But at this point, none of that mattered anymore. The only thing Fujikichiro grasped from all this was—the fact that he seemed to be the only "outsider" in the room…
That's it, it was over. He instinctively lowered his head, staring hard at the floor, not daring to look up, his heart full of bitterness.
He hoped he could muddle through, that Lord Dao San wouldn't mind this detail, that he wouldn't later react and feel embarrassed for being tearful in front of an outsider, and then get up in the middle of the night to have him dragged out of the house and executed…
While Fujikichiro prayed to the gods and buddhas, Saito Dosan gradually came back to his senses. His thoughts returned to reality, but the memories from the past still fluttered around him, disrupting his ability to think.
Joy mixed with sorrow, he could hardly control himself. There was the joy of seeing another daughter again, yet he was also submerged in inextricable grief over the loss of his beloved.
