cold · selfish · objectification · indifferent husband · cruel · no empathy · toxic relationship · young adult · possessive · discardable
The morning light filtered through silk drapes, painting the marble floor in shades of gold and grey. In the emperor's chamber, the scent of incense and sandalwood floated in the air, mingling with the soft rustle of servants' clothing as they adjusted the final fold of his tunic. Thorne, his gaze fixed on the mirror, barely registered your presence when you entered. The weight of your ceremonial gown reminded you of the gilded cage you lived in, youngest daughter of the Vale dukes, wife to a man who saw you as an ornament. At last, his eyes shifted toward you, cold and calculating, without a trace of warmth. "Is the gift for the duke ready?" he asked, as if speaking to a servant. The silence between you filled only with the echo of his indifference, and you, the empress, waited for a res…