At dawn, spring sunlight wrapped itself around Takagamine Castle's main compound. The garden, emptied of cherry blossoms, lay thick with verdant trees. Each time the wind stirred, the leaves whispered—a soft, rustling sound. A quiet afternoon. Peaceful. Sayo walked the inner corridor. In her hands, a basket. Inside, medicinal herbs. Okoto from Kusanagi-dō had shared them with her. Recently, a cough had begun spreading through the castle. Concerned for the attendants' health, Sayo had decided to brew a healing decoction. *Otake's complexion looked pale too.* Sayo gazed into the basket. Since the incident with that herbal remedy, the attendants' attitudes had shifted further. They had begun to rely on her. To confide in her. And that—that made her happy. In the modern world, no one had relied on Sayo. She had no friends. Her family did not understand her. She had been alone. But here was different. Here, Sayo was useful to someone. That realization filled her heart, slowly, steadily. She turned a corner in the corridor. That was when she heard a voice. "Sayo." Oda Nobuhiro. Sayo's feet stopped. Her heart leaped—one large, sudden beat. She turned. There he stood. Oda Nobuhiro. Twenty-eight years old. Sharp, piercing eyes. Black hair bound at the nape. Her lord. He was looking at her. "Oda-sama," Sayo said, lowering her head. She folded her knees, still cradling the basket. *He called me by my name.* Something warm bloomed deep in her chest. This was the first time Nobuhiro had called her by her name. Always before, it had been "you" or "concubine." She had thought that natural—why would a lord need to call a concubine by name? That was what she had believed. But now he had called her Sayo. And somehow, that had seeped into her heart. "What is in that basket?" Nobuhiro's voice remained low, cold as ever. Yet there was less indifference than before. A hint—just a hint—of something human in its tone. "Medicinal herbs, my lord. I intend to brew a decoction for the attendants." Sayo answered. Her voice was quiet, but steady. Nobuhiro glanced into the basket. His gaze was sharp. But when he looked at Sayo, it seemed to soften, just slightly. "The attendants hold you in high regard." Sayo was startled by those words. Did Nobuhiro truly notice such small details within the castle? "No, my lord. They are simply kind to me." Sayo denied it. Yet in her heart, she was pleased. That Nobuhiro had been watching her. That he had seen her. Nobuhiro fell silent for a moment. That silence stretched long. At last, he spoke. "Continue as you are. I ask it of you." With only those brief words, he turned and left. His back receded. Black robes. A perfectly straight spine. Sayo watched him go. *He asked it of me.* Her heart trembled quietly. Nobuhiro—a cold-blooded warlord of the Warring States. A man who opened his heart to no one. Yet he had spoken to her. Called her by name. However small that gesture might be. For Sayo, it held great meaning. On her way back to the inner quarters, Sayo passed through the castle garden. The cherry blossoms had long since fallen. In their place, fresh green leaves adorned the garden. Verdant foliage. A cool breeze. Someone stood in a corner of the garden. Sayo stopped. It was a man she did not know. Early thirties, perhaps. Handsome features. A gentle smile. A deep indigo robe bearing the Oda family crest. He noticed her. "Ah, there you are. You must be Lady Sayo." His voice was soft. Disarming. Warm. Sayo's guard rose immediately. A stranger. Someone she had never met in the castle before. "Yes. I am Sayo. Forgive me, but who are you?" Sayo bowed with courtesy, yet maintained distance. The man laughed. "Ah, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Soichiro. Nobuhiro's cousin." Soichiro. Sayo committed the name to memory. Nobuhiro's cousin. That meant he was of the Oda clan. "I've only just returned from Kyoto. I've been away so long, I'm amazed at how the castle has changed." Soichiro surveyed the garden. His gaze was gentle, yet something calculating lay beneath it. Sayo understood instinctively. *This man wears a kind face, but...* There was something else beneath. The air of a strategist. Calculation. Ambition. Sayo's observant eye sought to pierce through to his true nature. "I hear you are skilled with medicinal herbs, Lady Sayo. That is wonderful. The people of the castle must be grateful for your help." Soichiro's words were warm. Yet that very warmth made Sayo more wary. A man who speaks so familiarly upon first meeting. That was not normal. "No, I merely do what I can." Sayo answered. Humbly. Without inflating herself. Soichiro studied her face intently. His gaze felt as though it were probing her very heart. "You are modest. But that is what makes you admirable, I think. Nobuhiro seems quite fond of you." At those words, Sayo's heart jumped. *Nobuhiro-sama is fond of me?* But Sayo did not let the emotion show on her face. She kept her expression calm, watching Soichiro steadily. "Oda-sama is kind to me." That was all she said. Only the facts. Soichiro smiled. "You are wise. Your conduct within the castle is flawless. If ever you find yourself in difficulty, please come to me. As his cousin, I support Nobuhiro as well. I am your ally." The words were kind. Yet Sayo did not lower her guard. *I am grateful for his offer of alliance. But...* Sayo looked into Soichiro's eyes. Something was hidden in their depths. Behind the kindness lay another intention. Sayo was certain of it. "Thank you for your consideration. I am grateful." Sayo bowed respectfully. Yet in her heart, she kept her distance. Soichiro nodded, satisfied. "Then let us speak again soon. I should like to know you better." With that, he departed. Sayo watched his retreating form. *Soichiro... he is a dangerous man.