Chapter 3: A Condition for Inheritance

1

“Do you have any antiques hidden away at home? We buy and appraise.”

After school, as I was heading down Teramachi Street to the antique store Kura where I work part-time, I found myself looking at the sign in front. Since it’s always there, I haven’t been paying attention to it anymore. But now that I think about it, everything began with this. I smiled and touched the standing sign. A warm breeze brushed past my cheeks. The short month of February had gone by in a flash, and now it was March. It’s been a year since I first stepped foot into Kura... That brings back memories. Thinking back to when I tried to secretly sell my grandfather’s antiques so that I could go to Saitama, I felt bitter at how shallow and foolish I’d been. Then again, I was at the lowest point of my life back then, so desperate that I couldn’t see anything around me. It was Holmes who saved me.

“Aoi, would you like to work here?”

Just how much had coming here done for me? I did regret the silly thing I’d done, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but be thankful for it, because it let me form a connection with this store. This sign was what brought me to Kura. I gently caressed it with love and gratitude, took a deep breath, and energetically opened the door.

“Good morning,” I greeted as the door chime rang out softly. I’d grown accustomed to saying “Good morning” even in the evening. At first I was reluctant to because it seemed like an industry insider thing, but then I learned that it’s seen as more respectful to say that to people who came to work earlier than you. Once I found that out, it didn’t bother me anymore to say it late in the day.

“Hello, Aoi.” Holmes smiled at me from behind the counter where he was working. An unfamiliar boy was standing across from him.

“Hm?” I squinted. The boy looked around fourteen or fifteen. He wore a thin duffel coat and a simple shoulder bag. He had light brown hair, large eyes of the same color, pale skin, and slightly rosy lips—a beautiful, androgynous boy. Who is that? A customer? I tilted my head.

The boy turned around, and his eyes lit up when he saw me. “Hey, Kiyo, is this the new part-timer?” He looked at Holmes.

“Yes, she is.”

The boy turned to me again and said, “Nice to meet you. I’m Rikyu Takiyama.” He bowed.

“N-Nice to meet you too. I’m Aoi Mashiro.” I didn’t know what was going on, but I bowed anyway. Rikyu Takiyama... Where have I heard that last name before?

“Thanks for helping with the store while I was gone, Aoi,” Rikyu said with the smile of an angel.

What a sweet boy. “Oh, it’s nothing.” But what does he mean by “while I was gone”?

Noticing my confusion, Rikyu grinned and said, “I used to work here at Kura, but I went to study abroad in France. You came here right after I left. I guess that makes me your senior.”

“S-Senior...” In other words, he’s my predecessor. I never even considered that there might’ve been a part-timer before me. This store isn’t busy, but they need someone to watch it. The owner’s always traveling around the world, which makes things hard for Holmes and the manager, who both have their own occupations aside from this. This boy was here before me, but he left to study abroad. So that’s why when I first came to Kura, Holmes said, “Great. I was actually in search of an assistant.” Thinking about it that way, I might’ve shown up at the perfect time.

“I’ve heard about you from my mother, Aoi. She said you’ve been working hard.”

“Your mother...?” Who would that be? I stared at Rikyu’s face again. His pretty features and expression suddenly brought someone to mind: a woman I knew well, who said, “Oh right, Aoi. My son will be returning from his exchange program this spring. Do be friends with him, okay?”

“A-Are you Yoshie’s son, by any chance?” I think her last name was Takiyama.

“Yep.”

Holmes smiled cheerfully and said, “Yes, Rikyu is Yoshie’s son. They have the same eyes and mouth, right?”

“Yes.” I nodded. I knew Yoshie’s son would be handsome, but he exceeded my expectations. His coloring was light, and he could even be mistaken for a boyish girl. If I recall correctly, she said he was a high school first-year, making him one year younger than me.

It seemed like Rikyu had just arrived. He slowly took off his scarf, sat down in one of the chairs, and gave a relieved sigh. “This place is as relaxing as ever, huh?”

“I’ll make coffee,” Holmes said.

“Thanks, Kiyo.” Rikyu watched Holmes go into the kitchenette with a pure, childlike smile on his face. Then he slowly turned to me and said, “Hey, Aoi.”

“Yes?” I looked up, having just put on my apron.

Rikyu clasped his hands in front of his face, frowning ruefully with tears in his large, round eyes. “Um, I think it’ll be hard for Kiyo to say it, so let me make this clear.”

“Wh-What is it?”

“Now that I’m back, you can go.”

“Huh?”

“I’m the regular part-timer here, so now that I’m back, we don’t need you anymore. Thank you for your service, Aoi. Feel free to come back as a customer.” He bowed.

“Wh-What?” His sudden restructuring announcement had me reeling. It wasn’t so long ago that I was studying like crazy for my exams with Holmes as my tutor because I didn’t want to quit this job. But now I’m suddenly being laid off? Am I unneeded as long as someone else is here? I stood there stock-still, unable to process what was happening.

“What are you talking about, Rikyu?” Holmes emerged from the back room, heaving an exasperated sigh. He wasn’t holding the tray. Apparently he came back after hearing our conversation.

Rikyu quickly smiled and said, “Just kidding, Aoi!”

“I-It was a joke?” I couldn’t believe it.

“Sorry, sorry! Don’t look at me like that! Anyway, I look forward to working with you.” He smiled sweetly and bowed again.

“Sorry, Aoi. Rikyu is something like a younger brother to me, so unfortunately, he’s blackhearted too,” Holmes said apologetically.

“O-Oh. I see.” That was all I could say.

Holmes went back to preparing the coffee.

“Well, I’m half serious,” Rikyu continued. “You have to start studying for entrance exams soon, right?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“You won’t have time to work anymore, right? You can leave Kura to me, so go focus on your studies. I can do a way better job than you.” He looked at me mischievously.

Not knowing what to say, I cast my eyes down. He’s not wrong about my entrance exams...but I don’t want to quit yet.

Holmes came out again, this time with the tray. “Rikyu, that’s for Aoi to decide, not you. Besides, Aoi does her job very well.”

“Are you saying she’s more useful than me?” Rikyu pouted.

“I don’t like to compare people. You’re you, Aoi is Aoi. More importantly, Aoi is the current part-timer and you already quit. Regardless of the reason, you don’t get to complain,” he admonished, placing the cups on the counter. He then turned to me and said, “Sorry about that again,” frowning.

“I-It’s fine.”

“Would you like to take a break with us first, Aoi?”

“O-Okay, I will.” I hurriedly sat down next to Rikyu, who sighed, making me shrink in my seat. Ack, this is awkward.

“What’s wrong, Rikyu?” Holmes asked.

“Huh?”

“You seem to be in an awfully bad mood today. I don’t know what happened, but I won’t let you continue to be rude to Aoi.” His gentle smile had an intensity behind it that made chills run down my spine.

Rikyu, however, pouted defiantly against the pressure and said, “You really do see through everything, Kiyo. I’m trying not to be depressed.”

“Depressed?”

“Yeah. I’m meeting with Dad here today.”

“Your father is coming here?”

Rikyu nodded.

That would be Yoshie’s ex-husband, then. Yoshie once told me that she was a “grave robber” and that the owner’s looks were exactly her type. Which means... “Is Rikyu’s father similar to the owner?” I asked nonchalantly to no one in particular.

Rikyu shook his head. “Nope, not at all. He’s younger than Mom.”

“Y-Younger?”

“He quit his job early and lazes around all day, and he’s even a two-timer—the very picture of a good-for-nothing guy,” Rikyu continued.

I was dumbfounded. “D-Did Yoshie get fed up with younger men because of that?”

“It doesn’t seem like it. Mom lost her dad early, so she has a huge father complex and was always into old men. But apparently when she was young, she didn’t want to admit that side of herself, so she tried to pretend that she wasn’t. Oh yeah, and even though people call her a ‘witch’ or whatever because of her beauty, she was a genius art geek when she was young—really unfashionable and boring. She had no men in her life until Dad happened to come along and flirt with her. They got married, but Dad just figured she was a working woman and would make money for him.”

I was stunned speechless. That young, beautiful Yoshie used to be unfashionable and boring...?

“Anyway, Mom was disgusted by Dad’s lack of self-sufficiency and divorced him. After a while she met the owner through work. The moment he saw her, he said, ‘You’re like an unpolished gemstone, young lady. With refining, you can shine like a diamond.’ He was already her type to begin with, and with that line, he apparently defeated her on the spot. After that, she took his advice and turned into what you see now in the blink of an eye. Even as a kid, I couldn’t believe how much she changed.”

“I see...” I murmured, dazed. “S-So, Yoshie only became that beautiful and lighthearted after meeting the owner?”

“Yep, she said that until then, she lived a restricted life. Then she saw the owner living freely, supported and loved by everyone, and thought, ‘So it’s okay to live like that too.’ It was enlightening, apparently.”

“E-Enlightening...” I see—he did say she was a genius. Maybe she studied hard to meet her parents’ expectations, but then got deceived by a good-for-nothing man and had a failed marriage. That would’ve caused trouble for her parents...and she probably blamed herself for it. That was when she met the overly free owner and realized that she could be like that too.

“But Rikyu, were you upset when your mother got a new partner?” I asked.

“Nope. I was still really young, so it didn’t bother me at all. The owner’s nice, Mom got prettier, and most importantly, I was really happy to get Kiyo as a big brother. Everything about it was great.”

“I see...” I nodded. That makes sense. The doubts I had while listening to his story disappeared.

“Rikyu, your father lives in Tokyo, right?” Holmes asked. He said it like he didn’t know Rikyu’s father well.

“Yeah.”

“Have you met him before, Holmes?” I asked.

“No, I haven’t. I’ve only heard about him.”

“It’s been three years since I last saw him too,” Rikyu pointed out. “We talk on the phone occasionally, though. But Dad’s dad, in other words, my grandpa, lives in Kyoto.”

“Oh right, now that you mention it, you said before that he lives in Kita-ku.”

“Yeah, my rich grandpa that lives in a mansion in Takagamine. I haven’t seen him in three years either.”

“Does that mean your father is coming back to his family in Kyoto?” I asked.

Rikyu shook his head. “No, Dad was born out of wedlock, so that’s not his family.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I shrank in my seat.

“It’s not a big deal. Grandpa’s a weirdo too. After his wife died, he had kids with a bunch of different women without remarrying. He did acknowledge them and pay for child support and education, so Dad seemed to be raised well enough. He grew up into a lousy man who hates working, though.”

“Oh? I didn’t know that,” Holmes said quietly.

“Well yeah, I never told you much about Dad. He’s a cheater and he hates working, so I can’t be proud of him.”

Not knowing how to respond, Holmes and I simply said, “I see.”

“But you know,” Rikyu continued, grinning, “the reason for the divorce wasn’t his freeloading or his constant cheating.”

“Huh?”

“Mom figured, ‘I’ll just support us until he finds a job that suits him,’ and ‘A man can’t help but fool around a bit.’”

“What was the last straw, then?”

“Apparently he was extorting the girl he was cheating on her with for money. Mom was like, ‘I don’t need a pathetic guy like this.’ She likes chivalrous men, after all.”

“Ah, I see. That’s very like her,” Holmes said.

“No wonder she fell head over heels for the owner,” I said, amazed but sympathetic.

Holmes placed his hand on his chin and asked, “What did your father do after separating from Yoshie?”

“No idea.”

Confused, I asked, “Huh? But you talk on the phone, right? Does he not tell you what’s going on in his life?”

“Dad just wants to hear about me, so it’s always me doing the talking. He doesn’t talk about himself. I don’t want to hear about how he’s mooching off of women anyway, so I don’t ask,” Rikyu said coldly, sipping his coffee.

Well, I can’t blame him for that.

“Did you tell your father about me?” Holmes asked in a low voice. His mouth was smiling, but his eyes weren’t.

“Of course. Actually, I spend like eighty percent of the time talking about you. You’re the best brother ever! I can’t help but go on and on about you.” Rikyu beamed.

In contrast, Holmes’s expression went blank. “Why are you meeting him in this store?”

“Huh? Because he wants to meet the brother I’m always bragging about.” Rikyu smiled cheerfully.

Holmes facepalmed. “Rikyu—”

Suddenly, Kura’s door swung open and the chime echoed through the store. I turned around and saw a man wearing a suit. He looked to be in his forties, with thick light brown hair and a stylish beard. He had chiseled features and slightly drooping eyes. He radiated an Italian-like aura and was handsome enough to be a movie star. Upon seeing Rikyu sitting at the counter, he raised both hands and shouted, “Rikyu, Papa’s here!”

“Oh. Yeah. Long time no see, Dad,” Rikyu replied curtly.

Holmes seemed amused by the difference in their enthusiasm. He stood up straight and said, “Hello, my name is Kiyotaka Yagashira. Rikyu is a good friend of mine.” He bowed.

“Oh!” Rikyu’s father’s eyes lit up. “So you’re that ‘Kiyo.’ Rikyu was right about your good looks. Thanks for taking care of him. I’m his father, Sakyo Kirishima.” He walked up to us and shook hands with Holmes.

“Your name is Sakyo? That’s a lovely name,” I murmured.

Sakyo looked at me happily. “Thanks. My father named both me and Rikyu. Oh, you’re the new part-timer, Aoi, right? Nice to meet you. Thanks for looking after my son.” He extended his hand to me this time. Apparently Rikyu had even told him about me. What exactly did he tell him? I was afraid to find out.

“N-Nice to meet you. I’m Aoi Mashiro.” I timidly shook hands with him.

“I don’t recall Aoi ever looking after me,” Rikyu mumbled.

After that, Holmes made another cup of coffee for Sakyo, who smiled in delight upon tasting it. “I heard your coffee was good, but man, it really is,” Sakyo said cheerfully. Then he looked at me with a carefree grin and said, “Your eyes are sparkling, Aoi. You must be a sincere girl.”

