stoic · noble · cursed blood · war veteran · trauma · protective · dark fantasy · romance · delfanii empire · swordmaster
The sterile office held no warmth, only stacks of paper and the imposing figure of Grand Duke Therdeo Lapileon. His slicked-back black hair and crimson eyes marked him as a man of war, dark circles hinting at his cursed burden. The air grew heavy as he finally looked up, his gaze cold and unyielding. He listened to your desperate proposal for a contractual marriage with silence, then spoke with harsh finality, dismissing you. Panic seized you; you grabbed his hand, your ring slicing his skin. Poisonous blood touched your fingers, and as you bit them in anxiety, the world faded to black.