Soi walked nervously toward the Master's Bedroom, her footsteps silent but her breathing uneven. No matter how many pep talks she gave herself, she couldn't shake the nervous energy coursing through her.
"God! This is more unnerving than my first assignment," she muttered under her breath, trying to calm herself.
She was dressed in a black silk robe adorned with the golden Rose emblem on the back, the insignia marking her as one of the elite Roses of the Toheyama clan. Beneath it, she wore nothing else. Tonight was the night she would share the lord's bed for the first time—a moment she had dreamed of but now found utterly terrifying.
For what felt like an eternity, Soi stood in front of the imposing door, taking deep breaths and attempting to summon her courage. She must have sighed three or four times already, yet her hand still hesitated to knock.
Standing nearby, Lexus, one of Nakago's personal guards, couldn't help but notice her predicament. He had trained alongside Soi during their time on the island and had never seen her this flustered. She was always composed, deadly, and confident. Now, she looked like a child about to face her first big test.
Unable to resist teasing her, Lexus smirked and rapped on the door himself—four deliberate knocks, the signal that the lord's companion for the evening had arrived.
"You asshole—" Soi began to hiss, glaring daggers at Lexus, but she didn't have time to finish her insult. The door swung open, and she froze.
"Soi," Nakago said calmly, his voice as steady and authoritative as ever. His gaze landed on her, unreadable, yet piercing. The sudden attention made her hiccup—a loud, awkward sound that echoed in the silence.
Lexus, unable to contain himself, let out a laugh, the rare sound breaking through the tension. If they hadn't been in Nakago's presence, Soi would have gouged Lexus's eyes out for his mischievous interference.
"Please, come in," Nakago invited, his tone polite but firm.
Soi didn't wait for a second invitation. Despite her overwhelming embarrassment and the persistent hiccups that betrayed her nerves, she stepped into the room, avoiding eye contact with Lexus as she passed him.
The Master's Bedroom reflected its owner perfectly—spacious, elegant, and minimalist, with subtle touches that hinted at the influence of the mistress. A single glance around the room spoke volumes about Nakago's personality: disciplined, organized, and refined. The atmosphere was almost intimidating in its quiet perfection.
"Take a seat," Nakago instructed.
Her brain seemingly short-circuited from the tension, and she automatically sat down on the edge of the bed. It wasn't until she was already seated that she remembered one of Freya's many pieces of advice: Never sit or lie on the bed unless the lord explicitly tells you to do so. Panic washed over her as she realized her mistake.
She sat stiffly, her body tense as if expecting a reprimand. But Nakago didn't seem angry. His expression remained calm as he observed her, his sharp eyes catching every subtle movement.
Soi was no stranger to Nakago's presence. As a Rose, she had been trained by Katarina to remain composed around him. Yet those interactions always felt professional. Tonight, the dynamic was different—intimate in a way that left her feeling exposed and vulnerable.
Her nerves betrayed her again, and another hiccup escaped her lips. She wanted to sink into the floor out of sheer humiliation.
"Drink this," Nakago said, his tone gentle as he handed her a glass of water.
Her hands trembled as she accepted the glass, careful not to spill its contents. She sipped slowly, the cool water soothing her parched throat but doing little to calm her nerves.
Nakago watched her for a moment, then turned away, walking toward his desk at the far side of the room. He picked up a stack of papers and resumed reading, leaving Soi alone to collect herself.
Time seemed to stretch as she sat there, unsure of what to do. Nakago didn't speak, and the silence only heightened her anxiety. She thought about the decision she had made to skip the formal training on how a Rose should please the lord. Katarina hadn't forced her to participate, respecting her choice. But now, sitting here with no guidance or plan, Soi regretted it.
She tried to recall the scattered bits of advice her fellow Roses had given her. Don't speak unless he addresses you. Always wait for his instructions. But none of it seemed to apply to this awkward silence. She felt completely unprepared.
