Chapter Text
He had been tuning out the fool for a good several minutes, only listening and replying when he had something to contribute to the discussion, until he got distracted when he heard several screams from the maids. The fool himself looked irritated at the commotion that occurred among his servants, and was about to command them to be silent as soon as he turned his head at them, only to raise an eyebrow.
"Ieyasu, you might want to concern yourself over there." Said the Fool of Owari, gesturing at the direction of the screams with a turn of his head.
While he did not want to do what Oda Nobunaga had suggested, he decided to humor the older man and look at the commotion that had the servants screaming.
"Just what the hell are you trying to pull?"
Oda's very own Red Cloak General had saved the day like a dashing hero, catching her before she even hit the ground, and Ieyasu wanted nothing more than to sarcastically clap his hand and congratulate Oda's retainer for bothering to catch his female retainer before anyone else could.
Except that he couldn't find it in himself to do some clapping when his eyes were affixed on the pair. Maeda Toshiie's arms were around her waist, and while it made sense for the man to hold her like that, a part of him felt irritated at what he was seeing. The whole scene was an eyesore, and even though he wanted to look away, he couldn't.
He wished he did, because a second later, Maeda had pressed his forehead against her own, making some of the maids gasp in surprise. The gesture was enough to scandalize the people who were looking on at them; Ieyasu himself thought that the skin-to-skin contact between the two lingered for too long, though he suppressed the urge to march over to where they were and break them apart.
The struggle to look calm and detached was much harder than he thought it would be. It had taken a lot of self-control to stand still and look as if he didn't care about how the brute had decided it upon himself to carry the wench in his arms and march through the snow.
Was it his imagination, or did he just see the wench unconsciously snuggle against that guy...?
He clenched his fists under the sleeves of his kimono in an attempt to stop himself from doing anything brash.
"Lord Ieyasu." He had to hand it to the mutt for having manners, for he managed to bow both at him and Oda with the girl still in his arms. "My apologies for getting involved with your retainers, but I would like to ask if I may bring Sanae to my room for the meantime so that she would be able to rest properly? Your rooms are still being prepared, as we did not expect your early arrival."
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell the brute to drop dead upon hearing his intentions, but managed to calm himself and be civil, though barely.
He hoped that his expression looked annoyed or, at best, neutral enough not to raise suspicion.
Instead of giving a direct reply, he addressed his most senior retainer instead. "Tadatsugu, are you not responsible for the kitchen maid this time around? Look after her with Maeda." Ignoring the annoyed look that Maeda flashed at him for not bothering to concern himself with his retainer, he followed Nobunaga to the main hall, despite the fact that he had actually wanted to follow the mutt and make sure that he wouldn't be able to do anything sleazy.
Like it or not, the wench was still under his protection; her scandal would become his own, and he would never heard the end of it from the old man, who would most likely talk his ears off about morality and keeping the reputation of the Tokugawa free from intrigue. That was all there is to it; the wench was free to do whatever she wanted in private and keep her affairs under wraps.
But why was the thought of her and Maeda entangled in a secret romance enough to make him see red?
In the end, all of his retainers, save for Yasumasa, had decided to help prepare the room for the wench’s use while they were staying in Owari. Inwardly, he sighed in relief, knowing that he did not have to worry about her staying in the mutt’s room, despite telling himself over and over again that childhood friend sleeping in the same room shouldn’t bother him.
Add to that, Tadatsugu had kept pestering him about her condition when that was the least of his worries right now; a lord was not compelled to visit his injured nor sick retainer, which was why he did not bother going to where the wench was currently resting.
“She is not dying, and I am far too busy to deal with the likes of her.” he remembered himself saying to the old man who had discreetly informed him about the status of her health. “You take care of her, Tadatsugu, if you’re that worried about her.”
Inwardly, he was relieved that it had nothing been more than a case of fatigue catching up to her because of the rather ruthless journey they undertook to get to Owari. Despite this, his conscience had prickled him upon realizing that he was indirectly the cause of her sickness… and while he did not want to feel nor shoulder any responsibility whatsoever for her current state, he knew that the pacing that he subjected her to was nothing short of sadistic and merciless.
He hated it when his conscience was making him feel unnecessary things.
To keep his cool, he let his eyes wander around the main hall to observe. All of his retainers were back in the hall having dinner, talking and chatting with the Oda retainers. Curiously, one Oda retainer was not in the dining hall… and had only made an appearance when everyone else was nearly done eating, apologizing for skipping out on dinner when he made his way to the dais to greet his lord.
