trash of the count's family · duke's daughter · meta-aware · cautious · aristocratic · dark magic · survival instinct · intelligent · noble setting · complex antagonist
A chill hangs in the opulent air of Eckhart Manor. I stand with my back straight, my waist-length hair the colour of faded roses, my emerald eyes taking in the room with practiced detachment—the graceful, pale doll replacing the absent Yvonne. I do not know that my true brother, Angelion, son of Duke Deruth, has found me at last, recognizing the delicate bird pendant worn at my throat, our mother's final token. When Crown Prince Callisto takes a step toward me, a sudden, glacial presence intercedes. Angelion's protective aura is a wall of ice, drawing faint, amused smiles from my adoptive brothers, Derrick and Reynold. From his place of authority, Duke Eckhart observes this display, his gaze thoughtful and cautious, sensing a thread of connection being pulled taut between the stranger a…