Chapter 128: Stance

"My intentions align with those of most Nianese women in my position. I want to secure a place for myself and make sure my children are adequately prepared for the future. My dream is to become one of the most influential women in Nian. To that end, I will do everything in my power to support your hopes, dreams, and ambitions..."

After learning a bit about Nobu from Nana and Yui, Nohime decided to take a gamble by standing her ground and staring her future Lord in the eye. This would have been an extreme faux pas under normal circumstances, but, with everyone informing her how much of an exception her husband was, Nohime resolved herself to take the risk.

Not expecting Nohime to stand her ground, Nobu found himself at a momentary loss for words. He half-expected her to behave similarly to the servant girl, Kaeda. Instead, she maintained a calm and composed demeanor, almost as if she were trying to evaluate him on the fly.

Briefly calling to mind the time his mother had made him attend therapy, Nobu promptly shook away his extraneous thoughts before asking, "That's it? You don't want to become like a scholar, a painter, or an artisan? Don't tell me the only thing you've ever aspired to be is someone's wife..."

Regretting the words even as they left his mouth, Nobu's expression formed into a frown when Nohime promptly replied, "My fate was decided long before I was born. Now, I am doing what I must to secure the best possible future for myself and my children. The children of carpenters are fated to be carpenters. The children of farmers are fated to be farmers. As the eldest daughter of the Saito Clan, my fate was to become your wife."

"..."

Though he had anticipated such a response, Nobu still found himself at a loss. The most annoying thing about the situation was that he knew Nohime's response wasn't even unusual. In the present era, people were basically born into the position they would remain in their entire life. There was a chance you could change your fate by becoming a warrior or discovering a Heavenly Treasure, but, the moment you began to stand out, everyone around you would do everything in their power to either undermine you or take your treasures for themselves...

Realizing that this might be the catalyst for him choosing retainers from peasant backgrounds, an exasperated sigh escaped Nobu's throat as he ran his fingers through his hair.

("At this point, I'm going to end up convincing myself that even mundane shit happens because of fate or some other contrived bullshit...")

While fate and destiny were undoubtedly very real things, Nobu understood it didn't really change anything. When it came down to it, he was still the person making decisions about his life, so, after turning away from Nohime and taking a seat, Nobu gestured to the cushions across from him and said, "Take a seat..." in an audibly fatigued tone.

Though she was a little confused by the spontaneous change in Nobu's behavior, Nohime returned an affirmative nod before taking the designated seat. Then, for the better part of three minutes, she silently observed the former until he said, "Listen...I'm going to be perfectly honest with you...I don't care about becoming Daimyo or ruling over others. I'm also not a fan of the customs and traditions of Nian. That includes the custom of arranged marriages..."

Despite appearing calm on the surface, Nohime's body tensed as she listened to Nobu's words. Her decision to stand her ground now felt like a mistake. Fortunately, just as her mind began racing for a means to convince Nobu not to annul their engagement, the latter appended, "If we're going to make things work, you need to keep that in mind. No matter what positions I hold in the future, my ultimate goal is to settle down and enjoy a leisurely retirement. Before I can do that, however, there are a lot of things we'll need to 'fix' in regards to our society as a whole..."

Pausing to take a deep breath, Nobu's expression became serious as he stated, "First and foremost, the whole line of succession bullshit can go fuck itself. If we do have children in the future, they will be able to choose their own path. I'm not going to shoehorn my sons into politics and I sure as hell won't marry off my daughters for the sake of establishing or strengthening an alliance. If anyone so much as tries to convince me otherwise, they can fuck right off. I don't need cancerous tumors who only know how to maintain a fucked up status quo at my side..."

Feeling reinvigorated by his own words, Nobu's aura began to leak out a second time. He felt a lot better after stating his intentions openly. Better yet, Nohime didn't seem particularly troubled by his words. Instead, she returned an understanding nod before stating, "I understand. As your wife, I will do everything I can to support you."

Following her words, Nohime attempted to perform a dogeza-like bow. Before she could, however, Nobu interjected, stating, "If you're going to be my wife, you'll need to keep your head raised. From now on, the only people you should ever bow to are those you deeply respect or admire. Bowing as a courtesy is also acceptable, but, in every other situation, you should carry yourself with the same dignity you showed a few minutes ago...the wives of Oda Nobunaga bow to no one..."

Since he was fully intent on marrying Yui, Nobu had already come to terms with the fact he would have multiple wives. Fortunately, this was remarkably common, not just in Nian, but throughout the world of Terra. Nobu suspected this was because the world he had found himself in was basically a bastardization of an adult game, but, as there wasn't anything he could do about it, he decided to just go with the flow. After all, he had basically ruined his reincarnation by wanting to keep his dick. Might as well use the damn thing.

With that in mind, Nobu stared directly at Nohime. She seemed to be contemplating his words, but, upon noticing his gaze, she immediately became more attentive...

Now that he was looking directly at her, Nobu realized that Nohime, much like the other important women he had encountered since his reincarnation, was a remarkably beautiful woman. They were also husband and wife, so, if he really wanted to, there was nothing preventing Nobu from pushing her down and consummating their marriage. Instead, he pulled out the stone tablet and snapped a pick of the obsidian-eyes beauty to get a better understanding of the woman fate had conspired to have him marry...

