Flower Spelling - Chapter 31.1
Chapter 31 – Haunted Inn Part 1
“Ah, seriously, this is absolutely unbelievable! Absolutely impossible!”
Before dawn, when it was still sparsely populated, a single figure strode briskly along a street in Mikawa Province under freezing rain. Slightly later, two more shadows followed, their steps sluggish and unsteady. One of the men behind complained with a disgruntled look on his face.
“Not so loud. It’s reverberating in my head.”
“Whose fault do you think it is that I’m this angry! You’ve been drinking so much, you’ve nearly spent all the money for the journey.”
“That’s why I apologized, didn’t I? Besides, it’s not that we drink heavily, it was a drinking contest. The loser had to pay for the drinks and accommodation… Right, Takasugi?”
“Yes, I thought that old man, looking like he was ready to be picked up, would be easy. But I was wrong. The world is a big place, you know.”
“Don’t pretend you’ve got some sort of superiority complex. No doubt you have been seduced by the beautiful maid! How I wish I had remained with you.”
Exhaling heavily, Sogetsu scrunched up the front of her raincoat.
The rain had started last night, showing no sign of ending. More than once had her feet slip on the muddy soil. Her kimono was beginning to be soaked by the dripping from the gaps in her raincoat.
It all began last night.
On the way, the three of them hit it off with a cheerful old traveller, and held a drinking session at an inn in Futagawa-juku. Exhausted, Sogetsu retired to her room, but the two who remained continued to drink, eventually escalating into a drinking contest.
And the result was disastrous.
Upon waking up in the morning and finding out what had happened, Sogetsu was infuriated. Having scraped together what little money was left, she managed to settle the bill and left the inn as if to flee.
“What are we going to do now! We can’t last much longer without a lot of savings!”
“Don’t get upset. No need to worry, we can get by with five ryo of exchange in cash. If we make it to Okazaki, we can find a money changer at a major inn… But Mr. Katsura is not a good person either. Secretly handing such a sum of money to only Sogetsu.”
“That’s because if given to both of you, you’ll use it in no time at all.”
He gave it to her in case something happened but never in her wildest dreams did she think she would actually have to use it.
“You have to return the money I paid later. It’s very important for my living expenses. It’s the money for accommodation and food until I find a job…”
When Sogetsu said this, Takasugi made a peculiar look.
“… Job?”
“Yes. I don’t know how long it will take to find the folding screen, and I need to be able to live independently first.”
“Is that so…? You don’t want to live in a clan residence?”
“Eh? Well…” Sogetsu blinked rapidly.
“”Originally, I was in Choshu for that…” Before Shido, her words were slurred. “…Because of some very difficult circumstances. I could not afford to be in the care of the Choshu until I reached Kyo.”
“Hmm.” Takasugi replied absent-mindedly, not amused.
?
The scent of rice crackers combined with the sweet soy sauce was enough to send her drooling. Shaking off the urge to eat, she cried out, “T-Tea, please.”
That was all she ordered from the vendor, withdrawing her gaze from the crackers.
The rain kept pouring on and off and now there was only a lull.
“Seriously, what are we supposed to do about accommodation for today? If only there is a cheap lodging place here.”
Sipping the tea brought to her, the warmth seeped into her chilled body.
When the touts learned that Sogetsu and the others lacked money, they simply let go of their clutches and moved on to other customers.
Dusk was already approaching, and the teahouse where they stopped for a rest was full of locals on their way home from work, along with travellers.
“If you’re looking for cheap accommodation, there’s just the place.”
A man, who appeared to be a local, overheard the conversation and easily approached the trio. The man said, “I’m sure you samurai are very bold, but…”
“There’s an inn just down the road, Fujikawa-juku, that’s rumored to be haunted. It’s off the main road, so it’s not in a good location, but they serve good food and used to have quite a number of customers. However, since the rumors of ghosts broke out around autumn, the inn has been losing customers. Perhaps you could stay there cheaply.”
“Hmm.”
As opposed to Sogetsu, whose complexion lost its color, Takasugi and Shido exchanged a grin.
“Hold on, what’s with those look? I absolutely refuse to stay there! I’d rather force myself to travel to the next post station than staying in a place like that! No matter what you say, I’m not going!”
Sogetsu’s desperate cry was mercilessly extinguished in the evening sky.
?
A garden overgrown with grass and a leaning roof that threatened to collapse at any moment.
She had imagined such a dreadful inn, but to her amazement she ended up in a small and beautiful inn. Although it was a little far from the main street, it was quiet and ideal for those who wanted to relax and unwind after a long journey.
“Welcome.”
Upon arrival, the group was greeted by the plump landlady, who welcomed them with a smile.
“
“Two rooms? Yes, yes, we have plenty of rooms available, two or three. The inn is rumored to be haunted, so people are too intimidated to stay. There used to be a time when some young lord came to stay here secretly. It’s been three days since we’ve had any guests. Let us give you the best room in the inn… Eh? Feeling a little uncomfortable? You know what I mean. Nowadays, the only kind of people who bother to come here are the eccentric ones who want to catch a glimpse of the ghost, or the travellers with limited funds. We simply wish to offer our guests the best hospitality at all times. Come on, this way, please.”
Exactly like a board of water.
The landlady did not hesitate to speak, and even Shido nodded his head as if he had been knocked off his guard.
?
The three of them were escorted to a cozy six-mat room facing the garden. The landlady’s chatter continued uninterrupted until they reached their room, when Shido, finally free of her chatter, threw himself down.
