Chapter 4

As we reached the foot of our castle, the current leader of the Hosokawa clan was staring to our direction with a gist of anger on his face. He seemed to be very disappointed with our actions earlier. Nozomu, who was beside me chuckled softly. I turned my sight towards him who has a teasing smile on his face.

"What is funny about?" I asked him in confusion.
"Looks like I will be receiving a bag of scolding way back to our manor." he replied looking straightly ahead.

My attendant, Mei-chan met me at the entrance of the castle. It is a long wooden bridge connecting the main castle and the grounds of the castle from the beautiful flowing river. The sakura trees growing beside the river swayed as the soft swirl of wind landed in our territory. She guided me back to the castle together with some female attendants and castle guards. I looked back at Nozomu who is talking to the leader of their clan.

"Father." Nozomu called him. "I didn't expect you to see you here in this castle. "

He is still wearing a confident face, not knowing that, what he really did is a scar for the reputation of their clan name. More over, he is talking to his father, the biggest man of the well known Samurai clan.

"I didn't expect you to fail on your first day of contract with the noble family." His father replied in a calm but full of disappointing tone of voice.

I shifted my look from the distant towards Mei.
"What does Hosokawa-dono mean about the contract?" I asked her.
"Hosokawa-dono and his family has been loyal to your family that they are willing to serve their lives to protect the Ashikaga Family. By this day, Hosokawa Nozomu-sama was appointed to be your attending guard for the rest of your lives."

"The rest of my life?" I echoed as I looked back at the two gentlemen talking from afar. "It must be hard. Nozomu-san should at least plan for his own life. Binded on a contract forever is not good. "

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"May I know why does the leader of our family should have a presence in this particular castle? You should be at the main castle where the Shogun is staying aren't you?" Nozomu asked his father as they walked inside the castle. "Did Shogun-sama fired you as his loyal samurai?"
"Nonsense. I am his attending guard and I won't be gone beside him." His father replied.
"You mean, the Shogun is here? For what business?" Nozomu asked.
"I told you this earlier. Princess Rin-sama will be attending a dinner with the Shogun and his father to meet her future partner."



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"A marriage partner?!" I exclaimed towards Mei-chan. She is currently fixing my hair, putting some ornaments for tonight's dinner with my father. I never knew that marriage meeting are way too old now. It's present since this era....

No way I am still thinking that I was really living in the future. That's only a dream for God's sake!

"He was the first son of one of the Feudal lords, Hatakeyama Yoshinari from the great samurai clan, Hatakeyama clan. It is also a loyal ally of our family Rin-sama." Mei explained without letting herself stop from fixing my hair. "His name Ryusei-sama and known as Nozomu-sama's classmate in their early years."




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"Isn't it too early for the princess to meet her prince?" Nozomu questioned his father. "She is just 19."
"Rin-sama will turn 20 tomorrow. She is barely an adult now. And the upcoming Shogun should have atleast one successor for the throne immediately."
"That's harsh. Then who's the guy?"

A smirk landed on his father's face. They stopped infront of the main room where the Shogun is currently staying.
"I arrived at my destined room brat. You must go to your master."

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