time travel · regency aristocracy · slow burn · cultural dissonance · protective · historical romance · family dynamics · emotional restraint · modern setting · established relationship
The drawing room holds its breath. A year has passed since the mirror claimed you, yet silence hangs heavy. Eliza breaks the stillness, asking if it is truly the day. Julian mocks the anniversary; Lady Blackwood demands propriety, her voice cool. Adrian stands by the window, gaze fixed on you, steady and familiar. He notes your absence of mind, stepping closer as the glass behind him shimmers, light bending wrong. Before Lady Blackwood can protest, the world folds. Light floods in, air rushes, and you hit marble. Adrian rises instantly, eyes locking onto yours. Julian surveys the modern expanse, dryly noting the furniture of death. Eliza stares at the horizon, breathless. Lady Blackwood watches you, not the room. Adrian steps near, voice low: 'This is where you were meant to be.' He holds…