“We have no excuse.”
Maomao, Chue, and Rihaku apologised deeply to Jinshi. Chue even went as far as to don a white dress and mimed killing herself with a sword.
“Ahh, you don’t have to go that far,” Jinshi said.
Chue quickly changed outfits with a look of relief.
In conclusion, the man called Rin-shoujin didn’t exist. Rin-taijin had grandchildren, but that man was a different person who bore no resemblance to him.
The man who had called himself a genuine grandson, for the last few days, was a self-proclaimed disciple who looked after Rin-taijin. Apparently he was trusted since he occasionally came over from a couple of years back and was also a reliable caregiver to his grandfather.
Now, Rin-taijin’s true grandson accompanied the elderly man. Although, the person who was doing the closest thing to caregiving was the woman who came along with the grandson. Was she his wife or daughter?
Rin-taijin continued to play shogi with the weirdo tactician.
(They’re playing shogi again.)
Maomao could only be shocked. But even if she carelessly added to the conversation, there was a chance she might derail it. After she explained it to Jinshi in detail, she was planning to ask the weirdo tactician.
(Anyway, that old man should’ve said so from the start—)
So she had thought but that old man’s actions cannot be predicted. To begin with, it was difficult to get an explanation on how that old man recognised that person as a scoundrel.
With just that, he had seen Rin-shoujin as a harmless man.
They also asked Rin-taijin’s grandson, but didn’t get much from him. That scoundrel seemed to be that much of a harmless and handy person from the air he exuded.
(Seeing how he looked after the elderly man so faithfully, he might be related to them or something, huh.)
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have fooled them this well.
Maomao and Rihaku aside, she couldn’t believe that even Chue was tricked.
It seems it had exceeded Jinshi’s expectation as well.
“To think that Chue would too.”
“I have no face. My family will punish me for this blunder.” Chue cried fake tears.
“No, what’s past is past. But what kind of person was he?” Jinshi asked.
“Did Jinshi-sama not see him?” Maomao asked.
“I went back immediately. I only caught a glance. Tactician-dono’s aide came between us.”
Certainly, ordinary people cannot speak to the imperial prince directly.
“Give me a concise description of the kind of person he is.” Jinshi asked Chue instead of Maomao.
“Yes. The man was completely ordinary. With that said, it doesn’t seem like he got some sort of training. His vibe, is it understandable if I say he feels similar to Rahan’s older brother?” Chue said.
(Ahhh.)
Maomao agreed. No wonder he blended in. Although he doesn’t raise a huge fuss like Rahan’s older brother does, the way he didn’t stand out even though he worked flawlessly was really similar.
“For the time being, I’ll draw a sketch of his face.” Chue smoothly took out a brush and paper to draw. She finished a sketch capturing the important features. They should be showing the sketch to Rin-taijin’s true grandson later.
“Personal opinion is fine. What kind of person do you think he was?” Jinshi asked, this time looking alternately between Maomao and Rihaku.
“I’ll speak, then. I agree with most of what Chue-san said. He was a very normal person. However, it looked like he was quite used to caring for Rin-taijin,” Rihaku said.
“Used to? Could he have occasionally dropped by since several years back?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. It feels like he’s normally that conscientious with some other elderly man. I think men normally wouldn’t look after their elderly parents, since that’s left to the wives and sisters.”
Maomao nodded at Rihaku’s words. In the country of Rii, men fundamentally have a higher social status than women. It was more obvious in Isei Province, where women were commonly viewed as tools for marriage. In reality, the one currently caring for the elderly man wasn’t the grandson, but the woman who came with him.
The reason Maomao also felt that Rin-shoujin couldn’t have been raised with the intention to care for the parents from the start stemmed from that aforementioned point.
“What about Maomao?” Jinshi asked.
“I agree. But I’m curious about what happened a few years ago,” Maomao said.
About where he had looked out for Rin-taijin some time back.
“Could he be looking for the location of the old documents like we were?”
