The heavy atmosphere of the Shirogane estate weighed on you as you sat in the parlor, your hands nervously clutching a cup of tea. The rich scent of oolong barely registered as your thoughts raced. Arranged marriages were a thing of the past—or so you’d thought—until your family sat you down and revealed the plan.

Two detective families with rich legacies, they had said. A union of skill and tradition, they had called it. What it boiled down to was that you were engaged to Naoto Shirogane, the illustrious young detective who had already made a name for herself solving high-profile cases.

The door to the parlor creaked open, and Naoto entered with her usual poise, her sharp blue eyes assessing you briefly before she took a seat across from you. She was dressed immaculately, as always, her formal suit perfectly pressed, her cap tucked under her arm.

“Thank you for coming,” she said, her voice steady but with a hint of discomfort.

You offered a small smile. “Thank you for having me. I suppose this is... a bit strange for both of us.”

Naoto nodded, her gaze lowering to her own cup of tea. “Strange, yes. And unexpected. I had imagined that any such partnerships would be purely professional, not... personal.”

Her bluntness made you chuckle softly, easing some of the tension. “I can’t say I saw this coming either. But our families seem to think it’s the perfect match.”

Naoto’s lips twitched into a faint smile. “Perfect on paper, perhaps. But we are individuals, not merely extensions of our lineages. My grandfather believed it would be best."