Chapter Text
Two brothers had killed each other three Julys ago, and now, all that remained for you was a truce that was not peace.
By the fourth July, you stood silently by the doorway, resting and waiting for something to give meaning to the heaviness of their bodies. It was a tedious process, you supposed. Standing alone as the last thing of value in a burgled house felt at once like proof of a miracle and a curse, but you didn’t care to describe the difference.
From behind, you heard someone call your name. It did not make you turn around, but you lifted your head from the ground and stared forward listlessly. Each old floorboard creaked as hurried footsteps approached.
“Young miss, we are to leave in five minutes. You must come to the front entrance.”
A senior maid at your family’s estate came to fetch the young lady for an important meeting with an important clan. You knew this and wanted to waste time anyway. A smile started on your lips as you waited for the right moment to answer her.
“I’m aware,” you lifted your hand and waved dismissively. “I’ll come in forty seconds.”
You could feel her irritated scowl boring into your back, and smiled at the garden beyond the doorframe. It was nice to be haughty occasionally. She left you then, with a lingering look of annoyance.
This was your pattern. But if you idled any longer, your grandmother, the clan head, would send more of the staff to harangue you into compliance. Her irritability had only worsened in recent years, and so too had her fixation on seeing you married. There were days when it seemed like you two could not have one exchange that didn’t at least allude to the possibility of your future match. Not at all uncommon for a woman in your position, but another tedious thing to add to the pile nonetheless.
Dragging your feet, you walked through the long hallways of your family home and pondered the idea of a marriage offer amounting to anything at all. You had received exactly five of them, with four having been given scarcely three months after the deaths of your two brothers. Bad manners aside, you couldn’t quite blame them for trying. On their end, they probably thought that their timing was perfect. A small, but significant clan that had been brought to its knees by a civil war between the heir and his younger brother, leaving their poor younger sister to clean up the destruction left in its wake. The elders convened that the best course of action was to delegate the cleanup to you, or more specifically, to your betrothal to another clan.
Rejecting four offers had been understandable at the time, but you could not deny the irritating sensation of being stalked by several impatient clan elders. You had huffed and puffed at the time, but now, it was a bit of a different story. You couldn’t wait to get out. As tiresome as it was to endure the constant pressure from the clan, you knew that biding your time would eventually have to pay off. Or else, you’d end up with a match that was both disadvantageous and pointless. To be sure, you had specific tastes.
As you made your way through the neat halls of your clan’s estate, you recalled that those were the exact words Naobito Zen’in had used two weeks ago.
“Very specific,” you replied.
Against all odds, you had found yourself in the same room as him after a clan summit. Fortunately, you had trained yourself not to start shaking in fear during interactions with men who could easily kill you on the spot. Having your own cursed technique could only do so much when your neck was stuck out. At least if you died, you would be wearing your favourite kimono.
“A girl in your position certainly would be,” he said, still trying to gauge your mood. “However, I have to wonder if your clan shares those tastes. Better yet, if you are on the same page with them at all.”
He was broaching on something, but was still waiting for the opportunity to say it outright. You felt it was unusual that a man so influential would bother with any tactics when the power differential between you was so vast. The said gulf of power was the reason you had been shocked to learn that the head of a clan as illustrious as the Zen’ins had asked to speak to you. Obviously, not a single person in your clan had even thought of refusing it.
“They have their own opinions about it,” you answered vaguely. “But it’s a matter of great importance, especially to me. My parents burdened me with such a sizable dowry because they were worried sick that I wouldn’t be protected when I got married,” you emphasized the last word, then added, “with that being said, I’d like to honour their wishes in whatever way I can.”
“Smart girl.”
“Thank you. That’s a kind thing to say,” you said flatly, like an automated message.
“That’s why you should be able to recognize the position your clan is in. Honouring your parents' wishes is dutiful, but it can’t be that effective if your clan is handicapped,” Naobito said easily, moving closer to his point. “Correct me if I’m mistaken, but I was under the impression that access to your clan’s armoury of cursed weapons is only possible on the condition that you’re married. Then, only you and your husband’s family can access it, do I have that right?”
