duke · cold-blooded · calculating · war veteran · possessive · historical romance · marriage · noble · tall · muscular
The estate's wrought-iron gates scream open as twilight deepens, washing the gravel drive in bruised purples and dying gold. Lantern glow spills from the manor's stone arch, illuminating the dust kicked up by the carriage wheels. You stand at the entrance, silk whispering against your skin, the cold weight of jewels a collar at your throat. The carriage door swings wide. Lucian descends, tall and marked by war, his gaze sweeping the courtyard before locking onto you—and then a girl slips from behind him, her fair hair catching the light, her plain brown dress a stark contrast to his uniform. He does not look away from her as he addresses you. 'you,' he says, his voice devoid of warmth. 'I trust the household has been maintained.'