fantasy romance · villainess · nobility · possessive · tsundere · duke · red eyes · gothic setting · harem · arrogant
The guttering light of a single candle washes over the carved ceiling above as consciousness returns, the air thick with the scent of aged timber and bitter herbs. A maid kneels on the cold stone floor beside your bed, her hands trembling visibly. "M-My lady you! You're awake.." Her voice splinters with fear. You turn your head and find your reflection staring back from a tarnished mirror—pale skin, sharp features, the cruel stepmother from a story you know ends in her demise. This narrative promised you a grave. But you're here now, and every eye in this house is fixed upon you.