Chapter 109 107. Journey to the Shogunate
Noriko Shimizu had a very long dream. She dreamed of a Takayama Shrine, dancing shrine maidens, rivers, a broken bridge and a beautiful boy.

The dream was fragmented, incomplete, and intermittent. She hadn't even heard a trace of conversation before the scenes in the dream switched one after another, leaving her dizzy and unable to think deeply.

She saw her new husband, Tetsuya Watanabe, and re-watched their wedding and their first time together from a third-party perspective...

A white wedding dress, a dark apartment, a sky full of cherry blossoms and fireworks, and a long-lasting pain that penetrates deep into the bone marrow and makes the soul tremble.

When Shimizu came to her senses, her vision had already shifted at some point. She saw an unknown school building that she had never seen before, with her wedding dress on her head. Shimizu lowered her head and saw her newlywed husband Watanabe sleeping on the bed.

But his face looks a little childish, like his school days.

Unexpectedly, in her dream, she saw her newlywed husband Watanabe as a student. He was young and immature but extremely handsome and full of vigor. Shimizu couldn't help but reach out to touch Watanabe's cheek.

She wanted to lean in and kiss him, but the slightest movement sent a shiver through her body that sent shudders through her soul.

Qingshui lowered her head and saw the happiest scene.

Drops of blood fell, dyeing the white gentian flowers red, making them seductive, bright, and extremely transparent, with a strong fragrance.

That’s great!

Qingshui thought.

The biggest grudge in her life, the thing that had been bothering her, was finally slightly relieved in her dream.

"My dear, I belong only to you.

"You can only belong to me."

He leaned over and kissed her, and in just a blink of an eye, Qingshui found that the scene in his dream had changed.

It was her turn to lie on the bed.

She just looked at the clothes she was wearing, the room she was in, her newlywed husband Tetsuya Watanabe standing by the bed with tears on his face, and Miss Nightingale walking past the bed with an anxious look on her face...

She, where is this?
Is she in the hospital?
Is the clothes she wears sick?
Noriko Shimizu was at a loss because she saw her bulging belly deflated quickly like a deflated ball.

It was as if she had undergone a brilliant surgery to eliminate the parasites attached to her body. She should have felt extremely comfortable, but Noriko Shimizu only felt that her life and flesh were being ruthlessly stripped away.

Her body and mind were in excruciating pain.

"I, my..."

She spoke huskily, reaching for the man.

"I'm sorry, Jiko, I'm sorry, I..."

"It's okay, Jiko, it's okay..."

Noriko Shimizu at the back could no longer hear what was said, and she wanted to ask again.

It was as if I had fallen into a time tunnel, and everything in front of me was rapidly moving backwards.

Noriko Shimizu could only see darkness. Her mind was foggy and she couldn't remember anything. No matter how hard she tried, it was useless. It was just like when she was drunk.

In the darkness, Noriko Shimizu held the man's face with her hands, brought him closer, and then opened her eyes with great effort, and saw the appearance of Tetsuya Watanabe clearly. It was undoubtedly her newlywed husband.

"Tetsuya-kun~~"

"Noriko..."

"...Yeah~ I love you Tetsuya-kun, love me..."

"I love you, Jiko! I love you...!!"

…………

…………

Noriko Shimizu once again felt her own weakness and powerlessness.

Even under the influence of alcohol, she was still fragile and vulnerable.

"why why!"

"Why is it over so soon?!"

"For my sake, can't you hold on a little longer?!"

"........."

In a daze, Noriko Shimizu heard the man's hysterical madness. He was completely different from the Watanabe Toru she usually saw.

Subconsciously, she sobbed uncontrollably, her delicate body curled up into a curl.

"I'm sorry, Tetsuya-kun, I'm sorry...

"It's Kiko's fault. Kiko failed to satisfy Tetsuya-kun...

"Wu, wu...it's all Keiko's fault..."

Noriko Shimizu did not blame her new husband, because her Watanabe Tetsuya was so gentle and considerate, and never let her suffer any injustice.

They should have been the perfect couple that everyone envied.

It's just that she, it's just that her body is too delicate and fragile, and she has not been able to make the man she loves most completely happy even once...

"I'm sorry, Tetsuya-kun, I'm sorry..."

Noriko Shimizu felt herself being held in the man's arms. It was the familiar and alluring scent of Tetsuya Watanabe. As she listened to the man's comforting words, she fell into an endless whirlpool of self-blame, unable to escape...

◆

2025, April 4, 30am.

At eight o'clock, a special car from the shogunate would come to pick them up to the shogun's residence. Watanabe got up early, made breakfast, and woke up the sleeping Kiko.

Because of the alcohol she drank last night and Watanabe's rough behavior after returning home, Kiko had a headache and felt uncomfortable all over.

