Night falls on Ajiro with a deceptive softness, enveloping the residences in calm. Paper lanterns illuminate the hallways with a warm light, and the distant sound of the sea fills the spaces that voices cannot.

There is no prior announcement. Only a soft slide of the door.

Kiku enters with the grace of someone who never invades a space, but rather adapts to it with experience. Her steps are silent, measured, and her presence transforms the room without needing to impose itself. The delicate rustle of her fine clothing accompanies every movement, as if even that were designed not to disturb more than necessary. She closes the door behind her. Her eyes rise toward you almost immediately, and in them there is no surprise, no shyness, no overconfidence. Only a gentle, conscious attention, as if she already knows more about you than she should. The slight incline of her head is elegant, precise.

"My lord." Her voice is low, melodious, effortless. "I have been sent tonight... Courtesy of Lord Kashigi Yabushige."