𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘉𝘌𝘋𝘌𝘝𝘐𝘓𝘌𝘋 𝘓𝘌𝘎𝘈𝘊𝘠 | ⁿᵃʳᵘᵗᵒ

Conniving Matriarch

CONNIVING MATRIARCH

✧

As usual, Asami awoke the next morning before anyone else had even begun to stir.

She sat on the stairs of the house the Fuma had provided, a steaming cup of tea in her hands, elbows perched on her knees. She was fully dressed, wearing a navy blue high-neck yukata in exchange for the black one from the day before, her hair loose around her face. She sipped at the drink, staring into the empty streets of the Fuma compound.

She hadn't cared for the tea the Fuma provided before, but now that she was drinking it alone with the morning chill reddening her cheeks, she actually enjoyed it. The Fuma did make good tea, she had to give them that. Sake, not so much. Not that she was a drinker anyway, so maybe she didn't have anything to judge the alcohol on anyway.

She closed her eyes, sighing deeply.

If she could make the early mornings last forever, she would.

"Asami-san."

She opened her eyes slowly, peering through the steam drifting from the cup.

Tadashi stood in front of her, wearing a white yukata, maroon haori overtop. He was very serious, face expressionless and all business as he looked at her.

"Tadashi-san." She acknowledged, taking another drink of the tea. "Is there something you needed?"

"I wanted to talk to you about yesterday's meeting." He began, coming closer to her so he only stood a couple of feet away. "My father brought to my attention my behavior may have come across as rude, and I wish to apologize if it was interpreted that way. It was not my intent."

Asami stared at him blankly, sensing this apology was most likely because his father forced him to come apologize, not because he thought he should. She didn't think there was the need for an apology anyway, even if she did find his behavior annoying. She spent time thinking about it, and if she were in his shoes, she would probably act the same way—though maybe with less aggression and more grace.

Overall though, the response to the situation was understandable. A much more powerful clan came to negotiate terms, claiming they desired the relationship to be fair and for everyone to be satisfied, even though one of those clans was much more powerful than the other, and if the weaker made the wrong move, they would be crushed. Perhaps even wiped out. It could be seen as insulting.

She would be defensive too if she was in his place. But she also wasn't sure how to highlight she did not have it out for him and his clan, other than saying she wanted things to be fair for everyone. In any case, she didn't have malicious intent for anyone until they harmed her family.

The fake apology did bother her, even when her common sense was telling her to be the bigger person and her annoyance was immature, so she should just accept it and move on.

But she didn't want to do that.

"Did you want to apologize?" Asked Asami against her better judgment, raising her brows.

Tadashi looked taken aback by her response. "What?"

"If you didn't want to apologize, then don't." Asami set the cup of tea on the step beside her. "I saw nothing wrong with your questions. They were valid, and you had every right to ask them. I may not have enjoyed the conversation, but who am I to refuse to discuss what was on your mind when the fate of your clan, and your family, is dependent on them."

Tadashi's eyes narrowed. "Are you patronizing me?"

Asami shook her head, becoming exasperated with how her words were being interpreted. "Not at all."