Published: August 15, 2025
The night before the wedding—the Kunajeshi. In the ips language, this means "Night of Kuna."
At Ipsandros’s wedding, this night was the bride's biggest event.
A room in the harem was set up to resemble the bride’s family home. I, the bride, was guided by the women in charge and seated in the central chair. I wore a red tulle veil on my head. The veil sparkled because it was embroidered with silver thread. People holding small candles surrounded me, speaking various words. Their tone was just like the kind of things friends or acquaintances say to a woman about to be married.
“Congratulations on your marriage, oh, you truly look beautiful!”
“You’re finally leaving. Oh, it’s so sad that we’ll never meet again.”
“I will never forget the memories with you. I will pray for your happiness forever and ever.”
That was how it went... but these words were all spoken by the matrons who had only met me a few days ago. Of course, they had been kind, and it was sad to part tomorrow, but the messages felt a little too emotional. Or rather, their delivery was somewhat stiff. The fifth woman was even trying to remember her lines, saying, “Um, what was it again...?”
Indeed, the women who normally participate in Kunajeshi are close relatives, friends, or people well acquainted with the bride. Since I, a foreigner, had no such people in Ips, the matrons took on this role. In other words, all these farewell lines were scripted.
It was some kind of event whose significance I didn’t quite understand, but it was important.
While I was lost in thought, Ms. Kaede came over to me. Her eyes were still puffy from crying the previous night. She looked like she was nursing a hangover, her face clenched in pain, but somehow managed to pull out a bundle of papers from her sleeve.
“...They told me to write a letter, so I did. Apparently, it’s one of the necessary rituals today.”
“Eh!? Th-Thank you so much for the trouble.”
“No problem. But I don’t understand ips language at all, and although I can speak flarian language, I can’t write it. So I wrote it in mizuho language.”
“Eh?”
“When you get back to your country, look it up in a dictionary and read it... Ah, my throat is so scratchy it hurts to talk.”
She handed it to me, so I glanced at it, but of course, I couldn’t read it. Reluctantly, I folded it carefully and placed it on the ‘gift place.’ There, gifts from the groom’s family—that is, from Lord Cyrus—were displayed, decorated with flowers and candles. At the center of the mountain of presents, Granny Bell took a container and came over. She sat in front of me and pressed a gold coin against the back of my hand.
“If you have no complaints about the gift from the groom, open your palm.”
This was merely a ritual. We had already received plenty of betrothal gifts from Lord Cyrus long ago. I had no complaints at all, so I opened my hand to show Granny Bell.
She entrusted the gold coin to me, then picked up the container placed at her feet and rested it on her lap. Inside was something dark and black. While stirring it vigorously with a spoon, Granny Bell spoke as if singing.
“This is Kuna. The Kunajeshi is named after the act of applying this.”
“Kuna... a dye made from plants, right? I’ve heard in the east it’s used like makeup to draw patterns on the body...”
“Exactly. It serves as a charm for warding off evil and purifying the body and mind. It’s a talisman for happiness and financial well-being... It can also be used as hair dye.”
Saying that, she placed some Kuna on my hand and spread it in an oval shape with the spoon. Then she drew a complex pattern extending toward the wrist.
Wow... amazing. She used an ordinary spoon like a paintbrush as if writing characters. Apparently, such patterns aren’t normally drawn at weddings.
“It lasts about two weeks. Cute patterns are better, right?”
That was the explanation. Indeed, if tradition could be preserved while still making it cute, that would be more enjoyable. Besides, I was glad this peaceful time could last even a little longer. Granny Bell’s hands were a little dry but plump and warm. Touching her hands brought back distant memories of my grandmother.