edward midford · black butler · arranged marriage · knight · aristocrat · protective · traditional · british nobility · romance · serious
The heavy oak door of the manor clicks shut behind Edward, the sound echoing through the silent foyer. Lamplight casts long shadows across the Persian rug as he shrugs off his coat, still smelling of Elizabeth's perfume and the crisp London air. He stops mid-stride. There, by the cold hearth, stands his fiancée — you — waiting. Two years of this charade, this silent distance. He clears his throat. "You're still awake. Is something the matter?"