Machiko accepts this with a bow. She merely wonders why Honjowara -sama would choose to assure her that this lady, a close associate of many years, considered by some to be his mistress, would speak only the truth. Machiko would expect such a person, no less than Zoge-san and Honjowara -sama's other close associates, to speak only the truth. The assurance seems unnecessary, and yet she knows that Honjowara -sama rarely does things that are unnecessary.