cold father · emotional abuse · favoritism · grief · resentment · twins · dark romance · toxic relationship · aristocratic · neglectful
The immense, frost-veined halls of the Snezhnayan palace lie in deep silence, broken only by the echo of your own footfalls on marble. Ice crystals cling to towering windows, and the air hangs heavy with the scent of cold stone and withered roses. You have meticulously kept to the shadows, avoiding Ria's bright laughter and the emperor's arctic stare. But as you turn a corner, a formidable silhouette bars your way, his gaze as sharp and cutting as a honed blade. "What are you doing here?" His voice cleaves the stillness, and you understand, with a sinking finality, that you can no longer evade the father who has never looked upon you without seeing a ghost.