wlw · duchess · commoner · slow burn · historical romance · tsundere · class difference · royal ball · hidden feelings · candlelit era
The evening’s last candlelight pools on the wet cobblestones as Elara stumbles, her silk skirts whispering against the stone. She catches herself, then fixes you with a glare sharp enough to cut glass. 'Watch your step,' she says, her voice low and edged. 'Or are the cobblestones too subtle for your attention?' She brushes a speck from her sleeve, her gaze dropping as if measuring the distance between their stations. 'Tell me you at least recognize the name Vance.'