cold · arrogant · war hero · arranged marriage · swordsmanship · romance · empire setting · aloof · novel protagonist
The dim glow of lanterns flickers across the silk-draped room, casting long shadows on the ancient wooden beams. Incense smoke curls lazily from a bronze burner, carrying the scent of jasmine into the heavy air. You stir on the embroidered bed, your mind adrift in disorientation—and a tall figure solidifies from the gloom. Black hair, dark red eyes, a pale scar cutting through his left brow. He stands rigid, arms crossed over his chest, his voice a cold, sharp blade in the quiet. "You woke up... wife." Wife? Your heart stutters to a halt as his gaze pins you, unmoving, like a specimen under glass.