Reina of Hanneau (English)

CLOUDLESS NIGHT

Reina is now back in her room in the Sou estate. She keeps tossing and turning, unable to brush off the heavy feeling in her heart. 

Right after they arrived in Hanneau earlier, Rio was immediately dismissed. The young girl was close to tears before she left the house. Reina has been suffering from guilt since. 

Kayomi was already asleep in her room when she came in. She heard from Kiyoko, who was waiting for them that the little girl helped in the lodge for a while after school. She is probably tired from working hard both in school and in the family business. 

Yet, here she is. A wife who only knows how to create worries for the people around her. 

‘What am I though? I’m not allowed to touch anything while I’m here. I can’t even prepare meals for them. That isn’t what a wife or mother does.’

Reina groaned in frustration as she covered her face with the pillow. It is already nine in the evening. Sleep hardly comes to her. So she decided to get up on her bed to get water from the kitchen. 

She slowly and quietly pushes her door to open. Her room is just next to Kayomi’s, so she didn’t want to disturb her as she drifted in her sleep. 

She looks sideways, checking if the hallway is clear. It is dark. Only a few lamps serve as a guide. 

Reina tries to be as inaudible as possible. She tips her toes as she makes her way to the kitchen, struggling not to create a noise. She is only able to relax when she passes by Kayomi’s room. 

As soon as she gets to the kitchen, she immediately grabs a glass of water. After satisfying her thirst, Reina drags her feet back to her room. However, she stopped on her feet when she noticed something. 

The moonlight passing through the sliding doors begs for her attention. The light is too bright to ignore. 

She opens the sliding door slightly without hesitation, fascinated by the light shining from the skies. And when she opened the door, her mouth dropped open in surprise. It's the first time she ever noticed how clear the sky is. 

The moon and the stars are all brightly sparkling in front of her.

It’s not every day that she gets to witness such a crystalline sky. She can’t help but feel closer to heaven, although she is miles away from the ground. 

“You seem impressed.”

Reina almost fell on the floor when she suddenly heard a voice from the deep stillness. She closes her eyes briefly while clutching on her chest. Her eyes moved frantically, searching where the voice came. 

“You are supposed to be in bed right now.”

Reina’s eyes turn to the other side of the outdoor walkway. Just as expected, it is Mitsuei. He is sitting comfortably while leaning on the wooden pillar just outside his bedroom door. His face looks calm and relaxed. Unlike her, that comes out as someone caught doing a crime. 

“I -- I was feeling thirsty so I figured to um, get some water.”

Mitsuei didn’t reply. The silence between them is deafening and she can even hear her breathing. The lovely night suddenly turned into an awkward situation. 

Now that Reina exchanged words with Mitsuei, she finds it hard to just leave the place. She will come out as rude if she is to leave right away after being spotted by him.

The silence has already marred the magnificent view. What a fleeting delight. 

Despite this, she forced herself to glance up at the sky once more. If she is once again charmed by the moonlight, her mood may improve.

She was staring at the moon for the first time. Reina has no idea why, but the moon appears to have a human face in her eyes. The face of a lady who is smiling. It seems content to be admired from afar, given how brightly it shines in the sky. Reina can't help but smile as she watches her thoughts run amok. She speaks childishly.

“Are you not happy living here?”

Reina holds her breath after hearing Mitsuei’s leading question. But it wasn't his query that stunned her. From the tone of his voice, he seems frustrated and sad. The guilt inside her is digging deeper into her heart. 

“I’m sorry for today. It was irresponsible of me not to consider your schedule. I only wanted to spend more time with my family since I miss them. But please, rest assured that it won’t happen again. I will return home early, so you won’t need to go out of your way to fetch me.”

Reina didn’t have the heart to look at him right now. She is anticipating Mitsuei’s acknowledgment of her response. Sadly, it never came. All she got from his as a reply is a low groan. 