“And that friend of yours?” to his surprise, the Fool had inquired about his retainer. “How is she?”
“She is doing fine, milord. Her condition should stabilize soon.” It may have been his imagination, but he swore he heard the Dog mutter under his breath, “… If she’d only stay still and lie down.”
A ghost of a smile appeared on the lips of the Lord of Owari. “Then I look forward to the castella that you brag so much about.”
“I shall tell her that myself. Maybe if she knew that she has to make castella for you, she’d actually make an effort to get better immediately.” With another bow, Maeda Toshiie made his way to where Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his retainers were chatting, and picked up the bowl of rice that was set in a tray in front of him.
He brought the kitchen wench with them just so the Fool would get to taste the castella she would make?
Incensed at the thought that she was brought to Owari for someone’s convenience, he quickly sampled each of the dish that was prepared on the tray before standing up. Muttering words of apology that the journey had worn him out and that he wanted to rest, he made his way out of the room, but not before catching snippets of the conversation between the Dog and the Monkey.
“… so why’d you offer your room earlier?” he heard the Monkey ask out loud.
“…’viously, she had to lie down quickly, and her room wasn’t ready at that time.” The Dog shoved the chopsticks into his mouth. “ ‘sides, if she’s sleeping in my room, I’ll be able to look after her easily.”
The Monkey gave him a knowing look. “Yeah, but childhood friends don’t readily offer one’s room to a female unless one has… intentions.”
Great. Even the damn Mutt had something he wanted from her too?
“Don’t tell me—” at this, the Monkey hit the Dog on the arm, winking at the same time. “You and her have already—”
I did not go to the Fool’s place to hear this nonsense. With his mood now spiraling out of control, he walked as fast as he could out of the main hall and into his room, glaring at the floor the whole while.
He should not have been affected; whatever she did in the past should not matter to him, nor should he care too much about her relationship with that brute. Yet secretly, he desperately wanted to know if there was really anything going on between the mutt and the wench.
He needed a distraction, and while he had not brought any books with him, he figured that the best way to calm down was to go to his room in the guise of sleeping when in all actuality, he would be doing a lot of thinking.
As to what he would be thinking about in order to distract him from what had angered him earlier, he did not know.
He would figure it out eventually... he just needed to get away from the stupidity that was the mutt and the monkey.
As he had exited the dining room quickly, he had been unable to hear nor see the fight that broke out between the two retainers of the Oda clan over a simple conversation that involved his female retainer.
“What happened to you?!”
Bored out of her wits over the fact that Inuchiyo had demanded that she stay put for tonight, she was just about to sneak out of her quarters when the very person she was sneaking off from entered her room, sporting a bruise on the side of his cheek and eye.
Despite her panicked tone, Inuchiyo shrugged it off. “Got into a fight with Hideyoshi, but that’s nothing new.”
She may have looked too concerned and disturbed over the fact that he thought it was no big deal that he said, “Really, it’s nothing for you to worry about. It’s been settled.”
She did not have to know that he got into a fight with the monkey because the damn monkey made a very suggestive comment about their innocuous childhood ties.
A nod. “If you say so.”
“Anyway, I was just passing by to see how you’re doing, and it looks like you’re on the mend. You can probably cook again starting tomorrow if you sleep it off.” Her childhood friend told her. “I’m off to bed. Good ni—”
“About that…” wrapping the padded winter coat that he had placed on her shoulders earlier to keep her warm, she threw off the blankets that had been draped over her to the side. “I have a favor to ask.”
“… Oh no.” Inuchiyo sounded like he was dreading it already. “What now? Didn’t I tell you to—”
“Did Lord Ieyasu eat all of his food earlier?” she interrupted him, wanting to know if the man had attempted to eat anything that was not made by her. While she usually failed to arouse his appetite with her cooking, he did eat portions of what she prepared for him, though barely. More often than not, he would find something wrong with it, and would reprimand her about the way she prepared his meals, always informing her that the food she served was better off eaten by wild animals than by humans.
“How should I know?”
She closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief, knowing the answer to her question. “Guess he didn’t eat.” Upon standing up from her bedding, if Inuchiyo hadn’t been quick enough to catch her, Sanae figured she would have knocked her head against the wooden floor. “… Sorry ‘bout that.”
