Kichō did not know how much time had passed.
Half-awake and hazy, she felt her throat was a little dry, and embarrassment quietly rose in her heart.
Ah, last night, I really was far too shameless...
After a beautiful and bewildering night had passed, she did not open her eyes until the sun was already high the next day.
Then, beyond her control, scenes from the previous night surfaced in her mind, making her cheeks heat and her heart race.
He had been a man she had never even met before that day, yet her guard had lowered before her mind could fully catch up.
It was completely different from the heat of battle, from clashing with enemies on the battlefield.
To be honest, she felt a little lost at the strange emotions stirring inside her. At the same time, she could not help wanting to revisit the sweetness and thrill that had left her so shaken.
In the end, her mind had gone blank, and she had completely lost the ability to resist the flow of the moment.
She was certain she must have shown a very embarrassing expression afterward.
So this was what closeness between a man and a woman could feel like.
It was even more intense than slicing open an enemy's throat and watching blood spray like a fountain as they wailed in pain.
"Kichō-hime, you are awake. Would you like something to eat? Shogun-sama specifically had this prepared for you."
Hyūga Aoi and Hyūga Rinko walked in carrying a steaming lunch that had just been made.
"Yes, perfect. I am rather hungry."
She had barely rested all night. Although she had been the one to gather her courage first, the pace afterward had been completely taken over by the other party.
Now not only was her body tired, her stomach was also growling.
"Um, Kichō-hime, your clothes..."
The two branch family girls suddenly blushed. They pointed at Kichō's kimono, their voices growing smaller and smaller, not daring to look directly at her.
Only then did Kichō notice that the sash and outer robe of her kimono had long since been loosened and tossed aside. They hung crookedly on a nearby screen-like clothes rack, clearly thrown there without care.
It silently told the story of how chaotic last night had been.
Only a thin white inner robe remained on her body, loosely draped over her without its usual restraint.
This appearance, in Aoi and Rinko's eyes, was far too improper.
For the two still-innocent branch family girls, it was rather overwhelming.
However, Kichō glanced down at herself, then calmly began eating to fill her stomach.
She did not care about her current image at all.
Or rather, she was too lazy to fix it.
"This..."
Aoi and Rinko hesitated.
They wanted to help Kichō dress properly, but they did not dare step forward casually and disturb her mood.
In the end, they could only remain restlessly at the side, exchanging looks with their eyes.
After finishing the meal, Kichō wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. A faint smile unconsciously appeared on her lips, and her satisfaction with the food was obvious.
These ingredients were not only difficult to find and expensive, they had also been carefully prepared by a skilled chef. Every dish brought her genuine pleasure.
So food could actually be made this delicate and delicious.
She truly hoped she could eat such wonderful meals every day from now on.
Am I becoming a little too decadent?
The moment such a greedy thought appeared, Kichō could not help wanting to criticize her own lack of discipline.
And what was this sudden sense of freedom after losing the restraints of her clan and father?
Why did it feel so wonderful?
◎
Everything in the Shogun's Residence was incredibly new to Kichō, the mistress who had come from far away.
Tall and magnificent buildings could be seen everywhere.
If one stood on top of them and looked into the distance, one could probably see very far.
The Hyūga clan compound had no such buildings.
A ninja clan's base needed to be hidden. Overly conspicuous buildings were practically telling enemies that this place could be treated as a priority target.
In the fiercely contested Land of Fire, such things happened from time to time.
Some ninja clans, in order to stay hidden, had even moved into caves or underground spaces, proving that as long as one was willing to suffer, there would always be more suffering waiting.
Besides, if they had that much spare money, they might as well buy more ninja tools and soldier pills.
But in the end, as a residence, this place was far too large.
It was almost as if the main military institutions of an entire country had been spread out here.
They arrived at the tenshu pavilion.
This was the dividing point between the inner and outer courts of the Shogun's Residence.
