Hiyori Kozuki's Submission (Part 1)

Dawn did not go to an inn. Instead, he headed straight for the district where wealthy merchants lived. Before coming here, he had casually "borrowed" a walled estate as a temporary place to stay.

The estate was extravagantly luxurious. The master bedroom was so spacious it was almost empty, furnished with thick embroidered bedding. The air carried the scent of costly agarwood, while rosewood furniture gleamed with a dark luster.

The window lattice cut the increasingly fierce sunlight outside into neat patches that fell across the spotless tatami mats, bright enough to sting the eyes.

Dawn had specifically replaced the bedding and bed. He did not like riding across someone else's battlefield.

Komurasaki was brought to the center of the room, standing at the edge of those dazzling patches of sunlight like a startled bird that had wandered into a magnificent palace.

Her hands were clasped before her, her fingers squeezing so hard that her knuckles turned white, as though they were the only thing she could hold on to.

Dawn shut the door, cutting off everything outside. Then he turned to face her.

Silence spread through the luxurious yet stifling room. Only the faint crackling of burning agarwood could be heard.

At last, Komurasaki gathered all her courage. Her shattered, trembling voice rang out.

"Why... why did you redeem me?"

Dawn did not answer immediately. He walked closer step by step, then stopped before her. Reaching out, he lifted her chin with his fingertips, forcing her to raise her head and meet his eyes.

"I need a woman, and you happen to meet my requirements."

Komurasaki's pupils suddenly contracted. She staggered back, her spine striking the hard rosewood doorframe with a dull thud. The pain cleared her mind, but it also made the crushing terror all the more real.