It was Alex's day off. When he suggested going out somewhere, Sara mentioned a place he liked.
(If he frequents there, he might know someone.)
With that thought in mind, Alex headed to a restaurant near a dojo. Finally, it felt like a truly Japanese setting. It was a tea shop where one could enjoy dumplings and matcha, and many customers were dressed in kimono.
"It feels like we're in a drama," Sara remarked.
Whether it was "Mito Komon", "SHOGUN Yoshimune", or perhaps "The Deadly Accurate Hitman"—she hadn't watched them closely, but the atmosphere of a period drama lingered.
(It hasn't been long since the time of Sakamoto Ryoma, yet technology has advanced so much.)
Although Sakamoto Ryoma had a revolver, to Sara, Sakamoto Ryoma was a figure from the era of katana sword. Soon, Western-style buildings would proliferate, carriages would run, and eventually, department stores would rise.
Before long, trains would traverse the world, and eventually, cars would emerge.
"What’s a 'drama'?" Alex asked.
"Oh, um... it's a story."
"A story, huh? Should we go see a kabuki performance? Or maybe Noh?"
"What does Alex like?"
"I'm not particularly fond of either..."
"Oh, really?"
As they chatted, someone approached them.
"Mr. Nocturne!"
A youthful and cheerful voice. When Sara turned around, she recognized a familiar face.
"Kondo."
She remembered him as the one who helped Alex when he got drunk. But she felt like she had met him before that, too. Where had it been?
"Thanks for your help before. I appreciate it."
"No, it was nothing. You protected a colleague who didn't realize how strong the 'wine' was. Please extend my regards to your wife."
"Oh, no, it was nothing at all. Thank you for escorting him."
"Just doing my duty."
Alex ordered another plate and handed it to Kondo.
"Itadakimasu (Thank you for the meal)"
"He’s a bodyguard, protecting the area around the Rokumeikan."
"Yes. I was born on a farm, so it's a great honor to protect the ambassador and the secretaries."
"What do you grow at your family home?"
"Sweet potatoes."
"Ah, from Saitama?"
"That's right. It's mostly farmland..."
"I love sweet potatoes. I'm so glad there are still shops around..."
Indeed, in reality, Sara had her favorite sweet potato dessert shop. A new store had opened recently, but there had been long lines, and she hadn't been able to get in yet.
"...They pair perfectly with ice cream..."
Just as she was about to continue, it suddenly hit her.
(That was a conversation neither of them could understand.)
“…I’m sorry. I talked too much by myself…”
“I’ll send you from my home.”
“No, it’s fine. I didn’t mean it that way.”
While Alex was paying, Kondo and Sara waited outside the store. The sun beat down relentlessly, and while Sara had an umbrella, Kondo only wore a hat, beads of sweat rolling down his cheeks.
“Would you like to come under the umbrella?”
“N-no, that would be too much.”
Kondo refused seriously, his demeanor reminiscent of a young baseball player.
Sara then opened her mouth to speak.
“How long have you known my husband?”
“It’s been three years. He became a second secretary, and I was assigned as a bodyguard right after.”
“Then you might know. Has he always been Alexander Nocturne?”
“…What?”
“His name. I was wondering why he’s called Alexander.”
“No, Mr. Nocturne has always been Mr. Nocturne.”
“…Really?”
It still felt strange. Why did he have an English name?
“Always? Has anyone ever called him by a different name or written a different name on a list?”
“No, I don’t know of anyone. But everyone calls him ‘Alexander Nocturne.’”
Sara remained unconvinced, but just then, Alex returned, and Kondo left.
Watching Kondo walk away, she remembered.
(Now that I think about it, didn’t I meet him while living in Okutama? He called me ‘Madam’….)
—So he lived here. But wait, I heard that Madam passed away.
What did he go on to say?
—I’m sorry to stop you. But if you are the Madam, I can understand why he disappeared.
“…”
The setting sun slowly lengthened Kondo’s shadow. Even though it should still be hot, a chill began to creep into her legs.
