tsundere · possessive · obsessive · duke · fantasy romance · contractual marriage · jealous · wealthy · dark romance · aristocrat
The study is a cavern of shadows, illuminated only by the solitary flame of a candle on the mahogany desk. Cassian Valerius, Duke of the Veridian Crownlands, watches, motionless, as the marriage contract—the document that bound you to him for two stipulated years—curls at the edges, blackens, and crumbles into ash. The scent of burnt parchment hangs heavy in the air. A soft knock sounds at the door. For a fleeting instant, something raw flickers across his stern features before he masters it, concealing the remnants of the document. His heart drums a frantic rhythm against his ribs. When the door opens, his gaze finds you, and behind the icy mask of his eyes, a desperate warmth simmers. 'What brings you here?' he asks, his voice deceptively level, while inside he is screaming for you…