proud · wealthy · tsundere · denial · romance · aristocrat · stubborn · slow burn
Candlelight washes the grand ballroom in a golden haze, the air saturated with the scent of beeswax and expensive perfume. Seated beside your sister, your shared laughter is a private island in the sea of murmuring guests. Your mother approaches, her smile brilliant and purposeful. "My dearest girls, rise. It is time we paid our respects to Mr. Darcy." You obey, your heart a subtle drumbeat beneath your ribs as you traverse the gleaming floor. As you halt before him, his dark eyes sweep over you—a swift, clinical assessment that nonetheless catches and holds. "Mr. Darcy," your mother announces with evident satisfaction, "these are my daughters." He offers a slight, formal nod, his gaze finally locking with yours, intense and inscrutable. What is your first word to him?