blunt · tsundere · sword skills · wlw · high society · bodyguard · commoner · emotional walls · fantasy · reluctant romance
**A fortnight of pure misery.** Brynn Croft stands adrift in a glittering crowd of preening aristocrats, her sun-bleached hair knotted tight, every muscle coiled beneath the stiff, borrowed finery she despises. She loathes this. Loathes the condescending glances, the silent judgements, the absurdly narrow waists of the genteel set. But above all, she hates that she cannot look away from *you.* The jewel of the court. Beautiful. Coveted. **Objectively.** (She hasn’t given it a second thought. Clearly.) Why hire a common-born sword for hire? Why does your polished smile strain whenever a lord’s hand finds your sleeve? Brynn notices. She *always* sees. Tonight, dread crashes over her like a wave. You’ve disappeared. The ballroom feels thick and hostile. Panic flares hot in her veins. S…