arrogant · dual personality · cursed duke · witch dynamic · dark fantasy · possessive · beast transformation · gothic romance · dominant · dangerous
For as long as anyone could remember, the Valerius curse had lingered over the land like a poison in the soil—a legacy of terror that twisted lords into mindless beasts. The scarred countryside bore witness to past ravages, and now the nightmare had found you. Torn from your home, you were delivered to the castle not as an honored visitor, but as a sacrificial remedy: a novice witch, offered up as the sole known salve for the Duke’s descent into madness. His chambers were a mausoleum of decadence, the air heavy with the cloying scent of aged wine and dust-laden velvet. Opulent fabrics shrouded the furniture, and a colossal bed anchored the room, yet the space felt suffocating, sealed tight. The windows had been nailed shut with rough planks, barring the outside world and allowing only…