3 bar menu

Chapter 89 – End of the Spring Journey

“Puhahh!”

Since we left Aichi in the evening, we arrived in Atami around midnight that same day.
Then, together with the people who had accompanied me on the journey, we rushed straight into the Ootori family’s villa in Atami. Despite it being late at night, we headed directly to the bath, and I reached for the item I had requested in advance and downed it in one go.

It was a special-order product: fruit milk, which still hasn’t been sold in this era. In my previous life, it was a staple I always drank whenever I went to a hot spring or a public bathhouse.
Though it’s served in a cup instead of a bottle, the taste and chill are perfect.
Of course, I’m holding my other arm at my waist, in proper form, just as etiquette dictates.

The hot springs themselves—like the ones in Arima and Hokuriku—were great, but since the journey is coming to an end, this one feels like the best. The sense of freedom is on another level.

However, the Atami I’m in now feels a bit different from the one I knew in my past life.
It’s been bustling since the Edo period and is one of Japan’s most famous tourist spots, as it was the setting for The Golden Demon (Konjiki Yasha), known for Kanichi and Omiya.
But in this era, there’s no large hotel district yet.
Instead, it’s the villas established during the Meiji period—such as the imperial family’s villa—that stand out.

At last, the Ootori villa was exactly where it should be—but unlike the private villas in Kugenuma, this one isn’t owned by the Ootori family per se. It’s a villa owned by the Ootori conglomerate, meaning not just family members but also others can use it.

Moreover, it’s more than a simple villa. It’s a corporate recreational facility, staffed by attendants who live on-site to manage and operate it. It feels like a luxurious ryokan (inn).

However, for this trip, for security reasons, the Ootori family has booked the entire villa. Not only that, but everyone else—the people accompanying us—weren’t expected until this afternoon or even a day later. That means we’ve had the entire building all to ourselves for at least half a day.

Since I’m the only woman with Shizu, we have the women’s outdoor hot-spring bath all to ourselves, too. On the men’s side, there’s only Uncle Torasaburou bathing, so that’s private as well. I invited Uncle Yagami and Wan-san to join the bath, but they declined, saying they had to handle transitions and tomorrow’s duties.

Same with all the staff and employees who traveled with us—none of them joined. The only exceptions are Shizu and me, because she’s my personal attendant and part of her role is to watch over me and serve as my last line of defense—an assignment given by the family.

So when she joins me in the bath, it’s not just because she cares—there’s also that serious, protective purpose in place.

And right now, Shizu is sitting beside me, drinking fruit milk as well.

“It’s good, right?”

“Yes. It has an interesting flavor. And it seems quite nutritious too.”

“Well, I suppose that’s true, but if you drink it thinking about all that, it only tastes half as good.”

“Is that so?”

She says that and looks back at me, genuinely puzzled.

I don’t know what it is—maybe it’s the Spartan-style education in the Ootori household—but like with Teruo-kun, I get the sense that many of the servants are overly focused on practicality.
Still, considering how many people still don’t have their basic needs met—like food, clothing, and shelter—maybe it’s only natural they end up like that.

“Shizu, have you never had something like this before?”

“If it’s just milk, I’ve had plenty since I was little at the Ootori school.”

“Well, I figured as much.”

Milk might have nothing to do with it, but even in the hot spring, I got a good look at certain aspects of her development.
She normally helps me with bathing, but chances to see her completely naked are surprisingly rare. So beyond surprise, I was genuinely impressed—those firm abs and toned muscles, the whole athlete-like figure. I don’t think I’ll be able to match that for at least five more years.

Still, with Shizu, the conversation always seems like it’s about to dry up, so I flop down on the sofa and try to keep it going.
We’re often alone together, but times like this—when she’s actually relaxed—are pretty rare.

“When you were little… So Shizu, were you like Teruo-kun too? Going to school in the morning and doing some kind of secret special training at Ootori in the afternoon?”

“Yes. I was purchased by the Ootori family when I was five and have received education and training ever since.”

“That was… to serve me?”

“From around the time I entered middle school, I believe so. Some parts of my education and training changed then.”

“I see… But from five to fifteen, that means you lived a strict life for ten years.”

