(Third person's POV- omniscient)

Hiroshi and others were led to their rooms as they couldn't leave today. Also the Duke needed time for the other proposal.

"So would it be good to have three rooms for you?" Hibiki asked as he was the one guiding them.

Hiroshi said, "No. Two."

Miku's head snapped to him. Why two rooms?!

As Hana and Kairo were a couple, they would surely stay in one. Then...

She glared at Hiroshi from behind.

Hibiki looked back at Miku and said, "Okay."

What! Why did he gave her a look? Were they thinking she was here to warm his bed or what?!

She clenched her fists. All men were the same!

Hiroshi said, "Hana and Miku would be staying in one while Kairo and I will take the other."

Now, Hana and Kairo looked at Hiroshi with wide eyes.

"Why?" Kairo asked.

Hiroshi smirked at him, "Why? You can't stay away from your wife for a night?"

Hana got flustered and Kairo's face turned red.

"That's not what I meant!" He hissed as Hibiki laughed.

Hibiki suggested, "Well, I can alot three rooms then."

Hiroshi refused immediately, "No. Lady Miku can't stay alone since she is afraid of dark so, it's better Hana gives her a company."

Miku had no idea that she was afraid of dark.

And then it clicked. Hiroshi wasn't going to let her go easily! There was a chance she might run away so he must be doing that so she couldn't run away.

That bastard!

Kairo nodded, "Oh! Lady Miku, I had no idea. I apologise for my rudeness."

And then turned to Hana as he said, "Hana, be sure to stay with her."

Hana gave a curt nod and came near Miku to hold her hand. Now they were walking hands in hands.

Miku could only give a nervous smile but she certainly glared at Hiroshi who was walking before her.

Hiroshi glanced at her and smirked.

She knew it! He did it purposely so she couldn't run away.

It wasn't like she could anyway.

But she let out a sigh and looked at Hana. She was blissfully walking beside her like a child. Her gaze wonder around like a curious gaze of a child.

Miku instantly remembered her sister Kaede as she was like Hana. A curious cat! But she couldn't go outside. Her heart sank as she unknowingly patted on Hana's head.

Hana looked at her as she froze. Maybe she didn't like it?

However, the next moment she smiled and succumbed to her touch as if a cat.

Miku chuckled at her and patted her head.

It was around evening when they were all called for an evening feast.

Hana was with Miku and as Kairo had said, she didn't let her stay alone for a second. While Miku knew her siblings were worried sick about her...

As she came out the room, Hiroshi, Hibiki and one other person was with them. They had come to escort them.

They were led to a hall and Miku found her eyes bulging out of the sockets. The door was decorated with various lamps and was lit with a chandelier in the middle.

The pictures, antiques and tapestries that decorated the large room looked very expensive. It was the first time she had come into this fancy settlement.

When she was 18, she was to show up for the society as those gatherings were specifically for young maidens. After that came marriage invitation but she had no chance since by that time, her father's name had been stripped to the ground so no one invited them.

But it was good that no one knew her face. If she told her name then they might know who she was.

However, she wasn't here to do that.

Her primary mission had failed and now she was in a mess with the Prince's second hand man. She shouldn't have robbed him. Now she regretted.

The Duke welcomed them. He was wearing a shirt and trousers along with a crest on his blue robe.

His dazzling golden hair fell on forehead as he looked very handsome.

"Welcome to Komaki, I hope you enjoy the small feast I've arranged for you." He said.

Hiroshi said, "You didn't have to do that, Duke. We would be staying for the night only."

Ginjiro smiled and said, "It's alright. Besides, we have a sake competition if you have already forgotten, Hiroshi."

They both grinned to each other as Miku was surprised that the Duke was very close to Hiroshi.

Were they familiar with each other? Since they weren't formal with each other. They were chatting as if they were friends.

Kairo asked, "Sake competition?"

Hiroshi sat, taking a seat beside Duke and said, "Well, it is our thing. We used to compete back then."

The Duke joked, "And he used to lose to me."

Kairo and Hana sat beside Hiroshi as Miku sat beside her. Hibiki took the other side across them beside the Duke while the other two stood behind Duke.

Hiroshi scoffed, "I'm the one who won several times if you have forgotten, Ginjiro."

Everyone froze as Hiroshi didn't use honorifics however it seemed this was nothing unusual for Hibiki, Duke and Hiroshi.

Hibiki laughed, "But Prince Rian was the one who beat both of you."

The two young men who were standing behind the Duke seemed to glaring at Hiroshi as he was extremely informal to their Lord but they didn't say anything since the Duke didn't react to it.

