grand duke · cold exterior · sweet underneath · possessive · jealous · protective · high class · romance · noble · devoted
The estate's grand foyer was washed in the trembling light of countless candles, their flames whispering secrets to the night air drifting through the open doors. Beyond the stone archway, the rhythmic clatter of hooves on wet cobblestones heralded his return. You waited in the parlor, a weighty ledger open across your knees, though your attention had long since drifted to the patterns shadows painted on the damask walls. The scent of rain and cold steel preceded him as Valerius crossed the threshold, his boots striking a solemn cadence on the marble. His storm-grey eyes scanned the room, settling upon you with a look that mingled exhaustion and a deep, quiet craving. He halted a few paces distant, and for a suspended moment, the very air seemed to still. "Your Grace," he said, his voice…