I was expecting him to be more of a slob since he was described as “a good-for-nothing man who doesn’t want to work,” so I was taken aback by his cheerfulness. He had a friendly smile and a gentle, welcoming aura. He was also constantly complimenting us. He was totally unlike Rikyu, who seemed to have a wall built around him.

“I see,” Holmes murmured to himself as he drank his coffee. He smiled slightly.

“Hm? Did I say something wrong?” Sakyo tilted his head.

“No, I was just thinking that you were a charming person who can quickly slide into people’s hearts.”

I think I know what he means. Yoshie, who was once dull and plain, must’ve been warier than the average person. Plus, she wasn’t into younger men. It didn’t make sense that she would marry a young man who didn’t work. But after meeting Sakyo in person, I could completely understand how he won her over. He worked his way into her heart, praised her nonstop, and expressed his gratitude for her. Considering her strong maternal instinct, she may have treated her husband as a son... Is this what they call a “gigolo”? Maybe Sakyo has the natural ability to draw people to him.

After listening to his father’s chatter this whole time without saying anything, Rikyu rested his chin in his hand and asked impatiently, “Okay, so why did you come to Kyoto, Dad? It wasn’t really just to see me and Kiyo, right?” His tone of voice was cheerful, but I could tell that he was annoyed at how long it was taking to get to the point.

“Hey now, I did want to see you and Kiyotaka. But I’m here in Kyoto because Dad called me here.”

“Grandpa called you?”

“Yeah. He’s calling for you too, Rikyu.”

Rikyu pointed at himself. “Me? Why?” He stared blankly at his father.

“Not just us, but all his other sons too. The formal invitation will probably arrive at your house sometime today.”

“Uh, what? This is scary.” Rikyu blatantly frowned.

Sakyo nodded sympathetically. “I’m scared too. My day trading hasn’t been going well, so I don’t wanna see him.” Apparently Sakyo was a retail investor. “Also, he had this weird requirement.”

“Huh?”

“He said, ‘If you’re not confident in your own eyes, you can bring an appraiser.’”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rikyu’s eyes widened.

“I don’t know either, but I’m guessing he has a lot of art in that Takagamine mansion, and he wants someone to tell him how much it’s worth.”

“So if you don’t think you can, then you should bring an appraiser? I really don’t get it.” Rikyu sighed with a confused look on his face. “Hey, do I have to go?”

“Well, all of the school expenses I’ve been sending you came from him...”

“Yeah, guess so. I do owe him...” Rikyu placed his hand across his forehead, accepting defeat. “What’s the whole ‘you can bring an appraiser’ thing about anyway?”

“I have no clue either, but there’s no way I’m confident in my eyes, so I wanted to bring an appraiser. Kiyotaka, I was hoping I could ask you to come with us. I know you’re a top-notch appraiser, though, so this is a formal request, and I’ll compensate you the best I can. Kiyotaka...no, Mr. Yagashira, would you please lend me your services?” Sakyo bowed deeply towards Holmes.

Holmes fell silent for a moment before sighing lightly and smiling. “All right, I will.”

Rikyu and I exchanged glances, surprised by how easily he accepted.

“Huh? You really will, Kiyo?”

“Yes. I’m curious about that requirement too, and more importantly, I want to meet your grandfather.” Holmes smiled gently.

Rikyu beamed and said, “Thanks, Kiyo!”

“Anytime.”

They really were just like brothers.

“Good for you, Rikyu,” I said, smiling.

“Yeah.” Rikyu nodded. “Hey, why don’t you come with us too, Aoi? There’s a lot of art in the mansion, so it’ll be educational for you.”

“Huh? Me?”

“She can, right, Dad?”

Sakyo nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, of course. I think it’ll be like a house party, so the more the merrier. Right, Kiyotaka?”

“Yes.” Holmes nodded. “Sakyo says it’s fine, and Rikyu is correct in that there’s bound to be lots of amazing art there. It’ll be very educational. Please come with us, Aoi,” he continued, grinning.

Ah, maybe Holmes accepted the request that easily because of the art. “Okay.” I nodded.

After father and son left the store, Holmes picked up the cups and placed them on the tray. He seemed to be in a good mood.

“I was surprised that you accepted so easily, but I’m guessing it’s because Rikyu’s grandfather’s house probably has a lot of treasures, right?” I asked, wiping down the counter.

Holmes chuckled. “Yes, but that’s not all.”

“You wanted to meet Rikyu’s grandfather?”

“That’s part of it too, but the main reason was that this time, I was requested as an appraiser.” He looked at me with a dazzling smile.

“Oh, I get it.” I nodded firmly. It all makes sense now—Holmes complains whenever he’s requested as a detective, but being requested as an appraiser makes him happy.

“I’m still an apprentice though, so I’m not sure how much I can help.” He cheerfully took the tray to the kitchenette.

I thought I understood him well, but there’s still things I don’t know. After I finished wiping down the counter, I stretched, smiling to myself.

2

The next Sunday at 11 a.m., we all met up at Kura and went to Oike’s underground parking lot where the company car was parked. From there, we headed to Kita-ku with Holmes at the wheel. I was in the passenger seat, and Rikyu and Sakyo were sitting in the back.

“Jeez, a Jaguar? You sure drive a tasteful car for your age, Kiyotaka,” Sakyo said, looking around the interior of the car with interest.

Holmes chuckled wryly. “No, this is my grandfather’s car. He rarely uses it, so it became Kura’s company car. Personally, I like Minis.”

“Huh, the company car’s a Jaguar? That’s an amazing antique store you’ve got there.”

I giggled because I’d thought the same thing.

“Well, the people at Kura are like the epitome of aesthetic sense,” Rikyu responded languidly, staring out the window. Unlike his father, he seemed unenthusiastic. He must not want to be here. What kind of person is his grandfather for him to be so gloomy about meeting him?

“Hey, Rikyu, what’s with that lack of energy? Chin up!” Sakyo clapped Rikyu on the back.

“Ugh, could you calm down?” Rikyu groaned, sighing.

“Oh right, Kiyotaka, there’s somewhere we have to stop by before going to the estate,” Sakyo said, ignoring his son’s lack of enthusiasm and leaning forward. He moved so forcefully that his seatbelt was digging into his body.

“We have to? Will we have time?” Holmes asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, we don’t have to be there until 2 p.m., so there’s plenty of time. I haven’t been to Kyoto in a while, so I want to do some sightseeing.” Sakyo took a guidebook out of a paper bag. “There’s a lot of places I want to go, but I really need to go to this one place. I’d even go in a typhoon.” He nodded as he flipped the pages.

“Where is this place?” Rikyu asked dubiously. “It’d better not be in the opposite direction from Takagamine or you’ll cause trouble for Kiyo.”

“Don’t worry. It’s on the way.” Sakyo opened the book wide and pointed at a picture of a shrine. “I want to go here.” He gave a toothy grin.

Holmes glanced at the guidebook while the car was stopped and nodded. “Ah, that won’t be difficult.” When the traffic signal turned green, he stepped on the gas pedal again, taking us north on Horikawa Street. He turned west at the intersection with North Oji Street and then north again soon after. That took us to the parking lot of the shrine that Sakyo “really needed” to go to. There was a sign saying “Imamiya Shrine.”

“Is this the shrine that you really wanted to go to, Sakyo?” I asked. It might be a famous shrine, but I’ve never heard of it before.

“Yep, at all costs. C’mon, let’s go.” Sakyo got out of the car and started walking with a spring in his step. We followed behind him.

“Is Imamiya Shrine that famous?” I asked, glancing at Holmes.

“Yes.” He nodded. “It’s very famous, in a sense.”

“In a sense?”

As we walked leisurely towards the shrine, a fragrant scent wafted through the air.

“Oh, something smells nice,” I said.

“I believe that’s the light brown miso sauce from the roasted mochi,” Holmes replied.

“Roasted mochi?”

I saw a row of stalls on the shrine road with banners that said “Imamiya’s Specialty — Roasted Mochi.” The people running the stalls were roasting skewered pieces of mochi over charcoal fires and garnishing them with light brown miso sauce. I smiled at the sweet aroma and said, “It smells delicious.”

“Yes, it is. It’s Imamiya Shrine’s specialty. We’ll have time, so let’s eat some after visiting the shrine.”

“Okay! I love mochi. Oh, is this why Sakyo wanted to go to Imamiya Shrine? To eat roasted mochi?” I asked, watching the rice cakes being cooked.

“No, I don’t think so,” Holmes answered smoothly, shaking his head.

“Oh, it’s not?”

We continued into the shrine grounds. My eyes widened. “Wow!” There was a bright vermilion gate and bridge. The main shrine building was large and stately, and there were several smaller shrines surrounding it.

“The grounds aren’t that big, but it’s a brilliant shrine, huh?” I remarked.

“Indeed. This is another shrine with a long history dating back to the Heian period. It was originally known for providing blessings for sound health and healthy aging, but...”

Sakyo, who was walking ahead of us, excitedly turned around and continued, “It’s known as the ‘marry rich’ shrine now,” his eyes sparkling.

“The ‘marry rich’ shrine?” I squeaked in surprise. I immediately turned to Holmes and asked, “Is that true?”

Holmes nodded. “Yes. There was once a worshipper at this shrine named Otama, who was the daughter of a grocer. She later caught the eye of the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, became his concubine, and bore a son for him. That child, Tsunayoshi, went on to become the fifth shogun. Since Otama was now the mother of a shogun, her name was changed to Keishoin. It’s said that this is where the term ‘Tama’s palanquin’—meaning ‘to marry into wealth and power’—originates from. This shrine also sells ‘Tama’s palanquin charms’ so that you can become like Otama.”

“I’ve always been meaning to pray here if I ever got a chance to go to Kyoto,” Sakyo said, beaming. “I want to marry a rich lady no matter what it takes.”

My face stiffened.

“You should pray too, Aoi,” he continued. “You’re still young, so the possibilities are endless. In fact, I know quite a few rich young men. Want me to introduce you? Despite how I might seem, I’ve got connections. Throw me a bone when you marry rich, all right?” He put his hand on my shoulder.

“She’s still in high school, Sakyo,” Holmes said, putting his hand on Sakyo’s shoulder in turn.

“O-Ouch, that hurts! Your fingers are digging into my shoulder! I was just kidding, okay?”

“Right, my apologies.” Holmes let go and Sakyo immediately made his escape, walking towards the shrine building at a quick pace.

“Why’re you so mad if it was just a joke, Kiyo?” Rikyu asked coldly. My heart skipped a beat.

“I’m not mad.” Holmes smiled.

“Uh huh...” Rikyu folded his hands behind his head. “Well, whatever,” he murmured, following after Sakyo.

“This shrine protects against misfortune, Aoi. Shall we pay it a visit?” Holmes asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

We all prayed at the shrine and then headed towards a stone called “Ahokashi” which was located near the center of the grounds. Apparently this stone can be either heavy or light. You pray that your illness will be healed when you pick it up, and if it feels light, then your wish is granted.

After we rubbed and lifted the stone and Sakyo bought his “Tama’s palanquin” charm, we left through the east exit and went into a shop selling roasted mochi.

“Thanks for waiting,” the store employee said, placing a tray in front of us with roasted mochi, a small teapot, and teacups on it. “Enjoy!”

The roasted mochi came in bite-size pieces on bamboo skewers thin enough that you could bend them. The soft mochi was fragrant from being roasted over a charcoal fire, and it was glazed in light brown miso sauce. I picked up a skewer and popped the mochi into my mouth. “Mm!” I couldn’t help but smile from the deliciousness.

“Hey, this is pretty good,” Sakyo said cheerfully.

The bite-size mochi was slightly crispy on the outside and extremely soft on the inside. I couldn’t get enough of the slightly sweet sauce. I felt like I could eat it forever.

“This is kind of nostalgic, Kiyo,” Rikyu commented, smiling.

“Yes,” Holmes responded, smiling back. “The last time we had this was at the Yasurai Festival some years ago, right?”

“What’s that?” I tilted my head.

“It’s a local festival held on the second Sunday of April. There are large umbrellas decorated with ikebana flower arrangements, and oni demons dance along to the music of flutes and drums. The purpose of the festival is to ward off epidemics. It’s one of Kyoto’s ‘Three Bizarre Festivals’—the other two being the Uzumasa Ox Festival and the Kurama Fire Festival,” Holmes explained as usual.

“I see.”

Sakyo goggled at him. “Rikyu told me you knew everything, but you really are a walking encyclopedia, huh?”

“Not at all,” Holmes replied. “My knowledge is extremely biased.”

“Huh. Well, knowledgeable people are all like that, right? They don’t know anything outside their field.” Sakyo grinned.

“Indeed,” Holmes said, grinning back.

Biased? Really? Rikyu and I looked at each other and tilted our heads.

After eating the roasted mochi in front of Imamiya Shrine, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant. Then it was time to go to Takagamine.

“Is Takagamine where Genko-an Temple is?” I asked in the car, remembering the time we went there.

Holmes shook his head lightly. “It is, but Rikyu’s grandfather’s estate seems to be in Kinugasa, a bit north of Kinkaku-ji Temple.”

“Kinugasa...” If I recall correctly, Akihito said he used to live there with his family. It’s one of the rich neighborhoods in the city.

Holmes turned north before the point where North Oji Street turns into West Oji Street. A quiet residential district came into view. All of the houses were large with wide yards. It didn’t look like Kyoto.

“Ah, over there, right?” Holmes asked. I followed his gaze to an unusual house where the first floor was Japanese style and the second floor was Western style.

“It looks nice, but strange, right?” I remarked.

Holmes nodded. “It resembles the building in Aomori’s Seibien Garden.”

“Oh!” Sakyo leaned forward, a sparkle in his eyes. “Not surprised you knew. Apparently my old man was fascinated by the bold fusion of styles there and copied it.”

“Grandpa’s greedy,” Rikyu continued. “He couldn’t give up one of the styles.”

“I see,” Holmes said. “Can I park in front of the house?”

“Yep, that’s fine,” Sakyo said. “Seems like my brothers’ cars are there already.” He looked at the two cars that were already parked. One of them was a black Benz and the other was a white, Japan-made hybrid car. Based on their cars, I assumed the brothers were quite different from each other.