"Since you're not feeling well, why don't you...Jiko not go?"

The journey to the shogunate always has a sense of weirdness, and Watanabe doesn't want to take Noriko on an adventure.

"No, I want to go." Hearing this, Noriko immediately got up and hooked her arms around her new husband's neck, "I don't want to be separated from Tetsuya-kun."

"Okay, okay~"

After a night, the scent of oranges trapped in the quilt suddenly filled the air with the broker's movements and sprayed all over Watanabe's face.

He agreed, and the journey to the shogunate could only be taken one step at a time.

Noriko Shimizu went to wash up as usual and quickly put on some simple light makeup.

As for the intermittent dreams she had last night, she could actually be said to have forgotten them all.

Dreams are like this. Unless you come across certain keywords or see certain specific images in reality, it is difficult to imagine what you dreamed about before, and everything will be forgotten as quickly as disappearing into thin air.

And when you see a familiar scene in reality that brings back a memory of yours, you will clap your hands.

This...I've seen this in my dreams.

Nothing more than that.

Breakfast was as simple as usual. After eating, the Watanabe couple had already packed up and waited for a call or visit from the shogunate staff.

The one who knocked on the door was a young couple of average looking, with characteristic businesslike smiles. After showing relevant documents to prove their identities, they led Watanabe and Noriko into the administrative vehicle.

The Shogun's residence was newly built on the basis of the original Imperial Palace. However, there was not much protest against such an act of usurpation. In fact, most Japanese people thought it was a common occurrence. This shows that the royal family was in decline and the two sides were irreconcilable.

From the moment Watanabe got on the bus to the shogunate, he felt extremely uneasy.

On the surface, he was recruited by the shogunate as a simultaneous interpreter, but he had already learned about the private situation through Saotome's investigation.

This is Jiugongying's abuse of power.

Watanabe also recalled the accidental encounter with Yanagihara Nao yesterday. Her bold and bottom-line-breaking actions, as well as her words that she saw the preview again today, are not difficult to see that she also played a significant role in it. Watanabe Toru did not seem to have any expectations for this trip to the shogunate.

It's inevitable that he will be beaten to a pulp.

He missed Saotome Hazuki very much.

At the very least, Toru Watanabe was familiar enough with her.

.........

After entering the shogunate, the car showed no intention of stopping, but drove straight to the deepest part of the mansion, then got off the car and handed the car to two women in kimonos.

They guided Watanabe and Noriko to walk quietly from the outside of the mansion to the back.

Along the way, Watanabe saw young women wearing kimonos and walking with their heads bowed in the quaint courtyard buildings.

Noriko was obviously affected by the solemn atmosphere. She leaned against Watanabe without saying a word.

Watanabe held her hand, and they followed the two women in kimonos hand in hand and came to a Japanese-style room.

"This Japanese-style room is your temporary residence. You will rest and sleep here for the next few days. It is nine o'clock in the morning. In half an hour, another person will come to take you on a brief tour of the mansion and explain the situation and the next arrangements."

The kimono-clad woman who was kneeling on the ground and speaking politely smiled sweetly at Watanabe Tetsuya: "You two need to change into kimonos, do you need our help?"

Without waiting for Noriko to shoot him a sharp look, Watanabe directly refused: "We are confident that we can wear kimonos well."

The two women bowed and retreated, their disappointment evident.

Two sets of clothes were prepared for the Watanabe couple each. Watanabe wore two black haori and Noriko wore a light pink middle furisode, which, coincidentally, was embroidered with white gentian flowers.

While quietly complaining about why all the servants they saw in the Shogun's mansion were female, the couple put on haori and middle furisode on each other.

They are rarely worn, but with confidence.

And they stopped complaining in time.

When you are under someone's roof, that is a topic that cannot be touched upon.

Half an hour had passed and there was a knock on the door of the Japanese-style room. A gorgeous woman in kimono came in. Her appearance and figure were far superior to any other woman he had seen along the way.

"Good morning, Mr. Watanabe, Mrs. Watanabe. My name is Yukiyo Kunomiya. I am currently in charge of the shogunate's external receptions. You can just call me Yukiyo."

Kunomiya Yukiyo paused for a moment, and Watanabe and Noriko understood and both called her "Ms. Yukiyo".

She then continued speaking with satisfaction.

The moment Watanabe heard her name, he felt like he was stuck in a huge quagmire.

The people of the Jiugong family...

Is the person in front of him, Yukiyo Kunomiya, the only one, or are the young man and woman who picked him and Noriko up at the apartment from the beginning always members of the Kunomiya family, and only members of the Kunomiya family?
"Regarding the reception for the visiting delegation and subsequent meetings tomorrow, the specific times are set from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

"During this period, Mr. Watanabe was staying by the side of the general, so he was not allowed to have any contact with the outside world, and was not allowed to carry mobile phones or other communication devices.

