Hi, I’m Hiyuki! I’m 3 months old now, and guess what I can do? I can move my hands, legs, and neck much better, and I’ve also discovered something—I’m a girl. I figured it out while being bathed... because, well, it’s gone.
Maybe it’s because I’m still a baby, so I didn’t notice it before, or maybe it was just never there. I felt a little sad about it, though. Besides that, I’ve started crawling, even though it’s surprisingly exhausting. When my mom saw me crawl for the first time, she jumped for joy.
“Mom, you’re going to bring the house down if you doing that.”
Speaking of which, about a month after I was born, I saw my dad’s face for the first time. He’s a little scary—a man with an impressive mustache and a strong build. I thought he might be a soldier since I often see him wearing a uniform and carrying a sword.
The day after meeting him, I was dressed in a white kimono and a beautiful robe adorned with a bird emblem. Mom was also wearing a lovely kimono. I was carried by my wet nurse as we followed my mom out of the house.
This was my first time leaving home, and I saw so many nostalgic things—scenes that felt like they came straight out of an old movie. There was a touch of modernity, but it was faint. The rest of the setting was peaceful and chilly, making the place seem serene.
When we stepped outside, my dad was waiting for us. Our group headed to what looked like a shrine (For Miyamairi/Shrine Visit Ceremony), where they prayed. A monk approached me to perform a ritual.
“What is he saying?” I thought as the monk lifted me and recited something I couldn’t understand, likely a prayer.
When the ceremony was over, I received a small pouch (an omamori), and we returned home to celebrate with a feast. Although I didn’t eat anything, I got to observe how my parents interacted with each other.
Beyond that, life continued as usual for me—a baby being cared for when hungry, wet, or sleepy. My dad, however, seemed slightly worried about how I didn’t act like a normal baby.
There’s another thing that puzzles me: I feel like the muscles in my face are weak. I can move my mouth, but my cheeks and eyebrows are hard to control.
“I’ll worry about that later.”
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Today marks the arrival of spring in Japan. Leaves are falling, and cherry blossoms are blooming across the country, adding beauty to the season. In big cities like Tokyo, people celebrate by eating dango while enjoying the cherry blossoms along the streets or strolling under the trees with their partners.
The same goes for the Takeuchi residence, the home of a noble family ranked as Counts who work for the Imperial Ministry of Army. The grand estate features a beautiful koi pond and several cherry trees in its yard.
Right now, the house is bustling with activity. Fumi Takeuchi, wearing a light blue kimono, is running back and forth, sliding doors open one after another.
Fumi is the second wife of the family head, Yamamoto Takeuchi. They met in Hokkaido during a field survey, where Fumi was asked to translate between the ministry and the Ainu people. Yamamoto was immediately drawn to her. With her mixed Japanese-Russian heritage, Fumi stood out with her wide blue eyes and beautiful face.
It didn’t take long for them to marry and have a child: Hiyuki. And Hiyuki was the reason for the current commotion.
That morning, while Fumi was playing with Hiyuki alone (the maids were busy preparing food for okuizome), she left Hiyuki to go to the bathroom. Fumi assumed that her 3-month-old daughter, who had only recently started crawling, wouldn’t crawl very far. After all, Hiyuki wasn’t a particularly active baby.
“Hiyuki!” Fumi’s voice echoed throughout the mansion as she searched for her daughter, aided by the maids Asae, Chiyo, and Fuji.
“Fumi-sama, please remain calm. I’m sure Hiyuki Ojou-sama hasn’t gone far,” said Chiyo, trying to soothe her panicked mistress. At 16 years old, Chiyo was the youngest of the three maids.
“But I’m worried! What if she crawled into the pond, under the house, or even outside?” Fumi’s anxious eyes met Chiyo’s, her expression full of distress.
While they were talking, Asae noticed that the futon storage door was slightly ajar. She opened it to check and found a small baby with white hair peacefully sleeping among the folded futons, her expression completely serene.
“Fumi-sama, I’ve found Hiyuki Ojou-sama,” Asae called out.
Fumi rushed to Asae and saw Hiyuki sleeping soundly amid the futons, dressed in her new kimono.
“Hush, you gave me such a scare.” Fumi carefully moved Hiyuki from the pile of futons and held her close.
“You’re such a handful,” Fumi said with a sigh, gently stroking Hiyuki’s white hair. This hair color had been a point of contention between Fumi and Tsumugi, since neither parent had white hair. But Fumi remembered her own mother telling her that her great grandmother had white hair, so it was likely inherited.
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“You know, Asae, I feel like Hiyuki always watches my lips and tries to mimic them,” Fumi observed, looking at Hiyuki’s tiny red lips.
“That’s normal for babies, Fumi-sama. They try to gather information from their surroundings by mimicking, especially their parents and those around them,” replied Asae, who was 56 and had six grandchildren, making her very experienced with children.
“Maybe I should teach her a few words. What do you think?” Fumi asked as she cradled Hiyuki.
By the way Fuji who is currently 21 years old is Hiyuki's wet nurse so the three of them often exchange information about Hiyuki to Fumi as their mistress.
“It’s fine if you want to, Fumi-sama, but Hiyuki Ojou-sama doesn’t even have teeth yet,” Asae advised.
“Starting early won’t hurt, right? You said babies grow quickly, so teaching her before her teeth come in shouldn’t be a problem,” Fumi mused, ignoring Asae’s concern.
“It looks like she needs a diaper change,” Fuji interjected, picking up a clean diaper.
“Oh, you’re right,” Fumi agreed, following Fuji to Hiyuki’s room while Chiyo cleaned up the floor.