“I already told you to stay put—”
“Please take me to the kitchen.” She said, her voice absolute. “I need to make him eat—”
Despite her vision being hazy from her dizziness, she could see her childhood friend frowning and glaring at her. “Why bother? He has other retainer to do that for him. Heck, the whole kitchen staff of the Oda clan can make him whatever he wants anytime, anyday.”
“That may be true, but he won’t eat it, no matter how much you insist.” She tugged at his sleeve. “Please, Inuchiyo, just this once, help me out, will you?”
A long sigh escaped the man’s lips, and in response, he ruffled her hair, leaving it a mess. Even if she wanted to playfully hit him for doing so, she was aware that it was better for him to bully her for now.
She was at his mercy, and it was best not to offend the man who would be helping her get to the kitchen without letting her fall on her face.
“Fine, but just this once… and you owe me ohagi.”
At least he only demanded snacks, and not money, something that she did not have right now. “How many?”
“As many as you can manage.” He smirked at her.
A small price to pay in order for her to make onigiri for her lord’s evening snack with both her dignity and her face intact. “Deal.”
It did not take long for her to start working on some onigiri. After some of the maids had given her some leftover rice and umeboshi, she tied her sleeves back with a tasuki and began working on molding the rice, all the while using Inuchiyo’s shoulder as a headrest, as she was feeling a bit light-headed.
“… Did you seriously drag me out here just so you can use me as your pillow?!”
“Your arm’s too muscular to be a pillow though.” She shot back, annoyed that as soon as she was in the middle of making the first onigiri, he started complaining about it. “Now stay still!”
Shaking his head, he said, “I really don’t understand why you’re making so much effort to make food for him. Are you into him or something?”
Sanae pulled away from her childhood friend, aghast at his accusation. “E-excuse me?!”
“For you to put so much effort in making him eat… I’ve never seen you so determined to make someone eat your food since you started cooking in your father’s kitchen.” He said, frowning a bit. “I know you’re Lord Ieyasu’s retainer and all but… I don’t understand why you’re doing this.”
She sighed in exasperation. “Cooking food in order to make sure your lord eats and stay healthy is the same as making sure your lord doesn’t fall flat on his face in the battlefield by supporting him.” despite her explanation, it seemed as if her childhood friend didn’t want to believe her.
She sighed in disappointment, but pressed on. “Look, if I were male, would you actually be able to tell me that I’m, as you say, ‘into him’?”
If anything, he looked apologetic. “… No, of course not.”
“Just because I’m female doesn’t mean I am automatically in love with him.” she huffed at the older man.
“Yes, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Many women from noble families would love nothing more than to be his official wife.”
She knew the implication of his words, even if he didn’t have to say it out loud.
Even if things did work out between them, which she knew was highly unlikely, all she could aim for was the position of concubine. A daughter of a samurai had more chances to be his legal wife, while she, a commoner, would be more suited to be, well, the ‘extra’.
“I doubt I’ll ever catch his eye. He dislikes me, just so you know.” Seeing his look of disbelief, she shrugged, knowing that the dark-hearted lord’s innocent face was enough to fool everyone who wasn’t part of the clan. “You’ll see tomorrow what I mean. Now, can we get back to the onigiri making? I want this done before he goes to sleep.”
“Fine. But when will you be done though?” while he wasn’t really sleepy yet, she was taking an awful amount of time just to make rice that was molded into triangles. “And how sure are you that he’ll eat what you prepared for him?”
“Lord Ieyasu isn’t too picky with his food.” She said confidently, though in a split second, her tone turned into exasperation. “I’ve noted down what he dislikes… though I’m kind of used to asking him what he wants to eat for dinner, since he doesn’t eat it if it’s not what he requested for. It’s such a waste if he doesn’t eat the meals that I prepare.”
Hearing her comment had made Inuchiyo raise an eyebrow; just for the heck of it, he opened his mouth to say the very first thing he had in mind after processing what she had said.
“… You know, you sound and act like a wife just now.”
His comment couldn’t have hit closer to home. Immediately, she turned around in an attempt to glare at him and deny what he just said, only for her to moan in pain as her vision swayed from the sudden motion. In response, he caught her by her arms, gripping on the padded winter coat she wore, and trying to get her to steady on her feet.
“W-w-what are you saying…!?” despite her feeling very nauseated, she still managed to express her shock over what he said; if it weren’t for the somewhat serious situation, and the fact that she might faint anytime soon, he would have chuckled over it.
“… You seriously won’t let that comment go?” he asked, attempting to deadpan her.
