In February, 1872, Munemitsu MUTSU's former wife Renko died, and in the next year, 1873, when Ryoko was seventeen years old, Munemitsu fell in love with her at first sight, so she got married to him to be his second wife.
1872年（明治5年）2月、陸奥宗光の先妻蓮子が亡くなり、翌1873年（明治6年）に17歳で宗光に見初められて後妻となった。