(Did Sarah die? When? And Alex went to Okutama?)
When she returned to the mansion, she wrote a note. The name Alexander Nocturne had been used for at least three years.
(But still, it’s strange. How should I search for this? Alex’s parents?)
A sigh escaped her lips. She had never played detective before. What clues should she look for?
However, there might have been a significant discovery. Yuge Sarah. She was likely to lose her life in the next three years… that was a possibility.
(If that’s true, I’m borrowing her precious time. I have to cherish it at least. Yes, if I explore the reasons for their marriage, I might learn more about Alexander Nocturne. If it was an arranged marriage, they should have a profile neatly prepared.)
Instead of a futon, she lay down on a bed in this era.
Alex came over and lay down beside her, stroking Sara’s hair.
“Alex…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Why are you called Alex?”
“Because that’s my name.”
“And me?”
“You are Sarah Nocturne. My wife.”
“What if it’s different?”
Those words slipped out. Words she hadn’t even thought of.
Alex gazed at Sara, tangled his fingers in her hair, and after a moment, said, “There’s proof that you are you.”
“Eh?”
Sara’s eyes widened. She had never heard of such a thing.
“I’m the only one who knows. You wouldn’t know either.”
Saying this, Alex smiled with a certain pride.
“Come here.”
Alex beckoned and pulled Sara into his arms.
His body was so warm, large, and pulsing strongly. Suddenly, Sara remembered her time in Okutama and felt warmth in her eyes.
“Are you anxious?”
“…Yeah.”
“It’s okay. Everything will settle where it belongs.”
“Alex.”
“What?”
“I want to know more about you…”
Sara's voice was laced with tears.
Sara looks up and bumps into Alex's eyes. Deep colors like the winter night sky.
As I stared, I remembered what happened in Okutama.
"You say strange things sometimes."
"Do you think it's weird?"
"No, you're you, Sarah. But I don't know much about you."
Sara bit her lip as she stared at Alex. Then Alex's fingers reach out and peck Sara's cheek.
"It's a luxury to want to know everything."
He smiles as he says this, leaning over Sara and kissing her ear.
"Hah......"
As she wiggled her body in the pleasure of losing her hips, Alex's lips overlapped Sara's. Their tongues slip in and become entangled so hot that they almost melt.
"…… Is it extravagant?"
Sara purses her lips and Alex looks at her happily.
"Yeah...... The tears were retracted."
Alex's hand strokes the corner of her eye, and Sara notices. Was it his own consideration?
"…… Gentle my husband."
"What?"
"You can see a lot of things on the bed."
"Huh, for example?"
"…… You like to make me moan."
"…… I know better. But that's just one thing. There's a lot more."
"More?"
Alex's hand crept into her nightgown and caressed her breasts without untying her belt.
Hot fingertips touch the nipples. Sara shrugged her shoulders.
"This breast too."
Alex's hand rubs Sara's chewy breasts as if she were enjoying it, and when she peels off her nightgown from her shoulders, he licks her nipples with he's tongue.
"This one responds to my caresses, too."
"Oh...... Huh?"
When my nipples were attacked, my lower abdomen ached in an instant. Sarah and he must have loved each other very much.
Alex lays Sara's body on her side and strokes her ass. Even though I was only touched gently, I felt a surprising amount of pleasure.
"It's soft here, too."
"Well, I already know...... Huh?"
Alex's hand caressed her thigh, slowly coming inside.
It's already found out that it's wet.
Sara grabbed his hand to stop him, but he couldn't match her strength and his hand caressed her inner thigh, and even though Sara closed her eyes, his hand moved away.
"I like the look on your face, but I don't want to see your crying face."
Feeling Alex's body heat on her back, Sara opened her eyes and turned to look behind her, her eyes met with him as he was gently lustful.
Heat rises on the cheeks.
"……"
Feel his passion in the ass. But as long as Sara doesn't like it, he won't do anything.
