Chapter 9 wedding night
The wedding had been a blur.
Nori barely remembered the faces of the guests, the murmured congratulations, the weight of a thousand eyes watching his every move.
Now, he sat alone in the wedding chamber, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows against the silk-covered walls.
His wedding robes were still wrapped around him, layers of delicate pink silk embroidered with gold, each fold carefully arranged by the maids to make him look as perfect as a bride should.
Yet, despite all the beauty surrounding him, a deep unease curled in his stomach.
His father had given him away.
His family had secured their fortune.
And now, he belonged to General Ryusoke.
At least, that was what tradition dictated.
But in Nori's heart, he was still himself. Still Yuki Nori.
Still unsure of what his future held.
A quiet knock echoed against the wooden door.
He stiffened.
Then, the door slid open.
The General's Arrival
Ryusoke stepped inside, his imposing frame filling the doorway.
Gone were his formal wedding robes—he now wore only a simple black robe, loosely tied at the waist.
The sight of him made Nori's breath catch.
Even without armor, Ryusoke carried the air of a warrior, his presence commanding, inescapable.
The door slid shut behind him.
Now, they were alone.
Nori lowered his gaze, his hands tightening around the fabric of his sleeves.
The silence between them felt too heavy.
Then, finally, Ryusoke spoke.
"You may look at me."
Nori hesitated before slowly raising his head, meeting the General's gaze for the first time that night.
But instead of the possessive hunger he had expected, Ryusoke's expression was unreadable.
There was no cruelty in his eyes.
Only curiosity.
Ryusoke stepped forward, his movements deliberate yet unhurried.
Nori resisted the urge to shrink away.
Instead of reaching for him immediately, the General stopped a few steps away and studied him in silence.
"You are afraid," he observed.
Nori's fingers twitched, but he remained still.
"A proper wife does not fear her husband," he murmured, repeating the words drilled into him by Lady Asami.
Ryusoke's expression darkened at that.
"Is that what they taught you?"
Nori swallowed. "Yes."
Something unreadable flickered in Ryusoke's gaze.
"Come here."
Nori rose to his feet and stepped forward. His knees felt weak beneath him, his body tense as he moved toward the man who was now his husband.
When he was close enough that he could feel the warmth radiating from Ryusoke's body, the General reached out.
But instead of touching him immediately, he waited.
A test.
An unspoken question.
Would Nori allow this?
Would he accept him?
After a long, agonizing moment, Nori nodded.
And only then did Ryusoke touch him.
But the touch was gentle.
Fingertips brushing against his wrist, light and fleeting.
Not claiming.
Not possessing.
Only learning.
Undoing the Silk
Ryusoke's hands moved to the knot of Nori's obi, but unlike what he had expected, the General did not pull it loose immediately.
Instead, he let his fingers linger there, watching Nori's expression.
A silent request for permission.
Nori's heart pounded.
For the first time, it felt like he had a choice.
Shakily, he nodded.
The fabric unraveled, the heavy silk slipping from his shoulders.
Layer by layer, his wedding attire fell away until he stood in nothing but his thin under-robe.
Ryusoke's gaze swept over him, but not with the predatory hunger Nori had expected.
Instead, the General took a step back.
"You should undress me as well," he said.
The words took Nori by surprise.
Hadn't he been taught that the husband takes, and the wife submits?
Yet here was Ryusoke, asking him to touch him first.
Nori hesitated before reaching out.
His fingers trembled as he undid the knot of the General's robe, the fabric parting easily beneath his touch.
When it slid from Ryusoke's shoulders, Nori dared to look.
He had seen men's bodies before—his brothers, the servants, the guards.
But Ryusoke was different.
Broad. Solid.
A man forged from war and battle.
Yet, for all his strength, he wasn't forcing anything upon him.
He was simply waiting.
Allowing Nori to set the tone
When Ryusoke finally guided him to the soft bedding, Nori's body was still tense.
But instead of taking what was expected, Ryusoke paused.
"You're frightened."
Nori bit his lip. "…Yes."
For a long moment, Ryusoke said nothing.
Then, with a sigh, he lay down beside him—but did not touch him.
Nori blinked in confusion.
"You are my wife now," Ryusoke murmured, his voice quieter than before. "But that does not mean I will take something you are not ready to give."
Nori's breath caught.
Had he misheard?
For weeks, he had been taught that this moment would be inevitable.
That he had no choice.
And yet, Ryusoke was giving him one.
He turned his head slightly, watching the General in the dim candlelight.
The man who had every right to claim him—but didn't.
The man who was feared across the empire—yet lay beside him, unmoving.
For the first time since this marriage had been arranged, Nori felt something unfamiliar in his chest.
Not fear.
Not dread.
But relief.
He hesitated before whispering, "Thank you."
Ryusoke did not respond immediately.
Then, after a moment, he reached out—not to hold him, but to adjust the blanket over Nori's shoulder.
"Sleep," he murmured.
And for the first time since entering the manor, Nori truly did.