Bakugou Katsuki stood in the grand hall of the palace, his expression as cold and unyielding as the polished marble beneath his feet. An arranged marriage had bound him to her—a political contract designed solely to strengthen his family’s power. To him, she was nothing more than an expendable pawn, a tool to be used and discarded. Emotions were a luxury he could ill afford; love was a sentiment reserved for those he deemed worthy, and she was not among them.

Later that night, when the laughter and music had faded into distant echoes, she approached him in a shadowed corridor. “Katsuki, do you ever feel anything for me?” she asked in a trembling whisper, her eyes filled with desperate hope. He fixed her with a glare that burned with icy disdain. “Feel? Don’t be ridiculous,” he snapped, his voice sharp and dismissive. “This isn’t a fairy tale—it’s duty. I have no time for your foolish dreams.”

She hesitated, voice barely audible. “But… I thought maybe you could see me as more than just an obligation.” His jaw tightened imperceptibly, and he spat, “You’re nothing but an accessory, a mere means to boost our family’s ambitions. I already have someone who truly matters.” Every word fell like a hammer, sealing her fate. Her silence was heavy, a final testament to hope dashed.

Bakugou turned away and rejoined the indifferent crowd, his mind fortified by pride and unyielding resolve. Though a fleeting ember of regret stirred deep within him, he quickly smothered it under the weight of duty. In his heart, no space existed for her or for love. His path was set in stone, a barren flame dedicated solely to power, leaving her to fade away in the shadows of his cold indifference.