You noticed a slight mischief in his tone that gave you pause. Watching the way his lips curved upwards, you could tell that he arranged the conversation with a specific outcome in mind.
You swallowed. “That’s right.”
“And they can’t be activated until the union is finalized, do I also have that right?”
“You do,” you said. “Until then, they can’t be accessed. The contract is designed a bit like a financial trust that way.”
Naobito leaned back slightly, unswayed by your lack of a clear reaction. There was a smirk on his face that made you want to leave the room. He seemed to be waiting for you to voice the unspoken conclusion of his words.
“Respectfully, am I to understand this as an offer?” You approached the topic with far more caution than he did.
The look of dismay on your face must have been obvious, because Naobito broke into a laugh that set your teeth on edge. When he looked back at you, it was instantly clear that the man in front of you had a wicked sense of humour.
“You’re a picky one, aren’t you?” He chuckled, slapping his knee lightly. “Not a fan of older men, I assume?”
“That’s not—“
“Don’t look so nervous,” he cut you off sharply, as if that would actually persuade you. “Would you mind reminding me of how old you are?”
The old man could be blunt when he wanted to be.
“Twenty-four,” you answered, unsure of where he was taking the conversation.
“How fortunate,” he nodded. “You happen to be close in age to my youngest son.”
So that was the reason, you thought. It wasn’t the suddenness of his suggestion that stuck out to you, but rather, the fact that he had come there himself to say it at all. In some ways, you respected his (almost) forthcoming attitude and the fact that he had not resorted to threats or disparaging remarks yet. It was in stark contrast with the attitudes of your previous suitors.
From there, he had suggested a short meeting with his youngest son at the Zen’in estate where you could see exactly what was being offered to you. Once he left the room, you realized that you had sweat through your nice clothes and groaned at the prospect of having to repeat the experience when you honoured Naobito’s suggestion.
However, you weren't about to dismiss the offer altogether.
That was the reason you stared out the window during the entire twenty-minute car ride over to the Zen’in house. You tried to look as sullen as possible so that none of the staff would try speaking to you. There was too much on your mind for you to think about whatever useless etiquette advice they would try feeding you.
Your grandmother had directed you to smile while you were there, so you could at least try to look like a pleasant person to be around. You let out a huff. The elders knew how significant your match would be, and they were intent on seeing it through despite your prickly attitude. They liked to boss you around, but often had difficulty actually forcing you to commit to major life choices because of the leverage your dowry afforded you. As the car approached the estate, you felt a smile creep up your face in spite of everything.
You’d heard that Naobito’s son was a curious case. Throughout your schooling, and even in everyday life, you’d heard some rumblings that let you form a vague impression of him. To be honest, your expectations were about as low as you could manage, but even so, you had to admit that the idea of such a person was rather exciting.
Your chaperones grimaced as a silent grin formed on your face.
You wondered if Naoya Zen’in was as terrible as everyone said he was.
—————————
“I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” said the poor maid who had escorted them to a meeting room deep in the compound.
Thirty minutes had passed since the meeting was set to start, and you had arrived fifteen minutes early. You openly rolled your eyes to the dismay of the two chaperones that flanked you from both sides. They exchanged worried looks that led you to assume that they were probably more agitated by your current circumstances than you were. You relaxed your shoulders and turned around to face the sliding screen that remained slightly ajar.
You blinked three times, and your chaperones took this as a sign of something.
“Be patient, young miss, if you leave now, he’ll walk right in when you’re not here.”
“If that’ll make him come quicker and stop wasting my time, maybe that’s what I need to do,” you mused, still facing the door. “My knees are starting to ache, and I feel like a headache is about to start.”
That was a lie, but at that point, you were bored enough to say anything and your pain was not enough to sway them. So, you continued to complain.
“If I don’t stretch my legs, I’m going to snap at him and ruin the meeting,” you said plainly, “then he’ll hate me and throw us all out of the compound, never to return.”
An exaggeration, but your company was skittish enough to take the threat seriously and did not stop you as you unfolded yourself and slipped out the door.
