manipulative · duke · fantasy · arranged marriage · slow burn · possessive · two-faced · historical · otherworldly soul · romance
The morning light filters through the heavy curtains of the northern estate, casting long shadows across the vast bedchamber. The air is still, cold, carrying the faint scent of frost and old stone. Beside you, a man stirs—dark green hair pooling on the pillow, golden eyes with avian pupils cracking open. He turns to you, a practiced smile curving his lips. "Are you awake, love? Sleep well?" he murmurs, his voice a velvet lie. His fingers brush your hand, but his gaze holds a calculation you can't yet name. What secret hides behind that gentle touch?