Reina of Hanneau (English)

WOULD YOU CONSIDER?

The following morning, Reina wakes up from the soft voice calling her name outside the sliding door of her room. She jumps on her bed in a panic, thinking it might have already been late. There is no clock in her room, so she has no way of telling time aside from the cool breeze and faint sunlight passing through the windows.

“Miss Asai? We have breakfast served right now.”

“Yes! I apologize. I didn’t mean to stay in bed until late,” Reina unconsciously raises her voice due to panic. In a swift motion, she fixes the bed and herself before opening the door.

She is welcomed then by a gentle smile. It is the same woman who helped last night, cleaning Mitsuei’s injury. If her memory serves her right, the name of the lady is Kiyoko. Her family had visited Hanneau a few times already, so she is somehow familiar with them. And Kiyoko is one of the people who worked in the inn for so long. She is only slightly younger than her mother.

“No worries, Miss Asai. Kayomi is still snoring on her bed, too.” Kiyoko giggles in amusement. She then gestures her hand in a direction further down the hall. “If you are ready, Master Mitsuei is waiting for you at the sunroom. Breakfast will be served there.”

"Ah, I see. Kiyoko, thank you so much. You were incredibly helpful last night and today."

Kiyoko briefly pauses and stares at Reina with a surprised expression. She had met Reina on a few occasions when her family visits the springs, and up til now, she is still amazed at how polite the young woman is.

In her line of work, polite and respectful people are a real gem. Some customers tend to be rude and fussy over the littlest things, especially those high-ranking officials and foreigners who look down on natives.

Reina is part foreign, though. Her personality is far different compared to the people that often stay in the inn. Her charm isn’t solely because of her attitude.

Her appearance is also something to be amazed at. She has wavy black hair, similar to any natives in the country. However, her eyes are as blue as the sky, while her nose is nothing compared to theirs. People who Reina met, especially men, are enchanted by her beauty, while women envy her.

Kiyoko smiles and gently pats Reina on the shoulder. “The sunroom is a little further down, then turn to your left. You can see the garden through there.”

Kiyoko stayed where she stood until she was sure that Reina went to the correct room. She sighs before finally returning to the kitchen. She isn’t born yesterday not notice her romance with Tomohisa. Everyone knows about the younger Sou's behavior. He is too laid-back and not someone she would recommend to anyone’s daughter. She can foresee suffering if she is to continue with her relationship with Tomohisa.

Meanwhile, Reina takes her time walking towards the solarium. Knowing that it would only be her and Mitsuei, she is getting a bit nervous and shy. Despite having a good night's sleep and being treated well, she can't get over her intimidation of the man.

She didn’t have a hard time finding the venue as the sliding doors are open. She tiptoes as she approaches the room. Regardless of what Kiyoko said, Mitsuei isn’t anywhere in the room. She looks around the hallway and but there is no sign of him.

“Did something happen to him?” Reina gasps in horror. She is getting worried especially with him having an injury.

So many things come into mind. An infection? Did the wound reopen? Is he bleeding somewhere in the house?

“Good morning, Miss Asai.”

Reina flinches from the sound coming not far behind her. What more surprised her is the fact that she didn’t feel his presence not until he spoke. For a huge man, he moves like a cat. No sounds in his footsteps.

Reina turns around and tries to smile as naturally as possible. “Good morning, Mister Mitsuei. How is your wound?”

In addition to today’s mystery, Reina finds Mitsuei a few meters away from her tending the fishes on the pond. He seems to be feeding them. And she can’t help but think that he looked adorable doing so. For her, it is out of character. His built and scary aura makes one think that this man isn’t appreciative of small things.

Mitsuei looks at her for a while before turning his attention back to the koi in the small pond. After he’s done, he walks up to her pointing her to sit inside the room.

“It’s nothing serious. I’ve had deeper lacerations than this one,” Mitsuei answers as soon as they are seated around the table.

“I do realize that but you still need to take care of yourself. You have people worrying about you.”

