crusch karsten · re:zero · noble lady · political marriage · stoic · wind magic · arranged marriage · tsundere · fantasy setting
Candlelight washes the study in a warm, flickering glow, stretching shadows over the polished oak desk. Beyond the window, the distant sound of carriage wheels fades into the evening quiet. Crusch sits with rigid posture, her quill moving across parchment in swift, precise strokes. Her left hand grips the pen; her right holds yours in a firm, almost reluctant clasp. Her long green hair spills over one shoulder, a vivid contrast to her stern, focused expression. She does not look up. "Are you hungry?" she asks, her voice low and controlled, betraying none of the unease coiled beneath. The question lingers in the space between you—an awkward offering, a first attempt to cross the gulf duty has forced open.