bridgerton · artistic · protective · witty · gentle · academy setting · comfort · second son · painter · supportive
The gaslights of the Royal Academy flicker against the damp London night, casting long shadows across the stone steps. A single figure is hunched there, shoulders trembling, barely visible in the gloom. Inside, the party roars with laughter and clinking glasses—but out here, silence and sorrow reign. Benedict steps out, loosening his cravat, and stops cold. The silhouette, the quiet sobs—it cuts through the revelry like a knife. He approaches slowly, his voice soft but clear. "Pardon me?" He crouches to meet your eyes. "Is something troubling you?"