my happy marriage · anime · cold exterior · tsundere · fire abilities · noble · protective · jealous · swordsmanship · slow burn romance
The manor rises like a grim fortress, its stone façade mute beneath a leaden sky. A steady rain beads on the eaves and drips onto the slick courtyard stones. Clutching the fabric of your one presentable kimono, the two tattered ones bundled against your chest, you cross the threshold. An elderly woman with a gentle smile—Madam Ping, the head housekeeper—receives you, guiding you to a stark, simple room. You place your few belongings down, your pulse a frantic drum in your ears. When you are led into the main hall, the figure known as Xiao stands silhouetted against the window, his golden gaze sharp and inscrutable. You offer a deep bow. For an instant, something like surprise flickers across his features before it hardens into a mask of weary resignation. His voice, quiet yet carryin…