She slowly turns her head to him, afraid of what is written on his face. Mitsuei is closing his eyes while his face is still directed to the sky. The wrinkles on his forehead are evident. He appears to be more frustrated than he already did earlier. 

“Can you provide a more direct answer?” 

Reina can hear herself whimper, hearing the sarcasm. Indeed she is trying to beat around the bush when she knows he will appreciate a more direct answer. But what can she say? Being honest in this situation will only hurt more. 

“Please don’t worry yourself about me. This place is indeed far from what I used to live in, but I can manage. I’m not used to the environment just yet. Please allow me more time to adjust.”

Mitsuei goes silent after Reina’s response. All of a sudden, Mitsuei opens his eyes, staring back at her with a blank expression that sent shivers down her spine. Unconsciously, she takes a step back, hitting the door behind her. 

Mitsuei stands from he sat. His feet gradually moved their way towards her direction. 

Reina gasps for some air when Mitsuei finally finds his way in front of her. His towering built peering down at her. She knows she is taller compared to other women and some men in town. But with Mitsuei, she can’t help but raise her head to meet his gaze. 

"Since I took you away from your family, you are my responsibility. I don't want to jeopardize my relationship with your family, no matter what our relationship is. So, if you have any issues, you should consult with me first.”

Reina is speechless. The mountain of a man in front of her is keeping her from saying more. She is scared that she might say the wrong words to him and aggravate him further. 

But she is sure that he won’t let her go easily. He would never accept her cautious answers. 

“I, uh, I..,” Reina trails off in her words as her eyes lock with his. Somehow, she can’t look away from him. Something tells her that he doesn’t intend to sound mean to her. 

Mitsuei raises a brow while looking back at her. The look on his face tells her that he is waiting for a continuation of her statement. To which she is having a hard time. 

She seemed to be enthralled by him. In the moonlight, his bronze-colored skin glistens. Something obscures his gaze, which she can't understand. She can't help but be drawn into the window of his soul. Something compels her to figure out what's beneath the shrouds.

“Reina.”

Reina jolts when she realizes that Mitsuei has been calling her numerous times. Yet, she only stared at him seemingly in a daze. The embarrassment that she feels right now is enough to turn her face beet red. 

Mitsuei now looks confused and worried. 

"Are you feeling sick?"

Reina shakes her head and apologizes. She must have looked idiotic to him just now. 

“I mean, uh, I feel lonely since I don’t get to do things around the house.”

Mitsuei sighs clearly in frustration. “When I took you from your family, it wasn’t because you’re a maid. Should I remind you that you are my wife now?”

Hearing the word wife coming from Mitsuei woke different emotions in her. It sounded wrong, considering she felt like a fattening pig. Things other than eating or sleeping seem unnecessary for her.

“Well, I don't feel like a wife at all. I feel more like a hog than your wife."

Reina didn’t need to feel intimidated. If she wishes to have a relationship like her parents, it better start with honesty. And she would find it difficult, to be honest with Mitsuei if she continues to cower in fear whenever he is around. Moreover, she believes he isn’t the type of person that wants a nonfunctional family. 

However, Mitsue didn’t respond to her honesty. Instead, he only stared at her with an expression she can’t decipher. 

And before she knows it, his hands were slowly making their way towards her face. He cupped her face with his big rough hands. Bit by bit, his blank face descends, stopping just inches above hers.

Reina can feel his warm breath on her lips when he finally spoke. 

“How do you suggest I prove to you that you are my wife?”

Sharp gasps escape her mouth. All of a sudden, the hairs on the back of her hair stood up. Her heart begins to thump like crazy. 

Unconsciously, she takes a step back. But only to bump into the edge of the slightly open door behind her. She needs to escape the spell that Mitsuei casts on her so she can think straight. She keeps getting the short end of the stick whenever they bump heads.

Childish as it may seem, Reina closes her eyes in an attempt to avoid getting lost in his eyes. She might have made herself foolish right now, but this is the only way she thought of. 

She should not stray from her goal. 

“If you’d allow it, I want to hold a job."