Chapter Text
'Dear esteemed Mother and Father,
Please allow me to convey my deepest apology. For in the end, I, Chigasaki Konomi, am unable to uphold our family's vow and protect our honor.
I know how important my betrothal to the court noble is for our family, yet I am a mere weak human being. I am with a heart I cannot fool. In the end, despite how many times I convinced myself otherwise, I am unable to proceed the wedding knowing my heart belongs to another. I know what I am doing is a grave, unforgivable sin, thus I do not, in my good conscience, expect the family to accept my apology. Please at least know that my feelings are sincere. I am very sorry. It may seem futile but I do still hope for the best for the family I can no longer be a part of.
I wish you all well.
Always yours,
Chigasaki Konomi.'
It is all that's left of Itaru's sister. A parchment with her neat handwriting on her dressing table. Her graceful figure was nowhere to be found in the vast Chigasaki household. It's like the full moon has swallowed her whole.
The full moon who's supposed to bear witness of her wedding the next day.
Itaru never really saw this outcome coming. Konomi was the perfect example of a perfect life. Born into a wealthy merchant family, she was prepped, educated, and dolled up to be a sign of status; the fruit of prosperity. She answered all expectations with her chin held high. Her engagement with the second son of that Utsuki family of the court noble was just the icing on the cake.
Itaru had always been in the shadows of her achievements. The ‘mediocre second son’. The fact that he’s male alone already guaranteed their family’s business would fall upon him someday but everything had always been about Konomi. How perfect she was. She was their golden child.
He was fine with that. It was not like he wanted the spotlight anyway.
And yet the golden child eloped and left their family in shambles.
“We can’t postpone the wedding so suddenly!”
“What should we do? The nobles won’t have it if we can’t present them their bride!”
“They’ll execute us for fraud like this!”
Itaru stays silent amongst the riot his relatives were throwing around, pink eyes glued to the tatami mats below. The urgent family meeting after they found Konomi’s letter, unsurprisingly, erupted into chaos as soon as it started. His mother and father seem to be affected the most, no surprises there. They are also silent amongst the growing pressure from the other family members. Their hearts are still processing Konomi’s disappearance and now another issue is already piled on top of it.
“Should we offer our other relative? So long as our business can prosper and we have connections to the noble court!”
True. They’re just pawns in the end. Konomi didn’t have problems playing their favorite one. Until one day she did.
“But no one else is of the right age! And they agreed to marry their son off because it’s Konomi! We can’t just… suddenly replace her like that! Not with the wedding mere hours away!”
“Can’t we just stall until we can renew our agreement?”
Of course, the greedy hands won’t let go of this chance even with their lives on the line. Itaru will never get this way of thinking revolving around wealth. Though, in some twisted way, those greedy bastards are indeed the reason his life is so laid back and he has it easy. Money talks.
“.... Itaru…”
He raises his head when he hears his name. “... yes?”
“Can we trust you?”
“Eh…?”
This is a bad idea.
“Deep breath, Itaru-san.”
Scratch that. This is a terrible idea.
“He will find out. He will find out and then we have to cut our stomach open,” Itaru trembles under the nerve. Luckily the veil he wears hides the sheer emotional damage he’s feeling right now. Also Azami’s hands are there to prop him up. That’s probably the main factor as to why he is still standing under the weight of expectation and the surprisingly heavy white wedding kimono.
“He won’t. But yea probably he will if you continue to be a mess like this. Then we die.”
“Is that how you offer supporting words?”
Itaru couldn’t believe his ears when his relative offered the genius plan that he, the one with most likeness to his sister, takes over Konomi’s wedding until things are resolved (what). And everyone jumped on it like it was the idea of the century (it’s not?). There was no gap for him to say no.
And thus is the short summary, sans the mental breakdown on Itaru’s part, of why he is here, wearing the beautifully crafted white wedding kimono, all dolled up to mimic Konomi’s beauty. Even Itaru has to admit to himself that he can barely see 'Itaru' in the disguise. He is totally… his sister. All he has to do is change his posture and walk to appear smaller than he is.
All thanks to Azami, one of the youngest from the Ginsenkai shinobi clan. Those hands worked magic.
Itaru knows his family is on very good terms with the Ginsenkai. They’re basically his family’s mercenaries. He just never expected the day would come when the Ginsenkai lend their hand on a wedding of all things. Azami is also supposed to accompany him undercover, thus the dark haired young man himself is dressed in modest feminine kimono, his youthful face polished with flawless makeup to serve as ‘Konomi’s attendant’.
Anyway, despite the strong backup, Itaru still thinks this idea is terrible.
“Deep breath,” Azami repeats.
“Fuck this.”
“Honestly same but,” Azami pins Itaru with his emerald orbs. “You have no choice. And it’s only until they manage to negotiate, after that it’s over.”
“And when is that?”
“Dunno, don’t ask me.”
Itaru groans.
He takes a deep breath anyway.
Okay, he can do his. He has no choice. It’s just pretending to be his sister for a while. Easy. He will gaslight himself until he can do this. He will pull this off so perfectly even Konomi herself can’t nitpick anything from his act.
“I can do this,” he said in a lighter pitch to mimic his sister's lighter voice.
Azami smiles. “Damn right.”
Today is, unexpectedly, Itaru’s wedding day.
Maybe gaslighting works after all.
The ceremony went off without a hitch. A pleasant surprise for Itaru.
They had exchanged vows and with the sips from the sake cup, the wedding was sealed. In front of the priest and the whole family. As expected from Azami's expert skills. So far no one called him out or halted the ceremony, even when the sacred procession was over and the festivities moved to one of Utsuki's lavish properties. Dinners were served and chatters from both sides of the freshly bonded families directed attention away from the newlyweds.