“Of course I won’t!” she said hotly as she closed her eyes, feeling her cheeks burn in embarrassment. “There’s no way I—”
“Fine, fine. I take it back. Happy?” if this was the only way to get her to back down for the meantime, he would have to pick his own battles.
… Though he was very curious as to why she would blush over the issue, despite the fact that she was flat-out denying about ever having romantic feelings towards the Lord of Mikawa.
“I don’t like Lord Ieyasu at all.”
Unfortunately for her, the person she was referring to had been listening from the very beginning.
He had been unable to sleep because his empty stomach had been demanding to be fed for the past half hour, and just when he managed to get himself to get out of his room and make his own onigiri, Ieyasu found the two of them… flirting with one another.
Seeing her make onigiri while her head was leaning against the mutt’s shoulder was enough to make him lose his appetite right then and there, and he could actually feel the bile in his mouth when he heard the Fool’s Mutt tell her that she ‘sound and act like a wife’ this very moment.
Disgusted at the fact that he had to see and hear them flirt with one another, he was just about ready to walk away and leave them to their privacy when he heard her speak once more.
This time, the comment was all about him.
“I don’t like Lord Ieyasu at all.”
He was used to people hating him.
He was used to hearing people say things about him in a negative light when they thought he wasn’t around to hear it.
But why was it that the words coming from a mere kitchen wench’s mouth had actually, dare he say it, hurt him?
Clenching his fists, he made his way back to his room, angry over the realization that the wench somehow had the power to affect him with her mere words. While he knew that he was one to talk, especially when the old man always reprimanded him for making fun of the Fool and the Monkey in private, it irritated him that she disliked him.
He never cared for anyone else’s opinion, so why did he care about how she saw him?
Damn her.
In his haste to leave, he had missed the follow up remark to her childhood friend, as she realized just how strongly-worded her previous sentence was.
“At least, not in the way you’re thinking of, Inuchiyo, so don’t you assume I’m in love with him when I’m really not!”
“Yes, I got it the first time, calm down. You might get a relapse if you keep screaming at me like that.” He said, trying not to aggravate her further. Noticing her cheeks that were now a bright red color, he said, “… And I think we’re done here for this evening.”
“What? No!” while there was still some leftover rice left on the wooden container, she was only able to make three onigiri, two of which contained umeboshi while the one she was currently making was seasoned only with salt. “I can still make—”
Inuchiyo barely managed to grab the plate and catch the onigiri she had dropped before she and the food nearly slumped to the ground.
Sighing, he shook his head as he steadied her against him, his arm around waist in an attempt to support her as he slumped her against his frame, all the while holding the plate of onigiri with his other hand.
“… And this is why I said ‘we’re done here’.” He muttered to himself as he placed the plate on the kitchen table and placed his arms on her upper back and the back of her knees.
For the meantime, he would have to bring her back to her room and hope that he could get hold of the castle doctor this late at night.
I will not accept whatever it is that she will give me.
For the past half hour, he, now clad in his sleeping wear, had been thinking of what he had heard from the kitchens and was already planning how to handle the situation when the time came to face it head-on.
He refused to acknowledge that the words she said had an effect on him, though he was very determined to reject the onigiri she prepared the moment she tries to present it to him. If she forced him to eat what she had made, he would simply knock the food away from her hands and crush it under his feet, just to see the look on her face. As for the commotion that it may cause, he could simply tell them that she had dared to intrude upon him when he clearly told her not to; that way, it would be easier for him to send back to the capital.
… Though he did not relinquish the thought of her being in the service of the Fool.
Nor the Monkey, for that matter.
So bothered was he over the two possible scenarios that might happen if he dismissed her that it took a while for him to register the fact that someone had entered his room.
Only that it wasn’t who he was expecting it to be, but his page, Toramatsu, and on his hand was the plate containing three pieces of onigiri.
As the younger male made his way to where he sat, he tried to make his expression as neutral as possible.
His page bowed, sat on his calves, and presented the plate with both hands. “Lord Ieyasu, I was asked to give this to you by Lord Maeda.” While Toramatsu was usually unemotional, this time around, there was a hint of concern on his face. “Sanae made it for you.”
He rolled his eyes. “The wench can’t be bothered to give it directly to me?” while it irritated him that an Oda retainer had the nerve to command his retainers, he was livid over the fact that the wench had turned cowardly and refused to see him herself to hand over the food.
He could have sworn he saw the younger man shift uncomfortably in his place. “… Sanae is unable to do it herself, milord.”
