Flower Spelling - Chapter 31.2
Chapter 31 – Haunted Inn Part 2
Through the thick clouds, the moon peeped out vaguely. A faintly chilly breeze ruthlessly flickered the poorly lit candles.
The inn is not particularly spacious. In no time at all, they were halfway across the garden at the back of the inn. Around them were no lights of any house, and the whole place was as dark as if it had been smeared with multiple layers of ink.
Somehow, the atmosphere seems to suggest that it is haunted…
Sogetsu shuddered, pulling on Takasugi’s sleeve as she advanced.
“Hey, Mr. Takasugi, let’s head back already. There is nothing to be found after all this searching. That thing earlier, we might have just seen it wrong…”
“What are you saying? There’s no way that could have been a mistake. Just when things are getting interesting. There’s no turning back now.”
“This isn’t getting interesting at all! Mr. Shido should have come out of his bath by now.”
“Fine, fine.”
It was then that Takasugi turned on his heel, saying ‘It can’t be helped’ when that happened.
Amidst the darkness, a white cloth suddenly fluttered in the air. Swaying, swaying, and swaying as if to lure someone in.
Seeing that, Takasugi ran after it in a flash. Perhaps not expecting to be chased, the ghost shook the cloth in confusion and retreated with a swoosh.
Even so, Takasugi’s feet moved quicker than that. With one hand he blocked the ghost’s movement, and with the other, he detached the cloth. The face, illuminated by the candle, was exposed.
“??Eh?… Ms… O… kumi…?”
The ghost – Okumi – turned her face away to avoid Sogetsu’s eyes.
“So the ghost was indeed Ms. Okumi? How come… you went to all this trouble to ruin the reputation of the inn?”
“Of course, it’s because I want to ruin it!” Okumi lifted her face and thrust out her chin as if to regain her composure.
“I, I really despise this inn, and even the landlady! So I wanted to ruin this place! You look like you’re wondering why. A young master of some samurai family came to stay at this inn. I was asked to serve him. That day my father wasn’t feeling well and I was supposed to leave early. Yet the landlady, blinded by the congratulatory gift from the young master, refused to let me go. By the time I was finally released and went home, it was freezing cold. My mother died when I was a little girl, and all I had was my father, but I couldn’t even see him when he died. Do you understand now? The landlady is a very greedy and low-life person.”
“No way… There must be some sort of mistake here. That, I only met her for today but the landlady did not seem to be that kind of person. I’m sorry to hear about your father, but I suppose the landlady couldn’t defy the young master either. I think even Ms. Okumi knows the truth.”
“Shut up, shut up! What can you possibly know? Not able to see own family, not able to go home, you’re so naive! This is not uncommon! And you whine it as if it is not something tough.”
As if to punish Sogetsu for her lack of words and silence, Okumi pressed on.
“Do you know how lucky you are to have a shelter and a roof over your head? That’s what Shinkichi said! The landlady is a horrible person, and you should get even with her.”
“??Shinkichi?” Takasugi, who had been silently listening to the exchange between the two, interrupted for the first time.
“Who’s that?”
“Who cares who that is? Just get out of my way!”
As if to shove Sogetsu away, Okumi vanished into the darkness.
For a while, Sogetsu stood there in a daze. Okumi’s words kept playing through her head and she couldn’t think clearly.
“I??”
At the same time as Sogetsu was about to say something.
From the inn, a noise was heard, like a dispute. Mixed in with the sound of things falling over, the landlady’s screams can be heard.
“??Landlady!”
Startled, they ran to the scene ahead and gasped at what they saw.
In the middle of a mud floor strewn with pots and dishes, a man was holding a blade to Okumi’s throat with a vicious smile plastered on his face. The landlady sank down as if she had lost her nerve.
“What a mess this is going to be.”
“S-Shinkichi, what are you doing!?”
“Heh, I’d have given you a bit more time to talk about your troubles, but things have changed.”
“What do you mean?”
“You still don’t get it, do you? Congratulations. This inn is exactly what I am aiming for all along. It’s off the main road and would be a good place for a brothel. I’ve been asking her to sell it for a long time, but she refuses to do so. A deserted inn, even the rumour of a ghost appearing, I thought it would change her mind but after all this, she still has no intention of selling it. You’ve ruined our money-making scheme.”
“Hang on a second, so, you told me about the ghost story for…”
“Oh, it was a trick to obtain the inn. I told only a few kind words and you fell for it.”
“How could this be…”
Ignoring Okumi, whose eyes were filled with tears, Shinkichi directed his attention to the landlady.
“Now, you oldhag, give me the bill of sale of this inn. Otherwise, I shall have her head!”
“Don’t do it!” The landlady screamed in distress. “You can have the shop, or whatever you want! Okumi, don’t touch Okumi!… Okumi, I’m sorry, if I hadn’t forced you back then.”
“You’re wrong, landlady!” Okumi shouted, disregarding the contact with the blade. “The truth is I didn’t want to return. If I catch the eye of a high-ranking official, I might land a job in a mansion. I thought I’d have an easy life away from my drunken, miserable father. I hated myself for that, so I just blamed it on the landlady. I’m sorry, landlady, I’m sorry…”
“Okumi…”
“Ha, what a sob story! Now that you have made peace, get out of here immediately. Well, it seems there’s samurai who have crazy ideas here…”
Takasugi, who was gradually closing the gap between them, halted his movements instantly.
