Subaru lifted the cup to his lips, eyes filled with liquid innocence; so trusting, so pure.
The image would scar itself into her memories forever. She wouldn’t be able to forgive herself for this.
Better to be unforgiven than to surrender her beautiful grandson to the sakurazukamori, to allow the curse upon his hands to be acted upon.
Subaru dropped the cup, slumping as if he’d already been poisoned, but he hadn’t touched a drop.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, obaasan.” The voice was low, courteous, and had no business being within her walls.
The sakura petals floated in the air. One landed in the pool of deadly tea.
“Re-enacting Agatha Christie’s plots?” Immaculately dressed in a black suit and coat, the Sakurazukamori offered her a genial smile, yet his golden eyes glittered with the coldness of such a metal. “I believe the killer poisoned her pure and precious ward rather than yield her to an unsuitable prince in one of them.”
“You’re not simply an unsuitable prince.” The barriers were still intact, yet somehow the Sakurazukamori was here. “You’re an enemy who set your sights upon Subaru-san when he was just a child. How are you in this place where only family should be able to enter?”
“It’s not just family, isn’t it?” With a panther’s grace, the man sat where her grandson had fallen to cradle him in his arms. “It’s family retainers as well.”
She lifted her chin, refusing to show any fear, even though a secret sweat started to form. “Answer the question.”
“I am answering.” He smiled as he looked down at the boy in his lap. “For a year, I belong to Subaru-kun. I am his retainer, his guardian.”
The sakurazukamori turned his sly glance toward Subaru’s grandmother. “Did you think I wouldn’t be at his side if he was in danger?”
“He is in danger!” This time she couldn’t control her outburst. “From you! You marked him as your prey!”
“Yes, I did.” Once again the assassin’s gaze softened as he looked at the boy in his arms, becoming almost tender. “I didn’t want to miss him when our paths crossed again. After all, we have a big destiny ahead of us. We must make the most of the time we have.”
“Your destiny.” The old woman shivered, seeing the visions of Tokyo in ruins, rivers of blood. “It’s too much for such an innocent and gentle soul as Subaru-san’s; both his destiny and you.”
She gazed at the spilled tea again. The petal dissolved within the liquid as if it was the same poison which had been stirred into it.
“Better to be spared all of that,” she murmured. “Better to die innocent, free of the sakura or destiny.”
“How selfish of you, obaasama, depriving everyone whom Subaru-kun might help of him.” The sakurazukamori rested his head upon Subaru’s. “If you’d succeeded, you would have crushed a tender blossom before it had a chance to bloom.”
“You’ve done that often enough.” It was impossible to keep the bitterness from her voice when she thought of everyone the sakurazukamori had killed.
“True.” He showed no resentment or annoyance at her words. “For one year, I’m trying something different. I’m trying to be someone different for Subaru-kun’s sake.”
“You’ll never change.” His lack of anger intensified her own. “You always be what you are. A merciless killer.”
“I’m inclined to agree.” He considered her words, not remotely disturbed. “I am willing to gamble on the remote possibility I can change; again for Subaru-kun’s sake.”
None of this made any sense; the smiling killer sitting within her home, holding her grandson; talking of changing for Subaru. “Why?”
“I’m a romantic.” The killer’s smile was almost boyishly sweet, innocent in its mischief. “I may be a cold-blooded killer, but I’m also a romantic and an optimist. Unlike you, obaasan.”
He co*cked his head, regarding her as if he found her as puzzling as she found him. “Do you have so little faith in your grandson?”
“Faith?” She let out a sharp sound which might have been a laugh, lacking any real mirth. “You invade my home; barriers my family have spent centuries erecting, barriers I myself have reinforced. I cannot keep Subaru-san from you, no matter how hard I tried.”
“True, you cannot.” Once again he acknowledged his power as if it meant no more than the color of his hair. “Subaru-kun, however, is far more powerful than you. The only things holding him back are his own shining innocence and purity.”
“Those are precious virtues.” Once again she gazed at the pool of tea. “What cost will it be to Subaru-san to lose them?”
“To lose them would allow Subaru-kun to become as dangerous as he truly is.” Gently, the sakurazukamori brushed a stray dark hair back from his prey’s brow. “Right now he needs protecting from his own kind heart as much as from anyone else.”
It was bizarre beyond words she was speaking of such things with this man. “And you’re the one to protect him?”
“I don’t have Subaru-kun’s kindness.” Again the pitiless golden eye looked straight at her, gleaming in amusem*nt. “I can react to threats he doesn’t even notice, such as yourself.”
A comment guaranteed to make her flinch as nothing else might. “Subaru-san is precious to me, more precious than you’ll ever know. Anything I do for him, or to him is because he’s precious.”
“For now, Subaru-kun is precious to me.” Again the man looked down at the boy in his arms. “I may not love him, but I am devoted to his well-being. For now.”
With surprising gentleness and the same effortless grace with which he’d done everything, the sakurazukamori set Subaru aside and rose to his feet. “I will not let you harm him, obaasama. Please do not try anything like this again.”
“That’s all you have to say?” She stared at him in shock. “I’ve seen your face. Everyone who sees you must die.”
“Everyone who’s seen me will die in a few years.” For the first time, a slight frown wrinkled his brow. “For now, I’m devoted to Subaru-kun. If you were to die, he would be sad.”
The man began to disappear in a flurry of sakura petals, flying around the room. “Once this time has ended, it will be a different story, so take care, obaasan.”
The sakurazukamori vanished along with most of the petals.
Subaru’s eyelids fluttered until he realized he was lying sideways in front of his grandmother.
“Gomenesai!” He flushed, sat up in a hurry, bowing his head. “Did I fall asleep? I’m so sorry, obaasama! Maybe I haven’t been getting enough sleep.”
“No, you haven’t.” Sumeragi-san smiled at the boy before her, letting him see a rare glint of affection. “You don’t take proper care of yourself, Subaru-san. Diligence in your work is well and good, but don’t forget to take care of yourself.”
“Hai!” He half-bowed again, utterly earnest in his attention, his dismay at having been rude.
He was too tender-hearted to bear any rudeness, let alone any cruelty. He truly was too gentle for the fate which awaited him.
If anyone could touch a cold heart, it was Subaru.
She gazed at the tea. She’d lost her chance to save Subaru from his fate and the sakurazukamori, but her enemy was right.
Poisoning Subaru was crushing a tender blossom before he had a chance to bloom.
Ironic, feeling a measure of gratitude to an enemy.
