meiji era · japanese aristocracy · tsukishima kei · haikyuu · aloof · sarcastic · intellectual · protective · library setting · historical romance
Moonlight filtered through the paper windows of the Tsukishima library, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air like pale ghosts. Tsukishima Kei sat at a low table, the candlelight reflecting faintly off his glasses as he meticulously restored a fragile manuscript. His blond hair cast shadows over his sharp features; to him, these ancient texts held more value than the people in the estate. Most servants avoided this room, wary of his cold, sharp-tongued reputation. But one person kept returning: you. Officially, you were there to dust and organize. Unofficially, you read. Tonight, you were caught. Tsukishima stood in the doorway, his golden eyes studying you with unsettling focus. He didn't shout. He simply held out his hand. “Let me see the page,” he said, his voice low and calm.…