The further you strayed from the room, the more your shoulders relaxed, and your posture softened almost instantly. You let out a great and impatient sigh and wondered how long you would be held hostage before your chaperones relented. It didn’t matter if Naoya showed his face, because your grandmother would probably have you sleep outside the compound walls if he didn’t show up that day. That was just how insistent she was about the offer.
Naobito Zenin must have been insistent, too. But you wondered if Naoya was on the same page as him. Lateness was extremely irritating to you, but you couldn’t say that you weren’t surprised by that brand of impoliteness. The walls of the house seemed to tower over you, grand and antique like something from a well-designed museum exhibit. The whole marriage arrangement seemed antique with it, and you were curious as to how that would bode with Naoya; a decidedly unusual case in such a traditional clan.
You walked straight out the door to feel the cool breeze on your face. The exterior of the house was as lovely and austere as the interior. Looking back to see if anyone was watching, you quickly sat down on the edge of the walkway and tapped the ground with one foot before hopping down. The stones hardly made a noise as you crept over them towards the garden.
“So they do like nice things,” you murmured, stepping over each carefully placed stone set along sparkling pools of water. Lifting the hem of your kimono, you made sure that you left as faint an impact as possible.
Standing alone, you breathed in the crisp scent of the gurgling fountain and the dirt beneath your feet. It had a quiet and clear quality that you enjoyed very much. It was something you would have to commit to memory, you thought. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the water sparkle and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear to get a better look.
Then, there was something else.
You raised your head quickly. It was barely perceptible, but still there. You wondered if you had been away from the meeting room for too long and really had ruined everything. The gurgling water sounded louder than it had before. It was a given that the Zen’in staff were watching you, but you felt like you were faced with something more pointed than the watchful gazes of the staff.
“Trampling over my garden, are we? What bad manners,” a male voice rang out.
In your periphery, you saw a blurry figure standing on the lifted walkway. It seemed further away now, but your blood still chilled at the sudden intrusion. The voice carried a casual accusation that you took heed of immediately. Still, you did not turn around.
You heard an amused scoff. “You want my attention that badly? Show me your face,” he commanded.
You saw no reason to deprive yourself of discovering the source of such insolence. Inhaling deeply to collect yourself, you spun around with your gaze pointed straight ahead.
There, standing tall and proud, was a prince with a face that seemed immediately untrustworthy. You narrowed your eyes and noticed the shimmering lightness of his hair and the way it gave him some much-needed warmth to the coolness of his dark eyes. While his voice carried much charisma, it possessed a good deal of contempt that you imagined could be heard by anyone he spoke to.
You said nothing for a moment, holding his gaze. Realizing that you were, in fact, trampling over the garden, you stepped onto the stone path to avert an aesthetic crisis.
“My apologies,” you conceded in a flat tone, “I’ve just wanted your attention for the past hour and all my other attempts have failed miserably.”
“Huh,” he said, obviously assessing her. “Not bad.”
It was like he hadn’t even heard you. So that was the kind of person you were dealing with. You could see that he was deep in thought, completing a thousand different examinations based on criteria known only to him. You did not attempt to hide your dissatisfaction.
You cleared your throat. “My name is—“
“I know, I know,” he waved his hand around dismissively. “You’re the one my father picked out. I don’t need you to repeat anything for me, so don’t bother.” He seemed to focus for a few moments before a request occurred to him, “Spin around for me so I can see all of you.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said, spin around,” he repeated authoritatively.
Imagining Naoya Zen’in was one thing, but interacting with him in the flesh was an entirely different experience. But wanting to see where his request would go, you sighed and obliged his request.
Once you turned back to face him, you could see a look of satisfaction on his face that made you want to charge towards him.
Naoya had not reacted well to his father’s request, but his current circumstances were beginning to shift his perspective. The idea had come out of nowhere and was unwelcome to him despite his father’s insistence that it would serve the interests of the clan.
He had been told there were many valuable qualities of the prospective bride that he hadn’t considered. Her family situation, for example. With the clan still recovering from a violent civil war, they would be pliable to any party that extended a helping hand to them. Naoya laughed when he’d heard that the downfall of a great bloodline occurred at the hands of the bride’s imbecile brothers. He’d made at least three jokes on the subject since his father reminded him of it.
