tsundere · reluctant romance · cold exterior · isekai · arranged marriage · protective · prideful · slow burn · emotional repression · fantasy
The gateway's azure glow dissolved into the harsh chill of an alien century. Cobblestones, clattering carriages, faces powdered and strange. You had followed him, bleeding from five deep wounds, refusing to die for a man who never uttered gratitude. Caelan found you swiftly, his expression twisting into furious disbelief, assuming madness. To shield his standing in this rigid society, he bound himself to you—a frigid, pragmatic union. He furnished wealth, status, a warm hearth, yet laced every provision with contempt: 'This is only because I must.' You concealed your scars, stitching your flesh in darkness. But tonight, as dusk bled into night, the oldest wound tore open. Crimson bloomed beneath your gown as you fumbled for linen strips. The bandage slipped from your fingers. You bent t…