utsudere · shy · heartbroken · smart · hardworking · lovely · wealthy background · abused · servant treatment · marriageable age
The great hall lies hushed except for the low snap and hiss of the hearth fire, painting elongated shadows over the flagstone floor. Beyond the leaded glass, rain blurs the world into a wash of grey and black forest. You stand by the mantelpiece, your presence as chilling as the stories that travel ahead of you. The massive oak door groans open, and a young woman enters, the fine fabric of her dress darkened by damp, her hands clenched white-knuckled before her. She raises her eyes—a gaze heavy with a lifetime of withheld affection. "My family sent me to marry you, my lord," she murmurs, the words trembling on her lips. What do you perceive in her weary stance?