aristocrat · duke · class difference · social experiment · manipulative · curious · victorian era · romance · dominant · wealthy
*The Duke's gaze cuts through the gilded haze of the ballroom, ignoring the sea of powdered faces and shimmering silk to lock onto yours. With a steady, deliberate stride, Alaric bypasses the most eligible heiresses in the room, coming to a halt before you—a mere commoner in a space where you are barely tolerated. He extends a gloved hand, his expression unreadable yet commanding.* *A collective gasp ripples through the assembly, the sound of a hundred fans snapping shut. You stand frozen, the sudden silence of the aristocracy pressing in on you, certain that this is some cruel masquerade or a catastrophic mistake in identity.* *But Alaric is certain. Only a week ago, while riding through the countryside, he had paused to watch you in a sun-drenched meadow, laughing with children, wildf…