The garden surrounding the half-Japanese, half-Western house was a traditional Japanese garden in every way. I looked around at the plum trees, cherry trees, and rock-encircled pond as I walked on the stepping stones. I could see a beautiful rock garden on the other side of the pond.

“This is a magnificent garden that makes the best use of the cold season,” Holmes said passionately.

“Yeah, it seems like Grandpa’s aesthetics are a match for the Yagashira family’s,” Rikyu murmured.

“He named you Rikyu, after all.” Sen no Rikyu was a master of the tea ceremony. He was devoted to the study of beauty and played a large part in elevating tea ceremony to an art form.

The person we were visiting had a refined aesthetic sense. After his wife passed away, he had children with three other women while remaining single. Is Rikyu’s grandfather a twisted womanizer?

There was a fancy nameplate in front of the house that said “Saito.” So his surname is Saito...

While I was staring at the nameplate, a middle-aged man wearing a suit appeared and bowed to us. “We’ve been expecting you. Please come this way,” he said, leading us inside.

“He’s the butler here,” Rikyu said, taking off his shoes, placing them on the rack by the wall, and putting on a pair of slippers.

Wow, there’s even a butler! Impressed, I put on slippers too and stepped into the hallway, which was polished to a shine. The open corridor allowed you to look out at the rock garden, like at a high-class shrine or temple. The tension in the air made me instinctively stand up straighter.

“Long time no see, Suzuki,” Sakyo said cheerfully. “How’s Dad been?”

“He’s been well,” the butler, Suzuki, replied.

We walked down the long hallway at a comfortable pace. I thought Sakyo was a deadbeat, but he might be surprisingly influential.

“Please wait in here,” Suzuki said, leading us into the drawing room at the end of the first floor. Even though the first floor of the house was Japanese style, this drawing room was Western style. There was a dark brown leather sofa and an olive-brown table and chest. One of the walls had a fireplace built into it. The windows were tall with elegant, shimmery curtains. Even though it was a lovely, tidy room, there wasn’t a single piece of art in it, which felt strange.

The two middle-aged men sitting on the sofa stood up when they saw us.

“Hey, big bro,” said one of them, a heavily built man in his forties. He gave off a very robust impression with his height, broad shoulders, and square face.

“Been a while, Tsukasa,” Sakyo replied.

“Long time no see, Sakyo,” continued the other man, bowing. He was slim, wore glasses, and seemed very intelligent—a stark difference from Tsukasa. He looked to be in his thirties.

“You haven’t changed at all, Kazuhiko.”

Tsukasa and Kazuhiko must be Sakyo’s younger brothers. They all look nothing alike—is it because they have different mothers?

I looked at the woman next to Kazuhiko, who was probably the appraiser he’d brought with him. She was maybe in her early thirties. She had long, wavy, chestnut hair tied in a ponytail, and she wore a simple black dress with a stylish necklace. She was very pretty and gave off the impression of a city woman.

“Oh!” The woman’s eyes widened upon seeing Holmes. “If it isn’t Kiyotaka. Long time no see.” She stood up straight and walked up to him.

“Hello, Keiko. You’ve returned to Japan, I see.” Holmes placed his hand on his chest and bowed.

“Yes, for the time being. I’ll be going back to New York soon. Kazuhiko happened to contact me while I was in the country, so that’s why I’m here today. But more importantly, I’m so glad to see you, Kiyotaka!” She placed her hand on Holmes’s shoulder and kissed him on the cheek as if it were completely natural. Holmes lightly returned the favor. It was like a greeting from a foreign movie, and I was stunned.

“Aoi, this is Keiko Fujiwara,” Holmes said. “She’s a curator at an art museum in New York.”

I quickly bowed, still flustered. “N-Nice to meet you. I’m Aoi Mashiro, a part-timer at Kura.”

So this woman was indeed the appraiser Kazuhiko brought. What about Tsukasa...? He didn’t have anyone with him, which I found strange.

Rikyu must’ve been thinking the same thing, because he said, “Long time no see, Uncle Tsukasa. Hey, where’s your appraiser?”

Tsukasa smiled and crossed his arms. “I don’t know any appraisers that I trust enough for this, so instead, I asked a friend of mine. He’s not a certified appraiser, but his eyes are as keen as one. He’s on his way now.”

“His eyes are as good as an appraiser’s, huh? What’s his name?”

“Hiroshi Tanaka.”

“Hiroshi Tanaka... That’s such a generic name that I don’t know if I’ve heard of him or not.” Rikyu shrugged.

Tsukasa laughed merrily.

As I was watching the two of them, Kazuhiko approached me and asked, “You’re Aoi, right? We’ve met before. Do you remember me?” He smiled, eyes narrowing behind his glasses.

We’ve met? Oh no, I don’t remember him at all.

Holmes chuckled as I was struggling for an answer. “It was at Yanagihara’s birthday party last fall. Kazuhiko is quite the art enthusiast, and he’s friends with Yanagihara.”

“Oh!” I nodded, remembering the birthday party at the Yanagihara residence near Arashiyama. Now that I think about it, there were a lot of people there. Kazuhiko must’ve been one of them.

“Since the party was mostly elderly people and people from the art industry, your group stood out a lot,” Kazuhiko said. “I thought you were just a cute little high school girl, but then at the authenticity game, you displayed splendid appraisal skill. Oh, it was brilliant. I was moved that such a high school girl could exist. I’m looking forward to what you’ll accomplish in the future,” he said confidently, holding his hand out for a handshake.

I blushed, embarrassed, and shook his hand. “Th-Thank you.”

“I work as an accountant, but my office has a lot of works of art on display,” he continued, not letting go of my hand. “Please come by sometime for a chat. I’d love to show them to a young up-and-coming connoisseur.”

Holmes stepped forward and said, “I’d love to join in on that chat too.”

“There isn’t anything I can teach you, Kiyotaka.”

“Not at all. I’m still an appraiser-in-training. Please let me come along and admire your collection.”

“Oh, well, all right. I’ll be waiting.” Kazuhiko smiled and walked away.

Holmes turned to me and said, “Aoi, I’ve been thinking this for a long time...”

“Y-Yes?” I was intimidated by his strict eyes.

“You lack self-awareness. Please be careful.”

“Um, about what?”

“This is the problem right here,” he said flatly before turning away. He seemed to be in a bad mood, and I had no idea why.

Rikyu raised an eyebrow and said, “Hey, Aoi. I hope you’re not getting the wrong idea.”

“Wh-What?”

“He’s just saying to be careful because old guys love high school girls.”

“O-Oh.” So that’s what it was.

“Kiyo’s a gentleman, so all of the girls he knows misunderstand and think they’re special. It’s really annoying and I’m always thinking, ‘You wouldn’t be a good match for him, so don’t misunderstand.’ Oh, but I’m not saying this about you or anything, Aoi.” He grinned.

Uh, he’s definitely saying that to me. Well, there’s no need to worry. I’m not misunderstanding. It’s true that I did get the wrong idea in the past, though. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I can’t deny that. But now I know that I’m not special. The only thing different about me is that I work at Kura with him and we have a master-and-apprentice relationship. At any rate...

“Rikyu, are you against Holmes dating someone?”

“Not at all. It’s just that Kiyo’s my idol, so I want him to be with someone suitable for him. Wouldn’t you be disappointed if an actor you admired got married to someone pathetic?”

“I-I guess.” Yeah, that would be disappointing. So in other words, if Holmes went out with someone smart and beautiful, Rikyu wouldn’t have any complaints.

“Oh my!” Keiko exclaimed. She was staring fervently at the trim on the fireplace.

“What happened?” Holmes asked, walking towards her. The rest of us followed him.

“Oh, nothing, but look at this.” She pointed at the design in the middle. To be specific, it was a family crest. It depicted leaves inside a circle.

“Ah, this is the ‘wisteria hanging in a circle’ crest,” Holmes remarked. The design looked like leaves at first, not wisteria.

“My family uses the same crest,” Keiko said.

Holmes nodded. “It’s common in Fujiwara and Saito families.” Both of those surnames have the character for “wisteria” in them.

“Oh right, this is a Saito family. Good on you for noticing, Kiyotaka!” Keiko stood up and asked, “What’s the Yagashira family’s crest?”

“Ours is the mitsudomoe.” The mitsudomoe is a set of three comma-like symbols arranged in a circle.

“Is that common in Yagashira families?” Keiko asked playfully.

Holmes smiled and said, “I’m not sure, but it’s common in shrines.”

“Hmm, does that mean your perception has something to do with yin and yang?”

“Of course not.” Holmes laughed cheerfully.

They seemed to get along really well. It felt like I couldn’t intrude.

“Are you jealous, Aoi?” Rikyu grinned mischievously.

“N-No. Would you approve of a smart and beautiful woman like Keiko, Rikyu?”

“Nah, too old.” Rikyu crossed his arms.

I stiffened. “Wh-What about his previous girlfriend, Izumi, then?” Izumi was both lovely and smart.

“She was pretty, but she seemed stupid, so I didn’t like her.”

I gaped at him. H-He really doesn’t show any mercy.

Rikyu glanced at me, arms still crossed, and said, “And you’re too normal. You’re not ugly and maybe you’ve got a decent head on your shoulders, but there are high school girls like you everywhere.”

“Oh.” It was actually refreshing to hear it said so bluntly.

Rikyu clicked his tongue. “Aren’t you going to get mad? I was pretty mean.”

“Well, you were right.” If anything, it was strange that he thought I was getting the wrong idea about Holmes.

Rikyu’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Don’t worry, I’m not getting the wrong idea. Holmes loves beautiful things more than anything, so there’s no way he’d ever choose me.” I looked at Holmes, the epitome of aesthetic sense. Whoever he chose was bound to be beautiful, just like his ex-girlfriend Izumi was. Besides, it seemed like he’d found a romantic interest recently—as much as it pained me to think about it.

“What? I thought you’d be more depressed. You’re kind of weird.”

“Huh? Am I?” To be honest, even though I insisted I wasn’t in love with him, I felt uneasy whenever I saw him getting along with other women. But I can’t let myself cross that line. Anguished, I cast my eyes down.

Then I heard the sound of footsteps coming from the hallway, and the door opened with a click. It was the butler we’d met earlier, Suzuki. He opened the door wider and bowed. A moment later, an elderly man with a cane slowly entered the room. He was wearing semiformal Japanese clothes and had grizzled hair. His face seemed gentle at first glance, but he had a sharp look in his eyes.

“Dad,” the three sons greeted him.

“Sakyo, Tsukasa, Kazuhiko, and Rikyu, thanks for coming.” The man grinned, placing both hands on the cane. “A warm welcome to the appraisers, too...” He looked at us and frowned when he saw me. “I allowed you to bring appraisers. I don’t recall allowing you to bring outsiders. Why are you here, little lady?” he said coldly.

“Huh?” I stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.

“Dad, I was the one who brought her,” Sakyo said, covering for me.

“In that case, have her leave. Only my sons and the appraisers are needed here. Sorry, little lady, but you don’t belong here,” the man spat out, shooing me with one hand.

I looked down awkwardly.

Holmes took a step forward and said, “Hello, my name is Kiyotaka Yagashira.”

“Oh, you’re from Seiji’s place, right?” the man replied. “I’ve been hearing about you here and there. I’m Ukon Saito. Nice to meet you.” Ukon smiled happily at Holmes.

“This girl is one of our staff members, and just like me, she’s an appraiser-in-training,” Holmes continued. “With all due respect, I think her eyes are good enough to be here.” He spoke firmly with a sharp gaze behind his smile.

Ukon smirked. “She’s clearly just a high school girl. You’re saying she has good eyes?”

“Grandpa actually hates women,” Rikyu murmured from behind me. “And he really hates high school girls.”

I was deceived! Rikyu invited me knowing that his grandfather hated women—especially high school girls. Am I that annoying to him? I was more weary than upset.

“Ukon, she is most certainly not unsuitable to be here. I would appreciate it if you could retract that statement.” Holmes spoke calmly with a smile, but I could tell that he was angry. Rather than being happy, I felt nervous.

“Um, it’s okay, Holmes. I felt out of place here too. I can take a bus home from here without having to transfer.” I bowed deeply to Ukon. “Sir, I’m very sorry for brazenly entering your house without a direct invitation.”

Ukon narrowed one eye, staring at me coldly. After a while, he mumbled, “Well, at least she knows her manners.” Then he asked, “What’s your name, little lady?”

“Aoi Mashiro.”

“All right then, Aoi. I’m going to test you.”

“Wh-What?”

“I’m going to see if you really do have good eyes like Kiyotaka claims.” He turned to Suzuki and whispered, “Bring those out.”

Oh no, what have I gotten myself into?

3

Suzuki immediately left the drawing room, and in his place, several attendants came in, pushing a cart.

“Please allow us to prepare the tea,” one of them said.

The attendants swiftly placed teacups and saucers on the long table and poured piping hot black tea into them. The large plate in the middle of the table had an assortment of baked sweets arranged nicely on it.

“The rest of you can feel free to sit down and make yourself at home,” Ukon said, beckoning everyone towards the chairs. They nodded and sat down, but Holmes stayed standing beside me. “You sit down too, Kiyotaka,” Ukon insisted.

“No, I’m staying with her.”

Ukon’s eyes widened. “Fine, but don’t give her any hints.”

Holmes smirked. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

“If you say so.”

Suzuki returned to the room, pushing a slightly larger cart. “Sorry for the wait.”

“Oh, here he is,” Ukon said.

There was something on the cart, covered in a white cloth. I couldn’t see what it was, but height-wise, it was about the size of a cup.

Ukon nodded, satisfied, and gently removed the cloth, revealing a row of tea bowls. Their shapes were different, but they were all cylindrical. Their colors ranged from pink, to black, to white, but the one thing they had in common was...

“These are Raku ware,” I murmured.

