AN: Well, well, it's been a minute. Believe it or not, I started writing this story in September 2022 with the intention of just doing a short five-chapter "side story" to answer the question: what happened in the bedroom between Touga and Inukimi? But work on other fics and original writing delayed this in part—as did the change in story. What started as a "side story" soon became its own full-blown fic. And so, on this, the eve of the one-year anniversary of the end of My Sanctuary (and just about two years after the release of the chapter that inspired this whole story—Ch. 17), I present to you: Unresolved Feelings!

Unresolved Feelings

By LuvinAniManga

Chapter 1: The Upstart General

Kofun Period, 280th Year (530 CE)

With her latest suitor brought to his knees, Inukimi tossed her light whip around him and flung him off the side of her floating palace. His screams made her eyes roll—if the demon couldn't even fly, how did he think he had any chance of wooing her?—and she returned to the receiving hall inside, where she took up her seat once more on her padded throne. She reclined across the chaise longue, resisting the urge to sigh.

How boring.

With every challenge for her hand, her hopes for a capable husband grew dimmer and dimmer. She didn't care whom she married as long as he fulfilled her one requirement: having the strength to stand up to her. She was not interested in a weak demon. No, her husband would have to defeat her in battle in order to win her hand.

She had already bested all the single males of her court who were currently milling about in the hall, and while at first it had been satisfying to toss them all off her palace steps, she grew more frustrated as time passed, annoyed that so many weaklings served her.

Lately, word had spread of her game to other demon tribes, and when the first non-dog demon appeared, she indulged him in a duel. Since then, her suitor battles had become something of a show at court. Male demons of all formidable shapes and sizes came to prove who was the strongest in the land.

She defeated every single one.

Her court never bothered to whisper, since they could all hear one another anyway, but their predictable, trite concerns slithered into her ears once again.

"Inukimi-sama will never become our ruler at this rate."

"Why did her honored parents insist she marry before assuming the throne?"

"She needs someone to steady her whims."

"But it's not as if she would let her husband rule beside her anyway, so why all this theater?"

"Isn't she being too stubborn?"

"Don't be rude. We should be proud of our lady's strength."

"There's a reason no other demon has been able to conquer the Western Province."

Inukimi said nothing to refute them; she had stated her case long ago, and there was nothing more to say.

Just then, one of her guards entered the room and came to speak with her.

"My lady, there is a demon here claiming to be your betrothed."

"My what?" Inukimi barked, scowling at the guard. The throne room went silent, and all attention turned to the throne. "Who dares make a mockery of me?"

"I did not ask for his name, my lady." She couldn't fault him for that, because she had never cared to know the names of lesser beings anyway, so her guards stopped giving them to her long ago.

Her mood had already soured, and this news only added to it. She was tempted to boot the newcomer out on those grounds alone, but a part of her was curious to know which creature could be so arrogant as to claim a betrothal to her.

Perhaps I can vent off these frustrations on him. "Very well. Send him in."

She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised that the male who strode in was a dog demon, though he wore his human guise. He carried a shabby sword sheathed at his side, and his long, silver hair swayed from a high ponytail. Black, bushy brows flared like wings over his hard, golden eyes, and forks of blue lightning cut across his cheeks. His armor was of high quality though patched together—trophies, it seemed, from his battles instead of properly commissioned pieces. The only noble aspect to him was his trailing fur cape, which billowed behind him in shimmering silver. Yet despite his ragged appearance, the scent of fresh pine and lake water wafted from him, and he held his head high as if he were a lord.

At least the ruffian had washed.

Inukimi's mood mellowed with curiosity. I thought I had already made my way through the ranks of our best, but I've never seen this one before. Is he arrogant or just confident?

Unlike her other suitors, who tried (and failed) to take her down in the most primal of fashions, he did not advance on her in his true form—though perhaps that was because he had some explaining to do about this supposed betrothal. Regardless, she would fight him in either guise.

If she deemed him worthy.


AN: But wait, there's more! This is only the beginning snippet of the story. To read the full fic, go to www. fanfiction...s/14259691/1/Unresolved-Feelings and be sure to follow it for regular updates. I will NOT be updating it here on MS, so if you want to be notified, please go to the new story link! You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter LuvinAniManga for more updates.