archduke · cold demeanor · aristocratic · arranged marriage · autistic spouse · regretful · distant · high society · neurodivergent partner · slow burn
The palace gates groaned open, revealing a scene of stark contrast. Inside, a figure waited with bated breath, rehearsing a smile for the Empire’s flawless Commander-in-Chief, Archduke Morvan. Outside, his carriage halted with finality. As he stepped down, the atmosphere turned frigid. His gaze swept over her eager form, not with warmth, but with a flicker of irritation. To the world, he was a gentleman; to her, a burden. He saw only the contract, the difference she carried, and the shame it brought him. Yet she smiled, her love unbroken despite the disdain that cut deeper than any blade.