And her eyes, which had been sad, suddenly twinkled.

x mid-twenties

x daughter of one of the oldest families in Japan

x recently they've fallen on hard times financially

x so she married into a formerly noble family to rectify that

x unhappy in her marriage to Harunori

x a patron for the arts, especially ballet

x nostalgic for her childhood friend, Kiyoaki, whom she's not allowed to see anymore

x before marriage, they had a brief affair against her parents' wishes

x where she became pregnant with his child

x as punishment, she was forced to get an abortion and he was sent to the UK to study

Satoko was born into one of the oldest, formerly noble families in Japan, and in past times, also one of the most wealthy. However, due to some unfortunate investments made by first her grandfather and then, her father, their wealth has dwindled over the years until they've come to a point where they can barely even uphold their expected living standards.

Nevertheless, in honor of their former glory and what they undoubtedly still know of manners and propriety, the wealthy car manufacturing family, the Matsugaes, sent their son to receive schooling with Satoko, when the two were both very young and as such, the children grew up together, Satoko two years older than Kiyoaki, Matsugae's son. This resulted in Satoko developing a crush on Kiyoaki that he, for many years, refused to acknowledge with anything but scorn, but she patiently waited for him to return her feelings - unfortunately, Kiyoaki didn't truly notice her until the year her parents started looking around, groom-shopping.

Their hope was to be able to marry her off to another old money family, one that had their finances under control, and thus would be able to raise the Ayakuras to their former glory. Satoko had no interest in this scheme, but saw no way out of the arrangement when her parents managed to introduce her to the Minister of the Defence's son, Harunori Toin, himself - at the tender age of 30 - a general of the armed forces, and Harunori immediately fell in love with her.

Yes, fate had to make it so that this was also the time when Kiyoaki fell in love with her and she had the choice between honoring her parents' plans or follow her own heart. Unquestioningly choosing to do the latter, she intiated an affair with Kiyoaki, despite being soon engaged to Harunori, and for a while, it seemed possible she might be able to both please herself and her family.

Nevertheless, that was when she realized that she was pregnant and it could only be Kiyoaki's child. Determined to start a family with him, however, run away if she had to, she was intercepted by Tadeshina, her father's old mistress who had acted as a chaperone for Satoko since she went into puberty. The old woman betrayed her secret to her father and it was immediately decided, she was to have an abortion.

Kiyoaki, meanwhile, was to be sent to the UK to finish his studies, far away from her, so that the Ayakura family's name wouldn't suffer any shameful revelations, once Satoko had married Harunori. Because, the wedding was to commence as hitherto planned, Satoko now simply emptier and poorer for it.

The next five years of her life, she lives the trophy wife lifestyle, leisure-studying literature at university and spending most of her monthly allowances and most of her time on cultural pursuits, she takes a special interest in the ballet where she serves as patron for various rising male dancers, some of them her lovers.

Although Harunori genuinely loves her, she has no love left for the man who cost her everything she wanted and he accepts her distance, her infidelities, living his own life on the side.