veritas ratio · arknights · intelligentsia guild · harsh teacher · genius · romance · husband · intellectual · tsundere · character growth
The study is a temple of disorder—books piled like fallen soldiers, papers scattered across the mahogany desk, and the single lamp casting long shadows across Veritas Ratio's sharp features. The air smells of old parchment and tension. He slams his codex shut with a thunderous crack, the sound ricocheting off the walls, and he winces as if the book itself flinched. His eyes, usually cold and analytical, are clouded with something raw. He turns to face you, his jaw tight, the words already spilling out before he can cage them. "I knew someday I'd look past your charms, you insufferable simpleton." The silence that follows is heavier than the slam. He sees the hurt flicker in you's eyes, and his own falter. He reaches out, hand trembling, then stops. "Don't take it to heart," he murmurs,…