Kairo was uneasy as he eyed between the Duke and Hiroshi. He was wary about the whole situation but he let that aside.

As they all started to chat among themselves, the maids came and served them but Miku was still feeling guilty for this. She wanted her siblings to have these food too. So, she only took some bread and soup. She didn't touch anything beside it.

One of the maids came and poured some red liquid on her glass. She wanted to refuse it but it was the first time she smelt a sweet scent from the glass. She was curious.

She took the glass and gulped it. It was amazing!

She asked the maid, "What's this?! It tastes heavenly."

The maid smiled and said, "It's wine, my lady. And the best one from Komaki."

This was the first time she was tasting such fine wine.

So, she asked the maid to pour more.

On the other hand, both the Duke and Hiroshi rolled their sleeves and told the maids, "Let the wine keep coming."

Hibiki smiled and said, "Pour for me as well."

The other two men, Lorenzo and Kotatsu only stood there with eyes wide and mouth open as Duke and Hiroshi both were the same while having wine. They weren't drunk yet even after having that many glasses. Both of them had devilsh grins on their faces and a challenging atmosphere surrounding them as they gulped down the wine one glass after one glass.

Kairo shook his head as he was sipping on the wine and looked at Hana.

He froze.

It seemed Hana had taken one glass of wine as well and her face was red. She looked at him and smiled, "Kaioo, diz juuse iz so tezti..."

And her body seemed to be flowing on the air as he immediately took the glass from her hand. He growled, "Hana! You can't drink that! You are too young!"

But Hana started to struggle with Kairo as her hands tried to reach the glass Kairo took away a moment ago. "But diz iz tesszti... I wan dat."

Her cheeks and ears were red and she had lost control. She looked more childish and totally drunk.

"No! This is enough." He said and muttered, "You can't even take one glass of wine, what you'll do if you had finished the whole glass?"

But she wasn't listening at all. She whined, "I wan dat! I wan dat!"

Kairo sighed, "Alright, let's go back to your room. You have already had your dinner..."

"Nuuu... I wan juse. Juse...!" She whined, not listening to him.

And then she pouted, "You don even lov me why you care!"

Kairo froze... Wait! Was she...was she that drunk?!

He said, "This is not the place for that, Hana!"

Then she started to cry.

Okay! Now he was certain that she was so drunk that she didn't know what was she saying...

"You don lov me.... Kaioo dun lov me." She sniffed.

He was baffled what would he do with her now?! He shushed her, "Hana! Shush! There are people around us! Duke! Brother Hiroshi!"

Hibiki smiled at them from accross the table and said, "Don't mind them. They are too into the challenge to take notice of you."

Kairo's face turned red. Hibiki heard them!

However, Hibiki sipped on the air while his glass was turned upside down, not touching his lips. Kairo gave him a look. He was drunk as well.

So, Kairo took Hana by his arms and went to the room where she would be staying with Lady Miku. Yet, Hana was struggling to get free while crying. "Kaioo... I lov you. Kaioo dun lov mee... Maybe I sud go away."

Kairo was annoyed and his face was red. He swore after this he wouldn't let her touch alcoholic beverages ever.

"What happened, Hiroshi, are you you done already?" Ginjiro asked mockingly.

"Heh! In your dreams..." Hiroshi said.

And it had seemed it was the Duke who won since Hiroshi's stomach had filled. Now he couldn't drink anymore or the food would come out.

The Duke grinned smugly, "It's my win."

Hiroshi said, "I just let you win. I could have won this but I unfortunately ended up eating much today."

Duke said, "Yeah! Another excuse..."

As they were having an argument of who could have won if Hiroshi wasn't this full, they heard a moan.

Both of them looked at the source and saw, Lady Miku's face was on the table, she was so drunk that she couldn't even sit straight yet she was still drinking from her glass. The maid beside seemed so tired but she was still pouring her glasses as Miku ordered, "More!"

They both looked at her with wide eyes as Duke Gingiro asked the maid, "Just how many glasses have you given to Lady Miku?"

The maid answered, "Err... One... my Lord."

"One glass?" Hiroshi asked and he was about to scoff at her no tolerance for alcohol.

However, the maid said, "One barrel. My Lord."

Both Hiroshi and Duke went into shock because both of them finished one barrel together yet she drank an entire barrel all by herself!

The Duke smiled dryly and said, "So, in tonight's sake competition, the winner is Miku... I guess..."

Hiroshi smiled dryly too. "I can't believe we lost to her... My entire existence has no meaning..."

"Yeah..." And The Duke agreed as they both looked like their male ego was hurt.

And that was how Miku ended up becoming the winner of that day's event which earned her a pouch of silver coins.

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4th February, 23
1864