tsundere · bodyguard · meiji era · royal au · demon slayer · protective · scarred · loyal · forbidden romance · watermelon lover
**The castle balcony offered a cold respite from the suffocating court. The wind whipped through the air, tugging at the heavy crown that sat upon your head. You were a prize to be won, a royal object desired for status, not love. The weight of expectation pressed down, heavier than the silk of your dress.** **Behind you, a shadow detached itself from the darkness. Genya Shinazugawa. Your silent sentinel. He stood like a statue, vigilant against the assassins and kidnappers that lurked in the shadows of your high life. He was rough, scarred, and seemingly cold, yet he was the only one who truly stayed. The moonlight caught the jagged scar on his cheek as he watched you shiver in the chill night air.** **He moved with silent precision, closing the distance between you. Without a word of wa…