Patricio

MaiKai arranged marriage AU! Kai is a duke and Mai's father has her married off to him for financial reasons.

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After two long days of adjusting to her new life in House Satou, Mai had made a very important discovery: her favorite room was the piano room.

With looming bookshelves on the left and right walls and a beautiful white grand piano against the other, House Satou’s piano room was her dream come true. The flower arrangements decorating the shelves full of sheet music, holding the reddest of roses and the purest of white lilies, made the room’s atmosphere even more comforting. Also, while she may have been slightly biased, she felt that the soft velvet piano bench was the most comfortable surface in the entire estate, second only to her bed.

Mai had learned to play the piano at a very young age. Her father had her begin learning to play when she was just barely three years old, and she had steadily improved ever since. Seventeen years and lots of harsh discipline later, the young noblewoman was revered as one of the greatest musicians in the kingdom. She held her unofficial title with pride, as it was one of the only reasons why the people even knew of her existence.

The moment when Kai assured her that she had unlimited access to her beloved piano room was the happiest she had felt in months. Not only was the piano always there for her to play, but the selection of books on the shelves almost rivaled that of the estate’s library. Out of every room in the extravagant house, to Mai, this one felt the most familiar. Even if she was having her life sold over to a duke for the sake of her House’s finances, she was still herself: Lady Mai Tsurugi, master of the ivory keys.

Today, on the third day of the rest of her life, Mai was surprised to find that another person had beaten her to her new favorite room. Her suspicions were already high since the door was already open, and her heart sank as they were confirmed. Sitting at the piano was none other than her fiance, Kai Satou. Before she could silently walk away, Kai turned to face her.

“They told me I would find you here,” he stated simply. “Sure enough, I only had to wait a little while.”

Mai pursed her lips, forcing herself to make eye contact with Kai. “You waited for me?”

“Well,” he sighed. “I would rather wait in here than stand outside your bedroom door. I’m not some kind of pervert.”

Mai barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. He wouldn’t feel the need to clarify unless he had something to hide. “I appreciate it,” she fibbed, slowly entering the room.

Kai kept his gaze locked on his betrothed as she approached him, then turned back to face the piano. “Isn’t this a lovely instrument?” he admired, gently brushing his fingers over the keys. “It’s a family heirloom. I never got very good at playing it though. Not nearly as good as you, at least.”

Mai’s eyes slightly narrowed. “How did you know that?”

“The whole kingdom knows how great of a pianist you are, milady,” he explained. “And I have been listening to you play for the past couple of days.”

Her face grew red with embarrassment. “Is that so?” she stammered.

He nodded slowly. “I must admit, as much as I’ve heard of your great musicianship, hearing you play in person has made me quite jealous. As much as I’ve tried to learn the piano, I simply lack natural talent.”

A tiny smile creeped onto Mai’s face. “I don’t believe in natural talent. With enough practice and hard work, anyone can master any instrument.”

As much as he tried, Kai couldn’t suppress a small smile of his own. “That’s a very positive viewpoint,” he complimented. With a heavy sigh, his gaze traveled away from the keys and up to the wall above the piano. His eyes landed on the only thing Mai disliked about the piano room.

The Satou family portrait was a beautiful piece of art, there was no doubt about that. With intricate brushstrokes and exquisite detail, the painting of Duke Gashu, Duchess Kagami, and the young Lord Kai was incredibly realistic and equally as striking. Because of that, whenever Mai looked at the large painting, she couldn’t help but feel as if all three figures in the painting were watching her. Somehow, she felt that she was being judged by all three figures at the same time, especially Kai. It added a solemn, yet balancing air to the comforting atmosphere of the room. 

“It’s strange,” Kai mused. “I never thought my life would move along so quickly. Since the death of my father, everything has gone by so fast. I’m only twenty-five years old, and I’ve already inherited the House.”

Mai was surprised at the sudden change in Kai’s tone. Although his voice always maintained its monotonous tone, it was still easy to sense the change in his demeanor. 

“Yes,” she replied simply. “If I remember correctly, you are the youngest man to ever hold the title of Duke Satou.”

“Correct.” He let out a heavy sigh. “My father’s death was… most unfortunate. But the past is in the past.”

Mai’s face cringed slightly with confusion. “You have very strong composure. His passing was only last year.”

“Well, when you’re the heir to your House, you aren’t given much time to grieve the passing of your predecessor.”

Mai resisted the urge to scoff. Was that a jab at her own status?

“No matter,” Kai said with a tiny smile. “Are you excited for the wedding?”

Mai’s breath caught in her throat. “Yes, of course.”

Kai’s smile grew ever so slightly. “Great. Now for your honest answer.”

She flinched, recoiling with shock. She wanted to be offended at such a comment, but unfortunately, he was absolutely correct in assuming she was lying. 

“It’s okay,” Kai said with a sigh. “I can’t expect you to be bursting with joy while you’re being married off to a stranger. I think you’re very brave for accepting my proposal.”

As if she had any choice in the matter. 

“The rehearsal is tomorrow. I’ll leave you to your business. Thank you for the chat, Lady Mai.”

