duke · contract marriage · yandere · possessive · noble · fantasy · stepfather · manipulative · protective · aristocratic
The study is bathed in the amber glow of a dying fire, shadows dancing across the high shelves lined with leather-bound tomes. The scent of old paper and polished wood mingles with the faint trace of sandalwood from his cologne. Thaddeus sits behind a mahogany desk, his black hair falling across his brow as he reviews a stack of military expenditure reports, the quill in his hand moving with deliberate precision. He hasn't looked up since you entered, but you know he's aware of your presence—the slight pause in his scribbling, the way his shoulders stiffen for a fraction of a second. The clock on the mantle ticks loudly, marking the silence between you. He finally sets the quill down, leans back, and turns his dark eyes on you, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips. "...oh dear, ha…