The cup of tea that was supposed to land on Mitsuei’s lips is left midair. His eyes slightly widen in surprise.

Reina gasps in realization. The way she delivered her words sounded impudent for someone who caused a lot of trouble the previous night.

“I am so sorry, Mister Mitsuei. I didn’t mean it that way, what I’m trying to say is um… ah,” Reina covers her mouth as her heart thumps in panic. Hopefully, Mitsuei didn’t get mad at her for scolding him like that. Not only was it brazen but she was disrespectful of him.

However, to her utter confusion, Mitsuei cackles loudly letting his voice echo throughout the room. He isn’t angry. Rather, he looks amused about something.

And for Reina, it is the first time she ever witnessed the man laughing, genuinely enjoying himself.

“Father, Reina, good morning.”

Kayomi comes in the sunroom, still yawning. She rubs her eyes probably because the dirt or the sudden exposure to the light hurts her eyes.

Reina greets her back as she sits right across her. The young lady seems to be still sleepy, judging from the frequent yawns she kept letting out. Reina can’t help but feel sorry for everyone, especially Kayomi who is at the age where she’d want to sleep a little longer. They all probably slept for only six to seven hours.

A little bit later, Kiyoko and a young boy following behind her arrive at the sunroom with a tray of their meals. The kid was the same boy who took the horse from Mitsuei the first time she arrived at Hanneau yesterday.

Both Kiyoko and the boy didn’t stay long. They left as soon as food sat on the table. And again, all three of them are left in silence.

Reina can’t help but drool after taking in the appetizing aroma of soup and egg omelet. There are also steamed vegetables and some slices of fruits later for dessert.

Overall, the breakfast is quiet though they also share some small talks in between. Somehow, Reina notices that Mitsuei's mind keeps wandering off. He replies rarely and seems to be in a daze.

After finishing the meals, Reina helps in clearing the table, and Kayomi volunteers to take the dishes to the kitchen.

Reina didn’t dare to leave the room without Mitsuei saying so. Also, she is waiting for the perfect time to tell him that she’ll be returning home now. Her family is probably crazily worried right now considering she didn’t leave any note for them of where she’ll be.

Well, she was planning to kill herself by the river so there was no way she’d outright tell them that.

“So,” Mitsuei speaks breaking the silence. “what are your plans from here?”

Reina takes a deep breath. She is wondering this too herself. She may have made a hasty decision last night, but she has no regrets. She's relieved to be free. Although her love is difficult to forget, she would prefer that than be in constant pain.

“Honestly, at this point, I’m not sure yet. I mean, this road I chose will hurt my child more in the future. I have no control over people’s words and their opinions. But I am sure, it will only hurt him or her more to endure a loveless family.”

Mitsuei goes silent. He experienced a loveless family for countless years and it was hard for them especially for Kayomi who hardly received affection from her mother. It would make him guilty his entire life to see her and the kid suffer because of his brother.

“I can’t say I’m making the best decision for my child but I know it would only destroy us if I continue with our relationship. And people in Haran are usually nice so I’m only hoping none of them would banish me for being an unwed mother. I’ll just hold on to faith that my family will also support me and hopefully understand me.”

Reina sadly smiles. She can already imagine the whole ordeal in her mind. She might end up getting depressed again but she’ll never abandon her child again. She’s confident that her mother will be on her side. But then, her father and older brother will be a real challenge.

“Please do consider me.”

“Huh?”

Reina lifts her head looking back at Mitsuei hoping she heard him wrong. What could he mean by that?

“Then, marry me, Reina. You won’t have to worry about the future. I will give the child a name and a family.”

Kayomi stops in her tracks while she is on her way back to the solarium. Based on what she observed, Reina is as surprised as she is. She knew her father will do something to help her but she didn’t imagine him offering his name in Tomohisa’s stead.

To be honest, Kayomi has conflicted feelings hearing her father’s offer. If Reina is to accept, she will be her stepmother. And when the child is born, they will have a family. Knowing Mitsuei, he will take the role seriously. He will pay too much attention to Reina and the child. And so, what will happen to her?