The House Wakes

Towa kept other people’s books in perfect order long before she knew how to keep her own life steady. Now she had been born again as a child in a proud Taisho house that was losing its place in the world, and she had nothing magical to lean on. No skill appeared. No guide arrived. She only had the habits of a former library assistant, a sharp eye for what people hid between their words, and a quiet way of making adults talk when they thought she was only listening. As the house began its company restructure, Towa found herself carrying messages, reading rooms, and noticing who was about to leave before they said goodbye. The people around her had titles, money, and old habits. Towa had patie...