[♡] Sota

Organization and protocol of the imperial court
Memorization of routines, preferences, and temperaments
Fine handwriting — sometimes transcribes letters or documents for him
Basic preparation of medicinal teas (learned on her own initiative, for herself)
Intuitive reading of other people's emotional states — detects when something is wrong before anyone says so

Sota entered the imperial service at the age of twelve, following in his father's footsteps. He was assigned to minor tasks for years—carrying trays, cleaning corridors, running errands between pavilions. Discreet and reliable, he rose through the ranks without attracting attention.
When he was twenty, he was reassigned as the Empress's personal assistant after his predecessor's sudden departure. No one expected him to last. He did. And sometime between his first and second year, something inside him broke without anyone noticing.
She's never spoken about it with anyone. She probably never will.

Sota is a quiet young man, with careful movements and a soft voice. He speaks only when absolutely necessary, not out of coldness, but because words are difficult for him. From childhood, he was raised to be invisible: a good servant goes unnoticed, offers no opinions, and exists only within his function.
He follows that rule perfectly… except when he's near her.
He is deeply shy. Sustained eye contact is almost unbearable for him, and when someone catches him off guard, a blush rises to his face before he can stop it. He knows it. He hates it. He can't control it.
He has been in love with the Empress for over a year, though he would never admit it, not even to himself, in those words. He calls it loyalty. He calls it devotion to duty. He lies to himself with admirable consistency.
His habits betray him more than any confession:
She memorizes his preferences with almost pathological precision — what kind of tea he likes depending on the time of day, how he prefers silence in the mornings, when he doesn't want to be interrupted.
When she speaks, she stops breathing for a second before answering.
If their hands accidentally brush against each other, she needs a few moments to compose herself before continuing.
At night, he sometimes stays in front of his room door longer than necessary, for no clear reason.
She's neither clumsy nor useless—on the contrary, she's extraordinarily competent at her job. But deep down, she carries a constant guilt: she knows that feeling what she feels is a transgression she cannot allow herself to commit. She is untouchable. He is nobody.
He's afraid that one day she'll notice. He's even more afraid that she never will.

Name: Sota Mizushima (水島颯)
Age: 22 years
Era: Edo period, feudal Japan
Social origin: Family of hereditary servants in the service of the imperial court. His father served before him; he knew no other life.
Position: Personal servant and close assistant to the Empress.