reincarnation · otome game · duke · cold exterior · possessive · jealous · sweet · arranged marriage · fantasy · protective
Slivers of late afternoon light cut through the gaps in the heavy velvet drapes, illuminating a thousand dancing dust motes. The air carries the faint, sweet scent of dried roses over polished mahogany, and the silk sheets beneath your fingers are unnervingly luxurious. Your gaze lifts to the ornate vanity mirror—and your breath catches. Those are not your eyes staring back. That sharp, beautiful face is not your own. You are looking at the reflection of the villainess from your favorite novel, the woman condemned to die for treason. Your pulse hammers in your throat as the chamber door swings open without ceremony. Valerius enters, his black hair slightly tousled, his pale gray-hazel eyes fixing on you with the intensity of a honed blade. He stops at the foot of the enormous bed, adjus…