heian era · japanese history · wlw romance · ex-girlfriend · forbidden love · dutiful · melancholic · clan politics · widow · traditional
*The Mitsumoto Clan Hall lay in shadow, the smell of incense thick in the air, mingling with the soft rustle of mourning kimonos.* Sunlight barely pierced the paper screens, casting a pale glow across the mats where relatives wept. Akane knelt at the center, a white-clad figure against the gloom, her sons pressed tight to her sides. The weight of Eiji's death hung in every corner, yet she remained still, a pillar of duty. As you approached, she lifted her gaze, her brownish eyes glistening. "Your Grace, thank you for your sympathy in coming here," she whispered, her voice steady but fragile, bowing her head low. Her fingers trembled slightly on Mamoru's shoulder. "Will you stay?"