Volume 1/The Witch's Lamplight

## The Witch's Lamplight

**The Witch's Lamplight** (魔女の灯火, *Majo no Touka*?) is the third and final chapter of *Hanabishi Fusai no Taima-chou* Volume 1.

## Summary

After returning from the Hanabishi residence, Suzuko notices a strange mark on her ankle. She decides to ask Takafuyu about it later. The formal exchange of engagement gifts is held, although Yukiko and Asako are incensed about the wedding ceremony already being completed. Takafuyu had asked Suzuko's father for his approval but not her sisters. Yukiko and Asako both feel sad about the fact that Suzuko is already getting married and will soon leave the Takigawa residence. They tell her that she is welcome to return home if she doesn't like her marriage.

Suzuko and Takafuyu take the train to the Hanabishi villa in Hayama, where they will stay for about a week. The villa is tended to by Takafuyu's adoptive parents, Chouhachirou and Kiku Sasaki. After having lunch at the villa, Suzuko and Takafuyu go on a walk around the mansion, led by Isamu Kojima, a boy from the neighbourhood who had come to the villa as a helper. Suzuko spots a mansion with a red roof, and Isamu tells them that it was once Viscount Sasao's villa, and that no one lives there now because it is haunted by the viscountess's ghost.

The three decide to head there. On the way, Isamu tells them that Viscountess Sasao died after falling down the stairs of the villa's tower, and Viscount Sasao died a week later, run over by a train while being heavily drunk. The Sasao family died out because of a lack of heirs. The villa now belongs to the viscountess's relatives, and a caretaker couple looks after it. The couple is chanting a strange kind of nembutsu (which Suzuko finds familiar) in their hut when the group knocks on the door. Takafuyu asks the old man about the villa. He tells them that it was managed by the Furuya family, the family of Viscountess Mineko. The Furuyas were much wealthier compared to the Sasaos and had bought the villa. The viscount had witnessed Mineko's fall and called for a doctor, but it was too late for her. The old man had seen the ghost walking around inside the villa, going from room to room. The old couple chant nembutsu everyday in fear of the ghost coming out. The old man is hesitant to talk more about Mineko, due to the fact that he was scolded by the Furuyas for spreading rumors, and closes the door on them. Isamu offers to ask around the neighborhood about the ghost, and Takafuyu asks him to also find out more about the nembutsu.

That night, Suzuko runs into Kiku after taking a bath. Kiku tells her that she and her husband are relieved that a level-headed girl like her is now by Takafuyu's side. She also implies that there was something more to Takafuyu's conception when Suzuko asks who Takafuyu's mother was, but didn't tell her. Suzuko then goes to the bedroom she was given, only to find out that she would be sharing a bed with Takafuyu. Seeing her touch the bruise on her ankle, he explains that it is the mark of the Hanabishi family, given to her by Awaji no Kimi. He shows her his own on his chest. Suzuko reveals the burn on her hand, which Takafuyu identifies as covering another wound. The two go to bed and Suzuko falls asleep first.

Takafuyu watches her sleep, thinking about how her presence in his life changed it forever. He becomes overwhelmed by his memories of his mother rejecting his touch, which wakes Suzuko up. She comforts him, and he tells her the truth about his parentage. He is the son of his grandfather and his father's wife, who is Takafuyu's mother in both the family registry and by blood. Since the Hanabishi heir must be born of a bride chosen by Awaji no Kimi, his grandfather decided to force himself on his son's wife instead of finding another bride. His mother hated Takafuyu, and she and her husband chose to drown themselves in the sea years later. Suzuko tells him that it is his grandfather who destroyed the Hanabishis, not him, and that they will rebuild the family together. The two share an intimate moment together.

The next morning, Suzuko wakes up later than Takafuyu, who had already received information from Isamu. They visit the Sasao villa again. On the way there, Takafuyu tells Suzuko that Viscountess Sasao was called a witch by the neighbors because she preferred to dress in black Western dresses and wear mourning jewelry made of black jet. Like Suzuko, she was apparently a clairvoyant and consulted with people about their problems. The viscountess would talk about her faith with them and give them a picture of the god she believed in, telling them that their troubles would disappear if they believed in her god. However, she never charged them any money or solicited donations. Isamu heard from the neighbors that the wife of the caretaker couple is one convert. Takafuyu notes that the nembutsu they are chanting is the mixture of a ritual incantation and mantra, and seems to be the religious chant of the viscountess's religion.

