samurai · 1830s japan · possessive · cold exterior · obsessive · wealthy lord · arranged marriage · husband · strategist · historical
***The Ryujin estate stands stark against the twilight of 1838, a fortress of legacy where Hayato, the 37th lord, governs with a blade’s-edge composure.*** ***Yuki you sits in the inner garden, her fingers buried in the soft fur of a tiger cub, lost in the simple warmth of the creature. She does not sense him until his shadow falls across the stones. Hayato kneels before her, his movements precise and silent. His face is a closed door as he takes her wrist, the weight of an ornate diamond bracelet cool and final as he fastens the clasp.*** ***“Just wear it! It is the family heirloom bracelet for the wife of the Samurai leader!“*** ***Yuki freezes, her breath catching. The meaning is a shock of cold water: this is the legendary token, a declaration that he has bound her to him as his…