HIROMI

Chapter 4

Hiromi saw a shogun who was Gushiken. She knows it's Gushiken because Hanzo told her so. That means she has the same last name, so this is her father.

Her father came closer. "Answer my question. Why are you going to save the emperor?"

"I had a dream that something bad would happen to the emperor. In my dream, I was the one who would save him. But it is impossible to happen." Hiromi replied.

Hiromi doesn't know her father in this world because it's not in her game that she has a father. So it's weird for her, but she has to pretend she's the shogun's daughter.

Her father said that it was just a dream. And what Hiromi is saying will never happen. She didn't speak anymore. Hiromi sighed because she didn't know who to tell that she had just entered the game.

On the other hand, the emperor wanted to talk to the second prince. Upon his arrival, he paid his respects to the emperor. They began to speak. The emperor greeted the second prince and asked what he was up to.

The second prince said he pays attention to writers who are good at writing poetry. This is where the skills of would-be writers are put to the test.

"What else? Share more because I want to hear them," asked the emperor.

The second prince took the tokkuri from the table to pour the saké into the emperor's sakazuki. The second prince smiled while looking at the emperor's drinking.

Tokkuri is a thin-necked bottle rounded at the bottom. It is now mainly used for pouring sake.

Saké is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice.

Sakazuki is a Japanese cup for drinking saké.

"People love it. This is where their writing skills are shaped. So I'm looking for the best poetry writer," answered the second prince.

The second prince refilled the emperor's sakazuki with saké. "Your majesty, do you feel bad? You look pale. Shall I call the physician?"

"No longer. I'm fine. Maybe it's because of the outsiders who get in here in Oshiro that I'm stressed. Also, I have a request from you," the emperor looked at the second prince.

"What is this, Your Majesty?" asked the second prince.

"I want you to find out who is behind all the enemies coming in and out of Oshiro. Can I count on you?"

"Your Majesty, you can count on me. Trust me because I am honest with you," the second prince smiled.

The first prince saw the second prince come out of the palace. He walks towards the outside of the court. The first prince's male servant came forward.

"Come with me. We are going somewhere," the first prince said.

They followed the second prince where he was going. But they immediately hid when the second prince noticed that someone was following.

The second prince ignored it and continued walking. The first prince was just peeking out from where they were hiding. The first prince asked his male servant about in the market, who the lady was, and who taught him where he was hiding.

"Your Highness, I did not recognize her. But the woman's face seems familiar to me,"

"Who did you remember from the woman?" he asked his servant.

"She's like a shogun's daughter, Your Highness," the servant replied.

"The daughter of the shogun? Who could she be?" the first prince said to himself.

The first prince was walking when he passed a place that looked like there were students. He asked his servant what it was and what they were doing.

The male servant said they were writers and painters. It is led by the second prince to give attention to female writers who can show their writing and painting skills.

So the first prince went to the emperor. When the emperor learned that the first prince was outside, he allowed him to enter. When the first prince entered, he paid respect to his father.

The emperor greeted him and asked what did he need. The first prince asked why the second prince was leading the writers and painters. The emperor said to let his brother do these things. The emperor said that what the second prince thought would not cause any harm.

While the emperor and first prince were talking, the emperor suddenly felt dizzy, so the first prince asked if he was feeling okay.

The emperor said he was fine. The first prince was about to call the physician, but he was stopped. And the first prince noticed a tokkuri that was empty. He knew it was saké. He smelled it and noticed it had a different smell.

The first prince asked the emperor if he drank the saké that was on the table. Instead of answering, the emperor became dizzy. And suddenly, the emperor lost consciousness which was the reason for his downfall. The first prince screamed, and the emperor's right-hand man and servants came.

While the emperor's concubine and the second prince talked, a soldier reported that the emperor had lost consciousness. The concubine and the second prince of Oshiro palace looked at one another.

On the other side, what happened to the emperor has reached Hanzo. Hiromi overhears this when Hanzo and a soldier talk. While their group was preparing to go to the eastern part of Oshiro, Hiromi noticed something fell from her pocket.

She saw that it was a kinchaku that Hanzo's mother had given her. Hiromi picked it up and held it. Out of curiosity, she looked at what was inside the kinchaku.

When Hiromi opened the kinchaku she was amazed by what she saw. It contained gold coins and herbal medicines wrapped in cloth. She wondered why Hanzo's mother gave her things like this. Hiromi thinks the old woman might just want to give her money and medicine while traveling. Hiromi smiled because even though she didn't know why it was given to her, she was happy that she was worried about her.

"Thank you very much," Hiromi said to herself.

The following day, Hiromi headed to a place by herself. There is a vast sea near the palace. There Hiromi poured out the anger of her heart as to why she had entered the world of ancient times.

Hiromi shouted that she wanted to go back to her world. She no longer wants to be trapped in the world of her game. She was sobbing while yelling. The events were so against her heart. Hiromi sobbed, even more, when her parents and her boyfriend flashback to her.

"Haru! I miss you so much!" Hiromi yelled into the sea.

"What did you say?" Hiromi stopped and turned to the person who had uttered.

Hiromi was surprised to see the man because she remembered him as the man she bumped into at the market. But Hiromi was shocked when she got closer to the man.

Hiromi thinks the man and her boyfriend are replicas in her real world.

"I didn't think that the shogun's daughter had a secret crush on the first prince," the first prince said to her.

"What is this man saying? I don't even know the first prince he is talking about. Also, if they look similar to my boyfriend Haru, they have different attitudes," she said.

Hiromi was about to leave, but the first prince called her.

"Daughter of the shogun!" Hiromi was disgusted to be called that.

Hiromi ignored the man because she didn't know him at all. She no longer cares how many times the man calls her. His servant had just arrived.

