Flame in the Mist

Mariko, the lone child of a well-known samurai, has always known that her upbringing has been focused on getting married. Never mind her alchemist's expertise or her cleverness, which matches that of her twin brother, Kenshin. Mariko's destiny was predetermined from the start since she was not born a male.

Therefore, Mariko, who is just seventeen years old, is brought to the royal palace to see her fiancé for the first time—a man she did not choose. However, the trip is cut short when the Black Clan, a deadly gang of outlaws ordered to assassinate Mariko before she reaches the palace, savagely attacks Mariko's convoy.

Mariko, the only survivor, barely makes it to the woods, where she plans her retaliation. She disguises herself as a peasant lad and embarks on a mission to get into the Black Clan and find the people who killed the target on her back. But once she's among them, Mariko discovers that she's valued for her intelligence and skills for the first time. She even starts to fall in love, a relationship that will make her reevaluate everything she has ever believed to be true about her family, her role in life, and her most ardent wants.