“It would be reasonable to think that.”
(Rather than proactively searching, it seems more like he’s watching so that it doesn’t get found.)
It was fine if it couldn’t be found. But it can’t be found.
“Would it be fine to think that he took it away since it had been something that would be bad if it were found?”
Jinshi nodded.
(Something that would be bad if it were found.)
What on earth could it be? she mused.
“Something that would be bad if it were found, huh. What kind of terrible thing could it be?” Rihaku said.
“I wonder if it’s related to the Ih clan rebellion,” Chue said.
(The reason the library was incinerated to the ground was actually that it would be troubling if it were actually discovered.)
A contradiction emerged with that connection, assuming that Rin-shoujin had been monitoring Rin-taijin.
(It would’ve been better if he’d just burned it rather than steal it.)
If he had burned it then and there, he needn’t think about Maomao’s group finding it, and yet he carelessly had taken it away, leading to him being pursued now.
(No, wait.)
Could he have taken it away after something that shouldn’t be found was then changed to something of utility value?
The gears of her mind spun while she thought.
Amidst that, the weirdo tactician came over, as if their match was finally finished.
Maomao avoided the weirdo tactician who tried to sit next to her and moved next to Chue.
“Maomao, I won!”
“Ahh, yeah sure.”
This man had always been cautious around Rin-shoujin– it was already too late to think such things.
“How did you know that man is fake?” Maomao said, thinking that it was probably a stupid question, similar to asking why do fish swim and why do birds fly.
“It was like watching an interesting play,” Rakan answered.
“…”
It really made no sense. Even if he watched a play, this man would only see them as a row of go stones.
“Occasionally there would be actors that are good at lying. Everyone lies on stage, but Rahan said that plays that take to the lies naturally are interesting.”
“Lies naturally, interesting…”
In other words, the lying actor in a play is good at lying. A good liar means a good play. Since the play is good, it is interesting, but how does it connect, Maomao thought, simplifying it in her own way.
Only the weirdo tactician can follow up from the feeling of an interesting play to a liar and a scoundrel.
“Ahhh, I kinda get it.”
Apparently Chue understood.
“Chue-san, explain please,” Maomao said.
“Yes yes, Chue-san will explain. There are people that act so well it doesn’t seem like they’re acting, right? Occasionally there are people like that. Like swindlers and spies.”
“Spies?”
“Yes. Like when they go to a foreign country, they marry a local so they don’t get suspected. They treat their husband or wife in a natural way. The partner treats them like they are truly a married couple. Of course, they are an actual married couple. But the one thing that’s different is that they have something that is more important than their partner. And sometimes they have children. As long as their identity as a spy isn’t outed, the marriage relation doesn’t change and the partner and children keep on living without knowing anything.”
Ignorance is bliss.
However, Chue spoke quite specifically.
“By the way, Maomao. Why don’t we eat dinner together?” the weirdo tactician said with a soft look.
Behind him, Rin-taijin’s grandson asked if they could go home.
“Rakan-sama. Let’s stop now since we have a dinner engagement with Gyoku’ou-sama today. Also, I will prepare a carriage for Rin-taijin’s return so give me a moment.”
Onsou moved off.
Maomao looked at the weirdo tactician who was being led away by Onsou.
“I have a question,” she said.
“What is it? Ask papa anything.”
Maomao really wanted to crush his glasses but restrained herself. “What do you see Gyoku’ou-sama as?”
She felt that she would understand everything from this one answer.
Jinshi also swallowed his breath.
But…
“Gyokuou?”
“The person you’re having dinner with today! Isn’t he always giving you fruit juice?!”
“Ahhhh, that guy.” The weirdo tactician clapped his fist. “That person, he wanted to be an actor. It feels like he’s striving to be a hero.”
“Hahh?”
Maomao felt that it was pointless to ask. A hero is said to be a male actor who is a military commander or a chivalrous person.
As she only got more questions, Maomao got indigestion and her mood took a turn for the worse.
