Chapter 003

'Keon…' a soft voice called Kaoru. 'You must wake up. WAKE UP!' The voice snapped and she woke up to find the last young master fiddling with her clothes. She backhanded him across the face and sprang up.

'How dare you! Lowly wench!' he snapped and jumped her. He pinned her beneath him and unfastened his belt. With Kaoru squirming underneath him it wasn't so easy, he then tore off her yukata and dropped a wet kiss on her neck despite her struggling.

'I'm so going to enjoy this' he said with a silly smile. Kaoru's eyes wandered till they fell and hooked on her mother's hair comb, she was tired, she couldn't struggle anymore. However, something told her today wouldn't be that day.

An impatient knock began to sound on the door, only Ayame knocked on her door like that. On normal days Kaoru hated Ayame's guts but today it was a good omen.

'Why are you still asleep till now?!' Ayame snapped, 'first young lady Kohana has been looking for you.'

The last young master paused his actions and pressed hard against Kaoru's mouth so she wouldn't expose him. Silence issued for a second and Ayame resumed her shouting.

Two… no, three heavy footsteps joined Ayame and began to hit the door. The last young master then scrambled to find a place to hide and Kaoru crawled towards the door.

She reached the door just as it opened and Kohana was already there. She took one look at the state of the room and burst into tears, she quickly dragged Kaoru into her arms and cried a river.

'Did he—?' Kohana asked in tears. Kaoru smiled and shook her head.

'You came just in time.'

That same morning they left for Amaterasu's temple ahead of schedule. Madam Kaneko and the first young master stayed behind though, after they had spent a week in the temple at Birubara they got the not-so-sad news that the last young master had passed away due to an illness. Kohana and Kaoru shared a look, who knew what that illness was?

At the temple, they met a fine young maiden who claimed she had been there since before the temple was built and that the two strange young men young master Yuukou had brought home were her husband and brother. Of course, they both thought she was bonkers after all was said but still treated her with respect. And the trip to the temple saw Kaoru's status restored.

What changed? She asked herself, where were the odds finally in her favour? Why didn't it change when she was younger? The fact that the last young master almost had his way with her plagued her sleep every night and every night she would go put to the edge of a small stream that flowed through and out of the temple to sit.

She would sing if she was too bored or play the flute. Sometimes the fine maiden would join her at the edge of the stream saying she couldn't sleep either. Though Kaoru found it odd, she was glad for the company.

In the morning they woke to find the temple wonderfully decorated, why? Because a festival was to take place that night, this reminded them they knew nothing about the customs of Birubara.

'We will go out to town for the festival' Kaoru told Kohana.

There was a small hick in their plans though. Those two strange men came out of nowhere and offered to show them around town once it was evening. Kohana couldn't resist, her mouth was watering at the sight of these 'edible' young men.

'If I can marry the redhead, our children would be fiercely handsome. And if I marry the soft one, I fear I will never let him step a foot outside for fear of losing him!' Kohana talked like the love-struck teenager she was.

But Kaoru could think objectively, she didn't let her head get muddled by them. She hated to admit but they were incredibly fine young men.

'Kaoru-chan, how is Yuukou? I heard about your last brother's breath, please accept my condolences' the redhead stuck to her side like glue.

'That is hardly needed' Kaoru paused her lips. The thought of what almost happened to her still kept her up at night, with this person reminding her it might keep her up all around.

'I see you have too many bad memories about him, allow me the chance to wipe them away' the redhead smiled at her.

'Why are you following me? Look—' she pointed to Kohana, 'my sister is ready to fawn over you but you refuse her your attention.' As if on cue Kohana rested her hungry gaze on him and he shrunk back.

'I think I'll pass.'

To the side, the soft black-haired one appeared to be in a deep conversation with the fine temple maiden, and she looked to be angry about something. She immediately felt when her gaze fell on them and flashed her a smile, indicating that nothing was the matter.

Kaoru didn't believe her but she let it go. It wasn't her problem. 'So… who is the husband?'

The temple maiden smiled at the question but the soft black-haired one suddenly excused himself and took the redhead with him.

'It's a secret.' She said mischievously but Kaoru could guess who it was. 'Run along!' she quickened her pace to catch up with the men leaving a great distance between them.

'I don't like her anymore' Kohana said and she quietly agreed. 'My feet are sore, carry me!' she added.

Kaoru pointedly ignored her and picked up her pace too.

'Kaoru ane-chan, I'm sorry!' Kohana called after her, the words sounding too foreign on her lips. The poor young lady was already used to Kaoru being her servant, now everything had been turned upside down.