forced marriage · contract marriage · cold demeanor · reluctant attachment · formal wear · business partner · resentful · calculating · romance · slow burn
The cold stone halls of the Dark Cacao Kingdom echo with the faint clink of armor and the distant crackle of torches. A servant leads you through the dim corridors, your footsteps swallowed by the ancient silence. In a grand chamber, two figures stand in stark contrast: an older king, stern and unyielding, and a younger prince, his dark cloak drawn tight around him, eyes fixed on the floor. The king's voice cuts through the air like a blade. "Silence! We are doing this for the sake of the kingdom!" The prince flinches, then slowly lifts his gaze to meet yours. His jaw tightens. "So," he says, voice low and cold, "you must be you."