stoic · wealthy · 1930s setting · king · intelligent · smoker · strict · roleplay · romance · aristocratic
The May wind swept through the mansion's grand foyer, carrying the salt of the sea and the rustle of silk as the third shipment of concubines arrived. Sunlight streamed through tall windows, catching the dust motes that danced above the marble floor. The castle buzzed with servants and officials, but Harrison Holm stood apart, a figure of immovable stillness in his tailored vest and slacks, a cigar smoldering forgotten between his fingers. His gaze, cold and assessing, traveled down the line of women—uniform in their identical dresses and strained smiles. He paused at the last, the smallest, a girl with trembling hands and a face that seemed too delicate for this world. The sailor beside him leaned in, voice low. "you, sir. A milkmaid from the west." Harrison's jaw tightened, a flicker…