"Because this is an important meeting, Mrs. Watanabe, you are not allowed to accompany us, and your activities are limited to this Japanese-style room. However, you can let us know if you have any requests, and we will do our best to meet them.

"........."

It is no exaggeration to say that the frames and lines directly restricted personal freedom for three days.

After she finished speaking, Yukiyo Kujo said that if there was anything she didn't understand, she could ask her again.

As time was running out, Kujo Yukiyo took Watanabe and Noriko to take a quick look at the places they could see and reach, so as to avoid being clueless and blazing into places they couldn't go to.

"After lunch, please take a rest, Watanabe-kun. You will need to meet with the General in the afternoon to prepare for tomorrow's meeting.

"As for Mrs. Watanabe, I'm sorry, the general has no intention of summoning you. Please don't go out casually, Mrs. Watanabe."

Watanabe immediately noticed the root problem of this poorly planned arrangement full of loopholes.

Why could an inexperienced outsider like him make the Shogun condescend to work with him?
Is it true that the person he is going to meet in the afternoon is the Shogun?
Toru Watanabe thought carefully about all the arrangements for today and before. They were casual and yet full of rules, as if they were forced together, a monster that looked like nothing and was full of weirdness.

He was brought here for only one purpose, to dispel the suspicion of his newlywed wife.

Obviously, Jizi was fooled. She didn't think deeply about the contradictions and just thought that this process arrangement was reasonable...

The food served was exquisite and had an enticing aroma, but Watanabe tasted bland in his mouth.

After eating and rinsing his mouth, Kujo Yukiyo appeared and said that she would take Watanabe Tetsuya to meet the Shogun.

Watanabe looked down at his newlywed wife who was carefully straightening his clothes, and endless sadness and helplessness surged in his heart. He hugged Noriko.

“Oh Tetsuya-kun~ Miss Yukiyo is watching!
"I'll hug you again when I come back! Your collar, which I just straightened, is messy again..."

"Okay, Jizi, if you feel sleepy, take a nap, and then... wait for me to come back."

"Great! Come on, Tetsuya-kun, leave a good impression on the general! Come on, come on~~"

Listening to the encouragement from his young, energetic, gentle and beautiful newlywed wife, Watanabe lowered his eyes, not daring to look at her, and just turned away.

The light from the black haori cut through the white bellflowers on Noriko's kimono, causing them to wither and fall to the ground...

As soon as they went out, the smile on Kujo Yukiyo's face fell on Watanabe's beauty and became cunning.

He only walked a few steps behind her and then stopped next to the Japanese-style room where he and Noriko were temporarily living.

A Japanese-style room separated by only a wall.

Kyuumiya Yukiyo pushed open the door, bent over and stretched out his hand, and said to Watanabe Tetsuya:

"Watanabe-kun, please~"

Even though he was mentally prepared, Watanabe didn't expect that he would be next door!

How dare she! !

He could no longer, no longer dared to, the other party did the same. No matter whether he was facing Mari Hidaka, Hazuki Saotome, or any other woman, as long as they had the ability to make everything Watanabe cherished disappear, Watanabe had to grit his teeth and endure it.

He had no choice.

Watanabe Tetsuya stepped into the Japanese-style room...

The door was closed and the room fell into silence. Noriko Shimizu slowly sat down on the tatami. She reached out and touched the gentian flower on her kimono.

Without Watanabe around, she suddenly felt empty.

Wanna go get some sleep?

Maybe when she wakes up, her Tetsuya-kun will come back and be by her side.

Just as she was about to go to bed, Noriko Shimizu heard noises coming from the Japanese-style room next door. There was a woman's voice and some other faint sounds, but she couldn't make them out clearly.

Noriko felt strange. In such a remote corner of the general's mansion, were there other guests besides her and her husband Watanabe?

I haven't heard Miss Yukiyo say that...

Since there are other guests, and the voice of the guest seems to be a female, then when I am free and bored, can I drop by and chat with her or them?

Noriko plans to ask Miss Yukiyo when she has time.

But... Jiko was also a little curious. Besides the voice of the woman talking, were there any other sounds just now?

She stood up and walked to the wall. After some mental preparation, she couldn't resist her curiosity and put her ear to the wall...

　I received my manuscript fee today, so I will take a day off tomorrow to visit my grandma and grandpa and grandma, and buy some things for them. The next chapter will be updated around 4:14 on April 23.

　　Thanks to [book friend 20220318000547938
　　】's 800 points reward!

　　Thanks to [Mickey] for the reward to "Saotome Hazuki"!

　　Thanks to [Pidansou Rouzhou] for the reward!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)