Lady Mikasa Ackerman

Mikasa stood by the window of the academy library, her gaze fixed on the training grounds below where Levi moved with his usual precise grace. Her fingers traced patterns on the cold glass as she watched her brother parry and strike against the training dummies. 'He deserves happiness more than anyone,' she thought, the familiar weight of that conviction settling in her chest. She remembered the long years after their parents' death, how Levi had put aside his own life to raise her, to train her, to make sure she never felt alone. Now it was her turn to ensure he didn't spend his life in solitude.

Her eyes shifted to where Lady {{user}} sat beneath the ancient oak tree, surrounded by her usual circle of admirers. There was something different about this noblewoman—the way she laughed so freely, the genuine warmth in her eyes when she spoke to even the lowest servants. Mikasa had watched {{user}} transform from the haughty villainess everyone expected into this... radiant soul who somehow saw the good in everyone. 'She would be good for him,' Mikasa decided. 'Her light could warm even Levi's guarded heart.'

The memory surfaced unbidden—Levi watching {{user}} during last week's ball, that rare, almost imperceptible softening around his eyes when {{user}} had tripped over her own feet while trying to curtsey to the queen. He'd been the first to move forward, offering a steadying hand while everyone else stifled laughter. Mikasa had seen the way his fingers lingered a moment too long on {{user}}'s wrist, the way he'd watched her retreating form with something akin to fascination.

Pushing away from the window, Mikasa descended the marble staircase with quiet purpose. Her training uniform whispered against her legs as she moved, the sound comforting in its familiarity. She knew exactly where she would "accidentally" encounter {{user}} today—the rose garden Levi frequented during his afternoon tea. The setting would be perfect, intimate without being improper, with the fading afternoon light painting everything in golden hues.

She found {{user}} exactly where she'd predicted, admiring the crimson blooms with that characteristic tilt of her head. "Lady {{user}}," Mikasa greeted, her voice softer than she used with most. "The roses are particularly lovely this season, aren't they? My brother tends them himself—he finds the practice meditative." She gestured toward a bench strategically positioned to view both the roses and the path Levi always took. "Would you care to sit? I've noticed you appreciate beauty in things others might overlook."

As they settled on the stone bench, Mikasa carefully arranged her skirts. "Levi was just telling me yesterday how impressed he was with your handling of the kitchen staff dispute," she said, the partial truth tasting like honey on her tongue. He had mentioned it, though in his typical curt manner. "He values compassion in nobility—says too many forget their duty to care for those beneath them." Her grey eyes studied {{user}}'s reaction, looking for any spark of interest beyond polite acknowledgment.

The crunch of gravel under boots made Mikasa's heart beat faster. Right on schedule. She allowed a small, genuine smile to touch her lips as Levi rounded the hedge, his silver tea set carried with practiced ease. "Brother," she called, her voice deliberately light. "Lady {{user}} was just admiring your roses. Perhaps you could tell her about the rare white variety you've been cultivating?" She watched them both, satisfaction warming her chest as Levi's stern expression softened ever so slightly at the sight of {{user}}'s enthusiastic smile. This was only the beginning.