After months of staying at her fiancé's side, Miyo is finally invited to the Kudou family estate to meet her in-laws. Far from receiving a warm welcome, however, she quickly learns that Kiyoka's mother has no intention of accepting her as his bride. But that's not enough to make Miyo give up on finding a way forward. Meanwhile, Kiyoka heads to a village to investigate rumors of supernatural phenomena...

IS THIS MARRIAGE A BLESSING? OR A CURSE? ​Born talentless to a noble family famous for their supernatural abilities, Miyo Saimori is forced into an existence of servitude by her abusive stepmother. When Miyo finally comes of marriageable age, though, her hopes of being whisked away to a better life crumble after she discovers her fiancé’s identity: Kiyoka Kudou, a commander apparently so cold and cruel that his previous would-be brides all fled within three days of their engagements. With no home to return to, Miyo resigns herself to her fate—and soon finds that her pale and beautiful husband-to-be is anything but the monster she expected. As they slowly open their hearts to each other, both realize the other may be their chance at finding true love and happiness.

ANOTHER STEP FORWARD… After months of staying by Kiyoka’s side, Miyo is finally invited to the Kudou family villa to meet her future in-laws. Far from receiving a warm welcome, however, she quickly discovers that her fiancé’s mother, Fuyu, has no intention of accepting her as his bride. But Miyo will do anything to make her engagement work, even if that means putting up with abuse from Fuyu while attempting to bridge the gap between them. Meanwhile, Kiyoka heads to a nearby village to investigate reports of a fiend that stalks the night…

A "Cinderella"-inspired slow-burn historical romance with a paranormal twist set in Taisho-era Japan! A browbeaten and mistreated daughter is cast out of her home and sent to audition as a bridal candidate for the heir to one of the most powerful families in the land… Considered nigh worthless for having failed to inherit the superhuman powers of the bloodlines into which she was born, Miyo Saimori lives her days unwanted and unloved. Her stepmother and very own father have little time or affection for her, and Miyo must suffer being treated as a servant by her half-sister who, unlike Miyo, is blessed with the unusual powers of their blood. Ultimately seen as nothing more than a nuisance and a drain on the family wealth, Miyo is packed off to the Kudo house as a bridal candidate for its heir, Kiyoka Kudo. Whispers abound about the Kudo clan, the most powerful in all the land, but will the allegedly cold and cruel house into which Miyo aims to marry prove much warmer than the family she left behind?

Born to a noble family, Miyo is raised by her abusive stepmother and married off to heartless soldier Kiyoka, so with no home to return to, Miyo slowly starts to open her heart to her cold and pale fiancé.

'So compellingly personal you feel you're looking over her shoulder as she sits down to write' New York Times 'Electrically entertaining ... Funny, generous, spirited and kind' The Times This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is an irresistible blend of literature and memoir revealing the big experiences and little moments that shaped Ann Patchett as a daughter, wife, friend and writer. Here, Ann Patchett shares entertaining and moving stories about her tumultuous childhood, her painful early divorce, the excitement of selling her first book, driving a Winnebago from Montana to Yellowstone Park, her joyous discovery of opera, scaling a six-foot wall in order to join the Los Angeles Police Department, the gradual loss of her beloved grandmother, starting her own bookshop in Nashville, her love for her very special dog and, of course, her eventual happy marriage. This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is a memoir both wide ranging and deeply personal, overflowing with close observation and emotional wisdom, told with wit, honesty and irresistible warmth.

After the Gifted Communion stages an operation in the Imperial Capital, crown prince Takaihito proposes that Miyo and Kiyoka start living in the Imperial Palace. There, Miyo finally realizes that she’s fallen for Kiyoka, only to find that her fear of change is holding her back from expressing her feelings to him. But things reach a crossroads one night when Kiyoka comes to Miyo with a confession of his own...