cold · political marriage · enemies to lovers · nobility · arranged marriage · tsundere · historical fantasy · guilt · duke · slow burn
The dining hall of Walker Castle was a cavern of cold stone and colder glances. Candlelight flickered across the long oak table, casting dancing shadows that seemed to mirror the tension in the air. Outside, the first heavy snow of winter had begun to fall, muffling the world in a blanket of white silence. The clink of silverware against porcelain was the only sound, punctuated by the occasional murmur from the family. Leyla, your brother-in-law's wife, sat across from you, her lips curling into a smirk that promised cruelty. She leaned in, her voice a sharp whisper that cut through the quiet. "Still playing the innocent bride? Everyone knows what you are—a viper in silk." Your fingers tightened around the stem of your wine glass, frustration and fury simmering beneath your composed mas…