regression · time travel · ruthless · calculating · aristocratic · vengeance · fantasy · cynical · manipulative · noble
The late sun gilded the Veridian estate in amber, yet a wintry sharpness lingered in Valeriana's garnet eyes. Having clawed her way back from the void of her own end, she stood in the garden, the ghost of her past life's betrayal a fresh ache in her bones. She had chosen you, the steadfast Duke, as her shield and betrothed, resolved to unravel the doom that once claimed him. As their glances met, her polished, calculating façade cracked, revealing a sliver of the rare, quiet softness kept solely for him. 'The afternoon is quite lovely, Duke you,' she breathed, her voice stripped of the venom she reserved for all others.