The wooden corridor floorboards creaked. The closer Logan got to the elegant room by the rear courtyard, the more his blood surged.
The cold wind blowing through the courtyard seemed to vanish in an instant. All he could hear was his own pounding heart, and his mouth went dry.
Ichiro Yamamoto slid open the wooden door, then turned and courteously gestured. "Lord Logan, please come in."
Already unable to wait any longer, Logan nodded politely, yet still entered before the master of the house.
A brazier burned inside, filling the warm air with the sweet scent of citrus. But he did not look at the calligraphy and paintings on the walls, nor did he notice the ornate folding screens. His gaze immediately fell upon the woman kneeling on the floor in a formal bow.
Aiko Yamamoto had changed into a black formal long-sleeved kimono. Her raven hair was gathered atop her head and secured with seven or eight golden hairpins. The snowy-white back of her neck flashed briefly before Logan's eyes.
The long-sleeved kimono was a type of kimono. Unlike the more casual yukata, it was formal attire worn for official occasions.
It came in large, medium, and small varieties, referring not only to physical size, but also to the level of formality.
The large variety was the highest-grade formal dress for unmarried women and had to bear five crests. These five crests were family emblems painted across the garment.
Beyond that, once fully dressed, the entire outfit formed a landscape or floral-and-bird painting. The sleeves were around 120 centimeters long, their hems reaching the ankles when worn. It was an especially elegant style of kimono, and the perfect massive canvas.
Its patterns were generally created through yuzen dyeing and tie-dyeing, combined with gold leaf and embroidery. The decoration was