There was also the arsenal of cursed tools tied to your dowry. On its own, that was enough reason to accept you as a bride, but Naoya was keen enough to recognize that nothing was ever that easy. The contract of your dowry provided you with a certain degree of leverage that left a bad taste in his mouth. Still, it was a tempting idea.
Lastly, there was the girl standing in front of him. Naoya knew little about you, and he’d hardly looked at the photo that had been presented to him. He had come back to the compound with the lowest expectations imaginable, any reason to throw the engagement out the window. But once he saw you, doubt flashed through his mind.
In a rare moment of self-reflection, Naoya wondered if he had acted too rashly.
Despite the judgemental look on his face, you actually looked better than he thought. Much better. The garden made for a particularly lovely scene to frame your good looks. The mystery as to why you were such an in-demand bride was quickly solved, and Naoya wasn’t displeased with what he saw. Perhaps even more significantly, you had immediately complied with his instructions, and that did not go unnoticed by him.
“Good,” he said more to himself than you. “Very good.”
You looked him up and down, narrowing your eyes to get a better look from a distance. Only someone who looked like that would act that way, you thought to yourself. His nice face had clearly made him evil, but it was still a nice-looking face. Were you supposed to say something in return?
“You too?”
“Speak up, I can’t hear you at all,” Naoya ordered. Quiet voices were irritating, but he did appreciate that quality in women.
His unearned bossiness amused you, so you walked back down the path at a leisurely pace to meet him. You noticed that his traditional clothing was totally out of sorts with the decidedly non-traditional piercings and dyed hair he donned. You suppressed a laugh at the dissonance. Naoya seemed to notice this, and scowled.
“Something funny?” He sounded mildly offended, and that made it funnier.
“No,” you shook your head, forcing the laugh back down your throat. “It’s nothing, I’m just overjoyed to see your face,” you said insincerely. “It’s even better that you came to find me yourself.”
Naoya didn’t like that.
“You should’ve stayed put instead of being so impatient,” he shot back. “Didn’t your elders teach you what deference means?”
You pursed your lips to keep from grinning. “I’m told that I have to know my audience, and it’s my understanding you like the chase.”
It was a bit of an incendiary remark, but you couldn’t help it. In your experience, you had found that manners and etiquette were incredibly useful tools during interactions with volatile people. So powerful was your fascination that you looked for any opportunity to deliver as much contempt as possible into every perfunctory word.
Naoya’s jaw twitched. “I wouldn't bother chasing the likes of you,” he said derisively, then adding, “and if you really cared about pleasing your audience you wouldn’t be roaming around my house like some trespasser and wrecking my garden.” The way he seemed to emphasize his mastery over the space each time he said “my” felt rather childish to you.
“My mistake, I didn’t know you kept a garden.”
His face twisted at the insinuation and he gracefully hopped off the walkway to approach you. You were faintly reminded of a bobcat as he stalked forward. You assumed that this must have been how he usually intimidated people. How fortunate for you that Naoya was the type who was easily provoked.
While your tone was polite, Naoya was struck by how annoying you were. “What an attitude…” he chided, shooting you an unimpressed look. “No wonder you needed such a large dowry to attract a husband. On top of the disgraced name, you also have no respect. I don’t think you can afford to act like such a heinous bitch right now.”
“You don’t waste any time when it comes to charming a woman, do you?” You smiled wryly. “You must’ve done your research before our meeting. Were you that interested?”
“Don’t make me laugh,” he turned up his chin. “Vanity is unattractive on women, don’t you know? Luckily you’re not too much of a lost cause…respect can always be taught, and it’s fortunate that your cursed energy saves you from being completely dead weight.”
Your cursed energy was perceptible to nearly everyone who came into contact with you. This was a recent phenomenon for you, as it had only manifested four years ago at an extremely unlucky time. Even your curdmudgeon grandmother could admit that it was significant enough for a prospective partner to overlook your sharp tongue. It took every ounce of restraint within you not to use it. If you did, you would have wasted the patience you’d shown up until that point. You blinked slowly and looked up at him, tall and scornfully looking down on her. From that vantage point, you noticed his enviously long eyelashes outlined by carefully drawn lines that only enhanced them more. The liner was neatly drawn in a way that made you think that he wore it often.
