Today was the night when people in the village released sky lanterns. She always dreamed of looking at this, but she was not allowed out of the palace at night because of the possible danger. She threw on the servant's kimono, which she had managed to steal during the day, and tiptoed around the yard. When she was ready to slip through the gate, she heard the voice of her samurai bodyguard, Yoshinori, behind her.

“Are you going far, madame?” In an instant he was in front of her.