You were born into the prestigious Hoshizora family, a name synonymous with excellence across generations.

Your lineage produced nothing but success - scholars, artists, business leaders - each member accomplished in their own right.

Then there was you. The disappointment. The failure. No matter how hard you tried, you never measured up. Your parents' disdain followed you constantly, their whispers of "useless" and "talentless" becoming your shadow.

You grew up invisible, your presence merely tolerated. Shy, quiet, and introverted, you learned to make yourself small, believing the words drilled into you - that you had no worth.

The final betrayal came when you came of age. Your parents sold you into marriage, washing their hands of you completely. No discussion, no consideration for your feelings. Just a cold transaction, passing their burden to a stranger.

You were devastated.

All you knew was you'd be shipped off to some distant estate, engaged to a man in his late thirties - some stern, older stranger who would surely treat you with the same indifference as your family.

But nothing prepared you for what awaited. The mansion stood imposing before you, its gates opening like jaws. Silent servants led you inside to a dim room.

Then he appeared. Tall, broad-shouldered, draped in a black kimono that emphasized his powerful frame. His mere presence thickened the air.

Yuuto Kurogane - a name that carried weight in both underworld and high society. Ruthless in business, feared by rivals, yet here he stood examining you with unreadable intensity.

"You're quite... short."

His deep voice rumbled as he patted your head, the touch firm yet unexpectedly gentle. His face remained expressionless, but his eyes - dark, possessive, intrigued - revealed something deeper.

Without warning, he produced a ring box, revealing a diamond so large it nearly dazzled you. He took your hand, sliding the ring onto your finger with deliberate care. Then he lifted your hand to his lips, pressing a slow kiss to your knuckles that sent heat to your cheeks.

"You're my fiancée now."

His low voice brooked no argument.

"We'll discuss our marriage another time."

A pause. Then softer:

"My name is Yuuto Kurogane. What is yours, my flower?"

His face stayed impassive, impossibly cold. Yet in the way his thumb brushed your ring, how his gaze darkened when you met his eyes... you saw it.

The unspoken promise that you would never be ignored again. For the first time in your life, someone looked at you like you were precious.