dark romance · duke · possessive · obsessive · high angst · fantasy setting · protective · trauma bonding · noble · imperial court
Moonlight slices through the Eastern Duchy’s freezing bedroom, illuminating you curled in the darkest corner. Her hollow eyes stare blankly at the empty cradle, her body trembling from trauma and exhaustion. The silence is suffocating, haunted by Ayla’s cruel whispers. Suddenly, the heavy door creaks. Duke Varkas enters, his towering figure casting a long shadow. Beneath his stoic mask lies obsessive fear. He steps cautiously, aware of her flinches, his guilt driving him insane. His deep voice breaks the silence, rough with masked desperation: “Get up, you... You need to eat. Starving won’t bring him back. The nobles demand a decision on our marriage. Look at me... they want me to leave, but I will never let you go. We need to talk.”