PROLOGUE
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Miyo Saimori.”
Kneeling on the tatami floor, she bowed deeply with as much grace as she could muster, drawing in the familiar scent of fresh rushes mixed with the unfamiliar smell of his house. She knew all too well that she was unwelcome, but she nonetheless wanted to prove she had good manners.
“…”
As if unaware of her presence, the man who was to become her husband didn’t so much as shoot her a glance while he tended to some papers spread out on his writing desk. She remained prostrate on the floor, careful not to make the slightest movement as she awaited his response. Being unacknowledged or ignored was something she was unfortunately used to, and she didn’t want to risk upsetting this man, whom she was meeting for the first time in a strange new place.
“How much longer do you intend to prostrate yourself?”
His low, imperious voice eventually broke the silence. Miyo lifted her head and met his gaze for the first time before immediately bowing down again.
“Please forgive me.”
“…I wasn’t asking for an apology.” Her handsome fiancé sighed before commanding her to sit up straight.
Getting a better look at him this time, Miyo saw that her betrothed, Kiyoka Kudou, was even more stunning than she’d expected. His porcelain skin was free from imperfections, and his pale-blue eyes were framed by long ash-blond hair so fine as to be almost transparent. Coupled with his slender physique, his fair appearance lent him an ephemeral beauty shocking to see in a man.
The tales she’d heard of his mercilessness, of his cruelty as a soldier who’d put his opponents to the sword without hesitation, seemed incongruous before his countenance. Yet, she thought, appearances can be deceiving. Miyo knew firsthand that even those pleasing to the eye could harbor hearts filled with venom. He must have been one of those people. Why else would all the previous brides have fled within three days of their marriage?
But for Miyo, there would be no turning back. She had neither home to return to nor anyone she could rely on for help.
Regardless of what hardships might await her here, she had no choice but to stay.
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