Mireyna gazed at a small flower blooming by her feet, its delicate petals swaying gently in the breeze. Her eyes softened as she quietly asked, "Yumi… isn't it that, in Japanese custom, when a woman marries, she takes her husband's family name?"
Yumeko glanced at her, then looked up toward the sky, her expression distant.
"That's usually the case. But according to legend, the Yue family was… special. It's said that their bloodline was gifted—with beauty beyond imagination. They were considered one of the greatest treasures of the mountain clans. The samurai who married Tsukikkage Yue… he adored her. And he believed that she would give birth to children of unmatched beauty and talent. So, he chose to preserve the Yue name."
Mireyna nodded slowly, tilting her head in thought. "But… was that allowed?"
Yumeko shrugged lightly. "Who knows? But people here say that the Yue family was tied to the legendary flower. They were said to be its guardians… and the villagers would never want such a lineage to vanish or be absorbed into another legacy. That's why the name remained."
Mireyna's gaze drifted again, the wind playing with strands of her brunette hair. She asked quietly, "So… no one knows what happened to the rest of the Yue family? The ones who stayed on the mountain?"
Yumeko shook her head. "No one knows. Even though Kokushibu is a mountain village, this mountain is divided into three regions. There's the lower mountain—that's where Kokushibu is. Then there's the middle mountain, and finally… the highest peak. That's where the Yue clan once lived."
Mireyna blinked, slightly confused. "Wait—clans? You have clans?"
Yumeko nodded solemnly. "Yes. Each part of the mountain had its own family clan. Those at the top couldn't come down, and those at the bottom couldn't go up. That's how it's always been."
Her voice turned more serious now. "The Yue clan… they lived on the highest peak. If any of them came down, they weren't allowed to return. It's said that the spirit of the mountain itself forbids traitors from re-entering the sacred grounds. The same goes for the middle tier. And those from the bottom—especially from Kokushibu—can never ascend."
Mireyna frowned slightly. "So… you're saying people from Kokushibu can't even enter the upper mountain?"
Yumeko nodded again. "Exactly. Kokushibu is a village of mixed bloodlines. It's not a clan village. So, we're considered outsiders by the mountain's law."
Mireyna suddenly interrupted, eyes narrowing in confusion.
"So… anyone who leaves their clan village is considered a traitor?"
Yumeko nodded. "Yes… that's what the stories say."
Mireyna frowned slightly. That sounds so extreme… she thought. But something about it made her more curious than ever. She leaned in, her tone inquisitive.
"Then how did a samurai from this village manage to reach the upper mountain and marry Tsukikkage Yue?"
Yumeko blinked, clearly taken aback. She paused, thinking.
"I… don't know. But it's said only certain people can enter the upper mountain. Legends say the mountain chooses who may pass. Those with pure hearts, no greed, no ill will… or sometimes, if the spirit of the mountain itself is drawn to a person's aura, it allows them through."
Mireyna tilted her head. "So… are there no beasts or animals guarding the place?"
Yumeko shrugged. "I've never heard of any…"
Isao's voice interrupted sharply.
"What are you even talking about, Yumeko?" he said, crossing his arms. "It's not about being pure-hearted. The ones who can enter the upper mountain… are those whose bloodline originates from there."
Mireyna looked puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"
Isao rolled his eyes. "Good grief… What I mean is—no matter how far removed someone is, if their ancestry traces back to the upper mountain, the mountain recognizes them. It's in the blood."
Yumeko stepped forward, standing between them. "But didn't Obāsan Yuki say the Yue family isn't allowed to go back up?"
Isao sighed, clearly frustrated but staying composed.
"That's not what Obāsan Yuki said. She said the Yue clan can return… but there are reasons why we don't. That place is filled with spiritual energy—mystical and dangerous. Many who entered… never came back. They vanished. Trapped."
Mireyna froze, trying to process everything.
"Then… what's the truth?" she asked quietly.
"Why does all of this sound like some forgotten myth wrapped in superstition… but still feels so real?"
No one had an answer. The breeze blew gently through the trees. The village children's laughter echoed in the background, but Mireyna no longer heard them.
