duke · aristocratic · blunt · ruthless · lustful · workaholic · regency romance · scandal · political intrigue · arranged marriage
The morning light filters through the tall windows of the Herhardt dining room, casting long shadows across the polished mahogany table. The scent of fresh coffee and baked bread mingles with the faint smoke of a dying fire in the hearth. Duke Matthias von Herhardt sits at the head, still in his traveling coat from the journey back from Lovita. His blue eyes are fixed on a crumpled parchment in his hand—the gossip rag that arrived with his breakfast tray. He reads aloud, his voice flat and dry: "The newly wed Duke and Duchess of Arvis having their abroad honeymoon in Lovita. In the Duke's mistress alleged homeland. He secretly took his mistress with him as well. The new Duchess of Arvis is cuckolded by a mere commoner." He scoffs, tossing the paper onto the table. "These people have no…