Takafuyu gets the old man lower his guard by saying that he can perform an exorcism to get rid of the ghost. It is revealed that the nembutsu is actually a divine song that belongs to the god, whose name is Sanko-sama. They are shown a picture of the god, who has three faces and six arms. The old woman mentions that the viscountess was practically imprisoned in the villa by her husband, who mainly lived in Tokyo and rarely came to visit her except to tell her to give up on her religion. The old woman suspects that he was the one who pushed her down the steps, and that he was cursed to die soon afterwards. The viscountess was considered a nuisance by her family even before her marriage, because she had been in love with her family's chauffeur. However, the chauffeur contracted tuberculosis and eventually died. The viscountess had considered following him into death, but it was Sanko-sama who "saved" her.

The group goes to the villa to see the ghost, who is appearing and disappearing at random spots in the room. Awaji no Kimi appears and tries to go after the ghost, but is blocked by an invisible barrier. Takafuyu learns from the caretaker couple that the viscountess had buried amulets in the four corners of the grounds of the house as protection against evil. After digging them up, the barrier disappears, and Suzuko and Takafuyu enter the house. They head to the tower where the viscountess died. There, Takafuyu tells Suzuko that he thinks Sanko-sama is actually Sankoshin, a fox god, and the Touka Faith is centred around Sankoshin and the Daten doctrine, which is characterized by wish fulfillment and benefits gained through Buddhist teachings. Just then, the ghost appeared behind them. Takafuyu points out that the ghost appears to be looking for something. Awaji no Kimi appears again and goes after the ghost. Suzuko begins to search the tower room and eventually spots a small silver object outside the window. The object is a pocket watch with an engraving of Sankoshin on the back. Suzuko races downstairs and presents the watch to the viscountess, who disappears upon touching it. Awaji no Kimi glares at Suzuko, but she refuses to look away. Takafuyu catches up to her, and she tells him what happened. She declares that she won't do what Awaji no Kimi wants and that she will eradicate her. She questions if the curse actually exists and wants to research the Hanabishi family history in order to find a breakthrough. Takafuyu tells her that he will follow her lead.

When they leave the mansion, they see the caretaker couple being scolded by an unfamiliar man. He introduces himself as Atsushi Furuya, the older brother of the viscountess. Takafuyu informs him that he has exorcised the viscountess's ghost and shows him the pocket watch. Furuya recognizes it as belonging to his sister. The three sit down inside the mansion's living room, where Furuya proceeds to tell them about his family. The Furuya family is very religious, and thus his sister Mineko was deeply religious from a young age and highly sensitive, often saying strange things like claiming to see ghosts. Then, Mineko fell in love with the family driver, who became ill with tuberculosis. He was sent to a hospital in Osaka, and Mineko wanted to go with him, but the family dissuaded her by telling her to pray for his recovery. That was when Mineko became obsessed with religion, donating money to different faiths to ask them to pray for her. Eventually, she ended up at the Touka Faith.

The driver died, but Mineko's mental state remained stable by praying to the god of the Touka Faith. She started acting like a clairvoyant, finding lost things and telling fortunes. Her family had enough and forced her onto Viscount Sasao with a large dowry. They assumed that he was a kindhearted man, but he immediately abandoned Mineko in the villa after their marriage and returned to Tokyo. She continued to tell fortunes and spread the Touka Faith in Hayama, refusing to stop no matter how many times Furuya told her to. Viscount Sasao was also worried about the potential scandal, since the government could force him to return his title if the scandal broke out.

Suzuko learns that Mineko started wearing her jet jewellery after she got married and hypothesizes that she wore jet to signify that her heart was dead. With no one supporting her, her faith was her sole lamplight. No one from the Touka Faith came to Mineko's funeral, and the viscount had gone missing during that time. He was found a week later, having been run over by a train while drunk. Furuya thanks them for what they have done and mentions that he had met Saneaki before.

After Furuya leaves, Takafuyu tells Suzuko that Saneaki had a pine crest. She reassures him by telling him that many people have pine crests, including her own brother, and that even if Saneaki was the murderer, it doesn't change the fact that Takafuyu is her husband. That night, Takafuyu tells her that he wants her to fall in love with him, and asks her not to abandon him.

The next day, the two go on a boat ride in the sea.

## Characters

* Suzuko Takigawa
* Asako
* Yukiko
* Marquis Takigawa (mentioned)
* Chizu
* Yoshitada Takigawa (mentioned)
* Yoshimi Takigawa (mentioned)
* Chouhachirou Sasaki
* Kiku Sasaki
* Isamu Kojima
* Taka
* Shinichirou Yura
* Takami Hanabishi (mentioned)
* Harumi Hanabishi (mentioned)
* Saneaki Hanabishi (mentioned)
* Viscount Sasao (mentioned)
* Mineko Sasao
* Yoshino Hanabishi (mentioned)
* Furuya driver (mentioned)
* Atsushi Furuya
* Saneaki Hanabishi (mentioned)