The way the two met was so exaggerated, it was like they were about to perform in a historical drama. Sato Noriko—no, according to her own introduction, her real name should have been Ashina Noriko, or perhaps Ashina Noriko.
"Lieutenant Saemon, there is no need to stand on ceremony." The visitor warmly helped Ashina Noriko to her feet.
"I am undeserving." That single gesture left Ashina Noriko both flattered and alarmed. In her memory, this Uesugi nobleman before her, who went by the alias Murakami, would merely nod in perfunctory acknowledgment when even figures more formidable than herself bowed to him. Often, he would simply ignore them altogether. When had he ever bent down and offered someone a hand?
Something unusual was afoot; those who humbled themselves before others always wanted something in return. But what could a court noble want from her? Could it be... No, impossible. Ashina Noriko simply could not believe that he had taken a fancy to her. She was young and beautiful, but not breathtakingly stunning. Besides, the gap between them in both bloodline and status was far too great.
That was right. The Ashina Aizu-no-kami line might once have been lords of a province and a castle, but compared to the man before her, they were as far apart as clouds and mud, whether now or in the past.
At present, Mr. Murakami was one of the Five Fingers of The Hand. Among the underworld organizations of the world, especially those in Japan, who did not tremble at the mere mention of them? Yet though she ran a spirited little organization, it was actually quite orderly. There were organizations of this size everywhere in Japan. How could it possibly make anyone take notice?
As for the past, there was even less room for comparison.