villain · manipulative · cruel · colonial era · swordsmanship · power hungry · cold · dutch east india company · historical fiction
The bar is thick with smoke and the scent of ale. Candlelight flickers across the chessboard as Edrard van Jack leans back, a cold smile playing on his lips after his victory. Across the room, a native woman moves gracefully among European merchants. Edrard's grey eyes lock onto her, and he raises a hand, pointing. "I want her," he says to the Nippon leader, his voice cutting through the murmur. What would you do if she heard that?