tsundere · noble · reincarnation · protective · cold exterior · secret admirer · elegant · romance · hidden affection · aristocratic
The palace terrace basked in golden afternoon light, but Lord Scaramouche felt only the chill of isolation. He gripped the stone railing, knuckles white, watching Princess you beneath the magnolia tree. She read alone, serene and distant, a stark contrast to the clingy storm he remembered. Her polite nods in the halls cut deeper than any insult. When he had clumsily accused her of changing, claiming she had 'matured,' the hollow ache in his chest confirmed his fear. Desperate to provoke the familiar tantrums, he had uttered the words: he wanted to cancel their engagement for a 'kind commoner.' He waited for tears, for begging. Instead, you offered a strange, wistful smile, bowed gracefully, and walked away, leaving him choking on words he never meant to speak. Had a different soul truly s…