Inside the priestess's castle in the Land of Demons.
The heavy doors of the reception hall closed silently behind.
On a delicate tea table, warm clear tea and several exquisite pastries had already been arranged.
Miroku's beautiful face appeared even more sacred in the soft light, her eyes clear, as if she could see into people's hearts.
Shun's gaze swept over the pastries, and a playful smile appeared on his lips. "These are all my favorite pastries. It seems you anticipated my visit long ago?"
Miroku nodded slightly, her movements elegant and composed.
Her voice was ethereal and calm. "About two years ago, I vaguely foresaw that a powerful individual, capable of changing the world's trajectory, would emerge in the future. Later, the Ninja World's pattern underwent drastic changes, and your name began to spread far and wide. Then, three days ago, I foresaw your arrival."
A hint of understanding flashed in Shun's eyes. He wasn't surprised by this ability to foresee. After all, her daughter Shion could foresee the future deaths of those around her.
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharpening a little, and asked the question he truly cared about, "So, how much of the future have you glimpsed and what will be the outcome for you and me?"
Miroku met his gaze, and a faint blush seemed to flit across her fair cheeks.
She paused, speaking with a sense of destiny, "You will help me eliminate Moryo, and then you will marry me, taking me as your consort."
…
A brief silence fell in the reception hall, broken only by the faint crackling of incense burning.
Shun was slightly startled, then burst into a wry smile. He slowly stood up, walked around the low table in the middle, and approached Miroku step by step.
Miroku remained kneeling, only looking up as he approached, a subtle ripple in her clear eyes.
Shun sat down next to her and gently took her slender hand, which rested on her lap. Miroku's fingers were slightly cool, with a faint tremor, but she did not withdraw her hand.
His voice was deep and magnetic, no longer carrying any hint of probing. "The long river of time often branches into countless streams due to different choices made by a person. I have seen another future for you."
Miroku's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and confusion appeared in her eyes.
Shun gazed into her eyes, as if trying to see into the depths of her soul. "If I had not come here today, then in the near future, you would give birth to a daughter named Shion."
Miroku's breath caught, her pupils slightly dilating, a strange feeling washing over her.
Shun lifted Miroku's slightly cool right hand and kissed the back of it. "She would be your treasure, inheriting your powerful priestess power. When she was six years old, Moryo would come to find you. And to protect Shion, you would forcibly seal Moryo into your own body. Then, you would seal yourself and Moryo's body together under a volcano somewhere in the Land of Swamps. Until ten years later, Moryo would find Shion again. This is the priestess's fate."
Miroku's face turned slightly pale, vaguely sensing the tragic fate she did not wish to contemplate.
Shun's voice suddenly became firm and domineering. "But I don't like that future, the one where you sacrifice yourself in solitude. The future where a 6-year-old girl loses her mother from a young age and bears a heavy destiny alone."
He gently stroked Miroku's cheek, forcing her to look into his burning eyes.
"So, I came. I came before you. I will cut off that unpleasant branch of fate."
"Now, tell me, Miroku."
"Are you ready to become my queen?"
Miroku stared blankly at the man before her. He was powerful, domineering, even a bit overbearing, and he had suddenly burst into her destiny like this. He wanted to roughly pull her out of that predetermined tragic ending and then give her a completely different, unknown future.
She took a deep breath, gently clasped his hand in return, and her gaze gradually firmed.
"I have not seen the future you speak of. In the future I have seen, I am your queen, so I am willing to accept the arrangement of fate to become your queen."
Shun picked up the teacup in front of him and gestured slightly to Miroku, as if reaching some unspoken understanding.
"Since that is the case, then let us together embrace a new destiny."
Miroku also slowly picked up her teacup and reciprocated the gesture.
Inside the hall, the incense still wafted, and a subtle, ambiguous atmosphere spread.
Shun gazed into Miroku's eyes, and with a slight exertion of his arm, he gently pulled her into his embrace.
Miroku's body instantly stiffened. As a respected priestess, she had never had such intimate contact with a man.
Then, a powerful masculine scent enveloped her, causing her heart to suddenly beat out of rhythm.
Shun lowered his head and gently kissed her slightly trembling lips. The initial touch was a bit tentative and awkward, and Miroku instinctively tried to turn her head away. But her chin was gently cupped by his long fingers, the pressure tender yet undeniable.
"Mm…"
A faint whimper was suppressed in her throat.
The kiss was not rushed. Instead, it carried a strange patience and guidance.
Miroku's taut body gradually softened in Shun's embrace and kiss. In the air, only their intertwined breaths and increasingly loud heartbeats remained.
After a long while, their lips parted.
Miroku's cheeks were flushed with a captivating blush, and her eyes shimmered with the hazy, shy look of someone experiencing desire for the first time.
Dark fire ignited in Shun's eyes, and his large hand began to wander restlessly across her slender waist and back.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch a certain area—
"Wait…"
Miroku suddenly came to her senses, pressing his mischievous hand with her trembling small hand. She raised her crimson face, her eyes holding a hint of plea and panic.
"Shun-sama, our development is too fast. I… I'm not ready yet. Please give me a little more time."
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito, carrying obvious shyness.
Even though she had foreseen her destiny, truly taking this step was still a psychological hurdle for her, who had been nurtured from a young age and held a noble status.
Shun's movements paused. He knew that haste makes waste, so he forcibly suppressed the surging desire. He took a deep breath, rested his forehead against hers.
His voice was restrained. "Okay, I was too eager. We have plenty of days ahead."