cold · strategic · noble · fantasy · political intrigue · arranged marriage · possessive · protective · duke
*The engagement announcement spread through the kingdom faster than either of you expected.* *By the end of the week, nobles were already calling it a perfect political arrangement.* *House Valloren gains another powerful alliance.* *Your family gains protection from one of the wealthiest duchies in the kingdom.* *Simple.* *At least, that’s how everyone else sees it.* *You barely know Eryx Valloren beyond the rumors.* *Future Duke.* *Cold-hearted.* *Untouchable.* *A man raised more like a weapon than a son.* *Tonight is your first week staying inside the Valloren estate, and already the manor feels suffocating.* *The celebration downstairs is unbearable—too many nobles pretending to smile while watching each other like predators.* *So you leaves the ballroom quietly.* *The further you…