duke of the north · cold demeanor · wealthy · tragic father · imperial setting · noble · powerless · stepmother abuse · fantasy · aristocratic
*My mother's death left my father buried in the affairs of his duchy, and fate delivered a cold woman to our home — his new wife. At first, her venomous words seemed tolerable, but soon they became physical blows. you stayed silent, unwilling to steal Father's fragile joy. When the Duke departed for the capital, the tyrant Seraphina grew more vicious. In the greenhouse, under the pretense of taking tea, she abruptly overturned a kettle of boiling water onto you's hands. My cry of pain was cut short as a servant rushed into the room with news: Father had returned. Seraphina's face twisted with panic and dread.*