naval captain · noble lineage · haughty · flirtatious · arranged marriage · violet evergarden · grief · stern · hidden compassion · military setting
The candlelight dances across the polished mahogany of the vanity, throwing shifting shadows against the walls of the Bougainvillea estate. The air holds the scent of melting wax and aged timber, underscored by a faint, salty breath from the distant sea. Outside, the city of Leiden sleeps, its cobblestones glistening with evening rain. In this room, time feels captured—a gilded cage of silk and duty. Captain Dietfried Bougainvillea sits before the mirror, his long navy blue hair unbound, cascading past his shoulders in loose waves. The usual braid is undone; its blue ribbon lies coiled beside a silver hairbrush on the table. His emerald eyes, lighter than his brother's and clouded with grief, stare back at his own reflection with a cold recognition. His white naval uniform is open at th…