“I only thought it was harsh in the beginning. If you produce results, you’re evaluated accordingly, and our needs—food, clothing, and shelter—are more than met. Also, since entering girls’ high school, even though I’m still a student, I’ve started receiving a salary. And since I began directly serving you, my compensation has become almost unbelievable.”

(That’s because it also includes the price of your life if something happens, doesn’t it…)

I think that, but I can’t say it out loud. And besides Shizu, there are many others in similar situations.
The likes of Yagami and the others with that dangerous air about them probably do nothing but high-risk work.
Even during our whirlwind tour, I’m sure they were holding meetings late at night or when I wasn’t looking, coordinating with the other guards and attendants, checking the safety of each destination.

Since I stand on the efforts and devotion of so many people, I must produce results as someone of the Ootori family. “Let them see good things”—that is the duty and responsibility of those in leadership. Otherwise, no one will follow.

And if no one follows me, then I won’t be able to do any of the things I want. Even if I go around talking about history cheats or sounding carefree, it would all be less than a pipe dream—just meaningless scribbles.

Not long after I reincarnated, in hindsight, I was rather naïvely thinking something like, “I’ll just avoid destruction using the knowledge I already have.”
But everyone is living their lives seriously and earnestly, and while I wouldn’t go as far as saying I need to repay that, every time I talk to someone like this, I’m reminded that I have a role I must fulfill.

This journey especially made me feel that deeply.
Avoiding my own destruction aside, saving the Ootori family from ruin isn’t just for myself—it’s the duty of someone at the top toward those who belong to the Ootori.

Well, I’m not so arrogant as to worry about Japan as a whole, but still, I’m trying to at least do what I can.

Though, maybe even thinking “at least what I can” is already arrogant.
A child who acts ahead of the adults just because she knows a bit of the future—of course she’s going to be scolded.

And I must be grateful for the adults who scold me, the adults who correct me, the adults who reason with me, and the adults who guide me.
Even if I carry the memories of someone in their late thirties, to everyone else, I’m nothing more than a strange little brat.

“Is something the matter? Did I say something that offended you?”

I must’ve been thinking too deeply.
So I slowly shake my head. But the words that come out of my mouth aren’t the ones I’d been pondering, but rather words meant to smooth things over.

“No. I was just thinking… how everyone walks a different path and carries different burdens.”

“That may be true, but saying something like that just shy of turning nine is far too enlightened. Please refrain from saying it elsewhere.”

“I could say the same to you. You’re ten years older than me—don’t go giving me moral lectures.”

“That may be, but please keep in mind that it’s you, Ojousama, who makes me say such things.”

“I’d like to keep that in mind.”

“Yes, please do. You’re still only nine years old. There’s the Retired Head, the current Head, and the other members of the Ootori family. I hope you’ll only say what needs to be said to them—and remain a child a little while longer.”

She gave a graceful bow. Though dressed in a yukata, her posture and movements were the same as always—purely Shizu.

(Even Shizu said it…)

“Haa. This trip’s been nothing but adults telling me the same kinds of things.”

A sigh slipped out, followed by a bit of a grumble.
But to me, Shizu’s words—who’s been by my side constantly these past few years—weigh heavier than anyone else’s. In some ways, they weigh even more than those of my great-grandfather or my father or grandfather.
On top of that, Shizu had never spoken so directly until now, which means I should take it seriously.
And precisely because I understand that, the sigh and the complaint slipped out.

“I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me.”

As Shizu lowered her head once more, there was only one thing I could say in return.

“No. Thank you. And from now on, don’t hold back when you want to complain. But there’s one condition.”

“What might that be?”

Shizu leaned in slightly, her expression solemn, as if to peer into the face of someone who had just rejected total obedience mid-sentence.

“More physical affection. I’m still not even nine years old. That’s an order.”

“…Understood. Then I too shall serve you as if I’m dealing with an eight-year-old, so be prepared.”

“I’ll be prepared. Though I probably won’t be able to actually go through with it.”

When I said that flatly, even Shizu couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

And as I saw that smile, it truly hit me—this trip of mine had come to an end.

Atami:
A hot spring retreat since the days of Tokugawa Ieyasu. A tourist destination since the Edo period.
Konjiki Yasha (The Golden Demon) by Ozaki Koyo began its newspaper serialization in 1897.