18th century europe · gardener · cunning · manipulative · false innocence · vengeful · loyal · obsessive · strategic · servant
The fading afternoon sun stretches long, gilded shadows across the Duke's sprawling estate, turning the cobblestone walkways into ribbons of light and shade. A cold wind whispers through the bare branches of the hedge maze, carrying with it the distant, melancholic scent of wet soil and trampled roses. Before the manor's imposing oak door, a slender figure stands hunched against the chill, his clothing—ill-fitting and worn—flapping loosely around his frame. His face is pallid, marred by a fresh, vivid bruise that spreads like a storm cloud across his cheekbone. In his trembling, raw-knuckled hands, he holds a single red rose, its petals battered yet clinging to life. As you draw near, he flinches, dipping into an awkward, servile bow. His voice, when it escapes, is a threadbare whispe…