Sara lifted one leg and guided Alex's hand down her abdomen. Alex opens his mouth and exhales a trembling breath.
"…… Don't you like this place?"
His fingers touch her, which is wet under her fluffy pubic hair, which is the same as her hair type. That's enough to make me.
"I'm sure I'll like it."
"Alex......"
With their eyes still met, Alex's fingers scoop up the thick nectar, trace their labia, and stroke their.
"Huh......"
"You like it here, don't you?"
"…… Yes...... Huh?"
"Inside, too."
"Oh!"
With a squeak, Alex's middle finger slipped inside and jerked around.
"You like to be done at the same time, did you know?"
"I don't know...... Ah......!"
His fingers touched the sensitive part inside, and at the same time his thumb flicked her.
It seems that the heat of pleasure spreads in the body. I cleared my throat and inhaled, grabbing the sheets.
"Do you like it?"
"Wow...... I like you. Fondness...... Huh?"
"Yes, I like it too. This part of you always melts softly and makes you hear your nasty voice. And ......."
Her fingers are pulled out sly, and Sara turns around unsatisfied.
As I stared, wishing I had more filling, I heard Alex loosen the front of his nightgown.
"It's going to cling to mine."
His thing, which has become hard, sinks.
The joy of being filled inside wins out over the feeling of pressure. Sara closed her eyes and grabbed the pillow.
"Squeeze it, to be spoiled, it's so adorable."
Alex holds Sara's leg and proceeds to place the blade in the scabbard. He is completely familiar with it, and the inside of Sara is in his shape.
I accepted his stuff effortlessly, the inside rippling and wriggling as if to suck on his thing.
"Hmm...... Whew!"
It's a different way to hit than usual. A new pleasure reverberates inside like an electric current.
"It's a shame that it's hard to see their faces."
Alex's lips touch the nape of her neck, his breath touches.
Light pleasure spreads throughout the body.
It's as if it's floating.
Sara had a different tear in her eyes as she reached for Alex's face and stroked his hair.
Alex sucks on her lips instead of her earlobe, which corners Sara.
"Ahh...!!"
A razzling voice began to come out, and Alec, perhaps inspired by it, sped up rapidly.
- It hits the back of the house, and when it comes out, the vaginal flesh clings to him and does not let go.
Alec's nape and underneath it...... He kisses the base of her neck many times.
The air soaked with sweat and deeds fills the bedroom, and the helplessly leaking voices of the two of them cling to the eardrums.
It was before dawn that the heat in their bodies subsided.
Entering the Rokumeikan, Sara changed into her dress.
She was present as an interpreter for diplomats dealing with British women.
There were no other Japanese women around, and the tall women laughed softly, covering their mouths with fans while giggling at the Japanese men.
"Well, it seems the children are doing their best," one said.
"They're adorable," another added.
"We shouldn't tease them. They want to be like us," someone remarked behind their fans.
Among them were also ladies of high society, one of whom commented,
"What a diligent nation you have. The Rokumeikan is wonderful, but I really love the texture of the kimono and the intricate patterns. Can I take one as a souvenir?"
It was clear that people were varied; they couldn't be lumped together.
Josiah Condor, too, was said to have been so captivated by Japan that he wanted to create architecture that blended both Western and Japanese beauty rather than focusing solely on his work back home. This thought relieved Sara.
While afternoon tea was popular in Japan, Sara had never experienced it.
Now she regretted not having gone when she had the chance, but it was too late for regrets. Even the etiquette had its rules and was difficult; it made her feel tense.
Alex was working in his own way, and although they danced together at the ball, they didn’t have as much time to see each other as she had hoped.
Around noon, Sara was granted permission to return home and thought she would leave right away, but the sound of cicadas drew her attention back.
There stood a boy. He wore a hat, a shirt, and riding pants held up by suspenders. In his small hands, he held a newspaper.
"..."
Wouldn't it be possible to move more freely in that way?
Sara hurried home, searching for Mrs. oiwa. She was in the middle of mending the children’s clothes.
“Is something wrong, madam?”