Ukon smiled and nodded. “Right, this is my family’s prized collection. These tea bowls were created by those who inherited Sen no Rikyu’s beliefs.” He looked down at them proudly.

There were eight tea bowls in all. Having one Raku tea bowl was already a feat in itself. I couldn’t believe that a normal household could own this many. I gulped, overwhelmed.

“There are many potters who create Raku tea bowls, but you’re aware of this, right?” Ukon looked at me with challenging eyes.

I nodded. “Yes, they’ve been inheriting the trade from the first generation to the fifteenth.”

“Right, from the first generation, Chojiro, down to the fifteenth generation, Kichizaemon. The collection here is a selection of tea bowls from those potters. You’re going to guess who made each one, Aoi. By the way, there could even be some from potters outside of the Raku family.” He grinned maliciously at me.

The others, who were watching from their seats, widened their eyes in surprise.

“I-Isn’t that too difficult?” Keiko asked.

“Yeah, that might be even harder than determining authenticity...” Kazuhiko murmured.

“Oh? The first-rate appraiser and the art fanatic don’t think they can do it?” Ukon looked at them coldly.

Keiko and Kazuhiko smiled wryly.

“No, of course I could do it,” Kazuhiko said.

I was wondering what kind of test it was going to be, but I never expected I’d have to guess the potters of eight tea bowls...

“A-Aoi...” Sakyo was flustered. He must regret inviting me.

I turned around and smiled. “I’ll be fine.”

Holmes smiled too and nodded.

“Y-You will?” Sakyo tilted his head.

I smiled again and said, “If it’s Raku ware, I can manage.”

“Huh?” everyone remarked. Sakyo furrowed his brow.

“B-But, um...”

“But what?” Sakyo asked.

“I know their names, but I don’t remember who belongs to which generation.” I shrank back, embarrassed.

Ukon and Suzuki looked at each other and snorted. “If you know the names, that’ll be fine,” Ukon said. “Here, I’ll even let you look at a book that has the generations written out—Suzuki, go get it.” He glanced at the butler.

“Yes, sir.” Suzuki opened one of the chest drawers and handed me a booklet that said “Raku Family Tree” on it.

Founder: Ameya (Chinese, year of birth and death unknown)

First Generation: Chojiro (died 1589)

Second Generation: Jokei (died 1635)

Third Generation: Donyu (1599—1656)

...

The booklet listed each potter’s name in order.

“W-Wow, thank you! Now I really will be fine,” I said.

“You think so?” Ukon smiled in amusement.

I took my white gloves out of my bag—the non-slip appraiser ones that Holmes gave me. I took a deep breath and bowed to the tea bowls. “I’ll begin now.” I stared closely at the tea bowls, picking them up and checking their bases. I examined their weights, coloring, and contours.

First, I pointed at the red tea bowl and the speckled black and white one. I checked the booklet and said, “I think these two are by the ninth generation of the Raku family, Ryonyu.”

Ukon’s eyebrow twitched. “What makes you think that?”

“Ryonyu is called the rejuvenator of the Raku family. The unique characteristic of his works is his unrestrained spatula use. The Raku family didn’t use potter’s wheels—they sculpted their works by hand. Ryonyu’s way of using the spatula wasn’t present in the other generations, so his lines are unique. Also, his tea bowls had low, thin bases.

“This light red tea bowl is also one of his characteristic colors. I’d guess that he created it in his later years of life. When he was younger, he made glossy, reddish-brown tea bowls instead,” I explained, staring at the tea bowls.

No one said anything. It didn’t seem like anything was wrong, so I immediately moved on to the next tea bowls.

“The two on the far sides are by the fourth generation, Ichinyu.” I picked up one of them and recalled a conversation I had with Holmes while we were watching the store. Holmes had been teaching me about Raku ware and relevant potters ever since the beginning of the year. What I’d realized then was that all of the Raku potters were incredibly talented, which led to strong individuality. Everyone produced their own “color.”

“Ichinyu’s later works kind of remind me of Chojiro, the first generation,” I said.

“Indeed. When the Raku family reached the fourth generation, they cycled back. Ichinyu’s early works were influenced by his father, Donyu, but in his later years, coupled with the one hundredth anniversary of Sen no Rikyu’s death, he changed to a style resembling the first generation’s. This one is from that time period. Each and every tea bowl contains its potter’s sentiments,” Holmes explained, holding the tea bowl tenderly.

“This one isn’t from the Raku family,” I continued. “It’s by Kakukakusai from the Omotesen family.” The tea bowl had a very unfettered style. The large, bold lines reminded me of that potter.

“This one is by the fourteenth generation of the Raku family, Kakunyu.” It had a clean, modern look, perhaps because the potter was born in the Taisho period. The other generations didn’t have that.

“Next, this one is by the fifteenth generation, Kichizaemon.” He was the current Raku heir, working since the Showa period. I could sense his pride and his strong desire to create beautiful art.

I examined the tea bowls lovingly as I picked them up one by one. At the Yagashira family’s New Year’s Eve party, I failed to appraise Ensho’s tea bowls. It was really frustrating. As a result, I studied Raku tea bowls so that I’d never get them wrong again.

It was time for the last one. “This one is by the third generation, Donyu, who’s still known as one of the greatest artisans to this day—wait, no.” Something felt off about what I said. I shook my head and looked closely at the tea bowl again. Its glossy black surface seemed almost as if it were emitting light. It was beautiful, but felt warped. It reminded me of the universe—of all of creation...

“Sorry, I take that back. Is this Koetsu Hon’ami?” I looked up, having finished my appraisal. I glanced at Ukon, who had an incredibly blank expression on his face. The room was completely silent. I suddenly felt nervous. “U-Um, was I wrong? Sorry, I’ll get ready to leave...” I wanted to run away.

“Brilliant!” Ukon exclaimed, loud enough that the whole house must’ve heard.

I flinched.

Ukon took my hand in both of his and vigorously shook it. “I apologize for my rudeness earlier, Aoi. I really am sorry. You’re amazing.”

“N-No, not at all...”

“In the past, I had to deal with a fraud who called himself an appraiser. I prepared this test to peel the mask off of his face. Naturally, he couldn’t identify the potters and slunk away.

“This time, I prepared the test to chase you out. However, you identified all of them—What a surprise, that such a high school girl could exist!” he said passionately, squeezing my hand.

“N-No, I still have a ways to go. It was Holmes—I mean, Kiyotaka, who taught me all of this. Besides, I almost got the last one wrong.” Right, how could I almost mistake Koetsu Hon’ami for Donyu? Ukon should’ve failed me. Despite that, he was showering me with praise. I looked down, ashamed.

“That’s not true,” Holmes said, walking up to me. “Aoi, it’s said that Donyu worked closely with Koetsu and was quite influenced by him. You really can sense Koetsu in some of his works. I think it’s amazing that, faced with all of those Raku tea bowls, you mistook it for Donyu for a moment before immediately realizing it was Koetsu.”

“I agree,” Ukon said. “Again, please forgive me for my rudeness.” He bowed.

“I-It’s nothing, really.” I bowed back.

“I’d like to officially welcome you here as an appraiser. Since Sakyo brought Kiyotaka, I assume they will form a pair.”

Pair? I tilted my head.

“In which case, I’d like you to partner up with Rikyu,” he continued.

I nodded, unsure of what he was talking about. Rikyu, who was sitting at the table, had an upset, “Whaaat?” look on his face.

4

“Now then, please have a seat, Aoi and Kiyotaka,” Ukon said, gesturing towards the table. “Tsukasa’s partner seems to be running late, so let’s have tea first.”

We nodded and sat down next to each other.

“Excuse me,” Suzuki said, pouring tea for us. The cup and saucer in front of me were white and dark blue with gold lines. It was a high-class color scheme and the lines were beautifully delicate.

“What a lovely cup,” I murmured, looking down at it.

“This is Meissen,” Holmes explained quietly. “I believe it’s a first-rate work from over a century ago, but its lasting beauty has prevented it from seeming aged. It’s an excellent piece.”

I choked. I-I don’t think I can enjoy this tea while knowing that I’m drinking from a century-old Meissen cup. Ukon really does love beautiful things. I looked at the cup again, impressed.

Holmes was staring at me with an intensity that made my heart pound. “Good work earlier, Aoi. You did an amazing job.”

“N-No, um, it’s only because of what you taught me, Holmes.”

“Not at all. It was a matter of aptitude.”

Kazuhiko, who was sitting across from us, nodded firmly and, leaning his upper body forward, said, “Yes, I agree. Watching you guess the potters correctly without difficulty was a stimulating experience.”

“I-It’s not that big of a deal.” I slumped my shoulders.

Holmes smirked. “Stimulating, you say?”

“Yes, very much so. It was stimulating to see such a sweet high school girl performing appraisals.”

“Thank you very much,” Holmes said. “Hearing our Aoi being praised makes me as happy as if it were myself.”

“You’re totally her teacher, huh?”

“Yes, indeed...”

I’d never been so openly complimented before, so I felt like running away.

After a bit of small talk, there was a knock on the door.

“Sir, Tsukasa’s guest—Hiroshi Tanaka—has arrived,” said one of the attendants.

“Let him in.” Ukon nodded.

The door opened, revealing the keen-eyed man who Tsukasa invited to be his partner. I gaped when I saw him. He wore an ink-black kimono and cap, and his head was shaved bald, like a monk’s. His calm smile and appearance were the picture of Sen no Rikyu—but there was no hiding the sharp glint in his narrow, almond-shaped eyes. I recognized this man, but not by the name Hiroshi Tanaka. I knew him as Ensho—the evil counterfeiter that Holmes was forced to admit was a genius.

“Sorry I’m late,” Ensho said with a smile. “I’m Hiroshi Tanaka—Tsukasa invited me here.”

Is that his real name? I looked at Holmes, only to see an incredibly cold look in his eyes. His icy aura made me hesitate to speak.

“Hey, Tanaka.” Tsukasa walked up to Ensho with a wide grin. “Thought you weren’t going to show up, since you refused at first. You really are a fickle guy.”

“Forgive me, I got stuck in traffic.”

“I know it’s been a while, but what’s with that look? You shaved your head? Did you become a monk or something? Or are you seriously trying to become an appraiser?”

“It suits me, eh?” Ensho chuckled.

“Yeah, it’s not bad. Makes you look more trustworthy.” Tsukasa laughed, then turned to Ukon. “Dad, I met Tanaka through work. He has really good eyes. You can even put him through that test if you want.”

What kind of job does Tsukasa have? I can’t imagine it’s something honest if they hired a counterfeiter. My face stiffened.

“We’re running low on time, so as long as you trust him, that’s fine,” Ukon replied. “Please take a seat.”

Tsukasa and Ensho sat down.

Ukon, who was sitting at the head of the table with his arms crossed, cleared his throat and looked around at everyone. “Now then,” he began. The atmosphere in the room was tense. “Allow me to explain why I called my sons and grandson here today, and said, ‘If you’re not confident in your own eyes, you can bring an appraiser.’”

Everyone nodded silently.

“My wife passed away when I was still young. She had a weak heart, but she still wanted children, and we both hoped we would be blessed with them one day. She was very benevolent and often volunteered at the nearby kindergarten and elementary school so that she could interact with children.

“One time, my wife noticed some high school girls sitting on the ground in front of a store. She advised them, ‘It’s not good for girls to sit on the bare floor like that—your bodies will get cold.’ She was just trying to help, but the girls told her to shut up and stole her purse. That purse was important to her because it was a gift from me. She ran up to them, shouting, ‘Give it back!’ and the girls stood in a circle, throwing it among themselves and laughing at her. They made my wife run around until she had an attack and collapsed... That was what led to her passing.” He clenched his fists tightly as he spoke.

Now I know why he hates high school girls. My heart ached for him. I’m sure he knows better than to lump them all in the same category, but he still can’t bring himself to accept them.

“When my wife was on her deathbed, she said she wanted me to remarry and have children. But I had no intention of doing either of those things with anyone else. However, I realized that I would need offspring in order to keep the Saito family alive. I decided to take a clinical approach to having children and chose three women with different characteristics.

“Sakyo, your mother was very beautiful. Tsukasa, your mother was very athletic. And Kazuhiko, your mother was very smart. I told the three women that I wanted them to have children with my genes through artificial insemination, and I promised that they would be compensated and have their needs taken care of. I also asked them not to tell the children that they were conceived this way.”

The three sons were lost for words at this point—it must’ve been shocking, of course. But...I guess that’s why they all have different mothers. And since the mothers were different types of people, the sons are very different from each other too.

“Technically, Sakyo is the eldest son, but I don’t see it that way. All three of you are equal in my eyes. I watched your growth to determine who would be the most fitting heir to the Saito family, but all of you have both strengths and weaknesses.

“Sakyo is good-looking, charming, and has a good eye for people, but it’s in his nature to avoid productive work, and he’s as spineless as a sea cucumber. Tsukasa is strong, decisive, and a good leader, but he’s reckless and sometimes loses sight of his surroundings. Kazuhiko is smart and accomplished, but he’s timid—another sea cucumber.” Ukon sighed.

Sakyo smiled cheerfully at the merciless assessment, while Tsukasa and Kazuhiko looked a bit hurt.

“So instead of choosing a ‘fitting’ heir, I decided to choose the one who understands the Saito family the most.” Ukon got up and stood in front of the fireplace.

“What?” Everyone tilted their heads in confusion.

“My estate contains many different treasures. Whoever can identify the Saito family’s greatest treasure will be named my successor,” he declared with a firm look.

Everyone’s eyes widened. They didn’t seem to know what to say in response to the unexpected turn of events.

“However, this would be difficult for you to determine by yourselves, which is why I allowed you to bring appraisers. They will be your eyes.” Ukon looked at Holmes and the rest of the appraisers. “But I would like the appraisers to follow this one rule: don’t tell my sons anything beyond what they ask about. You are simply to be their ‘eyes.’ When you’re asked for an appraisal, tell them why the item is valuable and answer only the questions that are asked. It’s up to my sons to come up with their verdicts. If one of them answers directly with their appraiser’s opinion, they will lose their right to their inheritance.”

