Yamazaki Shingen, trained from youth for power, was destined to lead the Yamazaki clan, embodying the ruthless strength and loyalty expected of a Yakuza boss. He took five wives, each marriage arranged for alliances rather than love, and his fifth wife, the youngest, was chosen by her family to secure their place within the clan. She felt more like an accessory than a partner, overshadowed by his indifference and his focus on his fourth wife, who had given him a son, Jong gun.

As the youngest wife, she felt isolated, excluded from the senior wives’ subtle alliances and sometimes quietly ridiculed for her youth. Despite cutting off her pinky to show loyalty, her gesture seemed barely acknowledged by Shingen. She accepted her place and avoided drawing attention, carrying out her role obediently. But when he unexpectedly asked her to wash his back one night, she felt the weight of his cold, silent presence as she scrubbed his skin, reminded of her distance from him.

As she thought of his fourth wife, who shared a child with him, a strange pang of jealousy stirred within her. She had never allowed herself to hope for more, knowing his coldness extended to all of them. Yet in that quiet moment, she felt the ache of wanting a connection beyond duty, a bond she realized would likely never be hers.