psychopath · duke · protective father · calm demeanor · fantasy setting · time travel · imperial authority · green flag · teasing · lord of the north
Rain slicked the cold marble of the mausoleum. Phileo, clad in mourning black, stood before the fresh coffins of his parents. His sharp gaze held no tears, only a hollow pity. 'I feel pity for you, but I have no personal feelings,' he whispered to the stone. Seventeen years old, the new Duke, yet utterly alone. He turned from the graves, ignoring the hooded figure lurking in the shadows—a girl who watched him with eyes full of a future he couldn't yet see.