Aisareru kizoku no hanayome written by Tono Haruhi and illustrated by Asato Eiri
Aisareru kizoku no hanayome written by Tono Haruhi and illustrated by Asato Eiri is the other book in the "Kizoku" series I referred to in my summary of the S&M-fest of prettiness. As the title indicates (tr. Beloved Bride of the Nobility), this features cross-dressing person-switching arranged marriage (okay, the title doesn't quite indicate all that, but you know what I mean...). I eat this trope up, as long as it's not done in a completely crappy way. And this is not done in a crappy way (well, depends on one's definition of "crap"...), it's just completely conventional. The uke is such a female heroine stand-in it's mind-boggling, but I found him rather endearing. It was hard to be irritated at his more wimpy aspects because the author was just so intent on making him behave exactly like a heroine-with-secret/issues-except-with-dick. Also, I'm a sucker for the polite language used by the servants and Kazuha and how it contrasts with the more blunt commanding language used by Sou. The other "Kazoku" series book was mostly full of conversation between equals, so they didn't use the more formal language. :P
In any case, the basic premise of the story: Takayanagi Kazuha's life is turned upside down when his twin sister dies in an accident right before her marriage to Shigenoi Sou, heir of Count Shigenoi. The Takayanagi family, honorable and ancient and titled, was on its way to bankruptcy. The only way to save it was the marriage to the wealthy Shigenoi family. But even as they contemplate loss of everything, Sou proposes that Kazuha take the place of his dead sister and marry him....And things proceed in the most cliched manner possible. No, really. I don't think there is a single original or surprising thing in this...
Kazuha and his father Viscount Takayanagi are waiting for Kazuha's twin sister Touko and mother to return from a short girls-only trip when they receive word from the police that the two had been killed in a car accident. They are both grieved over their loss, but Kazuha's father also immediately worries about their family's future. Touko's marriage to the heir of the very rich Count Shigenoi was to secure their future from the specter of bankruptcy. Kazuha learns of just how dire their straights are, and curses how useless he is to do anything at all. He is surprised and flustered when Shigenoi Sou comes calling, and is even more surprised and flustered to find out Sou knows that Touko is dead...But nothing takes him more by surprise than Sou's proposal that Kazuha marry Sou in Touko's place. Sou claims that he has his own reasons for wanting to marrying Touko. He calmly tells Kazuha that as long as Sou, Kazuha and the Viscount, and the few loyal servants of the Takayanagi household who already know don't say anything, no one will ever find out.
Kazuha tells Sou he must speak with his father, having Sou leave for the time being. Though Kazuha thinks the whole business is madness, Sou is pretty confident that Kazuha's father will consent...
...And of course Sou is right. The Viscount is also initially taken aback, but quickly comes to see that it is the only way to save their family name and fortune. They announce that it was Kazuha and his mother who had died in the accident, and Kazuha takes on Touko's identity.
The wedding is beautiful, as are the bride and groom. The guests note that the bride doesn't look particularly happy, but they attribute that to the recent family tragedy. Kazuha, for his part, is filled with remorse that he had agreed to the marriage. How could they not be found out? What was the point of it all? Why can't his father and he live a simple life somewhere? He almost wants to declare that he isn't Touko right then and there, but of course he doesn't.
After the reception, Sou takes Kazuha to the "small" and "simple" mansion he had prepared for their married life. Kazuha is relieved to find out that he doesn't have to live with Sou's parents and have to constantly deceive them. He is resigned to the fact that he will share a room and a bed with Sou for appearances, but is quite surprised when Sou indicates that he wants to do more than sleep on the same bed. Sou claims Kazuha as his wife...
...With sex. A totally new and overwhelming experience for our blushing virgin. I tell you, this sex scene was like a model scene for the wedding night of an experienced husband and innocent wife. Things like Kazuha saying that he's scared and Sou telling him that he won't do anything horrible...
Thus begins Kazuha's married life, which consists of doing NOTHING. Geez, what the hell do married noble ladies do, normally? Because Sou goes out and does what gentlemen of leisure do (going to gentlemen's clubs, visiting his parents, etc), Kazuha is left with his wet-nurse Fuyu and the housekeeper. But Sou never fails to come back home and fuck Kazuha. Every night. Despite the daily sex, Kazuha doesn't understand Sou at all. Sou doesn't talk much, or smile, or really interact with Kazuha. The situation weighs down on Kazuha. One day he finds out that his father is acting strangely. He would drink and gamble too much, things he never used to do. Kazuha, concerned, wants to visit his father. But when he asks Sou for permission, Sou won't consent. He can't let Kazuha go back home only a month into the marriage. This only frustrates Kazuha even more. Once he even refuses to have sex, hoping for some kind of reaction from Sou. But Sou simply accepts Kazuha's refusal, which makes Kazuha only more unhappy. He doesn't know what he is to Sou, and isn't happy to just be his prop wife/sex doll.
