Shin returned to his bedchamber, where candles still burned brightly and incense smoke curled upwards.
Upon entering, he saw Kiyotsuki Saki lying alone.
He removed his outer robe, tossing it casually to a maid standing in the corner, before stepping towards the bed.
His footsteps were light, yet Kiyotsuki Saki's nerves were taut, causing her to curl up even tighter.
"My lord..."
Her voice trembled, carrying a plea.
Shin walked over, looking down at her silhouetted form from above.
"Mm."
He responded indifferently, his voice betraying no emotion.
"This time, you're not wearing anything, are you?"
This question was like a slap, stinging Kiyotsuki Saki.
"N-no."
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum, almost inaudible.
Shin said nothing more, reaching into the warm covers and fumbling around.
Where his fingertips touched, it was soft and smooth.
Only then did he withdraw his hand with satisfaction, nodding and saying, "Sit up."
His tone was commanding.
Kiyotsuki Saki froze instantly, her mind a blank.
Sit up?
Wouldn't that be...
"Don't make me say it a second time."
Shin's voice intensified slightly.
Fear ultimately triumphed over shame.
Kiyotsuki Saki moved slightly, a sob caught in her tightly bitten lip, and two lines of clear tears silently streamed down her face.
Shin watched quietly, his gaze calm.
Kiyotsuki Saki took a deep breath, propping herself up with her jade-like arms, and slowly sat up.
The silky quilt slid from her shoulders, piling at her waist, revealing her graceful figure.
Her head was bowed, her eyes tightly closed, and her dark long hair fell, obscuring her face, making it difficult to see clearly.
This was her last struggle.
Time passed minute by minute.
The anticipated nightmare did not arrive.
That person merely watched, doing nothing.
Kiyotsuki Saki finally couldn't help but look up.
Their gazes met.
A pair of pitch-black eyes made her heart tremble.
As if pricked by a needle, she hastily lowered her head again, her heartbeat quickening.
Shin moved. He leaned against the headboard, his posture languid, and rested one leg on her body.
"Massage my leg."
He commanded.
Kiyotsuki Saki froze once more.
After a moment of hesitation, she extended her trembling hand and gently placed it on his leg.
Then, she began to massage.
Perhaps accustomed to a life of luxury, her touch was light and lacked any strength.
"Use a little more force."
Shin closed his eyes and said indifferently.
Upon hearing this, Kiyotsuki Saki had no choice but to increase her strength.
Tears, one by one, silently fell from her eyes, hitting the brocade quilt and spreading into dark stains.
She had once been the most dazzling prodigy in the Fire Capital, the apple of her family's eye, the object of countless noble youths' fervent pursuit.
When had she ever suffered such humiliation?
Shin showed no pity whatsoever.
He even found this scene to be extremely beautiful.
A thorny rose, plucked by hand, then all its thorns smoothed down, to be played with as he pleased.
This feeling of thoroughly crushing something beautiful and then reshaping it according to his own will ignited an unspeakable delight within him.
By the candlelight, he opened his eyes and once again carefully scrutinized the woman before him.
It had to be said, Kiyotsuki Saki was indeed very beautiful.
Her skin was like snow, her features exquisite, and her cool temperament had not completely dissipated even now. Instead, because of this humiliation and vulnerability, it added a touch of fragile beauty.
Her fame throughout the Fire Capital was not exaggerated.
It was just that... his gaze lingered on her chest for a moment.
Ultimately, it was a bit too youthful, leaving him with some regret.
Shin suddenly reached out, brushing the hair covering her face behind her ear, revealing her tear-stained face.
"Do you regret it?"
He asked softly.
His voice was not loud, but it struck Kiyotsuki Saki's heart like a heavy hammer.
He was referring to the Kiyotsuki family's choice of allegiance.
At that time, when his brothers were fighting to the death for the position of Daimyo, the Kiyotsuki family had maintained a neutral, wait-and-see attitude.
It was she, Kiyotsuki Saki, for the sake of the man she loved, who was Shin's elder brother, who strenuously persuaded her father, ultimately causing the entire family to stand against Shin.
She had once believed that she had chosen the future Daimyo, her love.
She had once believed that this obscure, rootless younger brother was merely a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Now, it seemed utterly ridiculous.
The skin contact made Kiyotsuki Saki tremble again.
She did not answer, merely lowered her head, mechanically massaging his leg.
The accelerating rate at which her tears fell already explained everything.
Regret?
Yes, regret!
Seeing her silence, Shin did not press further and withdrew his hand.
"Go, close the window."
He instructed indifferently.
In the corner of the bedchamber, a maid who had been bowing her head, trying to minimize her presence, moved upon hearing this, about to step forward.
"I wasn't talking to you."
Shin's voice rang out again.
The maid's footsteps halted, and she hastily retreated into the corner.
Kiyotsuki Saki's leg-massaging stopped.
She remained silent and motionless, as if she hadn't heard.
Shin did not rush her, simply leaning back and waiting quietly.
The air seemed to solidify at this moment.
After a long while, Kiyotsuki Saki slowly withdrew her hands.
Slowly rising from the bed, the quilt completely slid off, and this delicate flower bloomed unreservedly in the candlelight.
She said nothing, walked barefoot on the cold floor, towards the window.
One step.
Two steps.
Each step was incredibly heavy.
Outside the window, the moonlight was hazy, and the stars sparkled brightly.
It was beautiful.
She gazed blankly at the night sky outside the window, as if seeing everything she once possessed.
Then, she extended her hands.
"Click."
A soft sound.
That window, through which one could see the starlight, was closed by her own hands.
Morning.
When the sunlight shone through the window into the bedchamber, Kiyotsuki Saki opened her eyes.
But she lay there, unwilling to move.
Beside her, it was long empty, with only a faint residual warmth.
Perhaps she had slept restlessly last night, as the bed was quite disheveled.
She stared blankly at the ornate bed canopy above her, her eyes hollow.
Just then, the chamber door was gently pushed open, and a maid entered, carrying toiletries.
Seeing that Kiyotsuki Saki was awake, the maid hastily knelt down.
"Young miss, you're awake."
If it had been yesterday, Kiyotsuki Saki might have reprimanded her, or told her to get out.
But today, she simply rose in silence, allowing the other person to dress her and comb her long hair.
Throughout, she said nothing, like a marionette.
Overnight, this once proud young miss of the Kiyotsuki family seemed to have had her soul drawn out.
Meanwhile, in the study.
Shin had already finished reviewing a stack of urgent official documents.
He stood before a large map, his gaze fixed on the area belonging to Konoha, secretly pondering.
A twenty percent budget cut was just an appetizer.
What he wanted to do was to completely take Konoha into his hands.
How would Hiruzen Sarutobi react?
When he first came to power, he seemed to have relied on my cheap father, didn't he?
Shin's lips curved into a playful smile that quickly vanished.
"Takeshi."
"My lord." Takeshi appeared silently at the doorway.
"Issue an order: from today onwards, Kiyotsuki Saki will be my personal maid."
"From now on, she will be responsible for the tea in my study."
A flicker of confusion crossed Takeshi's eyes, but he quickly suppressed his doubt.
"Yes, my lord."
Shin turned around, looking at the rising sun outside the window.
The best way to tame a wild horse is not to keep it in a stable.
Instead, it is to put a bridle on it, keep it by your side, and constantly remind it who its master is.
Kiyotsuki Saki was like this.
Konoha, too, was like this.