Kanbe’e wanted to see his family as soon as possible.

  In an era where women and children were often treated as "tools" or "pawns of politics," Kanbe’e’s steadfast refusal to take concubines was exceptionally rare.

  As a strategist, Kanbe’e was a man of cold, rational thought. At the time, succession disputes between the children of concubines and the legitimate wife were the leading cause of a clan’s ruin. From a military standpoint, his conclusion was simple: with a wife as virtuous and talented as Teru, there was no need to seek anything more for the stability of the Kuroda clan.

  But more than any logic, what truly filled Kanbe’e’s heart was a profound, irrational affection for Teru as a woman.

  Unable to move, Kanbe’e was placed on a wooden litter as the party slowly made its way toward Himeji. The vassals stepped quietly, ensuring each footfall was steady so as not to disturb their lord’s fragile body. To a bystander, the procession might have looked like a leisurely autumn outing under the soft sun.

  For the first time in nearly a year, Kanbe’e looked up at the blue sky. The azure was so vivid, so vast, that it made him feel a faint sense of vertigo. The ceiling of his dungeon had been so low and damp he could reach out and touch it. Now, he was covered by an infinite, boundless firmament.

  "My Lord, how are you feeling? Is there… any pain?" Zensuke asked from beside the litter, his voice filled with tender concern.

  "Zensuke… I am truly alive, am I not? That darkness… it is finally over."

  "Yes. It is over. You are in the light now, My Lord. I will never let you return to such a shadow again!"

  Kanbe’e replayed Zensuke’s words over and over in his mind.

  (I am truly alive…)

  Meanwhile, at the foot of Himeji Castle…

  From early morning, Teru had been restless. After checking the bedding and the incense for the hundredth time, she could bear the wait no longer and rushed out of the castle gates to meet him on the highway.

  The moment she spotted the procession in the distance, her heart raced, and her vision blurred with tears.

  "My Lord!"

  Forgetting her dignity as the high-born wife of a samurai, she ran toward them, her kimono skirts fluttering in disarray. She needed to confirm his existence with her own eyes.

  The party noticed her and gently lowered the litter. Zensuke announced into the litter with a trembling voice, "My Lord, Lady Teru is here."

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  Before he could even finish, Teru knelt before the litter, pushing past Zensuke. She reached out to embrace her husband—but in that instant, she froze.

  (Is this… My Lord?)

  There was no trace of the sharp, brilliant genius he once was. His hair was overgrown and streaked with white, his skin was marred with sores, and his limbs were as thin as withered branches.

  Teru recoiled for a split second, struck by the shock. But immediately, a scent hit her—unmistakably the scent of Kanbe’e. Beneath the smell of the dungeon that no washing could fully remove, the nostalgic fragrance of the husband she loved remained.

  A sharp, wordless pain shot through Teru’s chest. How much despair had he locked behind those eyes? How much loneliness had he endured alone?

  More than anything, Teru feared that her own distress would wound him. She took a deep breath and forced a smile as bright as the sun.

  "Oh… My Lord… Did you not eat the dried sweets I sent with you? You’ve grown a bit thin in the short time I haven’t seen you… you look quite adorable now…"

  She spoke jokingly, but her eyes were already brimming with tears, and her voice wavered. Kanbe’e gazed at Teru’s haggard face, seeing how desperately she was trying to encourage him.

  "Heh… You’ve grown thin too, Teru… I’ve put you through… so much…"

  "Not at all, My Lord… As you can see, I am perfectly well. I believed you would return, so there was nothing difficult about it."

  It was a lie. The days she spent bracing for the death of their son Shoju and knowing nothing of her husband’s fate must have been a darkness equal to Kanbe’e’s dungeon. Yet Teru showed not a trace of it.

  A quiet silence fell between them. Kanbe’e’s trembling fingertips traced Teru’s cheek, and she took his hand in both of hers.

  "I will never… let you go again."

  Hearing those words, the tension that had held Kanbe’e together finally snapped.

  "Teru… I am sorry. To think I would see the day I could meet you again. I see the protection of Deus… right here before my eyes…"

  "My Lord… Have you heard? Shoju was saved by Lord Hanbe’e and is safe and well…"

  Teru pulled his frail shoulders close, telling him once more of Shoju’s survival.

  "Yes… I heard… on the way… It is like a dream. Teru… while I was in that dark hole… your prayers… kept me anchored. Because of you… the fire of the Kuroda was not extinguished. Thank you…"

  Kanbe’e’s raspy voice dampened Teru’s shoulder. She gently stroked his head, then stepped back to face the vassals.

  "Zensuke, Tahe’e, Kurouemon. You have done a great service over this long time. I cannot bow low enough to the souls of men who gave so much of themselves to save my husband…"

  Suddenly, her eyes fell upon a young child standing anxiously beside Zensuke. Though covered in mud, the boy's eyes held a dignified resolve.

  "Zensuke. Who is this child?"

  "This is Tamamatsu, the youngest son of the brave Matazaemon Kato, who supported our Lord in the dungeons of Arioka. Our Lord has decided we shall raise him as our own."

  Hearing this, Teru immediately knelt to meet Tamamatsu at eye level. Ignoring the mud, she took his small hands in hers.

  "Tamamatsu… Thank you for helping my Lord. You’ve done well to come to Himeji. Are you tired? From this day on, think of me as your mother here in Himeji… Do not worry… This is your home."

  At the touch of her warm, motherly hands, Tamamatsu’s shoulders shook slightly. Watching from the litter, Kanbe’e let out a deep sigh of relief.

  "My Lord. From now on, I, Shoju, and Tamamatsu will support you for the rest of our lives. The Kuroda Clan… begins anew today!"

  The iron resolve of a woman living through turbulent times, coupled with a mother’s compassion. That warm "Light" now surely enveloped Kanbe’e, who had been exposed to freezing loneliness for a year.

  Produced and written by a Japanese author, rooted in authentic Japanese history. Translated with the assistance of Gemini (AI).