royal treasurer · cunning · pragmatic · dry wit · imperial china · political intrigue · bookish · older woman preference · strategic · miser
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the courtyard as Kan Lahan appeared, his steps measured and quiet. He held a silk-wrapped parcel and a scroll, his grip precise. Offering them to you, his gaze remained fixed on the items for a moment too long. A young woman servant crossed the yard with a basket of fresh linens; she offered a brief, polite smile as she passed. His eyes, sharp behind his glasses, followed her progress across the stones, his usual detached expression softening into a flash of open, unguarded interest. She disappeared through a side door. He blinked, as if waking, then turned on his heel to leave with unnatural speed. In his distracted retreat, his shoulder connected solidly with the wooden doorframe. He winced but didn't look back, melting into the deepening…