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“Hmm, why do I feel like there’s a lot of movement happening?”
Hiyuki opened her eyes to see Fumi and Fuji cleaning and changing her diaper. Both women smiled at her as she blinked.
“Good afternoon, Hiyuki. Did you know Okaa-sama was worried when you suddenly disappeared?” Fumi said, pretending to scold her but with no real anger in her tone.
“What is she saying? Is she mad at me?” Hiyuki wondered. Having been an adult in her past life, she had good observational skills and could read gestures and expressions, even if she didn’t yet understand their words.
"Okaa-sama would be angry, you know." Fumi observed how Hiyuki was staring at her seriously without changing her expression. However, she felt that Hiyuki understood her. Fumi thought this might be a woman's intuition—or a mother's.
"Oh, Hiyuki, you're so adorable. You're lucky you didn’t stain your new kimono, because later, you'll join the Okuizome celebration after all you already participating in Hinamatsuri a few weeks ago." Fumi pinched Hiyuki's cheeks and played with them.
"I'm starting to think the reason I can't move my facial muscles is because Mother always does this to me."
"Oh, by the way, Hiyuki, starting tomorrow, Okaa-sama will teach you how to talk. Aren't you excited?" Fumi noticed a slight change in Hiyuki's expression, as if she was confused. But if someone asked her how she knew what expression Hiyuki was making, she wouldn’t know how to explain it to others.
"Fumi-sama, there are preparations you need to check for Hiyuki Ojou-sama's Okuizome celebration," said Asae, coming from the kitchen.
For the Okuizome, they had prepared rice (gohan), grilled fish (tai), soup (shiru), pickled vegetables (tsukemono), red beans with rice (sekihan), and a small portion for Hiyuki, along with the commemorative stone (hagatame-no-ishi).
Leaving Hiyuki with Fuji and Chiyo, Fumi hurriedly checked the Okuizome preparations, including food, venue setup, decorations, and arrangements. The Okuizome celebration for Hiyuki was held at the second residence because the main house was considered Tsumugi's domain, while this house was Fumi's territory.
Fumi certainly didn’t want to be underestimated by making subpar preparations. During Sukemoto Tsumugi's son Okuizome, something extravagant was organized. In contrast, Fumi chose to focus on tradition and spirituality, resulting in simple preparations without much luxury.
The preparations were completed quickly with the help of many maids, as there weren’t many items to arrange. That morning, the main house's family was invited to attend Hiyuki’s Okuizome. This included Fumi’s in-laws, Yamamoto’s parents, who came to visit.
As the host, Fumi welcomed them and assisted in guiding them to their seats. Cushions and small tables for each person were prepared, and the meal would be served after Hiyuki made her appearance.
"What’s happening today? And who are all these people?" Hiyuki noticed the large gathering of people seated in the house’s hall. At that moment, she was being carried by Fuji and then helped to sit in her designated seat.
When Hiyuki was seated, almost everyone present was surprised by the baby in front of them. Especially Yamamoto's parents and Tsumugi, who saw a baby with white hair and a blank expression, resembling a doll more than a child.
"It seems the rumors are true—that she has white hair and blue eyes," whispered Matsu Takeuchi to her husband, Konoe Takeuchi.
"That’s not an issue. It’s just her appearance," replied Konoe, unbothered by such matters.
Hiyuki sat quietly, observing her surroundings. She noticed a couple staring at her—her parents and a woman she didn’t recognize standing beside her father, Yamamoto, holding a child.
"Damn, does my father have two wives, including my mother? Isn’t he living the dream?" Hiyuki thought to herself, seeing how Tsumugi was trying to act affectionate with Yamamoto while Fumi only smiled.
The Okuizome ceremony for Hiyuki began, with the food prepared for her. Her grandfather, Konoe, approached her, pretending to feed her. Meanwhile, Hiyuki thought she was finally going to eat and opened her mouth, expecting to be fed.
"What’s going on? Are they messing with me?" thought Hiyuki.
After pretending to feed her in sequence, Konoe pressed a stone against Hiyuki's lips. Feeling betrayed, Hiyuki lifted her head and stared at Konoe with annoyance, though her expression didn’t change for Konoe to notice.
The ritual continued, and once completed, the guests began eating. Meanwhile, Hiyuki simply sat there, watching others eat.
"Oi, what’s this about? Why am I just watching people eat?" Hiyuki was frustrated, unable to eat since she become baby, and merely sitting idly while everyone around her began enjoying their meals—a torment for her.
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"So why did they prepare a portion for me if I wasn’t going to eat? I might as well have thrown that stone at that old man earlier." Hiyuki glanced again at the stone pressed against her mouth earlier and stared at Konoe.
"Isn’t she such a well-behaved child, Fumi-dono?" said Tsumugi to Fumi with a smile.
"Thank you for the compliment, Tsumugi-dono. I’m very grateful to have Hiyuki as my child because she’s so intelligent," Fumi replied with a smile as well.
"I’ve heard she rarely cries or shows expressions, like a doll. Are you sure she’s okay?" Tsumugi hinted at something about Hiyuki.
"Hiyuki is just quiet," Fumi answered.
"Well, if that’s the case, fine. But if she gets worse, I’d suggest taking her to a shrine or seeking medical attention," Tsumugi remarked, subtly suggesting that Hiyuki might be ill or possessed.
"I’ll take your suggestion, Tsumugi-dono," Fumi replied.
The conversation continued with Tsumugi trying to criticize and compare Hiyuki to Sukemoto. Fumi remained silent, listening. Seeing this, Yamamoto decided to step in and abruptly cut Tsumugi off.
And that how Hiyuki Okuizome end with some heated talk.