𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 → kny x m! reader

08. | familial ties

He set off on the journey, alongside his attendants, in the dead of night.

A few had complained at his idea of departing at such a time, the dangers of wild beasts and other unknown things that hid from the sun would be a constant looming threat during the journey.

As one of those beings that hid under the sun, [Y/n] could only sigh, and continued on that it was actually an order from his brother, which was, of course, a lie. As long as the attendants obeyed his orders, the reasons don't matter.

He sat in the carriage quietly, surrounded by a comforting darkness that stretched out indefinitely. The rhythmic sounds of steps upon the cobblestone and tired huffs of air became his only company. The dim glow of a lantern barely illuminated the interior of the small carriage, casting shadows upon the walls.

The hours pass by as they slowly reach the town, no wild animals had stopped them on the road, and nothing strange had stumbled upon them in the dead night.

Perhaps it was just the usual mundane night, or perhaps the animals themselves were afraid of the presence of [Y/n] inside the carriage.

"Glad to see you've made it, little brother," Hidesato smiled brightly as he sat beside him.

The ritual for Nobutsura's funeral has started, and since [Y/n]'s still pretending to be unable to walk, he will only be participating in the indoor activities of the funeral. They were currently having an afternoon meal with the family, [Y/n] had excused himself as soon as he arrived, tired of the journey at nighttime as an excuse.

The servants had carried him to the room to eat, multiple pitying and malicious eyes constantly staring at him from the rest of the family.

"It was a tiresome journey, my apologies for not joining all of you with breakfast."

[Y/n] did his best to fake a small smile toward the rest of the people in the room.  It's best for all of them to think of how weak and helpless he is now, to forget how deadly and rude he was once. He doesn't want to become a suspect after all.

Nobutsura's mother and his little brother sat opposite of [Y/n], their faces in mock kindness as she replied while dabbing the tears in her eyes, "Oh, it's fine, my dear. Thank you for coming here, I know you and my darling son have always been at odds. But it's truly kind of you to arrive even at the state you're in."

[Y/n]'s eyebrow gave a slight twitch, and yet his small smile stayed the same. "Haha, of course, Aunty." The family resumed chatting after that, ignoring the earlier conversation to continue the discussion of Nobutsura's unfortunate death.

"Why would he even venture so far into the forest?" Someone had sobbed. [Y/n] nodded while hiding his glee.

What a good question you raise.

A ritualistic dance is then performed, and the conversation quieted down to let their eyes roam toward the dancers. Hidesato slid closer toward [Y/n], a gentle hand on his shoulder, "About your sword, it seems it's gonna take a tad while longer."

[Y/n] chuckled, "It's alright. I can wait just fine."

The dance in front was captivating, their movements fluid, expressing various emotions through the art of their body. In today's age, art is one of the most important things respected in the community. Those who had a talent for it would amass riches and esteems beyond measure.

Hidesato's voice turned serious beside him, "How were things when I was gone?"

"It was fine, nothing worth talking about," he quickly replied.

"You didn't do anything stupid, right? Nothing you should tell me?"

He cocked an eyebrow in return, "No? Stop worrying over me. I'm in a better state of mind. Trust me."