As the minutes ticked by, her confidence wavered. She fidgeted slightly, wondering if Nakago was silently judging her—or worse, regretting allowing her into his room. Finally, she gathered her courage and spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
"My lord… is there something you would like me to do?"
Nakago didn't immediately look up. He finished the sentence he was reading, then placed the papers down and turned to face her, his expression unreadable.
"There is no need to rush, Soi," he said, his tone calm but firm. "You've been trained to take lives, to remain composed under pressure. Tonight is no different. Be yourself. You don't need to perform."
His words surprised her, catching her off guard. She expected instructions, commands, or even judgment. Instead, his calm reassurance felt disarming, easing some of the tension in her chest.
Soi nodded silently, her cheeks burning, as she glanced down at her trembling hands.
"I've never been with a man before, my lord," Soi blurted out.
The words hung awkwardly in the air, and she immediately regretted saying them. It was stupid—of course, Nakago already knew.
As a Rose, she was only allowed to share a bed with him. Nakago could choose to sleep with as many Roses as he wanted, but a Rose could never be with another man. Their alluring beauty, skills, and techniques might be employed to disarm enemies, especially men, but their bodies belonged to Nakago alone.
It was one of the unspoken rules of being a Rose, ingrained in them from the moment they joined the Garden of Eden. Yet, here she was, stating the obvious like a nervous child.
As if he could sense the turmoil in her mind, Nakago asked, his voice calm and devoid of judgment. "Did you come here because it was required of you?"
Soi's eyes widened at his question, her heart skipping a beat. "No, my lord," she said quickly, shaking her head. "I wanted to do this. I've waited for this…" Her voice trailed off, unsure how to continue without sounding more foolish.
Nakago's gaze remained steady, his expression thoughtful. "If you came here because you felt it was an obligation," he said, his tone gentle but firm, "then stay for the night. You can sleep in the bed, and nothing more will be expected of you. You won't need to do anything, and neither will I."
He returned his attention to the papers in front of him, as if giving her space to process his words.
Soi's stomach twisted. She felt a pang of embarrassment, but also something else—an odd sense of relief. "No, my lord," she said again, this time more firmly. "I wanted to do this. I've been waiting for this moment…" She hesitated, feeling like the more she spoke, the more likely she was to trip over her words.
"Then calm down, Soi," Nakago said, a faint smile curving his lips. It wasn't mocking or condescending—just gentle, almost encouraging. "Don't think of this as if you're on a mission."
She nodded, her cheeks burning, but the knot in her chest loosened ever so slightly. Silence enveloped them again, broken only by the soft rustle of papers as Nakago resumed his reading.
This wasn't how she had envisioned the night to go.
The first time Soi laid eyes on Nakago, she had admired him. Their age gap wasn't significant—only seven years—but his presence had always seemed far beyond his years. He exuded a strength, intelligence, and quiet confidence that drew her in. What began as admiration quickly turned into something deeper.
Soi had worked tirelessly to earn her place among the Roses, pushing herself harder than anyone else to ensure she would be chosen. For years, she had dreamed of this moment, imagining it in vivid detail every night.
But now that she was here, she felt like a failure.
Frustrated, she threw herself onto the bed with a loud sigh, letting her body sink into the plush mattress. A second later, she froze. Freya's warning about not sitting or lying on the bed without permission echoed in her mind again. Now, not only had she sat on the bed earlier, but she had thrown herself onto it—twice breaking the unspoken rules.
She thought about getting up, but the scent of the bed—his scent—wafted up from the pillows, wrapping around her like a comforting embrace. It was warm, clean, and undeniably Nakago. The tension in her shoulders melted away, and a small, rebellious thought crept into her mind.
"To hell with it," she muttered under her breath.
If she was going to be reprimanded anyway, she might as well enjoy herself a little. Gathering her courage, she reached for one of the four pillows on the bed and hugged it close to her chest. Pressing her face into the soft fabric, she inhaled deeply, savoring the lingering scent of him.
A small smile tugged at her lips as she buried her face in the pillow. For the first time that night, she felt a flicker of comfort, a tiny spark of happiness amidst her nervousness.