure', didn't you? That's not a promise. A promise doesn't count unless you write it down and sign your name on the dotted line.”
“I mean, when other people do it. I've never done anything like that in my life.”
Yuriko didn't seem to care at all how serious I was.
There was something I absolutely had to ask her.
“Miss Yuriko, can you tell me? When you heard Count Minoshima's proposal, you said that I'd been pawned to you, so you couldn't hand me over to him, didn't you? Why was that? If you had let me go, all of your duties would have been fulfilled. Was it because of Mr. Harumi? Do you have orders to stop Count Minoshima from getting the treasure?”
“I don't know what Grandpa Harumi's up to. My only job's to pay off your debt. I don't have to do anything else. Maybe he's hoping that I'll get in Count Minoshima's way, but, y'know, maybe he's also hoping tomorrow'll be sunny. The weather doesn't change for other people's sakes. I'm the same way. I do whatever I want.”
“Before I ran away from the circus, I'd spent my whole life doing stuff I didn't want to. Mariko, the reason I tried to stop you from getting adopted was because if you were, it'd be hard to get you back.”
“But if it's come to this, then it's up to you to decide. So, if you want out of here, I'll help you.”
“There's a way out?”
“Yeah. We'll have to make a bit of noise, but I'll get you out. If you don't want to, I'll get Count Minoshima to pay off your debts, and that'll be that. I won't bother you anymore.”
Yuriko being so frank made me more uneasy. The decision I made at that moment would change my entire life.
“If I choose to leave, what will happen to me?”
“Same thing as before. You and I will go on a million yen treasure hunt.”
“If I run away from here, Count Minoshima will definitely chase me. He says he needs me to get the hidden treasure–”
“'Kay. I don't mind being chased.”
“And I might be disowned. Father would be furious with me, and it might be the only way for him to save face in the eyes of society and Count Minoshima...”
“Would you lose your family? Then you'd be just like me. I never had one of those to begin with.”
“Miss Yuriko, I'm not like you. I can't be like you.”
As I talked, the tears gradually began to flow. I wanted the girl to understand the agony I'd felt confronting Father, the Count, and my sister, so I held them back.
“I'm not like you, Miss Yuriko. I can't do anything. I have no talents, no convictions. The only thing I have is the pride of my family. Pride. Ha! How shameful! Before I'd even realized it, I'd become completely dependent on it to survive. If I lost it, I wouldn't know what to do.”
“Mariko, I don't know what you can do other than reading, but it's also not up to me to decide that. No matter how good I think I am at acrobatics, it's the troupe leader who decides whether I go on stage.”
“Besides, Mariko's the collateral on my debt. As collateral, when I get the money back, I have to return her in her original state. Of course, I always fulfill my jobs. If your pride is important, then there's no need to throw it away. If you lose your pride, you won't be the same when I return you.”
“First off, if you get disowned, then you'll become meaningless as collateral. He won't want you anymore. I have to make sure that doesn't happen, otherwise I'll fail the job.”
“You mean you can just figure it all out? But you don't know for sure everything will work out, do you? The two of us will just beat everyone else and be the first to find the treasure, is that it? Is it!? And what if we fail? What if I get disowned and I'm reduced to making a living as a seamstress or running a stall at the night market?”
“Well, I don't know anything about seamstressing, but if you open a food stall, I'll help out. I'd prefer if it's a sweet potato stand. Or maybe a caramel stand.”
“Alright! Let's decide. Count Minoshima says he needs you, right? I don't need you, Mariko. But I've already got tons of stuff I don't need, so adding you to that ain't nothing. So? What'll it be?”
Yuriko spoke as though she were asking me to pick something off the dinner menu.
My sister had said that I was following Yuriko because I was attracted to her purity. She might have been right, but she'd completely misjudged Yuriko.
What that girl possessed wasn't at all the purity of ignorance. I was sure that she had gained her purity through terrible lived experience, like a fossil being crushed into a diamond. Yuriko was many things, but she was not an innocent child. A child didn't choose how she lived.
Realizing this, I made up my mind.
“Miss Yuriko, I'll go with you. Will you please get me out of here?”
“Yeah! One second. This is gonna be loud.”
Yuriko was grinning.
How was she planning to get me out? She'd said it would cause some noise, but...
Yuriko disappeared from the window for a moment, then returned, accompanied by a large, pitch black shadow. It took a few moments for me to realize what I was looking at.
“...Miss Katsuyo?”