As they listened, everyone’s expressions changed. Whoever could identify this family’s “greatest treasure” among the countless valuables in this mansion would become the next heir—in other words, it was a test.

“So that’s why you said we had to pair up,” Rikyu said. “And my appraiser is Aoi, right?” He didn’t seem too interested.

“U-Um, so we’re not allowed to say, ‘This item is better than the previous one,’ then?” Keiko asked.

“Right,” Ukon answered, nodding slightly. “Without making any comparisons, explain only what the item itself is. Refrain from giving any monetary values, too.”

Keiko giggled. “That’s difficult for us too, then.”

“It sounds fun, though,” Holmes said cheerfully. He took his white gloves out of his inner pocket and slipped them on.

Everyone slowly got up, and I headed straight to Rikyu.

“I don’t really need any advice,” he said. “I’m not interested in being the heir anyway. So even if I’m stuck teaming up with you, it doesn’t matter.” He nonchalantly bit down on a cookie.

Rikyu’s mean and does things his own way, but at least he doesn’t seem to mind being paired up with me, so that’s a relief.

“We’ll reconvene at 7 p.m. for dinner, and I’ll hear your answers then,” said Ukon. “All of the rooms are open except for my bedroom, my study, and Suzuki’s office. Investigate the house to your heart’s content.”

I’d been wondering if it was okay to explore the house. Apparently we weren’t allowed to enter those three rooms.

“Oh, and you can exclude the kitchen and restrooms,” he continued. “I wouldn’t put family treasures there.”

Everyone nodded in understanding.

Suzuki opened the door wide and Ukon declared, “Begin!”

Everyone seemed to be holding back their excitement as they quickly walked out of the drawing room. I’m sure they’re refraining from breaking into a run. Before long, the only ones left in the room were me, Holmes, Rikyu, and Ensho.

Ensho dropped the calm mask he’d been wearing and looked at us with a confident grin. “Hello, Mr. Holmes. We meet again, eh?”

“Long time no see, ‘Hiroshi Tanaka.’”

“Aw, don’t call me that when you know it’s a fake name.”

“How many names do you have?”

“Who knows? ‘Hiroshi Tanaka’ is the one I use with Tsukasa. He said that none of the honest appraisers like him because his work is heartless, so no one would take this job. I turned him down at first too, ’cause it sounded like a pain. But then he called me again and said, ‘My brother got Seiji Yagashira’s grandson—the guy from the rumors. I seriously need your help!’ Sounded like fun. I’m glad I get to face off against you.”

“What? I’m simply doing my job as Sakyo’s hired appraiser. I’m not going to get in a silly fight with a sham who calls himself a connoisseur.” Holmes chuckled. Ensho really brings out Holmes’s immature side.

Ensho’s eyebrow twitched. “Well, it’ll be funny to see a sham outwit a thoroughbred, that’s for sure.”

“Indeed, it would be. Do try your best.”

The terrifying aura they gave off as they smiled at each other gave me the chills. Meanwhile, Rikyu was watching them with starry eyes.

5

“I really wasn’t looking forward to today, but now I’m glad I came,” Rikyu said gleefully as we left the drawing room. “Things are getting interesting.”

I wondered how he could find that fearsome scene entertaining.

“Don’t make that face, Aoi,” he continued. “Have some fun!”

“I-I can’t enjoy this.”

“It’s like a battle between a tiger and a dragon! How often do you get to see an awesome showdown like this?”

“I guess, but... In that case, who’s the tiger and who’s the dragon?”

“Kiyo’s the dragon, of course. Hiroshi Tanaka a.k.a. Ensho is the tiger,” Rikyu said as if it were obvious.

“I see.” I gave a strained smile.

We soon came upon a closed door.

“This is Grandpa’s study. Gimme a sec, Aoi.” Rikyu knocked on the door.

“Oh, okay.” Does he need to talk to Ukon?

After receiving permission to enter, Rikyu went inside.

“You’ve sure grown, Rikyu,” came Ukon’s voice from the other side of the door. Startled, I peeped inside through the gap without thinking. Ukon’s attitude had changed completely. He beamed at Rikyu, hugging him and nuzzling his cheek. U-Ukon?

“I missed you, Grandfather!” Rikyu cheerfully hugged him back. He seemed like a different person from the one who previously called him “Grandpa” with a cold expression.

I watched their affectionate hug continue for a while before Rikyu gently moved away.

“I’m going to give it my best shot now,” Rikyu said sweetly.

“Good, good.” Ukon nodded. “Do your best, Rikyu.”

“Here I go!” Rikyu waved and exited the study. When he saw me standing outside the door with a blank stare on my face, he sighed loudly and said, “Ugh, catering to Grandpa is so much work.” He slumped his shoulders dramatically.

Oh, so this was why he seemed depressed about coming here. His extreme two-facedness is an equal match for Holmes’s. But...

“You’re nice, huh?” I said.

“Nice?”

“You didn’t have to do that if you didn’t want to. You went out of your way to visit him at his study and talk one-on-one with him. That was for his sake, right?” No matter how halfhearted it was, he still did it because it would make Ukon happy. I think that’s kindness.

Rikyu blinked in surprise, blushed slightly, and looked away. “What’re you talking about? I only did it because it benefits me when he’s in a good mood.” He started walking at a brisk pace, seeming a little angry.

I couldn’t help but smile as I watched him walk away. I don’t think that was a lie, but he still is nice.

“A-Anyway, setting aside the showdown for now, let’s start looking for the Saito family’s treasure.”

“Okay.”

All of the rooms on the first floor besides the drawing room were Japanese style. The long corridor had polished cypress flooring, and the open doors led to rooms with tatami floors. I peeked into one of the rooms and saw a large hall that resembled a Japanese inn’s banquet hall.

The sliding screen at the end of the hall was covered in an ink wash painting of a pine tree. The painted sliding screens I’d seen in the past depicted beautiful landscapes framed by the screens, but this one was different. It showed a slice from a larger scene, and it felt like the painting was bursting out from the screen. Placed in front of it was a gold leaf folding screen that contrasted with the ink wash painting. This one depicted a woman and beautiful flowers with soft lines. It was gentle yet showy.

The room was also decorated with hanging scrolls, jars, and vases. Ukon’s sons were asking their appraisers questions and getting their opinions. However, they were all whispering so that the others wouldn’t hear.

“Do you know what this bottle is, Aoi?” Rikyu asked, pointing at a white bottle with a floral design.

“Oh, that’s an old Imari bottle.”

“Is it real?”

“Yes, I think so. The flowers are very detailed and beautiful, and I think the blue lines are lapis lazuli.”

“When was it made?”

“U-Um, I’ve seen something with similar characteristics before, and that was from the late eighteenth century. It’s probably from around the same time.”

“You’re answering the questions, but you don’t seem very reliable...”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Well, whatever.”

As we were talking, Tsukasa turned around and looked up at the painted sliding screen. “Hey Tanaka, what’s that gold folding screen and who made it?”

“Ah,” Ensho said. He smiled and whispered something in Tsukasa’s ear.

Rikyu saw their exchange and turned to look at me. “Hey, Aoi, do you know who painted that gold folding screen?”

“U-Um, I think it was Sekka Kamisaka.” I’d seen his work at an art museum with Holmes before. He drew women and animals such as birds, dogs, and cats with a gentle, round touch. What stood out to me was the clear affection in their eyes.

“Oh.” Rikyu didn’t seem too enthused by my answer.

Behind us, Tsukasa continued his questions. “What about the sliding screen behind it, Tanaka?”

“Well, it’s in good condition, but it’s pretty old. Around the sixteenth century, I’d say. This mansion has a lot of Rinpa stuff, and this sliding screen is done in that style, but there’s no signature or seal from the artist... It’s nice, but it’s anonymous.”

“Hmm.”

Ensho probably thought it didn’t matter if we heard that. He spoke quietly but not in a whisper, so everyone else was able to hear.

“He’s right,” Rikyu said. “The Saito family really seems to love Rinpa.” He looked at the hanging scrolls now, having lost interest in the sliding screen.

Rinpa was a school of painting that was founded by Koetsu Hon’ami and developed by the Ogata brothers, Korin and Kanzan. It was revived in Edo by Hoitsu Sakai. The name Rinpa refers to the school as well as the artists and works that use that style. In recent years, Kyoto has been celebrating the school’s four hundredth anniversary.

“Hey, Aoi, what’s this?” Rikyu pointed at an ink painting of cliffs and a waterfall. I’d never seen that style of painting before, so I didn’t know who the artist was.

“S-Sorry, I don’t know.”

“Do you know if it’s real or fake, then?”

“I think it’s real...” I trailed off, ashamed and sorry that I wasn’t confident in my answer. Paintings were extremely difficult for me because of my lack of experience. Holmes said that identifying counterfeit tea bowls and jars was easy because in three-dimensional works of art, the creator’s individuality appears in the contours, and the works emit distinctive auras. Two-dimensional works are much more difficult.

But that’s just an excuse. I cast my eyes down, embarrassed.

Rikyu smirked and said, “This is by Koson Ikeda, an artist from the late Edo period. He was the apprentice of Hoitsu Sakai from the Edo Rinpa school. The painting’s definitely real. The Saito family really loves Rinpa, huh?” He looked at the hanging scroll with his hands on his hips.

“Wait, you knew the answer already?” I suddenly felt weak. He probably knew what the bottle and the folding screen were too.

He turned around with a mischievous grin. “Don’t you remember? I’m your senior.” His smile was sweet like an angel’s, but I could only see him as a little devil.

“All right, let’s go to the next room,” he continued. “Everyone else already left.” He started walking at a brisk pace, and I hurriedly followed.

The other rooms were also packed with treasures. I think I can understand why Ukon didn’t want any non-appraisers here.

However, there was a forgery hidden among them.

“I think this Kozeto-style jar is probably fake,” I said.

“Yeah, I thought so too,” Rikyu replied. “It’s gotta be a trap.”

We nodded at each other.

“Wh-What’s with those kids?” Kazuhiko asked.

“Indeed...” Keiko replied.

I didn’t notice their surprised stares at the time.

We climbed the U-shaped wooden staircase to reach the second floor, which was Western style. There was a large full-length mirror at the wide landing. Sakyo and Holmes were standing there, looking at the mirror with great interest.

“What’s this, Kiyotaka?” Sakyo asked. “It wasn’t here before.”

“It’s a mirror with an oak frame. The simple design is stylish but not overly gaudy. It’s likely from England. It doesn’t seem too old—I’d say it’s from around the Meiji period.”

“Things from the Meiji period aren’t ‘old,’ huh? That’s the world of antiques for you.” Sakyo chuckled.

“When you climb up these stairs from the Japanese-style first floor, you’re greeted at this landing by an English full-length mirror. Even though the frame is from England, it doesn’t feel out of place in a Japanese room. I think this mirror acts as a hint that the second floor is going to be completely different in culture. After seeing this mirror, guests can accept the Western-style second floor without being confused,” Holmes explained, staring at the mirror.

Rikyu and I looked at the mirror from behind him and nodded in understanding. Maybe that’s also why the stairs are U-shaped and made of dark wood—to properly unite this house’s fusion of aesthetics.

“Oh, perhaps I said too much.” Holmes raised his index finger in front of his mouth.

“Nah, I asked about the mirror, and you told me about it. Thanks.” Sakyo smiled at him.

Holmes and Sakyo continued up the stairs. I walked behind them, looking at them nonchalantly until I sensed a piercing stare from above me. I looked up and saw Tsukasa with his elbow on the second-floor railing, glaring down at us. He disappeared the moment I made eye contact with him. What was that sharp glare about? His eyes were on Sakyo and Holmes. Is he worried that they’ll be able to find this house’s treasure? Right, even though it feels like a game, it’s definitely a test to choose the next heir. I just realized how much responsibility we took on by getting involved.

I still felt uneasy from Tsukasa’s glare when we reached the second floor. The corridor here was covered in dark red carpet. The walls were white, and the ceiling was dark brown. I could see pillars and doors. There were three doors along the wall and one large door at the end of the hallway, all of which were open. In other words, the second floor had four rooms—three guest rooms and one drawing room. The guest rooms had treasures like chandeliers, paintings, and water jugs, but...

“It looks like all of the paintings in the guest rooms are lithographs,” I remarked.

“Yeah, these are prints,” Rikyu replied.

There wasn’t anything awe-inspiring in the guest rooms. Then again, I can’t imagine he’d put the family treasure in a guest room. If it’s anywhere, it’d be in the drawing room, right?

We left the room as Kazuhiko and Keiko were entering. They immediately went to the ceramic doll in front of the chest of drawers and began whispering to each other.

“This is Meissen,” Keiko said.

“Hm, she’s holding a folding fan. Is she a noblewoman?”

“Yes.”

Rikyu and I watched them indifferently as we left the room. We then headed for the drawing room at the end of the hallway.

“Man, Kiyo really is amazing, huh?” Rikyu said out of nowhere.

“Huh?” I looked at him.

“Maybe other appraisers can do it too, but Kiyo’s appraisals explain the creator’s thoughts and the owner’s feelings, right? And he says them in a way that goes straight to your heart. I watched Keiko’s appraisals, but they were too businesslike and didn’t strike a chord at all.”

I nodded in agreement. “You’re right.” Holmes’s words contain a vast world. Come to think of it, Akihito said something similar before: “I’m hopeless when it comes to complicated stuff, but Holmes’s words go straight to my heart.”

“He’s young, good-looking, and he’s a genius. People get jealous of him, you know? Uncle Tsukasa was glaring at him like crazy.” He chuckled. So he noticed too. “Well, that’s why I have to protect him.” He clenched his fist.

I held back the urge to laugh. Rikyu was as delicate and fair as a girl, but he thought it was up to him to protect Holmes. He has a cute side, huh? I smiled to myself as we entered the drawing room.

