The path from Tsukishiro Hall to the main keep was long. 　Led by Yukiie, one of the inner attendants, Yoizuki Masumi walked through the corridor. Stone-paved floors stretched endlessly, flanked on both sides by rooms divided by paper screens. Portraits of successive castle lords hung upon the walls, their eyes alone seeming alive, fixed upon every visitor who passed. 　Masumi's footsteps echoed in steady rhythm down the hallway. Within that sound, she felt her own heartbeat mingling, becoming one with the stone and wood around her. "The weather is fine today, and I hear the castle lord is in good spirits. Perhaps things will go well," Yukiie said without turning around. The words carried an undertone of expectation that Masumi could not fully measure. 　Soon, a figure in black garments appeared before them. 　Tall of stature, quiet in movement, yet radiating an overwhelming presence. The vice-commander. Ruri'i Tatsuki. Masumi had heard from the attendants that he had served the castle lord for ten years. "Ah, Vice-commander." 　Yukiie bowed slightly. Masumi instinctively lowered her body as well. 　Tatsuki's gaze passed over them both. His eyes were cold, honed like a sharpened blade. That gaze lingered upon Masumi for a moment—long, deliberate. Appraising. Wary. 　Something pierced through Masumi's heart. (This person thinks I'm an enemy. Or perhaps... he senses something dangerous.) 　Tatsuki said nothing and continued past them. Only the sound of his footsteps on the stone remained, quiet and measured. 　Masumi exhaled. She had not realized it, but tension had gripped her entire body. "That man exists to protect the castle lord," Yukiie whispered. "He is particularly strict with new concubines. Many have trembled beneath his gaze before." 　In other words, this would happen again. The castle was not filled with allies alone. There were enemies, and there were those who would regard her with suspicion. That reality had crystallized before her now. 　At the end of the corridor stood a heavy wooden door. "We have arrived. The castle lord should already be waiting." 　Yukiie bowed deeply and pulled open the door. 　Light spilled from within the room. 　Masumi stepped slowly inside. --- 　The study was simpler than she had expected. 　Weapons were arranged neatly along the walls, and books were stacked upon the floor. Maps and letters lay scattered across the desk. Sunlight streamed through the window in white rays, casting a thin, cold light across the entire room. 　And there, seated in the depths of the chamber, was a man. 　The castle lord of Aozuki. Masumi caught her breath. 　His jet-black hair was cut short and neat. His eyes were deep, utterly black. A small scar marked the space above his right eyebrow. He radiated an oppressive presence that belied his twenty-five years. 　Though he wore no armor, there was something so cold about him. His eyes reflected nothing. An expression of ice. No emotion showed upon his face. "Closer," the castle lord said in a low voice. 　Masumi's body went rigid. She did not understand his meaning. "Your position is too close." 　The castle lord had surely given such orders countless times on the battlefield. In that single phrase, everything became clear. The man before her was someone who maintained precise distances. 　Masumi stepped back two paces. "Castle lord. I have brought a new concubine for you today. My name is Yoizuki Masumi," Yukiie said formally, introducing her. Then, bowing deeply, she left the room. 　The sound of the door closing. 　Silence fell between them. 　The castle lord gazed at Masumi intently. His eyes resembled those of a merchant appraising merchandise. "Do you understand the duties of a concubine?" "Yes. I do." 　Masumi responded with formal courtesy. Her voice was calm. Her experience with sales talk was proving useful. The priority now was not to make him feel uneasy. "The Three Nights Oath is a custom of this castle. For three nights, I will meet with you. After that, I will decide whether to keep you or send you back. If you are returned, you will go home again. Do you accept this?" "I understand." 　Masumi said nothing more. There was no choice. To refuse now would mean immediate expulsion from the castle. 　The castle lord's gaze shifted away from her. His eyes fell upon the letters before him. 　In that moment, Masumi glimpsed something beneath the castle lord's expression. (He is exhausted.) 　It was faint—barely perceptible. Small wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. A slight softness at the corners of his mouth. And the depth in his gaze. As though he had been carrying something heavy for a very long time. "Do not harbor expectations," the castle lord said in a low voice. "Such arrangements are nothing more than political contracts with the outside world. Those who allow emotion to interfere do not survive in this castle." 　His words were both threat and warning. Yet they carried the resonance of something he had repeated to someone many times before. "I understand," Masumi replied, repeating the same words once more. 　Silence flowed between them. 　The castle lord's eyes remained fixed upon the letters. No response came. Masumi wondered if this silence might stretch on forever. 　Yet she found she did not mind. Silence was safer. Fewer words meant less risk of misspoken ones. 　At last, the castle lord looked up. "Do you know of the library?" "No. I am not familiar with it." "The castle library is the most well-stocked facility in this castle. All the books collected by successive castle lords are preserved there. Concubines who wish to use it must submit a request, but..." 　The castle lord paused. "I grant you permission to use it freely, without need for application." 　Masumi nearly let her expression change. (What?) 　Inwardly, she was astonished. She had heard that this man rarely "granted" anything. And to permit a concubine unrestricted access to the library without application—she had never heard of such a thing. "Is this a special consideration?" Masumi asked carefully. "I have heard that concubines rarely use the library." 　The castle lord's eyes moved slightly. "That is true. Until now, no concubine in this castle has sought books." 　What lay hidden beneath those words, Masumi could not fathom. Yet it seemed as though a small crack had appeared in the castle lord's mask. He had taken an interest in something. Or perhaps he was testing her. "Thank you," Masumi said, bowing respectfully. "Then, shall we end here for today? I will return tomorrow evening." 　The castle lord nodded. "Very well. Be careful on your way back." 　No further words followed. --- 　Back in Tsukishiro Hall, Masumi sat by the window. 　The setting sun illuminated the castle's stone walls. In that light, she saw her own shadow. (The library...) 　To make use of her modern knowledge, she would need information. The library might be a treasure trove. The history of Aozuki domain, tactics, medicine, relations with other territories—all of it might be contained there. 　At the same time, the castle lord's lonely expression would not leave her mind. (What is he really thinking?) 　It seemed as though something else lay hidden beneath that cold mask. She had heard rumors of a heart rich with emotion. But whether that was true, only time would reveal, slowly, piece by piece. 　Outside the window, a clear blue moon began to rise. 　It illuminated the garden of Tsukishiro Hall, wrapping the entire castle in pale light. "Tomorrow evening, then..." 　Masumi whispered, gazing at that moon. 　What would the second meeting be like? And on the third night, would she be kept in this castle, or cast out? 　The answer remained unseen. Yet one thing was certain. (To survive in this castle, being merely a concubine is not enough. There are many allies and many enemies. So I will use the library to gain knowledge. To apply my modern understanding. And to comprehend the true intentions of this cold castle lord...) 　Masumi's eyes gleamed beneath the moonlight. 　A new strategy was taking shape, piece by piece. A survival strategy for this otherworld.