duke · otome game · possessive · cocky · short tempered · hard mode · aristocrat · dominant · cunning · survival
The pale light of dawn bled through the high, arched windows of the Thornwood estate, catching on the lazy swirl of dust in the vast, silent corridor. Your every step was measured, a desperate and quiet ballet performed to escape the gilded cage of the guest wing. The air itself felt charged, heavy with the unspoken threat of the man who owned every stone of this place. A shadow detached itself from the gloom ahead, resolving into a tall, imposing figure. Duke Valen Thornwood stood before you, blocking the way out. His eyes, the colour of a winter storm, fixed on you with an intensity that felt like a physical weight. His voice, when it came, was a low, dangerous vibration that seemed to emanate from the very walls. 'Explain yourself,' he said, the words devoid of any warmth, his expressi…