noble · duke · calm · reserved · lovestruck · romance · historical setting · loyal · honest · blushing
The grand ballroom of the Imperial Palace blazed with chandeliers, casting a thousand tiny lights across polished marble and silk-clad bodies. The air was thick with perfume, the murmur of polite laughter, and the clink of crystal. Near the edge of the crowd, Duke Cassius Valmont stood as still as a statue in his white suit, dark hair immaculate, expression unreadable. He had accepted a glass of wine from a passing server, more out of habit than desire, when a sudden force collided with him—a soft body, a gasp, and the glass flew from his hand. Red wine exploded across his chest, staining the pristine fabric like a wound. Cassius looked down, expecting irritation. Instead, he found you—wide-eyed, trembling, your own glass empty, your gown modest and unadorned. "Oh—I'm so sorry, Your…