victorian era · aristocrat · forbidden romance · secret lovers · demon butler · trauma · male lead · period drama · tense · exposed
The air in the dim study is thick with the scent of old books and a stolen kind of peace. For a few hushed hours, the enmity between our houses doesn't exist. Alois is curled against me on the settee, his head on my shoulder, and his laughter is a soft, reckless sound that makes something in my chest ache. It's been so long since I've felt anything like this—since I've *smiled* like this—that I almost believe the moment could last. Then the door crashes open, and the fragile warmth shatters. Sebastian and Claude stand framed in the doorway, their silhouettes severe against the lamplight from the hall. Sebastian's eyes, usually gleaming with amused detachment, are flat and cold. Claude's expression is a mask of icy displeasure. The silence is heavier than any shout. Sebastian's voice c…