A new person comes to live in the house, a student. Sou's father had introduced the student to Sou as a way to have a man in the house during the day, for security. The student is very much a country bumpkin, dazzled by the refined elegance of a noble lady. But instead of staying away from Kazuha, the student tries to strike up conversations with Kazuha. Kazuha politely declines all invitations and starts taking walks in the garden to get away, when one day he comes upon a little stray puppy. Feeding the puppy and playing with him briefly is the only joy he has. He does this furtively because he doesn't want the housekeeper (and consequently Sou) to find out about the puppy--what if Sou orders him to get rid of the puppy!
Kazuha telling Sou "no" but actually wanting the connection that sex provides...
Kazuha finds out from Fuyu that Sou had called on Kazuha's father, and that Kazuha's father had calmed down after that. Kazuha can't help but resent the fact that Sou apparently feels responsible for making Kazuha's father lonely by taking away his only remaining family member, but not enough to let Kazuha visit his own father. Fuyu suggests that this is because Sou loves Kazuha and was afraid that if Kazuha went to visit his father he wouldn't come back. Kazuha dismisses the idea as crazy, but Fuyu claims that Kazuha is just too naive to know what love is and that he'll eventually understand. (If only Kazuha listened to her! Side characters are almost always right when they point out these kinds of things! Would have cut out a lot of the moping...But I suppose then the story wouldn't have been long enough for a book. XD)
Fuyu, in an effort to cheer Kazuha up, had snuck in some of Kazuha's old (male) clothing from the Takayanagi residence. She suggests that he go out for a change of pace. He's disortiented by the outside world and wanders around aimlessly. As he's walking along he is taken by the sight of a very beautiful married woman obviously waiting for someone. He is shocked when the person she had been waiting for turns out to be Sou (what coincidence!). Kazuha had heard rumors that Sou was in love with and was having an affair with someone, and he can't help but think that he couldn't even begin to compete against the woman. He is even more devastated when he sees Sou treat the woman in an intimate and friendly manner. Sou catches sight of Kazuha and Kazuha runs from the scene. He figures Sou will be unhappy that Kazuha had seen him with his lover, as well as feel betrayed because Kazuha was dressed as a man. He despairs that Sou will completely neglect him, and considers going back to his father's house. But he knows that if he should and they are cut off by the Shigenoi, they will lose everything. He resolves to accept whatever punishment he is given and goes back to the house he shares with Sou.
Sou arrives home soon after Kazuha, angry. Fuyu tries to beg forgiveness but is sent away. Kazuha apologizes for going out without permission and dressing as a man. Sou asks if Kazuha is unhappy and regrets the marriage. He declares that no matter what Kazuha feels now, he has no intention of letting Kazuha go. They are married for good. Kazuha, for his part, realizes that he had felt jealous towards Sou's beautiful lover. He's started to fall in love with Sou (you know, because when you have sex every night you can't help but develop some kind of feelings...right?).
Kazuha thinks that Sou is still mad and doesn't want anything to do with Kazuha. But of course he's dead wrong. That night, Sou insists on having sex, and Kazuha is filled with sadness that he is subjected to the artificial physical closeness of sex without emotional intimacy. He wishes he could be truly loved as passionately as he is fucked...
Kazuha becomes only more disconsolate after that, which makes the puppy's death more devastating. The student lets him know so that he doesn't accidentally stumble on the body, but of course Kazuha rushes over despite the student's attempts to keep him away. The student digs a hole and they bury the puppy, the student declaring that the puppy must have been happy, having been loved so much by Kazuha. Fuyu suggests that Kazuha ask Sou to stick around during the day for a while. Kazuha refuses, believing that Sou wouldn't want to. Fuyu insists that it can't hurt to ask. She thinks that Sou might actually be waiting for Kazuha to ask him for things, but Kazuha tells her that Sou loves someone else. Fuyu doubts the rumor, but Kazuha is certain, having seen Sou with his lover with his own eyes.