“Really? I saw her in the kitchen, and she suddenly can’t give it to me herself?” while his tone was calm, the hint of venom was enough to make even Toramatsu wince.
“She… she collapsed earlier, Lord Ieyasu.” Toramasu said in a voice so low that he strained to hear it. “The doctor is seeing to her now after Lord Maeda brought her back to her room.”
It took several seconds for him to respond to the page’s news about the kitchen wench’s condition. While he wanted to say something cruel to show disdain towards weaklings like her, it seemed like all he could manage was a forced and controlled, “… I see.”
His conscience, it seemed, had held him back from saying anything inappropriate.
“Lord Ieyasu, excuse me for a moment.” Sakai announced as he slid the door open, bowed, and sat across from him, though a bit nearer to him than where Toramatsu was. “Sanae is—”
“Yes, Toramatsu told me.” He said in an irritated voice, wondering when and why she became everyone’s business, and why people even bothered to tell him about his condition. “You don’t have to remind—”
Sakai nodded in acknowledgment. “You’ll be pleased to know that it is nothing serious, and all she needs is a bit of rest. Her fever is back, though it was simply from exhaustion, according to the doctor. Curiously, Lord Maeda also informed me that she had been making onirigi for you when it happened.”
When will they all shut up and leave him alone?
He did not ask the wench to do anything for him, much less ask her himself to make him onigiri, yet they all seemed to be indirectly blaming him for her sudden relapse by mentioning the specific thing she was doing before her condition worsened. The mere thought of her being carried by the mutt in his arms was enough to make him seethe, and he was glad not to have seen it the second time around.
“… so I hope you eat it all for her sake.” Once again, he had been distracted that he had actually tuned out the senior retainer. “I’m sure it will make her happy when she hears that you ate all the food she made for you.”
“Don’t tell me what to do, old man.” He snapped angrily.
While Toramatsu paled over his angry retort, Sakai simply chuckled, knowing that it was an empty threat, which irritated him to no end. “Enjoy your midnight snack, milord. I’ll ask one of the maids to get the plate from your room tomorrow morning. Good night.”
He was barely able to conceal his ire over Sakai’s casual remark, and was just about ready to kick the offending food away, only to find out that he couldn’t even drag and move his foot to push it away. Even the thought of wanting to crush it under his feet was enough to make him wince; while he wanted to deny the reason being him not wanting to waste her efforts because she became useful, he knew it to be the truth.
His reluctance to ruin the food she prepared wasn’t because she proved her usefulness to him, but because she cared.
… At least, he wanted to think of it that way.
Even if she disliked him greatly.
Gingerly, he took one onigiri from the plate and munched on the cold rice. While it lacked the flavor that his palate was used to, he kept munching as his empty stomach began to demand more food. As soon as his mouth detected the sourness of the plum, he continue to eat. Before he knew it, he had devoured the entire plate of onigiri, and even felt a bit fuller, despite eating only three pieces.
He summoned all of his energy into snorting in disdain at the thought of the wench devoting so much time and energy into making him tasteless food, only to realize that he couldn’t bring himself to do so, much to his frustration.
For her to have occupied his mind both in his waking moment and even in his dreams…
He may have gotten it bad.
And it alarmed him that a mere woman, despite her dislike towards him, had deterred him from disliking her as well.
It would have suited him for both of them to be mutual contemptuous towards one another, as it was easier to deal with someone who he disliked, and yet, contradictorily, she was the exception to the rule.
He was going insane, he was sure of it.
Maybe all he needed to do was sleep, and everything would just fix itself.
Sighing, he headed over to his bedding and laid down under the heavy wool blanket to keep himself warm throughout the wintery night. Sometimes, the best thing he did whenever his thoughts bothered him was to sleep it all off and face it in the morning instead, after having ample rest. The problem wouldn’t fix itself, but he knew at least that he would be able to have a clearer understanding of what he needed to do.
In this case, he figured he just needed a good night’s rest and forget about everything that happened today.
Tomorrow, he would simply carry on with his life, be back to his old self, as if that wench never said anything about disliking him.
As if he never ate the bland onigiri that filled him both body and soul.
As if he never thought of her as anything more than a useful wench whose meal he was unable to crush under his foot just because he wanted to think that the food she prepared for him showed that she cared.
Damn it, he thought as he sat up once more, all of the exhaustion he felt today entirely gone at the mere thought of her caring.
Sleep had eluded him once more for this month, all thanks to her.
She’ll pay for this.