“Yep! Those iron bars were put in pretty carelessly. Maybe they put them up in a hurry when they decided to lock you up? It's nothin' but skinny nails and glue. This'll only take a second.”
Yuriko took two ropes with hooks on their ends and hooked them around the bars, the other ends attached to Katsuyo's collar. Katsuyo, who had been quiet up until now, snorted and began stomping away from the window. The ropes went tense.
“When I give the signal, Katsuyo will start running. Mariko, jump out the window and climb up on the roof. Ready?”
I frantically looked around the four-and-a-half tatami room. I didn't have any belongings to pack.
I quickly shoved the two pieces of caramel on the futon in my mouth. They were the sweetest things I'd ever tasted.
I put on the shoes Yuriko had prepared and waited by the window, preparing my escape. As soon as the bars were removed, I would jump.
Yuriko gave me a wink, then slapped Katsuyo on the buttocks.
With monstrous strength, Katsuyo pulled on the ropes until the entire mansion shook like an earthquake.
“Just a bit more, Katsuyo! Keep going!”
Yuriko yelled out as she inserted a crowbar into the gap created in the bars by the initial yank.
It was obvious the people in the mansion must have awoken by now. How long would it take for them to realize just what was happening and come running?
However, Katsuyo and Yuriko didn't need any more time. The bars came loose, and I jumped out the window, still in my shabby clothes, touching the ground outside for the first time in almost three weeks.
“A-Ahn!”
I gave a stretch. Yuriko immediately pointed to one corner of the exterior wall.
“That way!”
Several thick bamboo poles were leaned against the roof. Yuriko held them in place as I quickly climbed up.
Not wanting to slow her down, I hid on the roof for a moment, then, separate from Yuriko, I sneaked along the roof towards the main gate. There, we would reunite and escape the mansion on horseback.
The slope of the tiled roof made it difficult to walk. I had to move fast. However... the men from the mansion appeared and surrounded Yuriko in a flanking maneuver. I lay down and watched what happened next.
There were three men. They all carried flashlights and what appeared to be weapons.
“You there! Who are you?”
“I'm Yuriko! This is Katsuyo!”
After politely introducing herself, Yuriko pulled her crescent sword from the sheath on her back with her left hand. It looked like she already had something in her right.
“Hey! The Kabatani girl is gone! Where is she?”
“Hm? She ran off into the woods! She said she wanted to go pick wild strawberries.”
Shouting something nonsensical, Yuriko threw the object in her right hand at one of the men.
“Wha!?”
The man dropped what appeared to be a pistol.
Sword still raised, Yuriko swiftly turned around and jumped onto Katsuyo's back. The men tried to grab at her, but she shook them off with a swing of her sword.
I crouched down so the men couldn't see me and slowly made my way towards the main gate, but I was too worried about Yuriko to take my eyes off her.
Yuriko set Katsuyo to a gallop, still sitting backwards, and the men ran in pursuit.
Suddenly, Yuriko took out a canister of tea and scattered what looked to me like pebbles before her pursuers.
“Watch out! Step on one and you'll go numb!”
Caltrops, perhaps? The men in straw sandals flinched as Yuriko set Katsuyo running even faster.
If we continued like this, it looked like Yuriko and I would arrive at the main gate at the same time. We were going to make it...
Just as I thought that, I remembered my suspicions and looked the other way, opposite Yuriko and the men.
The mansion was structured exactly as I'd thought. The building formed a square enclosing a central courtyard. Within the courtyard was a block hut that looked like a prison, complete with a small window fitted with thick iron bars.
Behind the iron bars, I saw them. A figure holding a kerosene lamp.
I couldn't read their expression. Perhaps they were curious about the commotion outside.
I'd been right! There was another person being held captive in the mansion!
I couldn't allow the discovery to distract me.
I turned away from the hut and the courtyard and finally reached the main gate. At almost the same time, Yuriko and Katsuyo appeared below me.
“Here!”
I felt as though the figure trapped in the hut was pulling me back. Shaking off the feeling, I made up my mind and jumped where Yuriko pointed.
My legs went numb. Before I'd even had time to crouch, Yuriko leaned off the horse, twisting her body, and grabbed me by the collar. She helped me onto Katsuyo's back.
“Let's go.”
Yuriko urged Katsuyo on, heading for an escape route into the forest. Katsuyo neighed sharply and, with a clattering of hooves, ran off onto the pitch black mountain path.
When I turned around, I saw the three men, holding their flashlights aloft, standing in front of the gate, blankly staring at us.