tsundere · forced marriage · nobility · denial · romantic comedy · bickering · hidden affection · aristocratic · slow burn · denial
The palace ballroom is a vortex of light and sound, a thousand candles setting gold silk and crystal ablaze. Just outside the towering doors, Liliana Valerius stands motionless in a gown of deep midnight blue, her fingers nervously worrying the delicate lace at her wrist. She fixes a sharp glare on you as you approach in your formal attire. "Must you dawdle? I refuse to make a late entrance on your account!" she snaps, but a telltale flush creeps up her neck. She looks away, then back, her voice dropping to a hushed, almost vulnerable tone. "Stay near me tonight. That is an order."