บท 278: She Had Suspected Much

"Second Young Miss?" Ren repeated with a frown.

From the record, Fujioka Masami was the youngest daughter of the Fujioka Couple and she only had one older sister. It was befitting for her to be called Second Young Miss.

Ms. Nakamura took a step toward Tsubaki who was still rooted in her spot. Her frail hands extended in the air as if she wanted to hold onto Tsubaki but didn't dare to. Her lips trembled, she had a lot to say but no words came out from her mouth.

"Ms. Nakamura," Tsubaki took the step to break the silence. Both of her hands unconsciously clenched into fists. "Do you know... anyone who looks like me?"

"Yes... Yes..." The old lady nodded again, her expression was filled with anguish and sorrow. A thin layer of moisture formed in her eyes as tears were threatening to trickle down her face. "You... you look so much like Second Young Miss, the one whom I served."

"Do you mean... Fujioka Masami?" Tsubaki asked again, feeling the incredulity of the situation.

"Yes... Fujioka Masami was the Second Young Miss," Ms. Nakamura replied again, her answer was a blow to Tsubaki. She had nearly stumbled backward.

"Tsubaki!" Ren quickly caught her.

"I'm fine..." Tsubaki gripped on his arms. She looked at her husband, her eyes were trying to convey something to him. Ren pursed his lips and nodded.

"Ms. Nakamura, please take a seat," Ren led Tsubaki to a nearby couch and went to help the old lady next. "You shouldn't stand like this. Let's all sit down and talk."

Ms. Nakamura nodded, she just let the young man brought her back to her seat. Once all of them were seated, the tension seemed to loosen. By this time, both of the two women could look at each other without feeling pressured by their emotions.

"Ms. Nakamura, I'm sorry if I have startled you," Tsubaki bowed once, her voice was filled with regret as she recalled her action earlier. "I come here to shed some truth regarding myself. I hope you could answer some of my questions and you could do the same too."

It was better if she did it step by side instead of bombarding the old lady with countless questions at the same time. Her emotion could be kept in check and she could avoid pressuring the old lady too.

"Alright," Ms. Nakamura agreed, her voice sounded frail at the moment. It was clear she tried to keep herself together while facing Tsubaki.

Tsubaki stole a glance at her husband. Ren had always looked at her with an encouraging smile. It made her fear subsided as she returned his smile. After a moment, she focused back on Ms. Nakamura.

"I'll tell you a few things first in order to not confuse you. I think it's the best since this is our first time meeting each other. You have the right to know."

Tsubaki began by introducing herself. She told Ms. Nakamura how she was an adopted daughter of a family and only recently got to know about her birth parents and the truth of her having a twin sister that had long dead. Tsubaki had even told her about the two women who visited Hinata's orphanage and the postcards sent by Nakamura Sumire to her adopted mother.

While she was telling the story, she hadn't even once retracted her gaze from the old lady's face. She might appear fragile in her eyes yet Tsubaki saw the wisdom of a lady who had strived in all kinds of hardships in her life. By the time she finished her story, the old lady was at her calmest.

"So... I'm here to ask if you know my birth parents and the identities of the two women," Tsubaki once again asked humbly. Her eyes were pleading as she tried to keep her composure. "I really want to know what happened to them."

Ms. Nakamura heaved a soft sigh, she lowered down her gaze and looked at her hands that were grasping her shirt. She kept her silent, her mind was wandering far. After a period of silence, she slowly stood up from her couch.

"Please wait here," Ms. Nakamura smiled faintly at the young lady. "I have something to show you."

The old lady went out of the living room, heading to the hallway. Tsubaki turned her head, she looked at her husband. Ren was still keeping his calm. He extended a hand and gently stroked her back.

"You've done well so far, sweetheart," Ren brushed her bangs aside, his fingertips lightly touching one side of her face. "It's time to hear what Ms. Nakamura would say."

"En..."

Tsubaki could only nod. Not long after Ms. Nakamura left, they heard the sound of the skirt rustling from their back. The older woman returned with an album in her hands. She passed Tsubaki the album before she sat back at her seat.

"This is..."

"The photo album of the Fujiokas. I have mistakenly taken it with me the day of my departure from the family," Ms. Nakamura gestured to Tsubaki to open it with a raise of her chin. "You could see it for yourself. Open it."

Tsubaki was hesitant as her fingers touched the old album. The cover had already looked worn out from years of being stored inside a cabinet yet it was still in a good condition. It was safe to say that the old lady had taken good care of this album.

Her index finger flipped the first page. A family of four was constantly photographed in the photos especially the two young girls who had always dressed in cute clothes. As she began to look at each page, Tsubaki couldn't help but knitted her brows as she met a familiar face who changed from a young girl to a teen until the owner of the gentle smile grew up into a beautiful lady with noble temperament.

"This is..." Tsubaki looked back at Ms. Nakamura. She raised the album and pointed her finger to a photo. "My birth mother, is that right? I have a necklace with her photo in the locket. She..."

"It was Second Young Miss," Ms. Nakamura curled up a sad smile, her bright eyes that were wise following her years dimmed as she darted her gaze from the photo to Tsubaki's face that bore a great resemblance to the young lady in the photo. "The Second Young Miss of the Fujioka Family, Fujioka Masami."

What?

Her guess is correct?

A surge of conflicted emotions rose in her heart yet Tsubaki quickly shook them away. Her fingers trembled yet she refused to crumble under pressure. Her eyes dropped slightly as she recalled what she had told Ren.

Her own assumptions.

"Then... it's true that... Fujioka Masami is my mother? Not Nakamura Sumire?" Tsubaki closed the album, she directed all her attention to the older woman. "I'm quite suspicious because her surname is similar to yours. Did it mean... my mother used your name to create a new identity for her?"

