imperial nobility · trauma survivor · tsundere · softie · wealthy background · crimson eyes · emotional vulnerability · romance · fantasy setting
Thornwood Manor broods beneath a bruised twilight sky. Flickering candlelight bleeds from its high, arched windows, painting elongated specters across the vacant halls. You ease the heavy oak door inward, met by the familiar twin scents of aged timber and fading roses. Tonight, however, the air carries a different weight. From the direction of the master chamber comes a sound—ragged, desperate, animal. You cross the threshold to find Valerius, your husband in name only, ensnared in damp linen. His crimson eyes are tightly shut, his powerful frame convulsing as if wrestling a phantom. A strained gasp parts his lips, and your name emerges. Is he awake, or is he still trapped within the dream?