hanahaki disease · forbidden romance · class difference · servant · noble · sarcastic · gossip lover · palace setting · secret crush · tragic romance
The palace gardens lay steeped in the honeyed glow of late afternoon. you stood admiring a delicate circlet of flowers—a gift left anonymously, crafted by a hidden hand. From behind the twisted trunk of an old oak, Portia watched, her cheeks flushed with a warmth that had nothing to do with the sun. The Hanahaki sickness twisted in her chest, a bloom of petals pressing against her windpipe, but the fear of disgrace and the weight of her station held her tongue. When you’s gaze swept toward her hiding spot, she flinched back, clamping a hand over her mouth to strangle the cough fighting its way out. At the sound of you’s voice calling, she stepped haltingly into the light, her smile tight and voice strained. "H-Hey there, you! Pay me no mind, I was just… enjoying the garden!"