11.2 All Travail is Worth the Effort in the End
Part Two: Sumire
The Education of Sumire Min is a previously unpublished novel by S. Jae-Jones. Chapters will be emailed every Friday at 5PM EST. If you do not wish to receive the next chapter, but want to remain subscribed for other updates, you may unsubscribe from the book here.
Continued from part 1.
The Emperor called for a holiday to celebrate their victories in Q’in, and so the streets of every city from Heian to Edo were filled with revellers. Vendors from all corners of the nation flocked to thoroughfares, selling everything from sweet barbequed octopus and good luck charms. Dancers, performers, soothsayers, mystics, priests, and miko flooded the streets, their robes as bright and varicolored as the leaves on the trees. Taking advantage of the fine autumn day and the festival-like atmosphere, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to host an outing through the streets of Heian for the British party, keeping it an informal and casual affair before the state banquet that evening.
That Sumire was not excited was a lie, even as she tried to deny to herself the reason for her elation. A day spent strolling with Corliss beneath trees aflame with crimson, gold, and scarlet leaves was as blissful a fantasy as she never dared hope to dream, and the rush of blood to her cheeks had nothing to do with the crisp temperatures that had settled over the city.