Sou returns home early that day. Kazuha had been knitting a scarf (which he had initially begun just as a knitting exercise, but that had slowly turned into a scarf for Sou). Sou asks Kazuha if he's okay. Kazuha doesn't know what to make of his question and doesn't answer. Sou then comments that the yarn is a pretty color and asks who Kazuha is knitting for. Kazuha, too embarrassed to answer truthfully, replies that it isn't meant for anyone in particular. Sou remarks that Kazuha seems better than he had thought. He pushes some hair out of Kazuha's face and leaves the room, leaving Kazuha confused as to the meaning behind the whole exchange.
After seeing Kazuha grieve over the puppy, the student starts pestering him more. He tries to comfort the poor lonely wife he thinks Kazuha is and draw Kazuha out. Of course, Kazuha wants none of it--he's constantly afraid of his secret being discovered and the student is skeevy. He tries to avoid being alone with the student. But one day when only Kazuha and the student are in the house, the student declares his love for Kazuha. He'll treasure Kazuha dearly! They must run off together! Kazuha doesn't want to run away, but the student is carried away by his delusions. He can't believe that Kazuha wants to stay there, where his husband neglects him most of the time and does nasty dirty things to him at night (go, peeping tom skeevy boy!). Kazuha can't quite believe that the student had seen them have sex but not noticed that Kazuha wasn't a woman, but realizes that he's so deluded he couldn't see what was right in front of his face. Luckily Sou comes home early and saves him (perfect timing much?). Sou drives the student out, and after making sure Kazuha is okay gives Kazuha a puppy. Kazuha realizes that he has truly fallen in love with Sou. But this knowledge is a new cause of distress for him because he's betraying his sister's memory.
Sou stops going out so much and begins to talk to Kazuha. Kazuha is happy that Sou isn't going to see his beautiful lover all the time and is around the house, even if they speak very little (Sou being taciturn and Kazuha being rather embarrassed--but we know their soul speaks to each other, especially during sex!). They are clumsily growing used to each other...
At the end of the year, Sou suggests they stay at the family villa in Hakone for a change of pace. Kazuha and Fuyu go first as Sou had some business to take care of. While Fuyu is helping Kazuha take a bath, Kazuha confesses that he's "betraying" his sister because he's fallen in love with Sou. Fuyu (of course) had already known Kazuha's feelings. She tells Kazuha that Sou, though a bit awkward, is obviously very much in love with Kazuha. It was only natural that Kazuha would sense his passion and fall in love with him.
But things can't end without another big bang--our favorite now-stalker student shows up. He's still completely deluded, and tries to force Kazuha to come with him. Kazuha runs away and falls off the mountain path down a steep slope.
Kazuha is rescued and wakes up to a frantic Sou. He's never seen Sou so disheveled and beside himself. Kazuha apologizes for causing Sou trouble, but Sou is just glad Kazuha is okay. Kazuha finally manages to confess his feelings to Sou. Sou is at first surprised, but then is deliriously happy. Sou tells Kazuha that he'd actually always been in love with him. He had felt terrible to Touko for being more attracted to her brother and had angsted about it, but in the end had decided that being related was better than nothing...But then Touko had died and he had his chance to have Kazuha, which he could not let pass. Kazuha can't believe it and asks about Sou's beautiful lover, and so Sou tells Kazuha that she is his cousin. She had even been at the wedding and in the wedding pictures, but Kazuha had been too busy angsting to notice. It turns out that he had been meeting her that time to ask her opinion on what he could give to Kazuha as a present. She had been the one to suggest a puppy. They go to sleep, happy.
After that they finally get to know each other, by actually talking. Turns out that Sou had been too embarrassed to talk to or in any way interact normally with Kazuha. But now that he knows that Kazuha loves him he is able to express his feelings. After a couple of days (I guess to let Kazuha recover from his ordeal?) they have the inevitable "our hearts are one now" sex...Which, thankfully, isn't described in detail. The scene in which Sou picks Kazuha up and puts him on the bed, takes off his clothes, and gets on the bed is described, and then it fades to black. XD
In the epilogue he servants of Count Shigenoi gossip about Sou and Kazuha, visiting Sou's parents. The maids comment on how beautiful Kazuha is, and then go on about how devoted Sou is. One maid exclaims that if someone gazed at her the way Sou would gaze at Kazuha she would faint. The other maids mock her, that they are of a different class and to not think about such things. But they comment on how happy they seem...
I had to fight the urge to mock the story more as I wrote the summary...It's just too easy. ^_~
Does anyone have the drama CD of this book? I'm interested in listening to it (polite language!) but haven't been able to find it so far...