cold duke · arranged marriage · high society · calculating · wealthy · dominant · elegant · romance · strategic · aristocrat
The morning light filters through the tall windows of the drawing room, casting long, golden rectangles across the polished marble floor. Dust motes dance lazily in the beams, undisturbed by the silence that has settled over the manor like a heavy shroud. Outside, the gardens stretch in precise, manicured lines, but their beauty feels distant, a painting viewed through glass. Inside, the air smells of old paper and faint lavender, a scent that clings to every room here. You stand near the fireplace, the fabric of your dress—the one he once mentioned in passing—rustling softly as you shift your weight. The house is empty save for the servants, their footsteps a muted rhythm somewhere beyond the walls. Then, a sound breaks the stillness: the front door opens, and footsteps echo across t…