The room was as big as the one on the first floor. Sakyo, Holmes, Tsukasa, and Ensho were already there, standing wordlessly in front of something in the center of the room. I craned my neck to see what was causing this tense atmosphere and gasped when I saw it. The thin vase was fifty centimeters tall. Its outline curved gently out at the shoulders and then narrowed in a sharp diagonal from the body downwards. It was indigo with flowers and two cranes. The vivid coloring and elaborately painted beauties of nature overwhelmed me with their exquisiteness.

“K-Kiyotaka, this is something incredible, right?” Sakyo asked, before quickly correcting his question to, “Uh, I mean, what is this?”

Holmes opened his mouth to speak without looking away from the vase. “This is a cloisonné vase. It’s a type of art that originated from the Yuan dynasty. In the past, it was used to pay tribute to the imperial court, and it was favored by empresses and consorts. This vase is likely from the Qing dynasty.” He continued to stare at the vase as if he were trying to engrave its beauty into his eyes. I didn’t blame him—we’d encountered a priceless treasure.

Since the appraisers were prohibited from saying anything unnecessary, Holmes’s reaction was rather lackluster. However, it was still clear that he was excited to be in the presence of such a wonderful work of art. We weren’t allowed to talk about prices, but it was undoubtedly worth hundreds of millions of yen. The other items were wonderful too, but this one was clearly the most valuable of them all. Is this the family treasure, then?

Tsukasa furrowed his brow and whispered, “It’d be too easy if this was it.”

“Tribute to the imperial court, huh? Yeah, I can see that.” Sakyo nodded and looked around the room. “Oh, there’s a sword here!” His eyes lit up and he walked over to the sword next to the wall. Rikyu and I followed him.

The Japanese blade was displayed proudly on a sword stand, in a way that suggested it could also be the family treasure. I don’t know much about swords, but this must be a longsword. It felt strange seeing it on the Western-style second floor. It’d fit in more on the first floor...

“Kiyotaka, do you know what this sword is?” Sakyo asked.

“It’s not my specialty, so I may be lacking in knowledge, but...” Holmes picked up the sword with his gloved hands and slid it out of its sheath. The polished blade was as reflective as a mirror and as beautiful as the moon on a clear night. We gulped upon seeing it.

“The crest on the sheath is a Chinese bellflower... This is likely the work of the swordsmith Chikakage from Osafune, Bizen.”

“Is he famous?” Sakyo asked.

“Yes, his swords are considered National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties.”

“Huh. Well, apparently the Saitos were once a samurai family. I’m a pacifist, so I’m not into weapons!” Sakyo laughed.

“Hmm, a sword...” Tsukasa grinned boldly. He then noticed the wooden box next to it. “Huh, what’s this?”

Ensho picked up the box, opened the lid, and froze. His eyes widened at the small, lustrous white porcelain pot inside.

Tsukasa took the box from him and took out the pot, saying, “What? This is a pretty plain pot. What do you think, Tanaka?” He turned around, but Ensho didn’t say anything. “Huh?” He furrowed his brow.

Sakyo brought his face up to the pot, his eyes glittering. “It’s simple, but it’s really pretty. Kiyotaka, what is this?”

“This is white porcelain from the Joseon dynasty. Confucianism was brought to Korea in the fourteenth century, and in accordance, the color white became highly valued. Eventually this white porcelain was designated for the king’s use, and ordinary civilians were prohibited from using it.”

I looked at the pot while listening to Holmes’s explanation. It was round, pure white, and small enough to fit snugly in one’s hand. Its elegant appearance reminded me of the Chinese celadon I saw at the Yagashira estate, which was also considered an extremely valuable treasure. This pot was probably worth quite a sum as well.

“Another favorite of the royals, huh?” Sakyo said in a carefree tone. “It feels like the complete opposite of the cloisonné ware, which was obviously flashy.”

Ensho said nothing. Keiko, who’d just entered the drawing room with Kazuhiko, exclaimed, “Wow, a cloisonné jar!”

6

After that, we went back to the first floor, then revisited the second floor, looking around the mansion again. We decided to take a short break, and I sat down on a bench in the corner of a hallway.

There were many treasures in this house: the old Imari bottle, the Sekka Kamisaka folding screen, the Koson Ikeda hanging scroll, the Qing dynasty cloisonné vase, and the Joseon dynasty white porcelain. If it’s simply a matter of price, then the cloisonné vase would win. But I doubt that’s what Ukon means. I placed my hand on my forehead as I mulled over it.

“Your name’s Aoi, right? Are you tired?” came a female voice from above me.

Surprised, I looked up and saw Keiko smiling at me.

“May I sit here?” she asked.

“S-Sure.”

“Thanks.” She grinned and sat down next to me. “I was really surprised by your appraisal skills. You’re amazing for your age!”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I only knew because Holmes—I mean, Kiyotaka—taught me.”

“Kiyotaka, huh? Seiji was always saying he had a long way to go, but at some point, he became good enough to teach people, I see.” She smiled gently. Her calm expression made me feel uneasy.

“Do you know Kiyotaka well?” I asked.

“Not that well. We’ve known each other for...a few years? I met him when he came to New York with Seiji, and he was eighteen at the time. Oh, but I’ve known Seiji for a long time. He was close with my father, who was also in the art industry.”

I nodded absentmindedly.

“Kiyotaka and I hit it off right away. He even stayed over at my place.” She glanced at me and smiled.

“H-He did?”

“Yes. He, Seiji, and I were having dinner together, and while we were enthusiastically talking away, Seiji said he was going back to the hotel first. Kiyotaka and I kept talking until the restaurant closed, and then continued at my place... He basically didn’t get any sleep at all—”

I stood up without thinking, not wanting to listen anymore. “S-Sorry, I have to go back to Rikyu now.” I bowed and left in a hurry. In the corner of my eye, I could see Keiko smiling suggestively. Ahh, I didn’t want to feel uneasy about this kind of thing anymore!

I went to one of the windows in the second-floor drawing room, looked down at the garden, and sighed.

“He basically didn’t get any sleep at all...”

Keiko’s words swirled around in my head. I leaned my forehead against the wall and wondered, why did she say that to me so openly? Is she telling me not to get closer to him? If that’s the case, why is everyone trying to drive nails into my heart? I already know! I’m already drawing a line between us. I’m already stopping myself...from liking Holmes more. I felt my eyes well up as I continued to stand there, forehead against the wall.

“Are you all right, Aoi?” came Holmes’s voice from behind me.

I turned around, but Holmes wasn’t there. It was Ensho with an amused smile on his face.

“Tried to mimic him. Did it work?” He grinned.

I stared at him. Thinking about it, even though his voice was different, he spoke in the exact same tone as Holmes, so I didn’t doubt it at all.

“Are you feeling unwell, Aoi?” he asked worriedly, continuing to imitate Holmes.

I felt chills run down my spine. “P-Please stop that.” I stepped backwards and my back pressed against the wall. He really is scary. “I-I was just thinking too much about the treasure and got stuck.”

“Hmm.” He didn’t seem interested in my answer. I could tell that he was thinking, “You’re just a high school girl. What would you know about treasure?”

My annoyance turned into fear as he slowly walked towards me. I froze—Rikyu called him a tiger, and he might’ve been right.

“U-Um...”

“Yes?”

“You were really surprised when you picked up the white porcelain, right?”

Ensho stopped and put his hands on his hips. “Yeah. Never saw anything like it before.”

“Really?”

“Hey, you’re Mr. Holmes’s woman, right?” He changed the topic with a smile.

I immediately looked up and said, “N-No, I’m not. I-I’m just a part-timer.”

“He told you to say that, right? Oh right, I liked what you did at that party. When you jumped out at us, I thought for sure you were gonna defend Mr. Holmes, but instead you went, ‘Cut it out, both of you!’” He snickered.

Embarrassed, I silently cast my eyes down. Akihito had said something similar.

“Didn’t know why he’d be with an average girl like you, but you’re a good kid, huh?”

“L-Like I said, we’re not—”

Ensho stared into my eyes and twisted his face into a grin as if he couldn’t hold back his amusement. “Oh, I get it! You’re a virgin, eh?”

“Wh-What?” I goggled at his blatantly inappropriate remark. What about me gave him that impression?

“That greedy, egotistical guy must treasure you a lot to keep you around without laying a hand on you. Or maybe you’re too wary of his tricks, so you’re acting all high and mighty? Your body isn’t anything special, so if you’re too protective of it, he’s not gonna like you.” He spoke mockingly, but now he quickly wiped his sneer off his face and turned around—the real Holmes was at the door.

Before I could even react, Holmes swung his leg at Ensho. I heard the dull sound of it making contact, but Ensho had blocked the kick with his arm.

“A high kick out of nowhere? What a violent child. My arm’s throbbing!” Ensho winced in pain, his right arm still held up.

“You were so rude that my leg slipped.” Holmes lowered his leg. His lips curved up, but his eyes weren’t smiling.

“You call that slipping? You really act faster when it comes to her, eh?”

Holmes raised an eyebrow. “You seem to be misunderstanding. Aoi and I are not in a relationship.”

“So you say.” Ensho snorted.

“No, as you said, I’m a ‘greedy and egotistical’ man,” Holmes said, smiling as if to imply, “If we were dating, I would’ve laid hands on her a long time ago.” Apparently that smile was more convincing than any words could’ve been, because Ensho seemed to accept it. On the other hand, I was looking down at the floor, too embarrassed to lift my face.

“Tanaka?” came Tsukasa’s voice from the hallway.

“Well, I’m being called, so bye.” Ensho gave his usual grin and started to leave. “Oh right,” he said, turning around. “I know what the Saito family’s treasure is.” He smirked confidently at Holmes.

“Oh? I know too, of course.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I don’t know if Sakyo has figured it out or not, though.”

“Sure seems like Tsukasa did.”

“Did you give him a hint even though we’re not allowed to?”

“I would never. We just make good partners, that’s all. See ya.” Ensho left the room.

Once he was out of sight, Holmes turned around and put his hands on my shoulders. “Are you all right, Aoi? Did he do anything bad to you?”

“I-I’m fine. He said rude things, but that’s all.”

“I truly can’t believe how offensive that man is.” Holmes sighed loudly.

Another wave of embarrassment washed over me when I remembered that Holmes heard what happened. “I-I thought I was used to inappropriate comments because of Akihito, but Ensho’s were so direct that I was shocked speechless.” My cheeks were burning up, but at the same time, Ensho’s “So you’re acting all high and mighty?” replayed in my head and I bit my lip.

“E-Ensho wasn’t completely wrong though,” I murmured.

“What?” Holmes frowned.

“Acting too high and mighty... That might be why I got dumped.”

“Huh?”

“B-Before I moved to Kyoto, there was a time when my ex tried to force himself on me. I guess he was impatient. It was so sudden, and I was scared, so I pushed him away and said, ‘No! Stop!’ Naturally, he seemed really hurt and things got awkward between us. Right after that, I had to move to Kyoto and we broke up.

“When I found out he was going out with my best friend, what I really thought was, ‘It’s only natural that I got dumped after hurting him with that harsh reaction.’ I couldn’t stop wondering why I refused him even though I loved him, and why I couldn’t have at least done it more gently. Maybe Ensho’s right.” As I spoke, my eyes welled up and I sniffled.

“Your body isn’t anything special, so if you’re too protective of it, he’s not gonna like you.”

It felt like the scab over my scar had been ripped off. Even though it was so long ago, it still stung. This whole time, I’ve been blaming myself in the back of my head: “It has to be because of how I reacted that day.” I looked down, trying to hold back my tears.

Holmes drew me into a tight hug. Not knowing what just happened, I widened my eyes against his chest. I could feel the pounding of my heart throughout my whole body.

“That’s not true, Aoi. You did nothing wrong,” he said gently, caressing my head with one of his large hands. “It’s not your fault you refused him out of surprise, and I don’t think it’s his fault either for being nervous that you were moving away. I believe that human relationships all come down to fate, and there’s nothing you can do about that. Even if you hadn’t hurt him that day, I don’t think the end result would’ve changed. It’s the same for me. I thought a lot about what happened with Izumi, but even if she hadn’t betrayed me, the result would’ve been the same.”

Holmes gently let go of me and peered into my face. “And most of all, if he really was the kind of man who’d choose to break up with you over that, then you were better off without him. So please don’t blame yourself.” He took his handkerchief out of his inner pocket and gently wiped my tears. My heart raced at how close his face was to mine, and I felt dizzy.

“Holmes...” I murmured.

“Oh!” His eyes widened. “S-Sorry for hugging you out of nowhere. I criticized Ensho, but my conduct is just as inappropriate.” He hurriedly took his hand off my shoulder and looked away, flustered. I was surprised to see his pale skin so flushed.

“N-No, it’s fine.” I shook my head. Apparently he’d done it unconsciously. He really is...seductive.

“I’m truly sorry. When people are desperate, they do absurd things.”

“Desperate...?”

“Er, well... I didn’t want to let you cry,” he murmured, looking down. My heart skipped a beat. “It’s embarrassing considering the cameras. So was kicking Ensho.”

“Wait, cameras?”

“Yes.” Holmes looked around the room. “So you didn’t notice. There are cameras set up around this house. Our voices are probably being monitored too.”

“S-So that the treasures won’t get stolen?”

“That too, but I’m guessing that they’re making sure the appraisers aren’t giving any forbidden hints. Suzuki’s office would have monitors in it.”

“Th-That’s really thorough.”

“It’s a test to choose who will inherit this mansion. Of course they’d be thorough.”

“That makes sense.” I nodded, looking at the cloisonné vase in the middle of the room.

“So, please be aware of the cameras. Even if no one else is in the room, try not to show yourself in an embarrassing state. Although it’s not my place to say that.”

“Um... I know I’m hardly refined, but even I’m not going to act like a slob in someone else’s house just because no one’s around,” I mumbled, glaring at him.

Holmes’s eyes widened. “A slob...” He covered his mouth and turned around. “N-No, I didn’t think you would.”

“Really...?”

“Really. I’m just saying...to be careful,” he said hesitantly.