Ms. Nakamura shrugged. She sighed again. "It's already over two decades but I still remember what had happened to a prominent family like them. Master's business was in a sharp decline and a man offered to marry Miss Masami in exchange for reviving their business yet at the same time, Miss Masami was currently in a relationship with a commoner."

"Was it... the man who got sent to the borders?" Tsubaki asked carefully, it was what Kanako had said and Ren had even verified the story.

"You knew?" Ms. Nakamura appeared troubled, her brows furrowed and her entire face showing sorrow. "Miss Masami was so much in love with that man yet... they couldn't be together."

"What happened? And who's the man who asked for Mother's hand in marriage?" Her curiosity piqued up as these were some of the important questions that had been bothering her for a long time.

"Miss Masami's lover... If I recalled his surname was Saeki," Ms. Nakamura's eyes looked far off the distance as she remembering events of her past.

The melancholy in her voice further tugged at Tsubaki's heart. She waited patiently for the old lady to speak again.

"He was one of the bodyguards working for another household. Miss Masami met him during a banquet and both of them fell in love afterward. I don't really know how did they get together but I have never seen Second Young Miss looked the happiest before she met him. She always smiled shyly whenever I caught her looking at the man's photo...."

Ms. Nakamura trailed off. She took in a few breaths before she continued.

"But, the irony was Mr. Saeki worked for the young master who wanted to marry Miss Masami. Perhaps, their relationship could be saved if their fate weren't entangled with the young master."

"Who..."

Tsubaki had a bad feeling over this.

"The Young Master of Souma Family."

Time had suddenly stood still right after Ms. Nakamura mentioned the name. Tsubaki's entire body stiffened, she didn't even realize she was staring back at the old lady with dilated pupils filled with shock. Her face grew pale gradually, scaring Ren who sat by her side.

"Tsubaki? Sweetheart?"

Ren rubbed her back while the other hand waved in front of her face. His face was tensed as he tried to bring his wife back from her shock. He called and called yet she remained frozen.

"Sweetheart, don't scare me," Ren had almost pleading, he took both of her hands in his wide palms.

The light in Tsubaki's eyes slowly returned. She shifted her gaze to her husband's worried one. She wanted to speak yet no word came out of her mouth.

"Dar... darling..." Tsubaki choked back on her sob. She held back her tears, refused to cry ever again. "It was what I have feared. He was really involved in that matter between Mother and Father."

She had suspected much. The connections between what she knew from Kanako and Ren made her drew to such a conclusion.

President Souma was in love with another lady since his younger years so that was why his marriage with Mrs. Souma was said to be a loveless one.

The man also was rumored to be a ruthless one when dealing with his enemies. Although she didn't have solid proof she didn't try to deny this possibility. Kanako had even said President Souma had dealt harshly even with his former subordinates.

From what she understood while being in the upper class in these few months, only the topmost family could act this way. The only family who stood on the same ground as Fuse Family was Souma Family. Even the Esumis were below them.

And...

Her husband's protectiveness over her whenever she met President Souma, baffled her the most.

Ren's eyes dimmed, he couldn't say anything as no words could comfort her right now.

Although both of them already assumed the truth, to hear it from another person meant it was true.

"Sweetheart," Ren gently coaxed his wife, he patiently rubbed her back as she stared quietly at him. Her eyes had lost their luster, seeing her like this made his heart feeling stabbed by thousands of arrows. He parted his lips, his voice sounded so much in anguish as he spoke, "We can't change the past but we could do so for the events that have yet to happen. Please, don't retreat yet, sweetheart. I'm here."

Tsubaki pursed her lips. A drop of crystal clear water trickled down her right cheek and fell on her hand. She curled up her lips and nodded. Her gaze was directed back to Ms. Nakamura.

"Did... Mother run away to elope with Father?"

The old lady's downward turn of her lips denied her question.

"Miss Masami accepted Young Master Souma's proposal... after Mr. Saeki was sent away to the army. Mr. Saeki would be released if she agreed to marry him but..." Ms. Nakamura clenched her fists, her gaze lowered down to the floor below her feet. "Miss Masami realized she was pregnant and at the same time... she received the news of Mr. Saeki's death. It was at that time... she decided to flee because she knew she would lose her child if she remained in her home and I believe... that was the time she started living as Nakamura Sumire."

Tsubaki was once again speechless. Even without knowing her mother, she could feel the love she had for her. To avoid her from being unable to see the world, her mother chose to leave her life of luxury to ensure her safety.

She even gave her and her sister to another family to be taken care off for fear endangering themselves if they remained living in hiding with her.

"Then... do you remember who possibly known of my mother got pregnant with me? Maybe, a person by the name of..." Tsubaki gulped. There was still one thing she hadn't resolved. She steeled her heart as her voice whispered a name, "Okano Shiori?"

"Do you mean..." Ms. Nakamura looked slightly surprised once she heard the name. Her pupils dilated before they returned back to their original shape. "The young miss who married Young Master Souma?"

Tsubaki nodded repeatedly. "Do you know her? I saw her once near my late sister's new home. I'm just wondering if she knew of this matter and... if she was the one who used my mother's name in order to investigate my sister."

"She's not Miss Masami's friend!"

Ms. Nakamura suddenly yelled at them. It was the first time Tsubaki and Ren saw the old lady became agitated. Before they could ask her anything, Ms. Nakamura added with a loud voice.

"She has been in love with Young Master Souma! I believe she's the happiest when Miss Masami left!"

"What?"

In the tense situation, Tsubaki felt her world crumbled. She stared wide-eyed at the old lady. Ms. Nakamura's chest heaved as her face was filled with anger and hatred.