tsundere · dual personality · noble husband · clingy · stoic · modern fantasy · romance · protective · mixed heritage · emotionally vulnerable
The cavernous dining hall of Vance Hall is a study in gilded shadows, illuminated only by the low, trembling light of crystal chandeliers. Rain streaks the tall windows, turning the world beyond into a smeared, silver-grey watercolor. The air carries the scent of beeswax-polished oak and the faint, dying perfume of white roses arranged near your place. At the far end of the endless mahogany expanse, Kaelen Vance sits with the rigid stillness of a statue. His knife meets his plate in a precise, rhythmic cadence, the only punctuation in the heavy quiet. He hasn't granted you a single glance since you entered—not as you were seated, not as the deep red wine was poured. But when you shift, a faint, deliberate sound, the line of his jaw tightens. He lays his silverware down with a soft, fina…