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Volume 4 Chapter 5 Part 3

「Y…Yes. But though I, Mitsuhide am smart and witty, have a distinguished bloodline and am a rare beauty, and therefore this decision seems as much like common sense as the sun rising from the east and setting in the west, plus I am not as active as Sagara-senpai, so I can actually stay and govern my new territory properly. 」

「Juubei, didn’t you try to save Monkey with no care for your own safety? If Juubei had given up when you saw Monkey being blown to pieces at Misaka Pass, then Monkey would definitely be dead. 」

「That is so, but uhm, that was just because I didn’t read the atmosphere there properly, and my personality of not giving up on things I start isn’t something to be proud of. 」

Suddenly, Nobuna tightly grabbed Mitsuhide’s hands, big tears welling from the corners of her eyes.

「Thank you so much, really, thank you so much! 」

Nobuna, who had never lowered her head towards her retainers to cry, sobbed with her joy. Mitsuhide’s chest felt a flow of warmth at that new, unexpected sight right before her.

(If it’s for this master, I am willing to give everything for her.)

She honestly believed it. It’s just that her heart seemed to be rumbling with an ominous feeling as well.

「Thank you, thank you! 」

Looking at Nobuna with her face full of tears, her body seemed to hurt, as though she was being poked with needles.

(Why am I feeling this way?)

Even the smart and witty Mitsuhide couldn’t understand that.

「From now on, I’m relying on you to keep Monkey safe too. He will run to dangerous places muttering weird things to himself if we don’t look at him properly. He is so weak, yet he has such strange courage, but if Juubei is protecting him by his side, I will be able to relax a little. 」

(Ehhh!? To Nobuna-sama, Sagara-senpai is a retainer, no, a family member. This is without a doubt the truth, and that’ how important of an existence he’s become to her. But, don’t tell me, she is planning to let me, Mitsuhide and Sagara-senpai, uhm… marry each other!?!?!? Th…That’s too troubling… Umm, that Sagara-senpai is like a child that was doted on by his mother; it’s cute, but if I were to choose between liking or disliking him, then u…uh..umm…. I don’t particularly dislike him, but liking him or something, it’s still debatable. But to senpai who was forced to leave his mother, I think someone who loves him and takes care of him is going to be necessary…)

Once she recalled what happened in that cave, her body somehow began to feel hot,

(th…though it was to save him, bu…but I did have body contact with senpai already…s-so does… does that mean that I already belong to senpai!?)

All in all, Akechi Juubei Mitsuhide was so embarrassed she felt she could die, but since it was Nobuna-sama’s order, her only choice was to marry Yoshiharu after all.

「Roger, since this is the order of Nobuna-sama, then you can leave Sagara-senpai’s matters to me! 」

「Thanks, I will never forget my debt to you for saving Monkey, Juubei. I will be indebted to you till the end of my life. 」

(The Sakamoto of Southern Omi is a reward for saving Sagara-senpai… If that’s the case, then I will accept it.)

Of course, Nobuna forbade Mitsuhide from discussing this with Monkey.

(All in all, I, Akechi Juubei Mitsuhide will from now on take care of senpai. Though it’s hard to think of them as the same person, the arrogant daytime senpai is actually a child who loves to snuggle around his mother, and the only one who knows this humiliating fact is me, Mitsuhide, Hohoho!)
「Anyway, why are you happily smiling by yourself, Juubei-chan? What is going on? 」

「B…But, a girl to be forced into marriage isn’t something to get used to. And I’m busy in coming up with the design plans for Sakamoto Castle now. But, as I finish each of them one by one, it’s only a matter of time until we hold the marriage. Of course I’m not happy about it at all, but because it’s my master’s order, I have no choice~ 」

「I have totally no idea what you are saying, but won’t there be problems if you become strange like this after becoming a Daimyo? 」

「Not at all not at all, because this Sakamoto Castle will one day belong to Sagara-senpai too. There is nothing to worry about. 」

「Huh? What does that mean!? 」

「Geez, you really are hopeless. To ask a bride to say such things before getting married , Ahhh, whatever am I going to do with you, Sagara-senpai? 」

「Is this part of her strange motives? It must be a new way for her to screw with me. 」

That day, Mitsuhide had fallen into quite a big misunderstanding, completely due to her light feelings of her first love. But Yoshiharu did not notice it at all.

* * *

「Oichi, be strong, someone will definitely come save us. I know it. 」

「Hmmm, Kanjuuro, you need to be strong too. Is your body condition still okay? 」

「No need to worry. Don’t judge me by my appearance. I have confidence in the strength, of my body, hahaha! 」

「But, your voice doesn’t seem too energetic. 」

These voices found themselves on the lone island of Lake Biwa’s Chikubu Island. In this island’s prison cells, Azai Hisamasa had imprisoned the current 「Oichi」, Azai Nagamasa, and the previous 「 Oichi」, Tsuda Nobusumi.

The cell imprisoning the cross-dressing beauty Nagamasa was a grand single room. With 3 grand meals every day, her treatment was of the highest quality, so she was still feeling well. Nagamasa’s imprisonment amounted to nothing more than her father grounding her here because of her unrelenting objection to betraying Nobuna and the Oda clan.

But at the other side of the tunnel, Nobusumi was imprisoned in a small, wet stone cell. Every day, the guards would feed Nobusumi with only watery gruel and nothing else. The ceiling of the stone cell was so low he couldn’t even stand up straight.

If this went on, Nobusumi would become weaker and weaker until he would eventually died here.

Nagamasa had repeatedly pleaded with the guards, saying,:「At least put me at the same cell as Kanjuuro! 」, but the guards always rejected her pleas, explaining 「Master ordered us to not let both of you anywhere near each other.」 and they shook their heads with apologetic looks on their faces.

Catching Nobusumi and learning that he was actually a guy, Hisamasa had roared:「That bastard Oda Nobuna, how dare you treat me like a fool!? 」 and planned to kill Nobusumi to vent some of his anger, but after considering that Nobusumi had worth as a hostage, he finally banished both of them to Chikubu Island instead.

Of course, the cells were not together, so Nagamasa and Nobusumi couldn’t even touch each other with their fingers. In the dark prison, they couldn’t even see each other clearly. Their only connection was their weak voices. This couple, though born into different clans of this Sengoku era, while imprisoned could not endure being unable to see or touch each other.

Maybe the guards pitied the fate of this beautiful Owari and Omi couple, as they had never disturbed the soft conversations that they were having before. Even now, they were waiting patiently in this underground prison.
「It’s okay Oichi, get a hold of yourself. Though I overheard the guards spouting rumors about Nobuna-onee-sama being assassinated, how could she be killed off so easily? She will definitely come and save us. 」

「Yes, that’s what I believe as well. 」

Nobusumi whispered again:

「I’m sure Monkey-kun has already sent his ninja to Northern Omi. We will have our chance to escape at any time now when she arrives. 」

And Nagamasa replied:

「Kanjuuro, I must take back the position of head of the clan from Father. If I don’t go save Onee-sama, the chaotic times in this country will never end. 」

「I’ve made up my mind as well, but that is going to be extremely hard on you. 」

「Father has almost never left Omi; he knows nothing. This is no time to be killing each other in such a small island country. 」

The both of them stared at the weak sunlight coming in through a hole in the wall as if they were praying to it.

*Boom!*

And then, a sudden explosion resounded at the entrance of the dungeon!

「Ahh, it must be Monkey’s ninja! 」

Nobusumi exclaimed happily.

「Asai-shama, Tsuda-shama it’sh been too longb utd do not fear, for I, who even scares crying babies to silence ish here! 」