What he meant was that, even if no one’s in the room, I shouldn’t yawn loudly, pick my nose, or sit, jump, and roll on one of the fluffy beds in the guest rooms, right? “Okay, I’ll be careful.” I nodded firmly.

Holmes relaxed his expression, relieved. He straightened his back and said, “Shall we go, then?”

“Um...” I looked up at him.

“Yes?”

“H-Have you gone out with Keiko?” I asked on the spur of the moment.

Holmes gaped. “With Keiko? No, not at all.”

“B-But you stayed at her house, right? That’s what she told me.”

“Oh.” Holmes nodded in understanding. “Yes, that’s true. She said she had a rare collection of art references so I visited her house to see them. Those books were truly fascinating. She said she couldn’t lend them out, so I stayed there reading them for as long as time allowed.” His eyes sparkled as he spoke. “I basically didn’t get any sleep at all because I was so absorbed in them. I was sitting on her couch for two days straight. It was exhausting but fulfilling. I feel bad for causing her trouble though.” He shrugged his shoulders sheepishly.

He spent two days reading a rare collection of art references without sleeping...? Normally it’d be unbelievable, but since it was Holmes, it could’ve been true.

“Th-That’s what it was?”

“To be honest, during that time, she indirectly tried to tempt me, but I pretended I didn’t notice.”

“What?” I squeaked. “Wh-Why? Did you want to read the books so badly that you couldn’t waste any time?”

“There was that, but also, I won’t have intimate relationships with people in the same industry if I’m not going to date them. It’d become troublesome in the future,” he said nonchalantly.

He really is blackhearted. I was shocked, but at the same time, I understood. Keiko might’ve mistaken me for Holmes’s girlfriend like Ensho did. It’s possible that she remembered when Holmes gave her the slip and said those suggestive things to me out of frustration.

“E-Er, Aoi... Did it bother you that I might’ve had a relationship with Keiko?”

“N-No, it’s just that she told me that and it felt like she was trying to discourage me. Plus, you two casually kissed each other on the cheek when you met today.”

“That was just a greeting. She’s lived overseas.”

“I-I know it was, but you seemed really accustomed to it despite being a Kyoto guy. You’re so seductive, huh?” I said without thinking, flustered. I lightly hit him on his arm.

Holmes looked away and mumbled, “You’re the seductive one, Aoi.”

I froze. “Huh?”

7

At 7 p.m., all of the pairs returned to the first-floor drawing room, where the table was set for dinner. It was an orthodox French menu: pumpkin soup, steamed sea bream seasoned with salt and sake, cooked vegetables, sauteed lamb, and salad. Since the post-meal ceremony would determine the heir, no one drank alcohol, to keep their heads clear.

After dinner, we were given some time to settle down. Then Ukon stood up, saying, “Now then.” Everyone stopped talking and sat up straight. Ukon walked over to the armchair and slowly sat down. As if on cue, Suzuki distributed pens and white cards to the three sons, Sakyo, Tsukasa, and Kazuhiko.

Ukon rested his chin in his hands and said, “Write on that card what you think is the Saito family’s treasure and give it to Suzuki. Make sure you don’t let anyone see your answer.” Despite his smile, the room was tense.

Oh, I see. This way, no one can change their mind after hearing the others’ opinions.

The three brothers wrote their answers on the white cards, hiding them from the others, and handed them to Suzuki. I noticed Tsukasa and Ensho exchange looks for a second. Ensho stated that he knew what the treasure was. The appraisers aren’t allowed to say the answer. Did Ensho follow the rules? I really can’t believe that he would.

What is the Saito family’s treasure, anyway? It surely isn’t just a matter of monetary value... I feel bad for not being more useful as Rikyu’s partner. I glanced at Rikyu, who was sitting next to me. Wait, come to think of it, why didn’t Rikyu get a card?

“You need to get a card too, Rikyu,” I said.

He shook his head, saying, “I withdrew. I told him, ‘I’m only sixteen, so I don’t even know if I want to inherit the Saito family yet.’”

“O-Oh, I see.” It would be so incredible to inherit the treasures in this house, but he just withdrew?

“Besides, I think I could become the heir if I wanted to,” he mumbled.

“Huh?”

“I know what the Saito family’s treasure is, and I have the right ‘heart.’ But the last thing I want is to become the heir right now and lose my freedom.” He sipped his tea with a relaxed smile.

He really thinks differently, as you’d expect from Holmes’s younger brother figure.

“First, Kazuhiko,” Ukon said in a quiet but clear voice. Kazuhiko stiffly stood up and walked up to him. At the same time, Suzuki handed the card to Ukon.

“The cloisonné vase? Why did you choose this?” Ukon asked with a sharp glint in his eye.

Kazuhiko timidly shrank back and looked down. “I-I just thought so because it’s definitely the most valuable thing in this house.” He looked back up and declared firmly, “I was extremely impressed when I saw it.”

“I see.” Ukon smiled happily. “I understand your thought process. You may be seated.” He looked at the table and said, “Next, Tsukasa.”

Tsukasa eagerly stood up, approached Ukon with a confident stride, and bowed.

Ukon received the card from Suzuki and murmured, “Sword.” He looked at Tsukasa.

“Yes. The sword on display in the second-floor drawing room is our family’s treasure,” Tsukasa declared.

“What’s your reasoning?”

“The Saito family’s ancestors were samurai. We were told not to forget the ‘heart of the warrior.’ In other words, that sword is proof of the family’s pride as warriors. Plus, normally a Japanese sword would be on the Japanese-style first floor. Instead, it was in the second-floor drawing room, displayed in a way that felt like you didn’t want to get a single speck of dust on it. It seemed like it was being treated as a National Treasure,” Tsukasa explained confidently.

That means Ensho decided on that longsword as the Saito family’s treasure. A symbol of inheriting the heart of the warrior—it’s very convincing.

Ukon smirked. “I see. The ‘heart of the warrior’ part is very like you. The rest was a hint from your partner, I guess.”

Tsukasa’s face went bright red and Ensho grinned.

“N-No, he didn’t give me any hints.”

“Well, all right,” Ukon said. “I’ll accept that it was your opinion.”

Rikyu chuckled at them. “So close,” he murmured.

So close? What does he mean by that? It’s the right answer, but it doesn’t count because Ensho helped too much?

“Next, Sakyo,” Ukon continued.

“Okay.” Sakyo nodded and walked up to him.

Ukon looked at the card and furrowed his brow. “Explain yourself, Sakyo,” he said, holding it out. The card was blank—Sakyo hadn’t written anything.

“I think that the Saito family’s treasure isn’t an object, so I didn’t write anything.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Dad needed to have descendants—to the point where he used medical procedures to get it done. That means that the Saito family’s lineage is the treasure. Everyone with the Saito blood running through their veins is the treasure—me, Tsukasa, Kazuhiko, and Rikyu,” Sakyo explained calmly.

“Oh?” Ukon rested his chin in his hands, seeming intrigued. “How did you arrive at that conclusion?”

“There was that big mirror at the landing on the stairs leading to the second floor. That wasn’t there last time I came. When I looked at it...I saw myself with Rikyu and Kazuhiko behind me. It made me wonder if Dad’s treasure was us, the people reflected in the mirror.”

Everyone’s eyes widened. Come to think of it, Sakyo seemed really interested in the mirror. Apparently he was looking at the people reflected in it and thinking, “The treasure could be us.” Despite his carefree attitude, he could’ve been the one to discover the truth. I looked at him, impressed.

“It was you, right? Bastard!” came a voice from behind me. Startled, I turned around to see Tsukasa grabbing Holmes by the collar.

“What are you talking about?” Holmes asked, confused.

“Don’t play dumb! There’s no way our idiot brother would come up with something like that. You told him!” Tsukasa tightened his grip.

“Ts-Tsukasa!” Everyone was in a panic. Meanwhile, Ensho alone was grinning in amusement, resting his chin in his hands.

“No, I simply answered his questions in my own way,” Holmes said, smiling nonchalantly.

“Yeah right!” Tsukasa retorted. “I heard you say, ‘I said too much’ at the mirror. How would a youngster like you know so much anyway? You must’ve coaxed the info out of our old man beforehand. Despite what he says, Sakyo’s his favorite. Isn’t this a rigged game?”

“Absolutely not. First of all, even if he did want to make Sakyo the heir, he wouldn’t need to rig anything. Sakyo is the eldest son to begin with, so he could’ve just said, ‘My heir will be my eldest son, Sakyo.’”

The rest of us smiled wryly, knowing that Tsukasa wouldn’t be able to argue against that.

“E-Either way, you’re fishy. You clearly whispered more to him than you were supposed to. Get out of this house!” Tsukasa raised his right fist.

“Eek!” Keiko screamed, covering her eyes.

“Stop that, Tsukasa! Kiyotaka really didn’t say anything he wasn’t supposed to!” Sakyo ran up to Tsukasa and grabbed his arm.

“Shut up!” Tsukasa shouted. Due to the difference in their builds, he easily flung Sakyo away.

I panicked, not knowing what to do. Beside me, Rikyu heaved a heavy sigh. “This kind of thing attracts jealousy and spite, huh?”

“What?”

It happened in the blink of an eye—Rikyu got out of his chair, swiftly ran up to them, grabbed Tsukasa’s right arm, and slammed him to the ground with a one-armed shoulder throw. It was so fast that Tsukasa looked dumbfounded as he lay sprawled out on the floor.

“Sorry about my uncle, Kiyo,” Rikyu said.

“No worries. I couldn’t exactly throw him myself, so you did me a real favor. Thanks, Rikyu.” Holmes straightened his wrinkled shirt.

Everyone else was standing stock-still, amazed that Rikyu, with his small stature, could throw a large man like Tsukasa so easily.

“R-Rikyu, when did you become that strong?” Sakyo asked hesitantly.

Rikyu pouted. “What? Didn’t I tell you that I started doing martial arts because Kura’s owner kept nagging me to? Right after I met him, he was like, ‘You’re all frail like a girl, so you need to toughen up.’”

“Y-Yeah, you did, so I knew that you’d gotten sturdier. I didn’t think you’d become that strong.”

“What? But I was studying judo in France.”

“H-Huh? Weren’t you studying art?”

“That too, of course.” Rikyu straightened his back. “The owner once said to me, ‘Martial arts aren’t for attacking people—they’re for training your body and protecting the people you love. Since you’re an only child, you have to get stronger so that you can protect your mother.’ So that’s what I did, not just for Mom, but for Kiyo too. But Kiyo does martial arts too, so becoming strong enough to protect him meant becoming stronger than him, and it was really hard.”

Rikyu wasn’t kidding when he said he was going to protect him.

Holmes chuckled. “Indeed. I doubt I’d be a match for you now.”

“Wait, but why is Kiyotaka so important to you?” Keiko asked. “C-Could it be...?” she blushed, perhaps imagining something she shouldn’t have.

Rikyu grimaced. “Can you not? I’ll have you know that my feelings towards Kiyo are noble. He’s like my lord. I want to serve him for the rest of my life,” he declared passionately, placing his hand on his chest.

The rest of us exchanged glances, not knowing how we were supposed to feel about that.

“Hahaha!” Sakyo laughed. “Even though you’re in high school now, you still have that eighth-grader syndrome.”

“D-Don’t call it that!”

“Yes, Rikyu will likely have it forever.”

“Not you too, Kiyo!” Rikyu turned bright red.

Everyone laughed. Meanwhile, Tsukasa was still awkwardly lying on the floor.

Ukon, who had been watching in silence, clapped his hands and said, “Brilliant! Kiyotaka, I humbly apologize for my idiotic, greedy son. I’ll be sure to scold him later.” He bowed.

“It’s fine,” Holmes said, holding up a hand. “Tsukasa must’ve been desperate. He thought that Sakyo had the right answer, even though that wasn’t the case...”

“Huh?” Everyone’s eyes widened.

“Sakyo’s answer was wrong?” Tsukasa asked in surprise as he got up.

“Yes, you disgrace to the Saito family.” Ukon glared coldly at Tsukasa before shifting his gaze to Sakyo. “Sakyo, what you said was very true. The Saito family treasures its descendants. However, I did mean for you to find an object—not people. It wasn’t a trick question.”

“O-Oh, I see. Now I feel embarrassed for saying that so confidently.” Sakyo blushed and scratched his head.

“What’s the treasure, then?” Keiko asked, frowning and tilting her head. Everyone seemed to share her sentiment.

Ukon chuckled and said, “Everyone failed the test this time. I’ll continue to watch your growth and think about what to do. Now, as for the family treasure...I believe Kiyotaka knows what it is. Could you tell them?”

“I’ll begin with a hint, then,” Holmes said. “The Saito family’s treasure originally didn’t belong to them. Do you know what it is now?” He looked around at us.

It originally didn’t belong to them. Does that mean they received it from someone else or that it was left in their care?

While we were pondering his hint, Rikyu had a smug look on his face, as if he already knew everything.

If it came from someone else, it probably wasn’t something large like the folding screen. That narrows it down to things like pottery and paintings. Actually, there doesn’t need to be a size restriction—anything could’ve been left in their care. How did Holmes know that it wasn’t the Saito family’s? Was there definitive proof?

Suddenly, I remembered something—and Kazuhiko seemed to as well. He looked up and said, “I-I’ve got it! The Saito family’s treasure is the longsword in the second-floor drawing room after all, right? The one by Chikakage from Osafune, Bizen.”

“Huh?” Everyone blinked.

“So it was,” Ensho mumbled.

“Th-The sword? I was right, then?” Tsukasa asked.

“Yes, the item was correct, but the reason wasn’t quite accurate,” Holmes said in an admonishing tone. “Apparently the reason was the important part of this trial.”

“Wh-What do you mean, Kiyotaka?” Sakyo pressed.

“I want to know too,” Kazuhiko added.

