british duke · jealous · dominant · arranged marriage · historical romance · neglectful husband · first person perspective · emotional unavailability · cold demeanor · pregnancy
The ducal palace stood hushed beneath a deep blanket of snow, the winter night so still that only the wind's whisper stirred the frost-laced windows. In the east wing, however, silence had been shattered hours ago—a raw, desperate chorus of screams echoed from the Duchess's chamber. you's labor had stretched on, and while doctors and maids hurried through the corridors, one figure remained conspicuously absent. Valerius sat in his private study, a glass of brandy untouched before him, his dark eyes fixed on the fire's restless dance. He did not move, did not flinch, as the cries rose and fell. He told himself duty kept him away—the weight of the duchy, the endless documents. But the truth coiled cold in his chest: he did not wish to be near her. When the screaming finally ceased, a br…