Reina of Hanneau (English)

MISSING YOU

"Mister Mitsuei has sent another letter for you, Mrs. Sou."

Reina leaps off her chair to welcome the person behind the door. Her heart beats loudly at the sound of Mitsuei’s name. 

She is currently in his office in the lodge, checking on whatever needs attention. 

So far, they're in desperate need of supplies like detergent, dish soap, and kitchen staples. She wanted to buy the materials and ingredients herself, but she realized she couldn't bother anyone with Ritsu.

And so, she had informed Sora and Rio instead. Usually, it would be Kiyoko and Sora, but Kiyoko is pretty busy filling in the place of Mitsuei. That is also partly why Reina decided to visit the lodge. 

"Thank you so much, Yoshi. I hope Ritsu isn't disturbing anyone right now," Reina mutters. Her smile slightly tilted to the side.

She had second thoughts when she decided to bring Ritsu to the lodge. She expected to spend most of her time in her husband's office, but she figured she needed to walk around from time to time to attend to whatever was required. If Ritsu is not in a good mood, it may impact her duties.

Kayomi, on the other hand, has a school holiday, so she is completely free to assist her with Ritsu. Kayomi is currently wandering around Hanneau with Ritsu.

"Oh, no worries, Mrs. Sou. The young lad seems to be enjoying his time and he even brings joy to everyone here."

"I am glad to know that."

Yoshi chuckles in delight as he hands an envelope to the missus. She looks too excited that she even greeted him at the door.

"Here you go, Mrs. Sou. So far the owner has been very responsive these days."

"I know. He must have a lot of free time nowadays."

Reina takes the letter from Yoshi, excitedly tearing the piece of paper apart. 

The young man only shakes his head while looking at the overwhelming glee leaking from the missus' aura. No doubt she has been looking forward to the owner's letters. She must have missed her husband terribly.

As soon as Yoshi leaves, Reina returns to her chair and reads the letter from Mitsuei. Lately, she grew fancy of his messages. It is like he is just beside her despite the great distance.

Dear Reina,

It is good to know that you are helping in the lodge despite having your hands full with Ritsu alone. I hope Kayomi isn't giving you too many headaches. That daughter of mine tends to be hard-headed and stubborn. 

In terms of the situation in Satar, we have yet to reach an agreement with the leader. On the other hand, his daughter has extended an invitation to us.

We have yet to know the reason behind this invitation, but this could be an opportunity to settle things peacefully. 

I, for one, am eager for this to be finished. Because I have been away from home for quite some time. Apart from that, Satar is a lovely seaside town. I had hoped to bring you here with our family one day.

"Oh, how I wish, too," Reina mutters to herself while clenching on the small piece of paper.

She lays her head on the tabletop, still holding the letter close to her heart. So far, Mitsuei has responded to all her letters.

They have been progressively exchanging letters for over two weeks now, and Mitsuei has responded to all the messages she had sent to Satar. 

Counting the days when the mail is delivered, Mitsuei must be writing his reply the same day he had received her letters. Judging from this, is it safe to assume that Mitsuei is also as thrilled as she is in exchanging letters?

He had catered to her whims, recognizing her efforts in making this distant relationship work. 

Unknowingly, Reina smells the thin parchment on her hands. Is it possible to transmit a person's aroma to their handwriting?

She places the letter on top of her chest. Somehow, knowing Mitsuei responds to her quickly gives her so much joy. She can barely contain all of it. 

"Come back to us quickly," Reina whispers in the air. 

Mitsuei has been gone for a month and a half now. And the house sometimes feels different. It seems like it isn’t the home she used to know without Mitsuei on it. 

Meanwhile...

On the other side of the country, Mitsuei sighs in frustration. 

The letters he continuously received from Reina gave him a glimpse of home. In a short time, he had missed a lot of things.

Like when he missed knowing first that Kayomi had won awards at school. Or how Ritsu has been notorious to chew his bed's blankets and covers. Or how he wasted the chance to hear the boy say his first syllables. He had envisioned the baby calling him papa, and it had brought him undeniable joy.

Staying in Satar any longer would deprive him of such opportunities. He wished he could simply force his views and experiences to Meishu so he can return to Hanneau.

“You seem unwell. Are you alright?”

