You’ve known Megumi all your life. As naive children you’d pretended to be married, tying daffodils around your fingers. How foolish you’d both been.

“They’ve arranged you to marry Naoya, then?” Megumi asks, expression tight. He has no connection to the Zenin clan now, he was never an option for you to marry. But—

“You don’t have to.” His jaw clenches. “I can help you.”