“I’m pleased you think so, but I wonder if it’s enough to make you come to meetings on time. Your father would certainly want you to.”
Naoya ignored the latter and focused on the former. “Oh? Is that why you’re acting so uppity? I’ll come and go whenever I please, and you won’t complain—“
“Maybe the Zenin clan should be a bit more cautious with receiving their guests,” you said sharply, cutting him off. “Or maybe you’re just set on wasting your family’s diplomacy.”
He definitely didn’t like that. His fine features contorted with rage and his fists were clenched so tightly that they were nearly white. You wondered if he would actually hit you.
“Careful,” he warned, “or that tongue of yours is going to waste everything your clan did to fix things after your idiot brothers kneecapped your bloodline.” His mouth curved upwards into a cruel smile. “Could it be that you have a death wish just like them? What a pity. I expected you to be more humble, considering that you’re already whoring yourself out to the highest bidder.”
A crow cawed in the distance, and for a few painful moments, only the quiet noise of rustling leaves could be heard. Your mind went blank like a slate wiped clean. Naoya certainly knew how to pick his blows.
“Yet here you are, bidding anyway,” you said with little intonation to your words. “What does that say about you?”
“That I’m generous enough to entertain your efforts to clean up your clan’s mess,” Naoya replied haughtily. He crossed his arms and leaned in to steal a few inches of distance between you, and tilting his head. “That pissed-off look on your face makes me think that you must really want this.”
You didn’t say anything in response.
He had heard enough about your family to intuit that you had come reluctantly. That alone was embarrassing enough, but you still fought the urge to glare at him. Dealing with entitled people like him was something you couldn’t do without biting your tongue at least sometimes.
“Is it true that the younger one strangled the older one while he was sleeping?”
Your eye twitched, and that gave it all away. Eyes widening slightly, you felt disoriented by the rage coursing through your veins. What was the point of dealing with someone like him? Surely, there had to be an easier way to solve your problems than dealing with him. Your lips were pressed together in a tight line and you glanced down at your shoes to avoid his prying gaze.
“He tried,” you said slowly, each word a small struggle. “That only woke him up. But it was actually the duel that killed them both. It destroyed the west wing of the estate.”
Naoya smirked and backed up a step. He seemed interested in examining you all over again.
“Who knew you were so heartless?” He chuckled, pacing around a bit. “I bet you thought they had it coming, am I right? Didn’t even cry.”
You’d had enough and decided that such a cursed exchange had to end. Your neutral expression dropped to a frown as you watched him with a withered expression. There was only so much practiced nonchalance you could exercise before you started to crack, and that time was now. You turned away with a small but dismissive huff and began walking back to the doorway, rolling your eyes.
There was no need to rehash what you both already knew, aside from the obvious fact that he was trying to torture you. Your heart was pounding from the adrenaline rush and you could feel your fingers twitching, yearning for a reason to act.
Before your foot could hit the ground, Naoya’s arm shot out to seize you by the arm, jerking you backwards.
“Don’t even try it, you leave when I dismiss you,” he hissed, twisting you closer to him. “It’s about time you understand your place here. You don’t get to come into my house and run around like you own the place, bitch.”
“If my walking away hurts you so badly, maybe you should just accept your father’s recommendation and marry me,” you retorted, not meeting his gaze. “Let it happen, Naoya, I know you want it.”
Every sentence was baseless, but the vicelike grip on your upper arm made you feel like saying anything. You gritted your teeth and imagined what your family might say. Your brothers would have never found themselves in a situation like that, and you felt the embers of your rage spark alive. They wouldn’t have to anymore, because you were still alive to bear it for them.
“Why the fuck would I do that?” Naoya snarled. “And what makes you think you can speak to me that way?” He extended his free hand to grab your chin and force you to look at him again. “That face of yours has made you delusional enough to think that I actually need you.”
“Let’s make a trade,” you said, struggling to keep your voice even. You strained your free hand to interlock your fingers with the trapped one. “You can accept the proposal and let me stabilize the situation in my clan, and have me as a wife or whatever the hell you want me to be. You’ll get the armoury along with it. It’s an easy deal.”
