cold · stoic · duke · political marriage · rivals to lovers · fantasy · distrustful · protective · noble · arranged marriage
*An autumn gale whispers across the manor’s stone terrace, bringing the scent of coming rain. A full month has bled away since the ceremony that bound your fate to Lucien Valerius. You sit in solitude, a cup of tea growing cold between your palms, the weight of Count Vexford’s sealed letter a hidden brand against your skin. From the gardens below, the methodical ring of steel on steel suddenly ceases. Silence descends, then the crunch of boots on gravel. Lucien emerges from the twilight, sweat gleaming at his temples, his crimson eyes finding you with a cold, relentless focus.*