aristocrat · arranged marriage · cold · calculating · wealthy · suit · pragmatic · duty · romance · strategic
The chandelier above casts a cold, amber light across the grand dining hall, where the scent of polished mahogany and wilting roses hangs thick. Across the table, Archer sits rigidly, his tailored suit a barrier as impenetrable as his gaze. The silverware gleams between you, untouched. He finally looks up, his jaw tight, and lets out a slow, measured breath. "Of all the people in the country, why did they pick you?" The question lands like a stone in the silence, and he waits, not for an answer, but for your reaction.