“That ain’t enough, so what else do you have?” He said, voice dripping in condescension. “You’re nothing but a worthless nuisance as it is.”
“Wouldn’t you like that? My clan will fit perfectly under your tyrannical little heel.”
“Then I’ll have to tolerate having your insolent ass around, so no thanks,” Naoya answered scornfully.
"Come now, let's form a truce and have a peaceful life," you quipped, heart beating faster and faster. "That'll lower your blood pressure."
His grip tightened around your arm and you winced.
"Keep talking. See how far you get."
You paused, blinking slowly as your impulses won the battle against your common sense.
“Ah, there’s one other thing,” you answered, moving your fingers into position. “If you marry me, that means you get to stop jerking off to pictures of deer carcasses.”
Before he could hurl more epithets at you, and even before you could expand your domain, both of you heard your name being called through the halls of the house. You froze instantly, remembering where you were and envisioning the consequences of throwing down with the heir to the Zen’in clan. Lucky for you, your remark had caught Naoya off guard enough for him to loosen his grip and release you. For a moment, he seemed too shocked to speak.
“Anyway, please consider my humble truce,” you said quickly, already hopping back onto the walkway to skip back to your chaperones.
Maybe he was so paralyzed with rage that he couldn’t move an inch.
When you came to your senses, you looked over your shoulder at least four times to check that Naoya hadn’t followed you back into the house. Your heart was still pounding and your head was spinning as you absorbed the full absurdity of your conversation. Thank goodness, you thought, that no one was around to see you nearly declare war on one of the big three clans. Perhaps Naoya had been onto something when he asked if you had a death wish.
“At least he’s handsome,” you mumbled when one of the chaperones asked what you thought of him. It had been a rather short conversation, ending with, “I liked his eyelashes.”
Your grandmother sighed deeply when she heard that comment and complained to your aunt, who’d shaken her head in disbelief. You could feel the weight of their judgment, and despite your best efforts to act like you didn’t care, you still felt the shadow of disappointment follow you back to your room.
In your room, you heard muffled whispers through the door that made you want to scream out of your open window. You opted not to though, for fear that the staff would think you were having a breakdown again and make you more agitated than you already were. It wasn’t hot at all, yet your face was still burning from your conversation with Naoya earlier. You thought that it was not you, but Naoya who should be worried about attracting a potential partner with his repulsive and old-fashioned attitudes. It would have been fortunate for him if he had been born slightly less attractive, then, he might not have been such a prick to deal with.
“Who knew I was so heartless?” You mused, sprawled across your bedroom floor.
You felt it strange that you dignified his provocative question with a response. Since the incident, you’d hardly spoken about your brothers at all, much less the events you had borne witness to four years ago. There had never been a time where you felt inclined to describe what had actually transpired, yet you were able to say it so easily in response to a rude man trying to get a rise out of you. Maybe you just wanted to prove that you could.
Despite everything, you felt a nagging fascination when it came to Naoya Zenin.
Long after your exchange, you felt your heart pounding as if it had only happened seconds ago. It was more exciting than you ever expected, and there was something you found incredibly appealing about how quick to anger he was. Maybe he would marry you just to retaliate for your slight. That would be quite dramatic, you thought, and surely Naoya wasn’t that petty. If you really had expanded your domain and fought him right there, it would have been an incredibly stupid move, but it probably would have felt exhilarating.
Exhilarating. You sat up in your bed and looked around your sparse room, sensing something again. Maybe entertaining the idea of ruining your clan had brought some ill fortune to your door. Footsteps pounded along the floor until you heard a sharp knock at your door.
“Young Miss?” The frantic voice of a maid filtered through your door.
“Come in,” you said, the words coming out more seriously than you intended.
The door slid open with a soft thump and once you laid eyes on her furrowed brow, you knew your life was about to become very difficult. She seemed hesitant to speak right away.
“What is it?” You asked, letting out a small laugh, and then added sarcastically, “Did he ask for me already?”
Silence followed.
Indeed, he had.