He glared at his two companions, who promptly chose to disregard him alone. “Both of you who are always imposing matters on me. Can’t spare a thought to help out?”
“Oh, sorry for that. No, you seem to be having a good time, so I didn’t want to interrupt. Right, Sogetsu?”
“Yes, yes. It’s good to note that you seem to be quite well-liked. For some reason you are particularly popular with the older ladies, aren’t you, Mr. Shido?”
“Tsk. All of a sudden, both of you are getting energetic.”
Sogetsu chuckled, “I mean, this inn doesn’t seem to be haunted. The building may be old, but it’s very well kept. Anyway, they probably mistook the sound of a draught for ghosts or something, don’t you think?”
“Well, you can’t afford to be complacent. Ghosts appear when you’re not paying attention. Even now you can see the head of a white woman next to you…”
“Saying that kind of stuff again…”
Her words stuttered in mid-sentence.
A second later, she let out an inarticulate scream and backed away.
There was a young woman next to her, a stranger.
“What’s the matter? Perhaps you’re not fond of sweet stuff?”
“Eh?”
On closer inspection, the woman was carrying a tray of refreshments in her hand.
“Ah, w-what, lady. No, not at all! I like sweets!”
Hastily faking it, she glared sideways at Shido.
Don’t mislead me! I really thought it was a ghost!
I was merely stating a fact. Shido looked pleased with himself and reached for the sweets unreservedly.
Takasugi said, “By the way, the landlady said earlier that this place is believed to be haunted. Actually, that’s what we came here for, but is it true?”
“Hey, Mr. Takasugi, that’s rude.”
She hurriedly pulled back his sleeve, but the woman waved her hand, assuring that she didn’t mind. Apparently, she is used to such questions.
According to the account she shared with them, it was only about six months ago that people started claiming to see ghosts. It began with a customer reporting that he had witnessed a fireball in the middle of the night.
“And then later on. Noises in the room when sleeping, missing possessions, female ghost appearing… Oh, just there, at the end of the corridor. They say it disappeared in a puff of smoke.”
Apparently aware of Sogetsu’s reaction, the maidservant ?? Okumi ?? laughed it off.
“It’s just a rumor, you know. Don’t worry about it. Oh, by the way, the bath will be ready after dinner but??” She trailed off, eyeing Sogetsu thoughtfully for a moment. “??Perhaps Master Sogetsu is better to be left alone.”
“Huh?”
“I mean,” Okumi smiled mischievously and said simply. “Master Sogetsu, you are a woman, right?”
“??Hah?”
In the nighttime stillness, three languid voices resonated.
?
“H-How did you find out!?”
Okumi responded to Sogetsu’s unintentional preoccupation by saying, “I just have a feeling” and she quickly prepared the meal, and by the time she came to serve it, the water was just boiling.
“Why don’t you go in first?”
Takasugi and the others were kind enough to offer her the first bath. Once fully submerged in the bath, an involuntary gasp escaped her lips. The warmth of the water gradually spread to the tips of her hands and feet.
“I haven’t taken a bath this leisurely since leaving Edo. Until now, all I could do was wiping myself in my room for fear of being discovered as a woman. Mmm, I am back to life.”
“You are overreacting,” said Okumi laughingly, who was working on the bath. Initially, the discovery that Sogetsu was a woman caused her to panic, but Okumi didn’t seem to have any intention of revealing this to anyone, and as for Sogetsu, she was delighted to be able to engage in female-to-female conversation unhindered. Talking about herself and her travels, she ended up taking a rather long bath.
“Sorry, I’m late!”
Sogetsu, whose cheeks were flushed red, was replaced by Shido, who went to the bath, leaving Takasugi in the room, staring moodily at the Go board. They were likely playing a game to determine the order of the bath.
“Did you lose?”
Peeking over, she saw Takasugi with his brow furrowing and crumpling the Go stones, and chin cocked.
“Come on, play a game with me to freshen up.”
“Sure, but I’m not that good. I don’t know much about joseki.”
Although she has knowledge of the basic techniques, she has never been able to beat anyone.
“Of course, I have no expectations. Playing with people who don’t know the rules is better for relaxing your mind.”
“Ha.”
The man’s eyes narrowed in amusement as he placed a stone in the middle of the pile.
Roll, snap.
Roll, snap.
In the silence, only the placing of the Go stones resounded.
A strong breeze suddenly swept through the air, flickering the lanterns. Takasugi looked at Sogetsu, who reflexively shrugged her shoulders, and exclaimed in amazement.
“What, you’re still concerned about ghosts? I thought you’d forgotten all about it.”
“S-Shut up. Everybody has their weaknesses!”
So then why didn’t she just return to her room when Sogetsu came to tell him that the bath was empty?
Of course, it’s because I did not want to be left alone! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have the decency to stay in a man’s room after a bath.
Staring at the board in annoyance, she suddenly thought.
Hmm, that means…
Takasugi’s invitation to play Go may have been a kind gesture to distract Sogetsu. For some reason, Takasugi was preoccupied with looking outside when she covertly looked up to see what was going on.
…?
She directed her gaze to the other side. Through a shoji screen facing outwards, a glowing ball of fire flickered.
“??You, wait for me at here!”
Leaving a rigid Sogetsu stranded, Takasugi gleefully rushed out.
“Eh!? W-Wait a second, don’t leave me alone!”
I retract my previous statement. It’s inconceivable that Mr. Takasugi is kind! That man is only interested in what he regards as entertaining!
She followed him hurriedly, inwardly seething.
T/N:
Exactly like a board of water – Exactly what it says on the tin/Talking smoothly without stagnation