He found out. In any case, I can’t do anything about it with Okumi here. If only I could distract her somehow.
A quick glance left and right.
Takasugi with his back to the rear entrance, Shinkichi, and Okumi in front of him. The landlady was a few steps away. Sogetsu can be found at…
Sogetsu is not here?
The figure of Sogetsu, who was supposed to be next to him, somehow disappeared. Instead, she appeared from the entrance on the opposite side of the room, peeking in and out carefully to check the situation inside.
What is she planning?
Suddenly, Sogetsu turned to him. In her hand was a familiar drawstring bag. Pointing to it, she picked it up and made a gesture of throwing it.
I see, I understand now.
He nodded with his eyes with an understanding and looked for an opportunity.
“The bill of sale is in the library. I will bring it back soon…”
The landlady staggered to her feet when suddenly a pebble flew past her. It was well-aimed, and struck Shinkichi on the head, startling him and diverting his attention away from Okumi.
A moment of opportunity.
That was enough for Takasugi. He leaped into position, struck down the sword with his hand, and flung Shinkichi back with a swift throw. The result was a superb throw that sent Shinkichi sprawling and unmoving.
“??Okumi!”
The landlady hugged Okumi as tightly as she could when she felt like collapsing.
“Are you okay? Any injuries? Ah, I’m glad you’re safe… I was worried about you, I really was.”
“I’m sorry, landlady… I’m sorry…”
“It’s alright. I know.”
Okumi’s eyes welled up in tears. The landlady patted Okumi’s sobbing back as if she were nursing an infant.
“I’m glad you two have reconciled.” Sogetsu smiled, relieved.
“Yes. I feel like I’m part of a huge father-son quarrel.”
“Indeed.” Sogetsu laughed. “But looking at the two of them, they look like a real parent and child, don’t they?… Oh, by the way, I wonder where that stone has gone. Even though it was given to me by Heita.”
Glancing around, she found it lying beside a broken cup of tea.
“Ah, found it, found it.”
No sooner had she bent down to retrieve it than Takasugi’s sharp voice came through.
“??Sogetsu!”
“Eh?”
Turning around, a strong shock landed on her body. Shinkichi suddenly got up and pushed Sogetsu away. She fell to the floor with Takasugi, who had caught her in his arms.
“??Are you alright?”
“Y-Yes, somehow.”
“Damn it, ??Wait!”
Right as Shinkichi was leaving the room, the wall next to him abruptly opened up like a door and he was hit in the face.
“Geez.”
Shinkichi let out a shout that sounded like a crushed frog, and this time he collapsed and became motionless. As they stared in disbelief, Shido slowly emerged from the wall.
?
“So what’s the meaning of all this, Monta? How is it that you know the secret of that wall which even the landlady herself does not know?”
At any rate, they rolled Shinkichi into the earthen room – and, of course, tied him up with a rope so that he had no chance of escaping – and when he had finally caught his breath, they both explained the situation to each other.
After a ponderous look around at all the question marks, Shido took a sip of Okumi’s hot tea before finally opening his mouth.
“I was having a relaxing dip in the bath, when I noticed a little child by my side.”
About five or six years old. Looking like a ichimatsu doll, he didn’t say anything when asked where he came from, but seemed to want to be followed. Somewhat intrigued, he led him by the hand through a passageway in the wall by the bathroom, where he overheard some disturbing voices. And that’s where he jumped out of the place.
“A child? Was there ever a child?”
“Ah, and then, before I knew it, she was gone. A neighbour’s child must have found a loophole in the street and, startled by the noise, ran off.”
“But I didn’t know there was such a loophole here. I bought this property in the first place and the previous owner never told me about it.”
“Maybe because this is an old house.” Takasugi looked around the room. “Although things are better now, in the past it was still unsafe. It was not uncommon for people to have an escape route to protect themselves. I am sure there is a similar passage in the Edo residence where we were.”
“Huh? Really!? At where?”
“That I do not know.” Takasugi replied curtly. “Maybe Mr. Asada would know. If everyone knew, it wouldn’t be a hidden passage.”
“Ah, I see.”
Wow, but it looks like a ninja mansion. I’d like to try it once.
While she was ruminating, Okumi, who had been silent for a long time, straightened up and bowed deeply.
“I am very sorry for the trouble I have caused you, samurai. It was my naive nature that brought me to this point. It’s a terrible thing to say to you too, Ms. Sogetsu.”
“… No. It’s true what you said, Ms. Okumi. At first, I was a bit sad, but now I feel relieved that you told me the truth. I believe that Ms. Okumi will be able to support the landlady. You have a good judge of character. You are the first person who saw through me as a woman so quickly, you know?”
“Oh, that’s quite something! I still can’t believe that she is a girl. I’d be more inclined to believe it if I saw her naked.”
“??Please don’t say such strange things!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t think anything of it even if I see you naked.”
“I’m not interested in Mr. Shido’s naked body either!”
The landlady, who had been watching them, burst out laughing uncontrollably. Okumi, who was struggling to keep a serious face, finally erupted into laughter, which spread like a ripple and soon enveloped the inn in light.
??Then.
In a corner of the room, where bright laughter reverberated, a child huddled quietly opened her lips in the shape of a crescent moon. Then, as quietly as it had appeared, it disappeared like a sand sculpture swept away by the wind.