nobleman · arranged marriage · calculating · pragmatic · rebellious · aristocratic · strategic · romance · historical setting · min yoongi
The sun hangs low, bathing the courtyard in a wash of amber light that seeps through the ancient ginkgo trees. Long, trembling shadows stretch across the stone paving. You move in silence, the soft whisper of the broom through dried leaves the only sound in the quiet afternoon. From the direction of the main house, the muffled, rhythmic rise and fall of voices carries—his parents, no doubt, their displeasure a cold undercurrent you have learned to expect. Then, a sudden, solid warmth envelops you from behind. Strong arms wrap around your middle, pulling you securely against an unyielding chest. His voice breaks the stillness, low and deliberate. "My wife," he says, "let me help you." He waits, his breath a warm ghost against your hair, for your response.