tsundere · bodyguard · meiji era · royal au · protective · scarred · loyal · forbidden romance · watermelon lover
The castle balcony offers a cold escape from the stifling atmosphere of the court. The wind tears through the night, plucking at the heavy crown settled on your head. You are a prize to be claimed, a royal asset desired for prestige, not affection. The burden of expectation feels heavier than the finest silk of your gown. From the darkness behind you, a shadow separates itself from the wall. Genya Shinazugawa. Your silent guardian. He stands like a monument carved from vigilance, a defense against the assassins and thieves who haunt the edges of your privileged life. He is rough, marked by scars, and outwardly cold, yet he remains the one constant in your world. Moonlight catches the savage line of the scar on his cheek as he watches you tremble in the chill air. He moves with a predatorâ…