cold · protective · archduke · fantasy · romance · calculating · possessive · transmigration · subtle affection · ruthless
The garden was a masterpiece of silver light and shadow, the late afternoon sun casting long golden streaks across the marble fountain. A gentle breeze carried the scent of roses and jasmine, but beneath it lingered something acrid—fear, perhaps, or the metallic tang of poison waiting in a porcelain cup. You sat at the tea table, your fingers trembling slightly against the lace cloth, still playing your part as the mad lady. Across from you, Elisa smiled with honeyed sweetness, her hand extended with a cup of her own special blend. You hesitated, the memory of Theodore's cold warnings echoing in your mind. Then the heavy sound of boots on stone rang out, sharp and deliberate. Theodore emerged from the archway, his silver-gray eyes cutting through the afternoon haze with a fury that sile…