Volume 2, Chapter 17: Rose Balsam and Wood Sorrel (1/2)

Old memories resurface. In the middle of the scene that had a countless number of black and white, only there was it dyed in pale red. Within his field of vision, much fuzzier than other people, only there was it shining brilliantly.

Holding onto go stones, holding onto shogi pieces, the red nails on those fingers gleamed.

Her specialty, her movements so sure, so efficient, everyone would raise both hands in surrender. That was the haughty woman who gazed at him impassively, the prostitute called Fenshen[note], Feng Xian[/note].

He had headed to the brothel to socialise, but he was honestly fine with anything. He didnt drink, didnt get the appeal of erhu or dance. No matter how prettily they dressed up, he could only see white painted go stones.

He had been like that since a long time ago.

He couldnt tell apart peoples faces. But that became preferable. To say nothing of getting his mother and nursing mother wrong, he couldnt tell apart men or women either.

His father said that he was worthless like this, so he went to his young mistress. His mother didnt care about a child who couldnt distinguish her own face and schemed to bring back her husband who had run away with a lover through any means possible.

Due to that, though he was the eldest child of a distinguished family by birth, it was fortunate that he was able to live uninhibited. He got completely absorbed into go and shogi that he learned from his studies, inclined his ear towards gossip, and sometimes carried out petty pranks.

Even the blue rose that was bloomed in the imperial court, he tried to make it from hearing his uncle. Only his uncle, who was excellent but clumsy, understood him.

He was told to remember people not by their face, but their voice and bearing, their physiques. He could easily get it by adapting shogi pieces to familiar people. Eventually, people he had no interest in became go stones, and people who eventually became close to him were shogi pieces like faces he could see.

When he saw his uncle as the promoted rook, he was reaffirmed that he really was a superior man.

When he heard that such an uncle went to study abroad in the West, he didnt understand how much lonely he would be. Just that, there are now fewer people around him who could understand him.

He never thought he could manifest his own talent in the go and shogi he spent a prolonged time playing.

Owing to his parentage, even though he had no military talent, him suddenly defeating the chief was good fortune. Even if he was weak, if he didnt squander his subordinates, the money will come. There is no mistaking that when people became pieces for shogi, it is the most interesting game.

As he continued his non-losing streak in game or in work, he was recommended by his spiteful associates and was arranged to have a showdown with a prostitute from the rumours. The Fenshen who never lost from the brothel, and the him who never lost from the military.

No matter who loses. It would be interesting to the spectators.

After all, he was a frog in the well.

As if she was cutting away the him who thought in such a way, Fenshen won against him. She may be holding onto a white stone, she may be starting second, the difference between her formation was overwhelming. Those elegantly manicured fingers, magnificent, crushed her opponents pride.

How long has it been since he lost? More than chagrin, he even remembered the refreshingness of that merciless wound. Was he being made light of? He couldnt stomach that. She said not one word, he got that from her cold bearing.

Then he found himself doubled over, laughing. Everyone fell into an uproar at the strangeness of it.

Tears in his eyes, when he looked at the face of the merciless prostitute, what he saw was not the usual white go stone but the mien of a sullen woman. Like her name, like the rose balsam, like she would burst open if she was touched, she looked at him with eyes that would keep people away.

Do people make that kind of face?

That was the moment he first recognised something obvious.

Fenshen whispered into the ear of the kamuro who was waiting beside her. The little girl briskly returned with a shogi board.

Not letting him hear the voice of the first face he saw, the haughty prostitute wordlessly proposed the next match.

He wont lose the next match.

Lifting up his sleeves, he lined the pieces on the board.

Just earnestly playing go and shogi over and over again, how many years did they continue their trysts? However, the frequency of that gradually decreased.

Talented prostitutes restrict their sales to become popular to some extent. Fenshen was one of those too.

Although she wasnt suited to all tastes with her formidable interaction despite being intelligent, it seems she catered to a type of strange tastes. She was completely for people with strange taste.

Her price was also lifted. He scarcely met her once every three months.

When he went to the brothel after a long time, her face unsociable as usual, she was painting her nails. There were a red rose balsam flower and a small grass on the tray.

When he asked what that was, she answered Catfeet. Apparently, it was also used in herbal medicine and was effective for detoxification and insect bites. Amusingly, just like rose balsam, apparently, it actually shoots off seeds when you touch it once its ripened.

As he was going to try touch it this time, picking up the yellow flowers to look,

When shall be the next time you come?

Fenshen asked. How unusual. She was a woman who only sent standard promotional letters but.

In another three months.

I understand.

Fenshen got her kamuro to put away the nail polish, and began lining up the shogi pieces.

It was the time he heard about Fonshens redeeming talk. Other than having no complaints on the prostitutes value, it was just that he couldnt stomach that the people competing for her had raised her price.

Although he was promoted as a military officer, he whose position as heir was snatched away by his half-brother didnt have the money to contend.

What do?

Suddenly, a terrible idea sprang into his mind, but he immediately extinguished it. It was something he mustnt do.

Three months later at the brothel, Fenshen was sitting with two boards, go and shogi, set up before her.

The very first thing she said.

Shall we make a bet for a change?

If you win, Ill award you what you like.

If I win, Ill receive what I like.

Please choose the board you like.

He had a better chance of success for shogi. But he sat before the go board.

Fenshen, saying she wanted to concentrate on the match, got the little girls to retire.

Afterwards, while not knowing who was winning, when he realised, their hands had overlapped.