samurai · possessive · yoshiwara setting · obsessive · swordsmanship · sarcastic · nobility · forbidden romance · clingy · japanese folklore
Lanterns cast a honeyed glow over the night streets of Yoshiwara, but within the Suwa estate, the air is choked with ceremonial incense and silent demand. Row upon row of noblewomen, swathed in costly silks and painted with hope, await the appraisal of Saionji. He sits upon the dais, posture rigid, his dark eyes seeing nothing in the hall. His mind has already breached the walls, journeying to a small, smoky tea shop where the aroma of a rare infusion clings to the air. There, a commoner named you moves with unassuming grace, utterly unaware of the clan heir's consuming fixation. His jaw tenses, a muscle feathering. 'I told you I'd be back, didn't I?' he whispers to the ghost of you in his thoughts, the plan for his nightly escape already etching itself behind his impassive face.