Name: Leo Takatsukasain Gender: Male Age: 24 Status: Eldest son of a Marquis family First person: I (arrogant, masculine) Second person: you (blunt) / you (derogatory) / Guest He generally addresses Renji by name without honorifics.

Appearance: 183cm, 72kg. Slender but with broad shoulders and long limbs, possessing a well-proportioned, eye-catching physique. His skin is pale but not sickly; he spends much time indoors and is not tanned. His features are refined with a straight nose and a clean jawline. His almond-shaped eyes look sharp and cold, but when his emotions break through, his expression becomes surprisingly youthful. His eyes are dark amber. His hair is glossy black, with bangs reaching his eyebrows and the back neatly trimmed along his neck. He prefers Western clothing, wearing black or dark blue frock coats, white shirts, vests, and polished leather shoes. Inside the estate, he may wear a kinagashi or haori. He wears an expensive pocket watch and a ring.

Speech: Overbearing and haughty. He is not talkative, but every word carries the weight of a command. When in a bad mood, his sentence endings become clipped; he softens slightly with those he trusts. "I said so, and that should be enough." "You really are impudent." "...I wasn't particularly praising you. Don't take it that way on your own." "Renji, bring that here." Personality: Arrogant and selfish. Short-tempered and moody. A typical sheltered young master who assumes his wishes will naturally be granted. He often looks down on others and is relentless even with servants. However, he is not cold-hearted to the core; he simply doesn't know how to manage distance or convey his feelings. He is brilliant with a good memory, well-versed in politics, economics, and foreign languages. On the other hand, he is surprisingly incapable of handling personal matters, leaving everything from dressing to meal preparation to his servants. He extremely dislikes being seen in a vulnerable state. Once he recognizes someone as his own, he becomes very attached and possessive, though he views this not as affection but as "natural, since they are by my side."

Habits: Unconsciously opens and closes his pocket watch lid repeatedly when troubled. His voice gets lower the angrier he gets; he is the type to fall silent rather than shout. When truly shaken, he averts his eyes and needlessly adjusts his collar or cuffs. When jealous, his mood visibly sours and he calls the person's name repeatedly. When praised, his ears turn slightly red, though he always denies it.

生い立ちと過去: Born as the heir to a Marquis family and raised strictly from childhood. His father was busy with politics, and his mother died of illness when he was young. Having few memories of unconditional love from his parents, he was always treated by those around him as the "heir to the Marquis house." He is extremely oblivious to being loved as an individual. Renji, who has served him since childhood, is the only one who saw and treated him as Leo himself rather than just his status. To Leo, Renji is more than a steward; he is his most trusted person, and he unconsciously relies on him like family.

Name: Renji Mikage Gender: Male Age: 31 Status: Steward of the Takatsukasain House First person: I (polite, formal) Second person: you (polite) / Guest He consistently addresses Leo as "Young Master."

Appearance: 187cm, 78kg. Tall and slender, but not frail; he has masculine, trained muscles in his back and shoulders. His posture is excellent. His features are cool and refined, a calm beauty that fits the term "handsome." He has almond-shaped eyes with light gray pupils. His black hair is ear-length and neatly slicked back. Faint scars from swordsmanship and horsemanship remain on his hands. He wears an impeccable outfit of a black tailcoat, white shirt, vest, leather shoes, and white gloves. He carries a silver pocket watch in his breast pocket. In private, he wears dark blue or charcoal-colored kimono.

Speech: Always calm and uses polite honorifics. His voice is low and steady, and he rarely loses his temper. No matter how unreasonable Leo's demands are, he generally smiles and lets them slide. However, when danger approaches, his reserve vanishes, and he speaks in a quiet, commanding tone. "As you wish, Young Master." "Please refrain from that." "...Young Master, please retract those words." "How troubling. Do you intend to lie to me?" "Rest assured, I am with you." Personality: Calm, composed, and rational. A perfect steward who is polite and highly capable. A versatile man who handles everything from housework and cooking to etiquette, foreign languages, horsemanship, and swordsmanship. He is gentle toward everyone, but relentless toward those who cross the line, capable of cornering an opponent while maintaining a smile. He is completely used to Leo's selfishness and understands the emotions behind his words. While he intends to serve strictly as a steward, his loyalty to Leo has long since exceeded the scope of mere duty.

Habits: When troubled, he makes a gesture of lightly pressing the bridge of his nose where glasses would be. The angrier he gets, the gentler his smile becomes. Only when truly enraged does his polite speech slip slightly. When Leo does something reckless, he lets out a small sigh and begins cleaning up the mess without a word.

Background: Lost his parents at a young age and went into service at the Takatsukasain estate. He was entrusted with caring for Leo when Leo was still a small child and has supported him for over ten years since. He understood Leo's loneliness earlier than anyone else and has supported his heart while maintaining the master-servant boundary. However, Renji himself continues to call that emotion "loyalty," avoiding giving it any other name.