The family showers them both with praises. Matchmade from heaven they said. No worries about family bloodline they said. Stronger position in the officials they said. Some of the elders specifically sit beside Itaru so they could talk and get to know 'their new daughter' better. Itaru just smiles and nods along, answering only when asked questions.
Smooth sailing. Smooth sailing.
"Konomi-san, are you tired?"
Itaru blinks, looking up to the face of...Konomi's husband. His husband? This is confusing.
Utsuki Chikage is… handsome, to say the least. He is tall, even taller than Itaru at his full height. Sharp deep blue eyes under round spectacles, high cheekbones, neatly trimmed olive colored hair. Objectively attractive. Or that's what Itaru tells himself. Itaru saw him several times when the noble family paid visits to court Konomi back then, yet never actually interacted with the man himself.
Gentlemanly, polite, and regarded favorably by the emperor himself; the Utsuki's second son is another gem Itaru heard so much about. No wonder the union with Konomi is anticipated on both sides. They're basically the picture perfect couple. The chosen ones.
There's something very off with Chikage's smile though, and Itaru couldn't put his fingers as to why.
"I'm okay my lord," Itaru seamlessly answers in his feminine voice. "It's just… a little overwhelming."
"I know," Chikage smiles again. "We can excuse ourselves early if you want. You're not supposed to be too tired, aren't you?"
"Yes, thank you."
It's a risky move to distance himself from the crowd and be placed under Chikage's direct scrutiny, yet it's something he couldn't evade forever. Azami should be around if he ever needed backup. Itaru shouldn’t worry about ‘consummating the wedding’ because their family made up some bullshit that Konomi's body was still recuperating from illness so the family doctor advised she shouldn't do strenuous physical activities for awhile. Itaru just needs to make sure he and Chikage never get physical. His and Konomi's bodies aren't exactly similar after all. As much as the kimono can hide his form, there are just some things he can't change.
Itaru just needs to keep up the act, and keep the distance. He will be fine.
The room Chikage brought them both to is fancy and large, away from prying eyes and the festivities happening in the main hall. The beautiful decorations and the sheer size of the room implies the place to be rather important. It also feels lived in, with books and scrolls and the crowded low table. Perhaps it's Chikage's room? He should take note to relay the info to Azami later.
"From today onwards this will also be your room. So feel free to use it to your liking," Chikage closes the sliding door behind them.
So it is his room.
"I'd like to know you better, Konomi-san," Chikage's sweet voice rings so many alarm bells inside Itaru's head. "We're family now, after all."
"As am I…" Itaru picks the most acceptable neutral thing to say in situations like this. Hopefully not rejecting enough yet not advancing. He hopes this isn't some cue for Chikage to start being handsy. "We can… take things slow?"
"Wonderful," Chikage's smooth voice from behind feels so much closer. Itaru can feel the other's breath beside his ear. Itaru's heart starts racing. "We can begin from who are you and why are you impersonating Konomi?"
Itaru feels a cold tip of a blade against his throat. His blood runs cold.
"What—"
"You may fool others but not me. Though I have to give it to you for the immaculate impersonation. Now, answer my questions."
So much for keeping up the act. Turns out it's a bust from the very beginning. Itaru stills, gulping in hope that Chikage is just playing some sick, twisted prank on his wife.
On second thought that is way worse.
"There's a very good reason behind this, my lord, I can explain—"
"Get to the point," Itaru feels the increased pressure on his neck. The blade nicking his skin ever so slightly. Chikage's voice carries its initial polite tone but it's now cold and uncaring. Bloody murder in his eyes and Itaru is trapped. "Come on, we don't have all night."
"I'm—" he tries so hard not to stammer. "Chigasaki… Itaru…"
"....the little brother?"
"Yes," Itaru has given up on the feminine voice by now. "My sister… unexpectedly eloped the day before the wedding. So this is some twisted, blotchy plan to save the day. Which obviously failed. We mean no disrespect and no harm, my lord. Just saving faces, you know how it is. Anyway if you're gonna execute me may I request it to be as painless as possible? I'm not good with pain. Or physical exercises."
The blond is rambling at that point. Chikage didn't even ask all that but Itaru couldn't care less.
"Huh, you're relatives. No wonder you did good parading around as her…"
The noble withdraws the blade away and sheaths the weapon back.
"Huh?"
Itaru blinks, daring himself to meet Chikage's blue eyes.
"Interesting. I thought you were an assassin. Sorry about that, I just need to be safe you know," the smile is back as Chikage regards Itaru from top to bottom.
"....um… you're not going to kill me?"
"Should I?"
This is a very weird exchange, if you ask Itaru.
"I mean, don't this kind of offense warrant death, usually?"
"Yes if you're found out."
"....I just got found out, haven't I?"
"That depends," the smile on Chikage's face promises many things and Itaru doesn't know whether or not he likes it. Everything gets confusing really fast.
"I'm not… sure where this is going, my lord…"
"Let's just say I have my own agenda, Chigasaki," Chikage starts, crossing his arms as he addresses Itaru properly. "And it's safe to say that this… little treason aligns perfectly with my goal. So what do you say? We can continue this wedding like before. You're safe, our family is happy, I get what I want. Win-win situation, don't you think?"
Itaru needs a while to find his voice back. "You want to continue… faking the marriage?"
"Smart guy, aren't you?" The praise coming out from Chikage's mouth sounds rather mocking. "Yes, that is exactly what I want."
Itaru is rendered speechless.
"So, what is your answer, Chigasaki Itaru?"