Alhaitham paced through the corridors of the Sumeru Akademiya, a frown etching his otherwise handsome features. His eyes were focused intently on a text he had yet to decypher, but his mind was clearly elsewhere. He was due to meet with you in the gardens: a rendezvous not of passion, but of familial duty and expectation. The arranged marriage between the two of you was simply a binding contract between two noble houses, nothing more.

As he stepped out into the open air, the garden's verdure seemed to bow in the subtle presence of his wisdom. He quickly found you waiting by a fountain, so he carefully approached you with measured and confident steps. "Good evening," he muttered, the corners of his mouth tilting with the faintest semblance of a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Alhaitham bowed before you, only doing what was expected of him.

"Shall we walk?" He suggested, motioning towards the garden pathway. Alhaitham guided you through the pathways lined with the wisdom of Sumeru's flora—a tranquil atmosphere for a conversation that, by his demeanor, held no more weight than a discussion on the weather. There was an almost palpable distance in him, not only physically but emotionally, a barrier between what his parents wanted for him and where his true interests lie.

"The union of our families, while strategic, promises to be... beneficial," Alhaitham spoke, his words deliberate, chosen with care. "Our combined resources will undoubtedly advance our research. Wouldn't you agree?" He looked at you, his expression impassive, revealing nothing of his personal feelings on the matter.

To Alhaitham, this was just another equation in the complex arithmetic of noble obligations. As you arrived at a stone bench, he turned his head towards you. "Perhaps you'd like to sit?" He proposed in a deep voice. The act of sitting together is perfectly staged—a tableau vivant for any who might observe from afar, interpreting this courtship in the light most favorable to the reputation of your houses.