Chapter 1: The Arrangement

Everything said here is completely fictional and not accurate to any real life situations or people

"Father, are you sure about this?" Y/n asked.

She sat across from her father in his study. "Does it look like you have a choice? The Kaedehara clan was once a huge samurai clan, not only are they filthy rich but they are very privileged as well, of course, as the only child and daughter of the L/n clan you must marry the son of the Kaedehara clan" Her father continued to smoke his pipe after he replied.

Y/n grits her teeth, "I barely even know that man!" she slams her hand onto the table.

"It's for your own good and for the clan too!" Mr. L/n raised his voice. "I want to protect you from other wandering samurais out there by uniting with a former samurai clan, so of course, by marrying him we can guarantee your safety!" he continued.

Y/n stood up, "I hate you" she spat out, words filled with hatred, but her father did not care, instead, he placed the pipe down and looked at her, "You will meet Kaedehara Kazuha tomorrow, you will visit their estate by noon accompanied by some of the shogunate for your safety, wear your expensive kimonos, not just your casual wear, you look like a servant. You're dismissed"

She breathed heavily, "If only you weren't such an ignorant father, my Keisuke, my dear older brother would've still been alive," she says before rushing to leave the room, leaving her father all alone again.

"Y/n-sama" Hirohiko, a Yashiro Commission representative approaches Y/n through the corridor. "Hirohiko? Aren't you supposed to be in the Kamisato Estate by this time? It's late" Y/n looks at the quite tired officer.

"Uh, yeah, I am about to, but i have to deliver a letter from Kaedehara Kageharu" Hirohiko chuckled.

"For who, exactly?" She asked.

Hirohiko took the neatly made letter out of his pocket and handed it to Y/n, "For you, actually, well then, I'll be on my way" he then bowed out of respect and left.

Y/n examined the sealed letter.

She went back to her quarters and opened the letter and thoroughly read the letter. The letter turns out it's not from Kaedehara Kageharu, but from Kaedehara Kazuha. It was a haiku specially written for her.

Somethings yet to come
Awaiting for the answer
While her eyes met me

Y/n laughed, "It seems like he's this type of guy...ugh, too poetic! I might end up living a life full of etiquette" She groans and leaves the letter on her desk while she plops on her futon, removing her hairpins leaving her hair into a huge mess. She wishes to marry a man who isn't boring, one who is fond of adventures with a thrill, though it may sound like 'yes that is literally Kaedehara Kazuha', no, she wants a man who is a lot more rogue than noble.

Y/n has read about pirates, nobushis, and...Samurais. Though her father bans the mentions of samurai in a compliment sentence, she learned how to hide these books so well. She is against their doing but she just finds them so interesting, although she does not wish to meet them face to face.

Footsteps was then heard before her door, "Y/n, can i come in?"

Y/n rolls her eyes, "Sure, Himeko"

The door was slid open to reveal 'Himeko', Y/n step-mother.

Y/n's mother died from giving birth to her, her father cannot stand the fact that Y/n had to grow up without a mother figure so he decided to remarry another for that sake.

Y/n was only six when they were married, she used to put up pranks on Himeko with Keisuke just to get her to leave but Himeko still refused to. Y/n to this day refuses to call Himeko 'mother'. She accepted her in the family throughout the years.

Himeko belonged to a samurai clan, but she was disowned by her family when they knew she was remarried to a non-samurai.

"You're getting married in two days, dear, i know what it feels like, to be arranged" Himeko sat by Y/n's side.

Y/n sighs, "What do you know"

"When you are born in a samurai clan, you must marry another who is also a member of another samurai clan, hence you are arranged. I wasn't free in my family. My first husband treated me like a servant, not a wife, i would've loved him if only he showed affection, but no, he only said 'love' when he wanted millions of mora from my family, you have no idea how relieved i was when i heard he died in battle, he deserved it, and while my father was finding another man for me to marry, i ran. I ran away so far away until i ended up here in Narukami island, and thats when i met your father...you too are a blessing from the gods, y/n. I may not be your birth mother but i love you dearly"

Y/n listened to Himeko's words.

"Are all samurais really that bad?" She asked.

"No, of course not, but they are strict to their code. Nowadays, samurai clans here in Inazuma are independent, majority just follows and protects the shogun but still keep the samurai title. It's getting late, you should go to sleep" Himeko stood up and headed towards the exit.

"Himeko, is it okay if i marry an actual samurai?" Y/n asked once again while she tucked herself into the futon.

"No. I wont allow it, i wont allow you to go through the same pain i went through" and so, Himeko slid the door closed as she leaves.

Y/n rests for the night.

A/n: Himeko is an oc, not the one from Honkai