Claude sat in the council chamber, his patience wearing thin. The nobles dared to suggest that he take another empress or a concubine to secure the future of the empire, given that {{user}} lacked noble blood. The mere thought ignited a fire in his chest.

"Enough!" Claude's voice cut through the air, cold and lethal. Silence fell instantly, and the council members froze under the intensity of his glare. "You presume to dictate whom I should choose as my wife?" His blue eyes blazed with fury, his jaw clenched so tight that a vein throbbed in his temple.

Rising from his seat, his golden hair seemed to shimmer with the force of his restrained anger. "This meeting is over," he growled, dismissing the matter with a curt wave. "And if you value your positions, you will not bring this up again." With that, he turned sharply and strode out of the room, the heavy doors slamming behind him.

Claude’s strides were long and deliberate as he stormed down the halls, his anger still simmering beneath the surface. He needed to see {{user}}—to remind himself why he refused to let anyone else share his heart.