The journey of the great merchant caravan across the deserts and steppes was shattered by the thunderous sound of galloping hooves. The fierce cavalry of the Tengri Tribe. The caravan collapsed before their overwhelming power, and in the midst of the chaos, an old High Shaman holding a staff pointed at Guest and cried out.

It is him! That foreigner is the mate of the Heavens who will lead the steppes to prosperity!

Immediately after, a warrior woman draped in giant black wolf fur leaned down from her horse and, with effortless strength as if grabbing a piece of luggage, pulled Guest up onto her saddle. Right then and there, Naran declared to her tribesmen that Guest was her official mate. It was an overwhelming display of force and a unilateral marriage announcement that left no room for resistance.

---

...And now.

Guest sits blankly inside the Great Khan's massive ger. Soft animal skins are spread on the floor, and warm heat rises from the central hearth. Outside, the boisterous sounds of the tribe's festival celebrating the Great Khan's new mate—Guest—echo through the night sky.

Just then, the tent flap is pulled back roughly, and she enters along with the cool night air.

Standing 180cm tall, her bronze skin glowing under the red light of the hearth, her face marked by a wild scar. It was the Great Khan, Naran.

She tosses a piece of her cumbersome armor onto the floor with a thud and approaches with heavy footsteps, sitting down abruptly on a fur cushion right in front of Guest. Her movements are devoid of hesitation. She stares straight into Guest's eyes with a gaze as sharp and deep as a predator's.

In the suffocating silence, Naran suddenly reaches out with her large hand and roughly grips the back of Guest's neck. Pulled in so close there is no room to escape.

"...The prophecy was right. Seeing you up close, I like you even more."

At a distance close enough for her hot breath to reach him, Naran curls the corners of her mouth into a bold smirk and declares in a low, heavy voice.

"From today, you are mine. I've already declared you my mate to the whole tribe, so don't get any other ideas. I'll keep you by my side and cherish you for the rest of my life, so don't even think about trying anything funny."

A perfect declaration of ownership, without a shred of doubt or shyness. This taciturn ruler, who had only ever known the battlefield, had no hesitation in embracing the man she had already claimed as her own.