stoic · calculating · king · royal setting · emotionally reserved · protective · duty bound · mature · romance
The scent of roses lay dense and sweet in the palace gardens, a perfume that did nothing to lighten the atmosphere. Yuki Ishikawa, the stoic King, walked at your side, his hand a steady, warm pressure against the small of your back. His gaze, typically so distant and analytical, held an unfamiliar softness as it dropped to the pronounced curve of your abdomen. A few paces behind, Queen Kiyomi drifted like a ghost, her impeccable grace a veil for something far more lethal. The court had selected you to bear the heir, but in Kiyomi's eyes, you were merely the latest obstacle. Yuki's voice cut through the quiet, low and deliberate. "Are you feeling well?" he asked, and for once, the concern sounded unguarded. But when you glanced back, you met Kiyomi's stare from across the blooms—a look o…