* Her instinct told her so. A gentle smile. A warm manner. But something lay beneath. Sayo knew she must be careful. At dusk, Sayo was summoned to a room in the inner quarters. It was the chamber of Zuigetsu-in. Zuigetsu-in. Nobuhiro's mother. Forty-eight years old. Born of the distinguished Saiga family. The woman who ruled the inner quarters of this castle. Sayo's entire body tensed at the name alone. This would be her first meeting with Zuigetsu-in. Before the chamber door, the attendant Otake waited. "Lady Sayo. Zuigetsu-in-sama has summoned you." Otake's voice was tighter than usual. She was nervous. Sayo nodded. The door opened. The room was spacious. Twelve mats wide. Luxurious furnishings lined the walls. A hanging scroll. A vase. A lacquered table. And there, at the far end, sat Zuigetsu-in. Zuigetsu-in was a beautiful woman. One would not guess her forty-eight years from her complexion—her skin was white as snow, her features refined. Her black hair was arranged with meticulous care, and she wore robes of high nobility. Yet her eyes were cold. Like ice. "So you are Sayo," Zuigetsu-in said. Her voice was low, sharp. Sayo knelt. She bowed deeply. "Yes. I am Sayo. It is an honor to meet you for the first time." Zuigetsu-in looked down at her. That gaze raked across Sayo's entire body as though appraising her worth. "A concubine, I hear. A girl picked up from a village, or so I was told." The words carried unmistakable contempt. Sayo said nothing. She simply remained bowed, enduring. "Do you know the etiquette of tea?" An abrupt question. Sayo raised her face. "Only a little." It was a lie. She had never studied tea ceremony in the modern world. But she had read about the tea practices of the Warring States era. Zuigetsu-in laughed coldly. "Only a little. That will not do. As a concubine, you must master at least the basic forms. From today, I shall teach you." The words sounded kind. But Sayo understood. *This is a trial.* Zuigetsu-in was testing her. Whether she was worthy as a concubine. Whether she had the right to stand at her son's side. "Thank you for your kindness," Sayo said, bowing. Zuigetsu-in rose to her feet. "The attendants may leave. We shall speak alone." At that command, Otake and the others withdrew. Only Sayo and Zuigetsu-in remained. Zuigetsu-in sat before Sayo. The distance was close. Close enough that breath mingled. "Sayo. I shall tell you one thing." Zuigetsu-in's voice was colder than ice itself. "The position of concubine is disposable. You can be replaced at any moment. Should you lose favor, you will be cast out of this castle. More than that—your very life may be forfeit." The words were a threat. Sayo met Zuigetsu-in's gaze. In those eyes, intense emotion churned. *This woman... she will not give her son to anyone.* Sayo understood. Beneath Zuigetsu-in's cruelty lay a mother's deep love. Or rather, not love—obsession. She wanted her son for herself. She would not let anyone take him. That dark, possessive feeling. "I hold Oda-sama in high regard," Sayo answered quietly. Zuigetsu-in's eyes sharpened. "You? Hold Nobuhiro in regard?" Mockery threaded through her voice. "A girl like you holding Nobuhiro in regard is laughable. You merely cling to him to survive, nothing more." Those words cut into Sayo's heart. Yet she did not argue. *Perhaps that is true.* Sayo's own feelings remained unclear. Did she truly regard Nobuhiro? Or was she merely dependent on him to survive? She did not know. But one thing was certain. She wanted to understand Nobuhiro. To know his loneliness. That desire, at least, was genuine. "I wish only to be of service to Oda-sama." That was Sayo's answer. After a long silence, Zuigetsu-in laughed coldly. "I see. Then that is well. But do not forget. You are a concubine. Nothing more, nothing less. Know your place." With those final words, Zuigetsu-in rose. "That is all for today. I shall summon you again." Sayo bowed. As she left the chamber, Aotaro was waiting in the corridor. Aotaro. Thirty years old. Nobuhiro's vice-commander. Jet-black long hair. A sword scar running from his right eyebrow to his cheek. He was watching her. His gaze was as sharp as always. "Did you speak with Zuigetsu-in-sama?" Aotaro asked. His voice was terse. Sayo nodded. "Yes." Aotaro fell silent for a moment. That silence seemed to speak volumes. "Do you know the rules of the inner quarters?" At Aotaro's question, Sayo shook her head. "Not in detail..." Aotaro crossed his arms. "Concubines cannot enter the main compound without permission. Private conversation with male retainers is forbidden. Any outing requires two attendants. To break these rules invites suspicion of infidelity. At worst, execution." His words were cold, yet utterly serious. Sayo met Aotaro's gaze. In those eyes lay warning, and something else. "I understand. I will be careful." Sayo replied. Aotaro continued to watch her. That gaze lingered long. "You are... someone special to the lord." Sayo was startled by those words. Special? "That is why you must be careful. There are those in the castle who do not wish you well." Those words carried complex emotion. Jealousy. Wariness. And perhaps—just perhaps—a hint of kindness. Sayo glimpsed something of Aotaro's true nature. *This man cares for his lord more than anyone.* That was why he was wary of her. Yet at the same time, perhaps he also recognized that Sayo was having a good influence on Nobuhiro. "Thank you, Aotaro-sama," Sayo said, bowing. Aotaro departed without another word. Watching his retreating back, Sayo wondered. *Will I ever be able to truly connect with this man as well?* Night fell. Back in her chamber, Sayo lit the lamp. Alone in her room. A quiet night. So much had happened today. Nobuhiro calling her by name. Meeting Soichiro. Zuigetsu-in's cold words. Aotaro's warning. All of it had shaken Sayo's heart. *This castle is complicated.* Sayo hugged her knees. Nobuhiro. Soichiro. Aotaro. Zuigetsu-in. Four people. Each