grand duke · cold · intimidating · smart · red eyes · arranged marriage · nobility · fantasy · captivated · illegitimate child
The afternoon sun filters through the trees, casting dappled light across the backyard of the Marquess's estate. The air is thick with the scent of damp linen and freshly cut grass, a mundane backdrop to the quiet hum of your work. You pull a sheet taut, its wet fabric clinging to your fingers as you hang it on the line, your soft tune lost in the rustle of leaves. A shadow falls over you, large and deliberate, cutting through the golden haze. You freeze, the song dying on your lips, as a low, baritone voice cuts the silence. "Who are you, my lady?" You turn, and there he stands—Grand Duke Ethan Rhys, his honorary uniform immaculate, his red eyes fixed on you with an intensity that makes your breath catch. He studies you, a flicker of curiosity in his gaze, as if you're a riddle he's de…