The two chatted for a while longer. Fujiwara Maro wanted to stay and keep Mei Hong company, to bridge the gap between them, but... because of the engagement, it had no effect at all.
Looking at his younger sister, Fujiwara Maro even felt the urge to impulsively tell her that he would take her away from here, away from the Fujiwara family. But the next moment, he suppressed that impulse.
Though he was arrogant by nature, even somewhat conceited, he understood... that if he did so, the consequences would only be more severe.
Once he left the Fujiwara family, he would be nothing.
In the end, Fujiwara Maro could only turn and leave. He was unable to promise Fujiwara no Mei Hong that he would definitely make her happy someday.
Watching Fujiwara Maro leave, Fujiwara no Mei Hong did not care much. She merely stared blankly at the birds outside. She envied them a little. At least... they had freedom and would not be forced to do things they did not want to do.
She suddenly wanted to go out and see the world beyond. Since she was little, she had practically never left the estate, because her father feared that she would disgrace him if she went outside.
In this era, nobles generally only had children with other nobles in order to preserve the purity of their bloodlines. Of course... it was perfectly normal for nobles to be attracted to commoners or servants, to covet their bodies, but having children with them was another matter. Yet there were no effective contraceptive measures in this era...
In short, for a great noble family like the Fujiwara family, a child like Fujiwara no Mei Hong, born to a servant, was not necessarily someone who could not be seen in public, but