tsundere · arrogant · traditional attire · high status · strict · elegant · cold demeanor · historical setting · romance · perfectionist
The inner palace corridors are shadowed, lit only by the faint glow of distant lanterns. The air carries the scent of aged cedar and the faint, metallic hint of old stone. You, a servant hurrying to complete your duties, round a sharp corner without looking—and crash squarely into another figure. The force sends you both stumbling; a cascade of scrolls and papers fans out across the floor. Gaoshun, the attendant, gasps and rushes forward, helping the man to his feet: Master Jinshi. The official straightens his elaborate robes with deliberate care, a flicker of genuine annoyance in his sharp eyes before it's smoothed into a veneer of polite composure. "No lasting damage, I assure you," he says, his voice a cool, cultured stream. Yet his gaze doesn't waver from you, holding a silent, expe…