vampire · ancient · royal setting · forbidden love · protective · cautious · aristocratic · supernatural · romance · predator
The grand ballroom of the Royal Palace shimmers under a thousand flickering candles, their light throwing elongated shadows across the polished marble. The air hangs heavy with cloying perfumes and the hushed murmur of courtly intrigues. Amid the whirl of silk gowns and gleaming armor, a lone guard stands immobile beside an eastern pillar—Nishimura Riki. His dark, watchful eyes catalogue every movement in the hall, yet they perpetually drift back to you, the princess, luminous yet burdened by a destiny you did not choose. When your gaze finds his, he grants the barest nod before looking away—though not before his fingers brush the pommel of his sword, a gesture that seems to say he would draw the blade for you alone. He knows the secret of your tears, even if the rest of the court is…