Isao and Yumeko exchanged glances—silent, heavy with unspoken thoughts. Then, Isao finally spoke, his voice low but firm.
"Most of the people in Kokushibu Village… they're originally from the upper mountain. At least, that's what I've heard. Some clans—upper, middle, even lower—were allowed to travel freely. But in the old days, traditions were sacred. Clan honor meant everything. That's why they didn't just go wherever they pleased."
Mireyna furrowed her brows, her curiosity only deepening.
"Then… why didn't Tsukikkage Yue return to the upper mountain? Why didn't she try to bring her family back together?"
At that, Isao's expression darkened.
He stepped closer—too close. Mireyna, still seated, looked up, startled as he leaned in, his eyes locked onto hers. His voice dropped, tinged with something sharp.
"Why do you ask so many questions?" he said, his breath heavy. "You're just an outsider. Not of the mountain. What business do you have digging into things that don't concern you?"
The words hit her like a blade—unexpected and cold. Mireyna froze, breath catching in her throat, her heart stinging slightly from the harshness.
Before she could even react, Yumeko stepped in quickly, placing a hand on Isao's shoulder.
"That's enough, Isao," she said gently but firmly. "Don't be like that."
Suddenly, a large hand gripped Isao's opposite shoulder.
He turned—and flinched.
It was Kae, Mireyna's bodyguard. His eyes were cold, piercing.
Without a word, Kae pushed Isao aside—not roughly, but with a quiet strength that made it clear he wouldn't tolerate anything further.
"Step away from Miss Mirae," Kae said, voice calm, but laced with a warning. His gaze didn't waver.
Isao stumbled slightly, taken aback. He regained his balance and quickly brushed the dust off his clothes, trying to save face.
Across the clearing, Mio and Shion—who had witnessed the scene—looked on in nervous silence, a flicker of unease in their eyes.
Meanwhile, Mireyna sat still, her mind reeling. Isao's words lingered in her ears.
"Just an outsider…"
Something in her heart ached. Not from fear. But from the realization—
Maybe… she wasn't welcome here.
Mireyna's chest tightened. For a moment, she felt hurt—stung by Isao's cruel remark.
But then, something inside her snapped.
A fire ignited in her heart, climbing into her throat. Her chocolate-brown eyes darkened with fury as she clenched her jaw and stood up—face to face with Isao.
"What did you just say?" she spat, her voice trembling with rage. "An outsider?"
She took a step forward, her presence suddenly commanding.
"My father is the son of the village chief of this very land you stand on. You think I'm some outsider?" she narrowed her eyes, then looked him up and down with sharp contempt. "The name Tokushiro carries far more honor than you could ever imagine."
Isao stiffened, taken aback by her sudden transformation.
"And you—what are you so proud of, exactly?" she sneered. "The great Tatsuki family? Please. You're only important because you're related to the Yue bloodline. You'd be nothing without that. Typical mountain folk…"
Her voice was laced with venom, every word sharper than the last.
"You think you're better than me? You think your mountain clan means anything to the outside world?" she growled. "Well, let me tell you something. My family is wealthy. My mother comes from royal Italian blood—with noble titles and a name that actually matters outside of this isolated little village."
She pointed a finger at him now, her hand trembling with anger.
"You, with your samurai heritage? That doesn't give you the right to act like a king."
And then, something deeper—sharper—escaped her lips. Words she didn't plan to say, but had been buried somewhere in her wounded pride.
"You're just a lowborn with a big mouth. You act like this village is some paradise, when it's barely even livable. No electricity. No running water. No future."
Gasps filled the air, but Mireyna wasn't done.
"You walk around like someone important, but maybe the real reason you act this way is because you were never taught any better."
Her tone dipped lower—colder.
"Ah… right. I forgot." She tilted her head mockingly. "you don't have a mother do you?"
Silence.
The words hit like a blade. Isao's eyes widened, the color draining from his face.
Yumeko, Shion, and Mio were frozen, horror written across their faces.
No one moved.
The only sound was the wind rustling through the trees.
And the deafening silence that followed Mireyna's final blow.