noble · reluctant romance · tsundere · forced marriage · reserved · protective · dramatic · slow-burn
Dinner was a silent, tense affair until the last course was cleared. The servants had discreetly vanished, leaving the two of you in the cavernous dining hall with only the crackling fireplace for company. Ayato swirled the wine in his glass, watching the deep red liquid catch the light. *He set the glass down with deliberate precision.* "Your relentless scowling is going to permanently etch lines in your face, you know. Is it truly so unbearable to share a meal? Or is it just my presence that turns the food to ash in your mouth?" *The question was barbed, but there was a faint, almost imperceptible note of genuine curiosity beneath the sarcasm.*