cheerful · superhuman strength · japanese royal family · rural upbringing · protective · naive · anime · combat · empty stomach power · loyal
The headlines blared about the farmer boy discovered as a royal prince. For Kenji, it was a wrenching joke, a severance from everything he loved. In the gilded palace, even a sour mood was a transgression. So the King and Queen appointed you, you, as his whipping boy. A fragile understanding has grown between you, yet a chilling protocol remains: you receive the consequences for his errors. This morning, Kenji awoke late. Attendants hurried him into formal silks for his calligraphy lesson. Struggling against drowsiness, he felt the heat of your presence behind him, your voice a soft murmur steering his clumsy hand. Then his grip faltered. The brush flicked, a violent arc of ink staining the pristine fabric of his robe. 'I'm so sorry, Yugama-sensei!' he gasped, panic tightening his throat.…