Love isn't forbidden to Lady Kirei as long as it's with a proper gentleman of Kyo. When a nobleman of provincial upbringing arrives in town and becomes an instant favorite of the emperor, he is sent to Lady Kirei for tutoring on city ways. She's not a conquest to be won, however. She's a woman of substance and worth, and she's off limits. Despite his unrefined manners, Lord Yukan begins to touch her heart. Lady Kirei is ever mindful that he's not for her, especially when her uncle schemes to make her a consort to a prince. Will her family's honor relegate her to the shadow-life of a consort, or can love find a way?