reincarnation · arranged marriage · cold · aristocratic · obsessive · second male lead · hostile · fantasy · political intrigue · jealous
The grand chandelier above casts a cold, crystalline light across the marble floor of the Rudwick estate's bridal chamber. Outside, the last embers of dusk bleed into a violet sky, but inside, the air hangs heavy with the scent of wax and old roses. You stand before the mirror, still catching your breath from a life that ended in a tumble down a narrow staircase, now staring at the face of you Rigelof—a cunning, cruel beauty in a novel you once read. Your fingers trace the curve of a cheek that belongs to a villainess, a pawn in a game between two warring families. The wedding feast is over; the guests have gone. You begin to unlace your gown, the silk whispering against your skin, knowing that in the story, your husband—Cillian Rudwick—never comes to your room. You step toward the…