MaiKai arranged marriage AU! Kai is a duke and Mai's father is having her married off to him for financial reasons.

The air was so tense, Mai felt like she would drown in it.

Maybe it was the four heavily armored guards walking alongside her, or maybe it was the itchiness of her corset. No matter the reason, Mai would have rather been anywhere else. With every step down the extravagant hall, her heart grew heavier with dread.

Anyone who knew the young woman knew that she was normally cheery and outgoing. With a passion for sweets and baking, she could light up a room with her presence alone. But today, her demeanor was exactly the opposite. That was because today was the day when the dark reality of the rest of her life was going to set in. The forced marriage she had been dreading for nearly a year was finally upon her.

The Tsurugi family, of which Mai was the youngest daughter, had been struggling greatly. Although the family was the leader of the noble House Tsurugi, they were very unfortunate compared to the other names of nobility. Being in the northernmost part of the kingdom, the land surrounding House Tsurugi was hard and dry, and the soil was nearly infertile. With the lack of surrounding farmland, forests, or even water, the territory had hardly any reliable exports. As a result, the common folk lived in poverty, and even the ruling family was financially strained. The lack of funds and rebellion against rising taxes on the people of the territory made the future of House Tsurugi look very grim.

That was, however, until another family made a deal with Mai’s father.

Viscount Tsurugi was not a sentimental man. Although Mai had known that all her life, it became even more obvious when he suddenly announced that she was being married off to Duke Kai Satou. She had not once been consulted about the marriage, or asked to agree to it. The arrangement was made by her father for the sole purpose of improving the House’s finances.

That was why she found herself forcing back tears as she stopped walking and peeled her gaze up from the floor, meeting eyes with him. Kai Satou, the man she was to be married to against her will, was standing before her. Mai could hardly contain her fear and anger as they stared at each other, waiting for one of them to speak.

Kai’s presence was less than comforting, and he looked like he was almost less happy about the arrangement than Mai was. With dark brown eyes staring coldly at his fiance, Kai stepped forward until he was just barely close enough to reach her hand. Mai’s heart could barely decide whether to burst out of her chest or sink into her stomach as she slowly held out her left hand, which Kai gently took. As he bowed down and closed his eyes, the kiss he placed upon her knuckle was the most apathetic gesture of honor she had ever received.

“Lady Mai,” he spoke, being the first time Mai had ever heard her fiance’s voice. “It is a great honor to finally meet you.”

Mai was surprised when hearing his voice made her emotions change so suddenly. She felt her heavy sadness quickly become a flare of anger, so extreme that she couldn’t stop her eye from twitching. “The pleasure is mine, Your Grace,” she lied through her teeth. “You have my gratitude for this opportunity to offer such help to my family.”

Mai could tell by the way he stared back at her that he could see right through her falsehood. Despite that, he simply nodded and carefully let go of her hand. “Of course. Anything I can do to assist a fellow noble house is an absolute pleasure.” As if he could sense her anxiety, he signaled for the guards to lower their weapons. “Your belongings arrived a few days ago. You’re welcome to begin unpacking.” He quickly turned away from her and signaled for her to follow. “Come. I will show you to your room.”

Trying not to let her nervousness show in her face, Mai followed close behind Kai as he led her down a branching hallway, decorated just as extravagantly as where they had just met. She immediately noticed how stark of a contrast it was to the decor of House Tsurugi. While still elegant and strongly built, the halls of her home were much less decorated compared to House Satou’s, with its abundant paintings and golden suits of armor lining the walls. Although she found it quite beautiful, she found herself overwhelmed by such a change. She couldn’t help but wonder how her presence would be taken by the other members of the House. Would they view her as lesser? A simple poor woman who was only there to take advantage of the Duke’s generosity?

Her rampant thoughts were interrupted when Kai stopped in front of her. He turned to a tall mahogany door, beautifully crafted even down to the handle. “This will be your bedroom. I hope it’s to your liking.”

As Kai opened the door for her and she stepped inside, her eyes grew wide with awe. The bedroom was absolutely beautiful. From the large vanity accompanied by a wide mirror, to the perfectly made bed with a sheer fabric canopy surrounding it, everything about the bedroom was perfect. For the first time in weeks, a smile made its way onto Mai’s face. Her blind joy was interrupted quickly, however, as a question came to her mind. “Pardon me, Your Grace, but will we not be sharing a bedroom?”

Without missing a beat, Kai simply shook his head. “No. You hardly know me. I could not ask you to give up your privacy to a stranger, even when we’re married.”

No matter how calm Kai’s voice was, the statement was enough to make Mai flinch. She could only let out a soft hum and nod in response.

This man was so respectful. Even though she could feel the resentment emanating from him, he respected her privacy and gave her this gorgeous bedroom.

“Dinner will be ready soon,” Kai stated, breaking Mai out of her thoughts. “For now, you can start unpacking your things, or… whatever you would like to do.”

They shared their gaze for a few seconds before Mai smiled, bowing her head. “Thank you, Your Grace. This room is lovely.”