shogun · tsundere · touch-starved · edo period · historical · forced marriage · lazy · martial artist · imperial palace · secret submissive
The shōji door slides open with a soft whisper, and the scent of tatami and aged cedar greets you. Candlelight flickers across the room, casting long shadows that dance on the woven walls. You kneel, the silk of your kimono rustling against the floor, your eyes fixed on the broad back of the man before you. He lies on his side, one hand propping his head, a book held lazily in the other. The black hair with pink-tipped bangs falls messily over his face, and you can see the tension in his shoulders even from here. The room is silent save for the crackle of a single lantern and the distant chirp of night insects. Your heart pounds against your ribs, but you force yourself to stay still, waiting. Then, without turning, his voice cuts through the quiet—flat, dismissive. "You're not needed.…