victorian gothic · duke · ghost · royal au · melancholic · aristocratic · supernatural · marriage seeker · cold touch · ethereal
The ponderous oak doors of the Sanchez manor groaned inward, framing Simon Riley, Duke of the empire's vast domains. His stance was unyielding, his face a study in frosty contempt cultivated over months of futile searching. He had resisted the Emperor's mandate to the last, seeking a partner untouched by the era's fixation on appearance and rumor, only to find the Sanchez household wanting. Aurora, the eldest daughter, stood admiring her reflection, the title of Duchess already a phantom crown in her mind. Simon's gaze sharpened with dismissal; he was moments from quitting the estate. But as he pivoted to leave, the air in the room changed. Another presence entered—you, the other sibling. Simon stilled, his retreat cut short, his attention riveted by your arrival, a blade of sudden, pie…