The inner court was the living area of the Shogun of the Land of Night and his family. It had artificial landscapes, hot springs, many rare varieties of trees, and many strange creations Kichō had never seen before, whose purposes she did not know.
There also seemed to be a large hollowed-out underground space beneath the area. It was probably used to store something very important.
The inner court was considered small only when compared to the outer court.
Based on Kichō's estimate, the inner court alone could allow more than a thousand people to live there without feeling crowded.
The inner court also had specialized sensory and shielding barriers, protecting and concealing it twenty-four hours a day.
Even with the Byakugan, one could not see inside from the outside. All one could see was a rainbow-colored chakra wall blocking the view.
It was a completely confidential area.
Kichō was not surprised by this.
If it did not have this level of defense, then secrecy would be impossible.
Besides, she had long understood that the Byakugan was not omnipotent.
The ninja world was vast, and there were too many strange and unusual abilities. Who knew when some monster or bizarre talent would suddenly crawl out of a forgotten corner and shock the entire world?
"Kichō-hime, this place is far too large. It feels like it will take quite some time to memorize all the routes."
Aoi and Rinko, who followed behind Kichō, were also troubled by the layout of the Shogun's Residence. It was much more complicated than the Hyūga clan compound.
Even though they had received a layout map from Yayoi, fully familiarizing themselves with the environment would still take time.
Fortunately, the two of them had studied the structure of the tenshu pavilion that morning. Otherwise, bringing Kichō here would likely have resulted in them getting lost, unless they used the Byakugan to check.
However, they had only just arrived and did not know whether there were any special taboos here. If they used the Byakugan casually and triggered some mechanism, or saw some secret they should not see, that would be very bad.
"My husband, I am coming in."
As if intending to suddenly surprise the person inside, Kichō did not knock. She only deliberately raised her voice outside before pushing the door open and walking in.
"That is too rude, Kichō-hime!"
Seeing Kichō directly enter, Aoi and Rinko were caught off guard.
In the end, they could only helplessly hurry after her.
"Apologies, Shogun-sama. We were unable to stop Kichō-hime."
As soon as Aoi and Rinko entered, they quickly bowed and apologized to Yayoi, who was sitting beside the desk.
"It is fine. I do not mind such small matters. Is your body all right now, Kichō?"
Yayoi asked with concern about his young wife's condition.
"Oh my, my husband called me by name so naturally already."
Kichō covered her mouth and giggled as she approached. Her lively eyes carried a charming smile.
She wore a wide furisode kimono appropriate to her status. The soft, delicate pale-blue fabric was embroidered with gorgeous and intricate patterns.
Her feet were covered in white tabi socks and black low-heeled wooden sandals, stepping almost soundlessly across the clean floor. They appeared and disappeared beneath the hem of her kimono.
Her long black hair had been arranged in a princess-style cut, and she now wore an ornament resembling a golden crown.
Although this was the first time she had dressed so grandly, she carried it easily. Her movements and expression showed no awkwardness.
"Because you are already my wife. Calling each other by name is perfectly normal, is it not?"
Yayoi showed no stiffness at all and responded to his newlywed wife with a calm attitude.
If possible, he still hoped to reach the depths of his wife's heart.
Otherwise, spending the next several decades facing a wife with whom he had no understanding would be rather painful.
"Ah, that is true. For my husband to think that way makes me feel suddenly honored."
Kichō lightly stepped to Yayoi's side. Her slender finger gently poked his cheek, as if she found it very amusing.
Yayoi did not stop her.
Her attempt to deliberately close the distance through such childish behavior was somehow rather cute.
Soon, Kichō's gaze shifted to Irori on the other side.
She wore a blue kimono and was a beautiful girl whose appearance and temperament did not lose to Kichō's at all.
"My husband, have you already grown tired of me so quickly and found a new favorite? I suppose that makes sense. I came later, after all, and I do not yet know how to serve you properly. Unlike this older sister, who must know very well how to care for you."
"..."
That suddenly sweetened, wronged, almost tearful voice made Yayoi shudder violently.