"Your Highness, I'm sorry if I only came now because I had difficulty looking for you," the male servant explained.

"I want you to find out what the shogun's daughter is doing," the first prince ordered.

The male servant said the woman was going with Gushiken to the eastern part of Oshiro. Flashback to the first prince, Hiromi cries that she misses Haru. Hiromi's words made the first prince think.

On a balcony, the first prince thinks about Hiromi, the second prince, and what happened to the emperor.

While the first prince was writing, his male servant arrived and said that the Gushiken group was leaving today.

He stopped writing and said he would talk to the emperor. The servant told him the emperor was resting and would not disturb him.

He said he was leaving because he had something to attend to. The male servant immediately followed him as he left his room.

While the first prince was walking, he saw that the Gushiken group was leaving. He saw Hiromi with a bow and arrow on her back. When Hiromi turned in the direction where he was standing, he immediately hid. When the first prince peeked in, he was surprised when his male servant met their gaze.

"Why are you here?" asked the first prince in annoyance.

"Your Highness, I'm sorry, but I can see you peeking. It's obvious you're spying on the shogun's daughter," the male servant replied.

The Gushiken group had already left when the first prince peeked in again. He came up with a way.

As the Gushiken group was leaving the palace, the second prince saw it. Someone approached who his confidante was. The man in charge whispered something to the second prince. After that, they walked into the palace.

Like the Gushiken, other groups have gone in different directions, such as the Tadashi, Tsuyoshi, and Yamato.

The Gushiken group they were traveling when Hiromi suddenly forgot something. She failed to bring the kinchaku that Hanzo's mother had given her. Hanzo told her that it was too far if she came back. He said that it was not essential for her to go back.

But Hiromi doesn't know, but it seems like she is being pulled that she has to go back to the palace. The group decided that Hanzo would accompany Hiromi back to the palace.

By the time they returned from their journey, it was late afternoon. Hiromi apologizes to Hanzo for insisting on going back. Hanzo told her it was fine, and he had no problem. Their horse runs fast. The group's talk is that they will follow the Gushiken group. Until they arrived at the palace at night.

Hanzo helped Hiromi get off the horse. Then, Hanzo first made sure to place the horse in a vacancy. And they went through the gate to enter the palace.

They have entered the palace entrance. Hiromi immediately searched for her kinchaku. While Hiromi was looking for where she had put it, she noticed that two people were hiding in the dark part on the side of the palace.

Hiromi remembered what happened in her game. She went into the palace to get the coins to upgrade her skills. After Hiromi completes it, she will face some enemies she has to defeat. Then she will go after the one who will kill the emperor, where she will meet this opponent.

So Hiromi thought fate was pulling her to get the kinchaku that contained coins and herbs. That means she has to face opponents. Hiromi knows nothing about fighting.

Hiromi hurried to go to Hanzo but turned around because she saw the man she was talking to on the beach. She wondered what position he had in the palace and that she always saw the man.

Hiromi was about to leave when someone called behind her.

"Wait! I saw you again. Aren't you the daughter of the shogun?" Hiromi felt it was the voice of the man she talked to on the beach.

Hiromi didn't answer and continued walking. When the first prince spoke again.

"Could you face me?" the first prince asked.

Hiromi turned to face the first prince. When she sees the first prince, she always remembers her boyfriend, Haru. Hiromi does not believe that her boyfriend also entered the game because, at that time, he was in the hospital.

Suddenly everything changed because Hiromi was facing her boyfriend. He said that he misses Hiromi so much, but he is still in the hospital.

Hiromi noticed the tears falling down her cheeks that she couldn't stop. She is talking to Haru in the person of the first prince.

Hiromi says she doesn't know how she got into this world. She is looking for a way to get out of this world.

And suddenly, Haru disappeared from the person of the first prince. Hiromi noticed that it was just her imagination.

Hiromi left, leaving the first prince. The first prince was surprised at what Hiromi said. He doesn't understand Hiromi, not knowing how she got into this world and is looking for a way out.

The first prince said to himself that he wondered about Hiromi. But maybe he just overthought and didn't know the girl yet. The first prince thought that she might be going through something.

While walking back to Hanzo, Hiromi was confused when she bumped into him, who had been looking at her.

"Young mistress, are you feeling bad? You alright? Is there something on your mind?" worried Hanzo.

Hiromi smiled in front of Hanzo and said that she was okay. She says they are leaving, but he says they won't go yet. Hiromi asks him why. The next day they will leave because it is late. Hanzo thinks she seems to be carrying some kind of problem that she can't articulate.

Hanzo thought she had always noticed her being sad and deep in thoughts. He also wondered about her actions. He had a flashback of hearing her say at his mother's grave how she would tell him that she already knew what would happen.

Meanwhile, inside the first prince's room, he couldn't get Hiromi out of his mind. Her shouting at the sea that she misses Haru is a flashback to him.

The first prince remembered what his male servant said about Hiromi seeing the two of them hiding on the side of the palace. Because the servant stopped him from continuing to follow Hiromi because the emperor would be angry. So he went out and showed Hiromi.

No matter what the first prince did, he couldn't really get out of his mind when Hiromi screamed the name "Haru". He went back and forth and was asked by his male servant.

"Your Highness, in twenty-two years, I've only seen you so restless whether to sit or stand?"

The first prince came forward and said, "You leave first, don't ruin my moment. I'll just call you when I need something," the first prince said.

The male servant bowed before leaving. The first prince looked to see if he had already left.

“Which Haru is that lady referring to? She said she misses Haru so much. Does she admire me?" the first prince laughed as he said this to himself.

The first prince wrote his name on a paper. He wrote "First Prince Haru." The first prince said to himself, "I am Prince Haru."