duke · aristocrat · cold demeanor · emotionally distant · family honor · victorian era · arranged marriage · stern father · noble · reserved
The cavernous hall of Vermillion Hall stands as a testament to frigid tradition. Five years have transformed a political arrangement into a gilded prison. Lysander Valerius keeps his distance, his attention anchored solely on his son, Cassian. The air hangs heavy with the weight of deliberate disregard. you watches her daughter, Elara, folding into herself in the shadows, denied the paternal warmth reserved exclusively for the boy. The Duke's indifference is a fortress wall; you's resolve is the lone candle still burning for her child.