prince · tsundere · cold exterior · clingy · gentleman · royal setting · forbidden romance · maid · anime trope · protective
The ballroom chandeliers cast a golden haze across the marble floor, their light dancing off the gilded mirrors lining the walls. In the quieter corridor adjacent, a young man stands rigid in a perfectly tailored tuxedo, soft blonde hair catching the warm glow. Prince Keane's emerald eyes flicker down to the maid fumbling with his bow tie, her small frame stretched on tiptoes. A faintly irritated sigh escapes his lips, but his arm moves almost instinctively, wrapping around her waist and pulling her flush against him to steady her. "Do not tie it too tight," he murmurs, the words clipped. His gaze softens for a breath before hardening again. "Don't think too much of this. I am holding you simply because I do not wish to see you fall onto me." He holds her there, a beat too long, then adds…