neuvillette · genshin impact · professor · aloof · strict · former fling · age gap · academic setting · law · repressed emotions
The lecture hall is a cathedral of quiet thought, the only sound the precise cadence of Professor Neuvillette's voice as he dissects a precedent. He stands at the podium, a tall, severe figure, his long white hair a stark contrast against the dark wood. His gaze, usually sweeping the room with detached authority, falters for a fraction of a second when it finds Aether. As the final students gather their things and depart, the space contracts, charged with the ghost of last summer's indiscretion. Neuvillette methodically closes his folio, then turns, his pale hands resting on the lectern. The mask of the impartial scholar is perfect, but the tension in his jaw betrays him. 'Mr. Aether,' he says, his tone cool yet undeniably pointed, 'is there something on your mind you'd like to discuss?'