“Actually…”
Sara cut into a plain kimono and began to tailor it into trousers. She was quite skilled at sewing. Though she didn’t have a sewing machine, she progressed quickly.
Three days later, she finished a pair of riding pants and a hat, similar to those worn by the newspaper delivery boy.
“Oh, what an interesting hakama. What are you planning to do with it?”
“I had an idea.”
Sara wrapped her somewhat larger-than-average chest with a binding cloth, put on a shirt, and slipped into the pants, tucking her hair under the hat.
“How do I look?”
“Well… you look like a boy.”
“Really? That’s great! It worked! Mrs. oiwa, please keep this a secret from Alex.”
“A secret? I won’t allow anything dangerous.”
“There’s no danger! It’s fine! I’m just going out for a bit…”
With that, Sara stepped outside, heading to the government office.
“Alexander Nocturne?”
“Yes, he’s from Satsuma.”
“Please wait a moment… Ah!”
The official quickly fetched the registry and began searching the names.
It was a rare name, so she expected it would be found quickly, but he merely muttered, “Hmm.”
“Satsuma… Nocturne… no, it’s not here.”
“What?”
Sara furrowed her brow.
“That can’t be. He’s a second secretary.”
“Ha ha, quite an impressive fellow. But the name isn’t here.”
“…What? Why not…”
“Oh, it’s not in Satsuma, but it is here. Nagasaki. Huh?”
Sara leaned forward. The official pointed to the document and showed it to her.
Indeed, “アレクサンダー・ノクターン” was written there, along with the spelling “Alexander Nocturne.”
The spouse’s name should be “Yuge Sarah,” but over that name, lines had been drawn multiple times, as if someone wanted to erase it. Sahara couldn’t read her name in kanji.
It was a chilling sight. Moreover, there was no information about his parents.
“Nagasaki…?”
“Ah, see? It’s not in Satsuma.”
“Why…”
“I don’t know. Ask him yourself. Next, please!”
(It’s as if I have no clues… If it’s a government official, their identity should be solid, right?)
The mystery only deepens.
At this point, Sara want to see Edgar. He might know something, right?
Thinking this, Sara walked home and ran into him. -Is it true that wishes come true?
“Mr. Edgar!”
“Miss, have you found out anything?”
“No. Rather, I’m more confused.”
“Oh? Are you talking about Alexander Nocturne?”
“Yes… and about Sarah as well.”
When Sara shared what she had seen at the office, Edgar stroked his chin with a frown.
“This is serious. Miss, you’re cross-dressing. Good choice.”
“Is that what we’re talking about now?”
“Yes. It’s important. Listen, this is a mirror world, but it’s also connected to the past. The way wishes come true is unpredictable, but one thing is clear: a woman’s jealousy is frightening. She has been searching for Alexander Nocturne and will meet him soon. It’s dangerous for you to be with him. Keep your distance.”
“Um… I don’t understand at all.”
“It can’t be helped. I have to explain this while hiding from her. And be careful. I don’t know if the wishes are too strong, but this world is becoming strange. There’s a force, a sort of gravity, swirling around. If we’re not careful, everyone might get sucked in and not be able to escape.”
Edgar spoke seriously, but it was such an absurd story that Sara could only tilt her head in confusion.
“Can you be a little more specific?”
“Alright. Whether I can get out of here depends on you, so I’ll help as much as I can. Something foreign has infiltrated this world. If you find something strange, be cautious.”
“Something strange?”
“For example, something from your original time.”
“...Then, wouldn’t I be that something?”
“No, the ‘you’ of now is properly a person of this time, not a foreign element.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
Is it that I’m Sarah?
“Right now, you?”
“The you who was in Okutama is a foreign element, but not anymore… Ah. Sorry. She’s about to find me. The presence is getting closer… Be careful, miss. She has emerald eyes…”
Edgar crouched down, holding his head, and then vanished.
Next → 【鏡中夢幻ーEphemeral Fantasies Within the Mirror】Episode9
