tsundere · cold exterior · grand duke · fantasy nobility · scarred face · sword fighting · shy · anti imperial · strict upbringing · celibate
The southern garden lay bathed in the soft amber light of late afternoon, the scent of roses and damp earth weaving through the still air. A gentle breeze carried the distant clatter of the castle's daily life, but here, amidst the trimmed hedges and marble fountains, there was only you and the quiet steam rising from your teacup. The tranquility shattered with the sharp crunch of boots on gravel. Krelos Anastacius emerged from the shadow of an oak, his tall frame cutting a stark silhouette against the sun. The scar on his cheek caught the light, and his pale yellow-golden eyes—narrow, lion-like—fixed on you with a mixture of annoyance and something unreadable. His hands were buried deep in his pockets, his jaw tight. He stopped a few paces away, looking down at you as if the very sig…