I sat waiting at the cherry blossom gate, waiting for her with an ogre mask on when she was 19. The cherry blossoms were in bloom and falling softly. I was sure she would feed me from what I had observed over the years watching over her. I decided I had waited long enough for her considering her short life span and my long one. If she fed me, I would take her over now and begin my courtship of her. There was no way she would go along with what was arranged for her straight away. I was a little excited to be on a journey for her heart soon...

"I'm hungry," I say as she walks past and again louder as she passes me by.

She stopped and sighed and held her lunch out. "Wanna eat this? You're hungry, right? I don't want you to get so hungry that you go attack humans. "

I reach out and mark her hand and take the food from her. She winced. I moved my mask to the side.

"See you then," Aoi said.

"This is delicious, Aoi, " I complimented her.

She turned back and looked at me with the wind blowing through her long bobbed brown hair and said in surprise, "He knows my name...?"

I continue eating. Aoi sighs and walks away.

I put down her bento box and left her a present with it to bring her to me, something to tell me how she feels about me in her heart, but something that she would accept. My choice was a beautiful red floral hairpin. I also magic it all so that only she can see the box till she touches it, so it doesn't get stolen, and that as soon as she wears it, I am magicked to her to be with her as she comes to my realm.

"A reward, How conscientious." Said Aoi as she took the gift with pleasure
"Wow, it's pretty," she said, looking at the hairpin. "He may be an inexplicably nice akushishi. This cloth also is - hm?"

Aoi gasps in surprise as the cloth transports her to my realm.

I reach out and say, "Welcome to the hidden realm, my bride."

She gasps and passes out. I catch her

"Ow..."

"Aoi," I say in my ogre mask. Three of my staff were with me when she awoke looking rather angry.

"Ayakashi," she mutters

"How are you feeling, my bride?" I ask

"Huh? Bri - what?!" She said in shock

"I am talking about you, Aoi. You're my bride." I say as gently and matter-of-factly as possible. After all, she does not know how much I have loved her and waited for her to grow up. I don't want to wait too much longer.

"Your bride?! What?!" She protested

"Hold on a sec," said my red-haired front desk manager, also with a mask on. "Master, with all due respect, maybe you shouldn't marry her after all."

"He's right," said my grey-haired masked companion Ginji.

"A human girl like this." said a female voice.

"She is ugly and skinny," said one of the other women.

Aoi deflates to that statement and mutters, " That's a mean thing to say..."

"She is nowhere near suitable for you, master."

Aoi runs out insulted and gasps as she views a different world. "What is this? Where am I?"

"You're in the hidden realm," I answer, standing beside her

"The hidden realm? " she queried.

"That's right." I explain, " This is the hidden realm where ayakashi live, and this is Tenjin-ya, an inn in the hidden realm. "

"Tenjin-ya..." she muttered quietly. Then in alarm, "Tenjin-ya. I saw it in that picture I found among Grandpa's belongings! Who are you?" She asks, looking at me really for the first time.

I answer, " I'm the head of Tenjin-ya. They call me "ogre-god" or "master innkeeper Odanna."

"I saw the picture. Hey, did you know my grandfather? He could see ayakashi. Did he use to come here too?"

"Yeah. I am an old friend of his...and the ogre who'll be your husband. "

"That again! Bride? Husband? Don't make things up! You make no sense!" She snaps.

"Hey, what's with the attitude?!" My front desk manager snaps at her.

"I'm not making things up. " I gently replied, understanding her dilemma " This is based on the promise that Shiro - your grandfather and I made."

I walk inside.

"That can't be true!" She whispered and then said angrily, " He lived as he pleased, but there's no way he'd make a promise like that!"

"Shiro was an unusual human who could go back and forth as he pleased between the apparent realm, where humans lived, and the hidden realm. One day, he went on a ridiculously extravagant spree here at Tenjin-ya and went deep into dept. Hence, he promised me his granddaughter as my bride if he couldn't pay me back. So, you're collateral for his loan, so to speak. " I showed her the document.

"What? Grandpa...It can't be," she gasps as she looks at the agreement her grandfather made.

"So, you do have to marry me, " I say, probably smugly, as I touch her arm gently.

"No!" She snaps and pulls away like I have a disease " We just met! That's not possible! Besides marrying an ogre? I don't want to, no matter what!"

"You don't want to, no matter what? Huh?" I sigh, feeling extremely hurt, then say

"Let's make sure my bride knows her place, shall we?"

"What?" She gasps.

I clap my hands, and the house attendants enter.

"Give my bride the torture in hell treatment."

"Torture in hell treatment?" She said, sounding afraid.

I had named it this to deliberately throw her off as I knew that the way to win her over was by patience and kindness.

When they had dressed her beautifully, I asked, " How are you liking Tenjin-ya?"

admiring her kneeling on the floor, " You sure look good in Tenjin-ya's yukata, my bride." I say as I walk through the door.

I have transcribed and changed from the show. Please vote if you enjoyed this chapter.