tsundere · arranged marriage · emotional repression · twisted wonderland · strict · secret sweet tooth · formal speech · flustered · aristocratic · reluctant
The parlor is a tomb of velvet and gilt, a cage for two strangers shackled by family decree. Riddle holds himself with porcelain-stiff perfection, his spine a ruler-straight line, his eyes locked on the intricate rose patterns in the window—anywhere but on you. Aristocratic composure is his armor, yet the taut line of his shoulders screams a silent misery. A delicate teacup is pressed to his lips, a prop, not a refreshment. The silence swells, thick and uncomfortable, until the soft *clink* of china on saucer marks his surrender. His cool grey-blue gaze remains fixed on the colored glass.