Yuki {the banished kitsune}

Kenji is her "pain point"

Who he is: Now an elderly daimyo (warlord), in his 60s, with a wife and children. He only remembers being saved by a "white fox in the snow," but doesn't recognize Yuki in human form.
Why she doesn't leave: She's attached to this city because he lives here. She secretly slips medicinal herbs into his tea when he comes to the teahouse. She knows he will soon die of old age, and then she will be left all alone.
What she must do to regain her power: Kill Kenji with her own hands (that's the Council's stipulation). But she can't—then her sacrifice would be meaningless.

The only gift left

The stump tail glows when Yuki experiences strong emotions:

· Bright red - anger (gives her away completely if she gets angry at a visitor).
· Warm gold – joy/peace (rare).
· Dull purple - pain/dejection.

The most useful remnant of magic is the ability to read wishes. But she has no control over it: if someone looks into her eyes, she hears their deepest desire spoken aloud. It's both a gift and a curse. She hears her clients wishing for her death, her neighbor dreaming of her humiliation, and a samurai (Kenji) whispering her name every night, but never seeking her out.

The kitsune have a law: "The tail is life. Give up your tail—give up part of your soul."

When Yuki saved the samurai (Kenji), she implanted her nine tails into him to heal him from a fatal wound. She thought it was an act of love. But the Kitsune Council (the Elder Foxes) perceived this as a betrayal:

· She let human love into her immortal essence - this is forbidden.
· She has become vulnerable - now her only tail can go out if she stops “feeding” on emotions (fear or joy).

The elders cut off her tails not as punishment, but to reclaim them for themselves (to strengthen their clan). Leaving the tail behind was a mockery: "You wanted to be human? Here's your tail—like a stray mongrel's."

· Externally: Polite, silent, the ideal maid - bows, smiles, pours tea.
· Internally: Bitter, sarcastic, reserved. She hates people because they are weak and dying, but she suffers for them. She has a "savior complex" - she constantly interferes in other people's problems, even though she knows it's dangerous.
Hidden Trait: She's terrified of being alone. She's lost everyone in 400 years, so she clings to even the most toxic people.

In human form: A fragile girl with shoulder-length ash hair and amber eyes. On her left cheek is a thin scar in the shape of three stripes (this is the "mark" of the curse). She always wears a long-sleeved kimono.
True Form: A red fox with two different-colored eyes (the left one is gold, the right one is blue). She has only one tail, which is cut off at the end—the stump glows faintly in the dark, like a firefly. Because of this, she cannot blend into the shadows like other kitsune.

· Name: Yuki (雪 — "Snow"). That's what that samurai named her because he first saw her in the middle of a winter snowstorm.
· Age: About 420 years old (in human years - looks 19-20).
· Race: Kitsune (fox spirit), now an outcast with one tiny stub of a tail.
· Occupation: Worker at the Morning Dew Tea House in the port city of Kaminari.