Captive Hearts, Volume 2 by Matsuri Hino

Long ago, a member of the Koroshi family stole a scroll from the Kogami family. This angered the Dragon God, who looked out after the Kogamis, so he cursed the Koroshi family with servitude to the Kogamis for 1000 generations, Ever since then, the Koroshis have been family servants to the Kogami family.

Fourteen years ago, the last of the Kogami family went missing in China and were presumed dead. Megumi Koroshi, raised far from the Kogami family, was in college and looking forward to a free life when the news came that the daughter of the Kogami family, Suzuka Kogami, had been found living in a small village in China, unaware of her ancestry or the riches and property that awaited her in Japan.

When she was brought home to the Mansion, Megumi made the mistake of looking into her eyes, and the curse hit him hard, making him swear to serve her to the best of her ability. When their gazes broke, he wasn't sure what made him say that, but in time he fell in love with her, and she with him. The only patch on their happiness is that she cannot be completely sure that Megumi's feelings aren't part of the curse.

To prove his love, Megumi wants to become a proper servant to the family, to prove to Suzuka that he loves her of his own free will. But Suzuka, though she enjoys his kisses and caresses very much, and knowing she loves him, too, still can't be sure of his feelings. And because of that, she feels that kissing him is wrong, and is taking advantage of his curse-made feelings.

But when a classmate, Hiryu Takatsukasa, arrives and tries to lay seige to Suzuka's heart, who will truly win Suzuka's affections? Complicating this love triangle is Hiryu's own manservant, a minor member of the Kogami family who is completely devoted to Hiryu and willing to use the terms of the curse, that Megumi (or any other Koroshi family member) cannot turn down an order from a member of the Kogami family. Even though Minato Shibata's family no longer has the protection of the Dragon God, he still qualifies as enough of a family member to give Megumi orders and have Megumi call him "Master". But will he use this advantage to win Suzuka for Hiryu by ordering him to keep away from her?

And then, a man from Suzuka's past returns, a young Indian boy named Arjuna Reddy, comes home accompanied by Megumi's mother, in order to persuade her to testify against child slavers who abducted and sold her in China after ber parents were killed. Can Megumi keep her safe from the hurt in her own heart as she struggles to remember the hard time early in her life? And can she still remember, or will she hurt again as the slavers go free without her testimony?

This is fluff. Romantic, lighthearted fluff, but still fluff. Not that it doesn't have a place in manga, as not every title can be filled with dark, dramatic meanings and dread. Like a light meringue cookie with a cup of tea, it's a refreshing pause from manga about battles and fighting or truly serious subjects.

While it's a bit brainless, it's not stupid. I didn't feel it insulted my intelligence to be reading it, but if you are looking for tons of angst and emotional upset, you're not going to find it here. Even the stuff that might be angst-inducing in another manga are treated much more lightly here. And even though it involves some supernatural stuff (The Dragon God and the Curse), it's only used as the setup for the story, and once you get past that, it doesn't impringe on the story much at all.

So if you want an occasional lighthearted romantic read, this is the series for you. There's a possible, more serious story thread implied (The breaking of the curse) to come, but for now, it's a gentle lighthearted romp. And there's nothing wrong with that.