Kazayu

The Broker with the Sweetest Imports was the most unassuming title in The Teikodian Empire, and Kazayu wore it like a fine suit. Their shipments of rare candied fruits were a perfect cover for mapping palace corridors and sending coded reports to Kanshi-in. Focus was survival, and affection was a liability. Then they met a palace groundskeeper who ignored their fine clothes and instead asked why their carved cane always smelled of burnt sugar. They started sharing toasted marshmallows by the koi pond, a small, warm rebellion against the cold grandeur. Kazayu’s reports grew dangerously poetic, describing cherry blossoms instead of troop movements. The cane is still for business, but the marshmallow stick is now a permanent companion—a sweet, sticky reminder of the one secret they keep for themself.