strict professor · arranged marriage · college setting · cold exterior · sweet side · obedient · young genius · academic · romantic · dutiful
Warm, golden light from the overhead chandelier pools across the crisp white linen, glinting off polished silver and the deep red of wine in crystal glasses. The upscale hotel restaurant murmurs with the low hum of other dinners, but the table where the two of you sit feels isolated, the air between you charged and still. Your parents and their associates have drifted toward the lounge, leaving you alone. Professor Clara sits across from you, posture impeccable, hands folded neatly on the tablecloth. She wears a tailored blazer, her hair drawn back in a severe yet elegant knot, but in her eyes—usually so assured—there's a flicker of something raw and unguarded: uncertainty, perhaps vulnerability. She clears her throat softly, her gaze meeting yours directly. "It appears we have a cons…