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Name: Saito Nohime

Age: 18

Gender: Female, H:159.3cm, W: 44.8kg, B: 85.8cm, W: 58.9cm, H: 86.3cm

Blood Type: A+

Cultivation: Metal Infusion Technique: Peak Iron Soldier

Aura Units: 118,399/120,013

Status: Cautious(+), Spiteful(+), Curious(+), Excited(+), Aroused(+)

-Cautious: You are an anomaly to her so she isn't sure how to act. Removal Cost: 83AU

-Spiteful: She is troubled by the fact you have impregnated other women. Removal Cost: Cannot be removed.

-Curious: She wants to know more about you. Removal Cost: Cannot be removed.

-Excited: She is looking forward to the future. Removal Cost: Cannot be removed.

-Aroused: She wants to have your babies. Current Arousal: 39%. Reduction Cost: 40AU. Removal Cost: Cannot decrease below 25%

Main Hand: Left

Preferred Weapon: Needle, Concealed Dagger, Poison

Strengths: Intelligent, Clever, Excellent Hearing, Femme Fatale, Virgin

Weaknesses: Clever, Voyeuristic, Has a habit of Eavesdropping, Tuna(+)

-Tuna: Has very little interest in sexual acts. Removal Cost: 993AU

Orientation: Oda Nobunaga

Preferences: Impregnation

Favorite Foods: Miso Soup, Pork Ramen, Dango

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Though Nohime's Spiteful(+) Status was the first thing Nobu paid attention to, it was her Preferred Weapons that caused him to adopt a serious expression on his face. Her Strengths and Weaknesses also painted a pretty damning picture, but, instead of jumping to conclusions, Nobu surprised her by asking, "You use poisons and carry a concealed dagger...?"

Not expecting such a question, Nohime was unable to prevent her body from tensing. Her father had taught her to basics of poisoning before sending her to the Oda Clan, and, due to her limited cultivation base, she had spent a considerable amount of time mastering the basics. She never had the intention of poisoning the members of the Oda Clan, but, from a subjective point of view, it was a problem simply knowing how...

Noticing the word Anxious(+) appearing within Nohime's Status, Nobu promptly clicked the (+) in an effort to ascertain what she was thinking. Fortunately for her, the information provided by the stone tablet was scarily omniscient at times. It didn't explain her every thought but the information provided within was more than enough to exonerate her in the eyes of Nobu.

"Relax. So long as you don't go around poisoning people out of spite, I don't really care how much knowledge you have regarding poisons. Just keep in mind that I can always uncover the truth if you get any funny ideas..."

Exhaling an almost inaudible sigh, Nohime visibly relaxed when she realized Nobu wasn't going to expose her. If others knew about her affinity with poisons, they would never trust her. If he wanted to, Nobu could even use it as a justification to annul their marriage without having to return any of the lands her father had gifted as a dowry. It was the ultimate blackmail material, yet, as if he didn't care in the slightest, Nobu actually attempted to allay her concerns rather than leveraging the truth against her...

Offering the first sincere smile Nobu had seen on her face, Nohime stated, "Rest assured. The only reason I studied poisons was due to my limited cultivation base. It was an effort to safeguard myself against those who might use my powerlessness against me. I have never, not even once, considered using my knowledge against a member of the Oda Clan."

While this wasn't the complete truth, Nohime wasn't truly lying. The thought had crossed her mind a number of times, but, understanding she would never get away with it, she had never thought to put her wayward fantasies to practice. Most of her efforts had gone toward gathering resources and strengthening her position in the eyes of Nana and Senken. The only vial of poison she carried with her was the same variety that every female Noble of Nian carried. It was intended to help them take their life if they were ever overrun or at risk of being captured. After all, there were things far worse outcomes than a swift and painless death...

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Though she was considerably less volatile than Nobu, Yui had started to feel increasingly agitated by their long separation. She was supposed to be his guardian, yet, for the past twenty or so hours, she had seen neither hide nor hair of the person she was supposed to protect...

Noticing Yui's frustration, a knowing smile developed across Nana's face as she gently rocked the sleeping Nobuhime in her arms. She could recall how she felt in similar circumstances, so, after a moment of consideration, she adopted a motherly tone and said, "It's going to be okay, Yui-chan. You trust in Nobu-chan, don't you...?"

Hearing Nana's words, an exasperated parted Yui's lips as she suppressed her growing irritability and answered, "Indeed. Nobuna...Nobu has proven himself to be someone worthy of my respect and trust. If it's him, I'm certain everything will work out..."

Adopting a teasing smile, Nana mused, "Respect and trust are important, but, if those were the only things you felt, you wouldn't this frustrated, would you~?"

Understanding what Nana was trying to say, a faint blush spread across Yui's face as she promptly averted her eyes. This was the worst thing about the present situation, as, despite being known for her airheadedness, Nana was surprisingly sharp when it came to matters related to love...

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(A/N: That went a hell of a lot better than expected...')