Mitsuei groans hearing footsteps approaching him. He honestly doesn’t want to talk to anyone right now. For this reason, he had chosen to isolate himself in the middle of the woods. 

“I can take your shift today if you are not feeling well. You should return to the barracks so you can rest.”

“I am fine, Akihiro. No need to worry,” Mitsuei grunts as he stands from the stump of a tree that he sat on.

“Are you sure? I do not mind taking your ----.”

“I said I am alright. Believe me,” Mitsuei insists, growing annoyed by Akihiro’s implication. 

Akihiro shrugs his shoulders. He takes a seat on the same stump that Mitsuei had left earlier. 

Mitsuei growls in annoyance as he sees that his friend has no intention of leaving him alone.

He has recently begun to despise his decision to come here. He wouldn't care about this delegation if it weren't for Akihiro. His life in Hanneau with his family is adequate for him.

But perhaps not for Reina. Or for Ritsu in the future. 

Somehow, he is reminded of the encounter when he first brought Ritsu to the lodge. The boy's appearance piqued the interest of regular visitors to the hot spring, who expressed gratitude that he didn't resemble his mother.

‘Such insensitive and moronic remarks,’ Mitsuei screams violently on his head. 

He couldn’t forget those words up til now. And he could already imagine how hard it would be for Ritsu to grow up in that sort of environment. 

Things like this can't be avoided, especially after he enters school. 

Youngsters are influenced by adults, while children always believed that adults know everything.

A terrible notion. 

Most adults do not know what is going on. 

“You have that knot on your forehead again. Something annoying must have come to your mind,” Akihiro comments, chuckling at Mitsuei’s various facial expressions. 

“It’s nothing. I just thought how foolish could be.”

Akihiro laughs. It is rare to see Sou Mitsuei honest in his words and emotions. The last thing he remembered about Mitsuei was his stern and distant responses. 

‘Something did change since he remarried,’ Akihiro mumbles, keeping his opinion to himself. 

That aside, Mitsuei has also looked restless recently. 

Akihiro wonders if it is because of the enemies. After all, they had received an unexpected message from the daughter of the opposition leader. 

The woman’s reputation precedes her. The young lady is believed to be just like her father in terms of ruthlessness. And none of them are aware of the reason for the invitation to her estate.

Surprisingly, Meishu's daughter, Lei, does not reside in her father's mansion. She also does not live in the same compound or on the surrounding lands. 

“How does the minister plan to respond to the invitation?” Mitsuei asks.

He'd never told Reina about the widening rift between the opposing party and the delegation. He didn't want to worry her or Kayomi in any way. He can only pray that the news hasn't reached Hanneau. 

As of the moment, the truce seems to be a pipe dream. Despite previous interaction with Meishu, he refused to listen. He didn't want to hear any kind of arrangements, either.

He only met them once to demonstrate his steadfast views and beliefs.

A stubborn brute. 

“Well, the minister is planning to accept the invitation to her estate. We wouldn’t know her intentions if we don’t ask ourselves, right?”

“But what if it is a trap to lure us in? Then imprison some of our men?”

Akihiro considered the same idea. Being the consultant, he also shared the probability with the prime minister. And yet after knowing, the minister seems determined to have the daughter as an audience. 

“And considering that we have been attacked on numerous occasions since coming here, the invitation does seem suspicious,” MItsuei further explains. 

“Well, I think every one of us has the right to be suspicious. And honestly, me too. But I think the minister knows what he is doing. He seems hopeful for some reasons.”

Mitsuie takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. He can already see the days, weeks, and months getting longer. Surely, their purpose isn't as easy as a stroll through the park. After all, they're attempting the impossible here.

“Now, I think I know why you are restless and grumpy.”

Mitsuei turns to Akihiro with a confused expression.

“You are eager to go, aren’t you?” Akihiro inquires, half teasing his aloof friend. “Is your new wife so beautiful that you cannot leave her alone? No wonder you always leave camp.”

The knot on his forehead deepens at the implication. He frowns, crossing his arms on top of his chest while leaning on the nearest tree.

“I trust my wife if that is what you mean. I just don’t like being away from them any longer.”

Akihiro gets up on his feet and walks past Mitsuei, leaving a light tap on the shoulder. 

“You must love her so much, seeing you cannot bear to leave her. Don’t worry, my friend. We will all be home before we know it.”