“Now, now.” Holmes held his hands up. “That longsword has a Chinese bellflower crest on it, but this family’s crest is the hanging wisteria. That means the sword didn’t originate from this family—it was bestowed to them by someone who had that family crest. Since it was a longsword forged by Chikakage with a Chinese bellflower crest, the original owner would’ve been the samurai general Mitsuhide Akechi.”

This family’s treasure is a sword gifted from Mitsuhide Akechi?

The brothers exchanged glances.

“Mitsuhide Akechi is seen as a traitor because of the Honno-ji Temple incident where he betrayed Lord Nobunaga Oda, leading to Oda’s death. However, he was a completely different person outside of that incident. It’s said that he was compassionate, kind towards his vassals, intellectual, graceful, and had a refined sense of beauty. There may have been a considerable amount of conspiracy behind that coup d’état that we don’t know, for which he was willing to become a traitor. That’s who the sword came from.

“Mitsuhide was branded a traitor after the coup, but the Saito family who received his sword treasured it enough to pass it down for all of these generations. The Saito ancestor would’ve been a dedicated subordinate of Mitsuhide—my guess is Mitsuhide’s chief vassal, Toshimitsu Saito.”

Everyone looked like they were thinking, So that’s what it was. I didn’t know enough about history to recognize the name Toshimitsu Saito, but he must’ve been famous if he was Mitsuhide Akechi’s chief vassal.

“It’s possible that the Saito family’s high aesthetic sense was passed down from Mitsuhide’s influence. Anyway, I assume that the Saito family teaches its heirs that among all of the treasures they possess, the sword they received from Lord Mitsuhide is the most important. Even though history paints him as a traitor, to this family, he’s the reason why they can exist. Their gratitude towards him is the reason why their family treasure is something that no one else would value so much.”

The room fell silent after Holmes finished his explanation. The heart of a vassal who served his lord, and the family’s gratitude to that lord for their prosperity... That sword embodied all of those feelings.

And when Rikyu said he had the right “heart,” it was because he revered Holmes as his “lord.”

“Yes, our family is descended from Toshimitsu Saito,” Ukon confirmed. “Unfortunately we aren’t his direct descendants, but we take pride in inheriting our ancestors’ will. You really are amazing, Kiyotaka. If you were my grandson, I’d choose you without a doubt.” He gave Holmes an enthusiastic look.

“Not at all,” Holmes said, shaking his head. “I’m merely a trader. I stock fine goods and sell them to people with good taste. Succeeding a samurai family would be unjustifiable.” He smiled, captivating us. We were at a loss for words.

“He’s completely right, you know?” Rikyu gave an exaggerated shrug.

Ensho had a cold look in his eyes.

After that, the family wanted to speak in private, so the appraisers and I prepared to leave the house.

“I greatly enjoyed the wonderful heirlooms and the delicious meal,” Holmes said to Ukon. “Thank you very much.” He and I bowed.

We were about to exit the drawing room when Ukon stopped us, asking, “Kiyotaka, before you go—actually, I’d like to ask all of the appraisers. Setting aside the Saito family’s treasure, what do you think the most valuable object in this house is?” He looked around at us.

If it’s only a matter of value, not sentiment...

Keiko answered first: “I think it’s the cloisonné vase.” I agreed. The other items were valuable too, but that vase was on a completely different level.

“What about you, Tanaka?” Ukon asked.

Ensho averted his gaze. “Let’s see... The white porcelain, I guess,” he mumbled, as if talking to himself. It felt like his real opinion. Perhaps the Joseon white porcelain had rendered him speechless back then.

“And Kiyotaka?”

“Well...” Holmes looked towards the Japanese-style hall on the first floor. “Is it the sliding screen at the back of the hall?”

Ukon looked down. “I figured as much. The instruction to ‘take good care of it’ has been passed down through the generations, but it has no signature or seal, and no appraiser has ever given me a proper answer. I’ve always found it mysterious. What exactly is it?”

Come to think of it, Ensho said it was by an anonymous artist. Is it difficult to appraise?

“The appraisers you spoke to may have been afraid to make an irresponsible statement,” Holmes said. “In my opinion, it’s not something you can assign a price to.”

“Huh?”

“It’s by Sotatsu Tawaraya, the artist who painted one of Japan’s National Treasures, Wind God and Thunder God.”

Everyone in the room looked like they’d been caught off guard.

Wind God and Thunder God is a National Treasure held at Kennin-ji Temple. It’s considered a novel piece, known for its unique composition. The wind god is on one end, holding a wrapping cloth in both hands, and the thunder god is on the opposite end, surrounded by several drums. Come to think of it, I heard that that painting doesn’t have a signature or seal either.

“Despite being such a renowned painter, Sotatsu Tawaraya is shrouded in mystery,” Holmes continued. “Many of his works are unsigned. As for that sliding screen, the gentle touch on the pine tree, the framing as though it were a photo taken of a landscape, and the infinite expanse felt from the partly cut off areas are a perfect example of Sotatsu Tawaraya’s expression of the vastness of nature. To be honest, it was difficult for me to hold back my tears in front of that sliding screen. I never would’ve dreamed of encountering one of his works in this house,” Holmes said passionately, placing his hand on his chest.

“I-I see,” Ukon said. “I can’t believe that that was Sotatsu Tawaraya’s work—that it was such an incredible treasure. Thank you, Kiyotaka.” He held Holmes’s hand tightly. “And please take good care of Rikyu.” He bowed deeply. It was as if he was saying, “Raise Rikyu into someone worthy of succeeding the Saito family.” I felt nervous watching them and held my breath.

“I met Rikyu when I was twelve and he was only six,” Holmes said. “Ever since then, I’ve thought of him as my younger brother. So, I plan on continuing our relationship the way it’s been.” His last sentence indicated that he understood Ukon’s intent.

“Yes, that’ll be fine.” Ukon nodded and smiled. He must be thinking that even if Holmes doesn’t do anything special, simply being with him is enough.

We said our farewells again and left the drawing room, but Sakyo and Rikyu came running after us.

“Thanks so much for today, Kiyotaka.”

“Kiyo, you’re going home now, right? I wanted to say thanks too.”

“No need for thanks—I had fun,” Holmes replied. “Please enjoy your family time.”

“You say that, but I’m pretty sure we’re just going to watch Uncle Tsukasa get yelled at.”

“You might be right,” Holmes said. “My condolences to Tsukasa.”

“Condolences?” We chuckled together.

Rikyu looked at me and said, “Thanks to you too, Aoi. Sorry for being mean. I felt sad and frustrated because I lost my place at Kura. It felt like you’d taken away everything I cared about.”

“Rikyu...” I empathized with his feelings. If I were in his shoes, I’d definitely feel really lonely.

“But I can tell that you’re trying really hard to be suitable for Kura, and your Raku tea bowl appraisals were pretty good, so I guess I can accept you.”

“Huh?”

“As my successor.” He grinned mischievously.

I felt like I was going to cry from happiness. “Th-Thank you, Rikyu.”

“Ugh, don’t get moved to tears over something like that.” Exasperated, he took his handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to me. As you’d expect from Holmes’s younger brother figure. Impressed, I gratefully accepted the handkerchief and pressed it against my teary eyes.

8

“Aoi, before we leave, I’d like to look at that sliding screen one more time. Do you mind?”

“Oh, okay. I wanted to look at it again too.”

We went back to the Japanese-style room. The sliding screen was an ink wash painting of a pine tree. As Holmes said, the pine tree was painted with a very gentle touch. I often see pine trees depicted majestically, in what’s called the “manly hero” style. But this pine tree is completely different. It reminds me of a graceful young woman. The painting used blotted ink to make it look like the tree was bursting out from the screen. It evoked an endless expanse that couldn’t be contained in a framed picture.

“I’ve never seen Wind God and Thunder God in person,” I murmured, staring at the screen. Since it was a famous National Treasure, I’d seen pictures of it. The wind god and thunder god were painted from end to end of the gold leaf screen. The green wind god held a sack, while the white thunder god was surrounded by a circle of drums.

“Is that so? I hope you do get to see it,” Holmes said quietly, not looking away from the screen either.

“You’ve seen it before, right? What did you think?”

“Hmm...” He smiled gently. “The wind god and thunder god were there.”

It seemed like an obvious statement, but I waited for his next words.

“I was struck with the feeling of looking up at the sky and being surprised to see the wind god suddenly emerge from the clouds, only to spot the thunder god hiding in the clouds in the corner of my eye. The wind god and thunder god looked like they were having a good time—there wasn’t any kind of imposing grandeur. Despite that, I was still overwhelmed by their divinity.

“There’s a theory that Wind God and Thunder God was modeled after Sanjusangen-do Temple, and when I saw that folding screen in front of my eyes, I felt like all of my knowledge and preconceptions had been blown away. I wondered if Sotatsu Tawaraya had truly looked up at the sky and seen gods there, and if the painting was a transcription of what he saw. It was as if the gods were living inside the screen—they were truly there.”

The corners of his eyes were glistening, as if he was recalling the emotions he felt when he saw the painting.

“The gods were there.”

Sotatsu Tawaraya’s masterpiece has remained a National Treasure to this day. I have to see it one day too, I vowed, clenching my fists as I gazed at the pine tree on the sliding screen.

Once we were done, it was time to head home for real. It took me some time to put on my boots, and when I finally left the mansion, I saw Holmes and Ensho facing each other and hid myself without thinking.

“I came today to mess with you, but you beat me fair and square,” Ensho said with a self-deprecating smile.

“Are you sure? You identified the treasure too.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t enough. Plus, I didn’t notice that sliding screen’s value...although I did think it was a good painting.”

Ensho seemed to be more frustrated about that than the true meaning behind the sword.

“You can’t understand Sotatsu Tawaraya, right?” Holmes said coldly.

“What?” Ensho glared at him.

I anxiously peeped at them, not knowing why Holmes chose that phrasing.

“As I said earlier, Sotatsu Tawaraya is an artist shrouded in mystery. Try as you might to research him, there’s an unusual lack of material—as if he erased all traces of himself. There must have been some reason. Sotatsu Tawaraya was a brilliant artist who tried to hide his existence, but you’re the complete opposite. There’s no way you could understand him.” Holmes stared at Ensho.

Compared to Sotatsu Tawaraya, who tried not to leave traces of himself despite being talented and acknowledged by his peers, Ensho created forgeries in the shadows, living in obscurity while secretly wanting to be recognized as himself. They could be considered complete opposites.

Ensho trembled and put on a twisted grin. “You never change, eh? I really hate that about you.”

“I feel the same way.”

They looked at each other in silence. The atmosphere was tense, as though a swordfight could break out at any moment.

They faced each other for a while before Ensho turned and walked away. Holmes stood still, watching him leave. Then he noticed my silent gaze and turned around.

“Aoi... You saw that?”

I nodded.

“His eyes were incredibly hateful. I thought he was going to stab me,” he said quietly.

I leaned in and said, “Y-You were mean too, Holmes. Why did you have to rub him the wrong way like that?” It was obvious that his phrasing was going to upset Ensho.

“I...wanted to set him off.”

“Huh?”

“I thought it would clear up some of his gloominess,” he murmured.

I had nothing to say to that. Thinking about it, Holmes definitely didn’t get emotional just now. I guess there was a deep meaning behind provoking Ensho like that.

“S-Sorry. I called you mean even though you had a reason for it...”

“It’s true that it was mean in his eyes. Besides, in the end, I made him even gloomier... That was my mistake.” He sighed. His sorrowful face suggested that he regretted what he’d done. “No...this is all sophistry on my part. I simply can’t stand him. I can’t help but get irritated. If I had that much talent, I’d...” He clenched his fist, looking both frustrated and furious.

“Holmes...”

I was surprised. Up until now, I’d thought that Ensho’s jealousy was one-sided, but that wasn’t the case. Holmes harbored similar feelings. They seemed completely different but really were like mirror images of each other.

Ensho had casually shown up to play today, but he didn’t expect to get caught in Holmes’s sharp claws. Did his “disagreeable” attitude transform into genuine hatred after today? I have a bad feeling about this. I felt chills run down my spine.

“Shall we go, then?”

I looked up and saw Holmes smiling at me as usual. “Okay.” I nodded.

“It’s gotten quite late.”

“Yeah.”

I looked up at the silver crescent moon hanging in the dark blue sky.

“The moon is so pretty. It reminds me of that sword,” I said.

“Indeed. That longsword’s beauty was like a reflection of the noble heart of the vassal who trusted his lord.”

“Yes. I’m really glad I could come here today.”

The mansion was filled with amazing treasures, but the family’s greatest treasure was their gratitude towards their lord, Mitsuhide Akechi. The same Mitsuhide Akechi who was branded the traitor of the century. Despite that, his vassal and his vassal’s descendants remained loyal to him. It must’ve been because they trusted their lord and didn’t let others sway their beliefs.

It really is commendable. I also want to trust my loved ones and protect them no matter what happens. And before that, I want to be honest with myself. My chest ached as I thought that. I’ve been lying to myself this whole time. I’m scared of getting hurt, so I trick myself, avert my eyes, and lie to my heart...

It felt like a dam burst within me when I realized that. All of my bottled-up feelings suddenly poured out. My chest was hot and I felt like I was going to cry. How much have I been holding myself back? In reality, I was suffering.

I’ll set myself free...even if it results in pain.

As we slowly started walking, I stopped, looked at him, clenched my fists, and said in my heart:

I love you, Kiyotaka.

Holmes stopped too and said, “It smells like spring.” He looked at the buds of the cherry blossoms and smiled warmly.

The gentle breeze carried a hint of warmth in its chill. It also brought with it the scent of earth and flowers. I smiled fondly at the pleasant feeling and said, “Yes.”

“Oh right, Aoi... The moon is very beautiful tonight,” he said, looking up at the night sky.

I silently looked up at the sky as well.

Holmes glanced at me without turning and said, “I’m truly looking forward to seeing who you’ll become.”

“O-Okay, I’ll try my best.”

“Ah, you don’t have to try that hard.” He laughed cheerfully.

Knowing how red my cheeks were, I looked down, unable to keep my head up.

It was early spring, the season of budding blossoms...