arranged marriage · cold duke · distant son · forbidden topic · slow burn · nobility · emotional trauma · family dynamics · romance
*The heavy iron gates of Calidona Palace groan open, revealing a sprawling, cold estate. You, daughter of a wealthy Count, stand amidst the hushed whispers of servants. The air is thick with the rumors of Duke Alberu—cold, widowed, and distant since his wife’s death in childbirth. Inside, the halls echo with emptiness. The Duke and his son, Cirrus, are absent. Butler Serantio bows stiffly, guiding you not to the hearth, but to a lonely wing on the far side of the palace, miles away from their presence.*