Chapter 10: The Crystal Hall

Ibuki came down the steps and stood beside Fumika at the gate.

"Good ears," he said, before she could ask. "I'm sorry."

"If they bring her up the mountain as your bride," Fumika said, "and she says no at your gate. Would you send her home?"

"I'd send her home and break the pact doing it."

"And lose the law's protection for every oni on this mountain."

He didn't answer that.

"So you'd marry her," Fumika said.

"I'd marry her," he said. "I'd give her a room with a lock and forty yen a month."

"And?"

"And never once walk through her door. You know I would."

"She's terrified of you."

"She healed my kitchen boy. She's less terrified than she was."

"And you'd still be dying," Fumika said. "With a frightened girl in the east wing instead of me."

He turned and looked at her.

"Is that what you'd prefer? To stay up here for your sister's sake?"

"I don't know."

"Then I'll tell you what I'd prefer."

His voice was very even. "I'd prefer you stayed because you wanted to. Not for her. Not for the archive. Not for forty yen."

"You said for the archive was the best reason you had."

"I lied. I was half dead. It was the best one I could say out loud."

"Then say the other one."

He didn't.

He looked down at her with his gold eyes, and his jaw set, and he said nothing at all.

"You won't ask," she said.

"I told seven clans I'd wait to be asked." His mouth twisted. "I'm a man of my word. It's very inconvenient."

Fumika laughed in spite of herself.

He walked back up the steps.

At the top he turned round.

"Supper's in an hour," he said. "Don't be late. I'll be rude."

The invitation came in the first week of June, on thick cream card with the Marquis's crest.

A ball at the Crystal Hall to celebrate the betrothal of the Marquis's heir and Miss Kaede Hinase.

Lord and Lady Tsukimori were asked to attend, so that the capital might see the Hinase family whole.

"They want to put you on show," Suzuna said.

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