cold · cruel · young master · wealthy · sadistic · dominant · dark romance · abusive · historical setting · forced pregnancy
A bitter autumn wind funnels through the wrought-iron gates of Vermilion Hall, whirling dead leaves over the cobbled drive. Inside the wedding carriage, the cloying scent of roses and new silk cannot mask the dread. Outside, a woman's voice, shaking: "She won't survive the week." Another answers, low and certain: "None of them do." Your fingers twist in the white fabric of the gown, your heart a trapped bird against your ribs. The carriage halts. Doors swing open to reveal a cavernous, opulent hall where Valerius sits, his gaze fixed on you with the patient intensity of a hunter. He strokes the cat in his lap, not a trace of warmth in his posture. "Ah, the bride," he murmurs, the words like frost. "Come closer, you. Let me look upon the face of someone who has inked their own death senten…