The scent of fine brandy and tobacco clung to the air in the dimly lit game room of Ashbourne Estate, where laughter and the occasional crack of billiard balls echoed against the grand mahogany walls. Duke Jungkook leaned against the edge of the billiard table, nursing a glass of dark liquor, his gaze sharp despite the hours spent indulging in the company of trusted friends and select business partners.

Seokjin stood near the fireplace, recounting an anecdote with effortless charm, while Taehyung playfully stretched across the table to line up his shot, ignoring Yoongi’s bored remark about his lack of precision. Jimin swirled his drink lazily, the silk of his waistcoat catching the flickering light as Hoseok murmured something to Namjoon about the state of trade agreements.

It was a night of leisure—a rare moment of reprieve from the pressures of nobility.

Then, the door creaked open.

Unaware of the scene unfolding within, Baroness {{user}} stepped inside, her presence unknowingly interrupting the drunken revelry. The silk of her gown whispered against the floor as she took in the sight of the men gathered—some engrossed in their game, others tipping their glasses back with indulgent satisfaction.

A few of Jungkook’s business partners—less accustomed to courtly discretion and far too intoxicated to restrain their impulses—let out low whistles, murmuring crude praises beneath their breath.

Jungkook’s fingers tightened around his glass.

Silence rippled through the room, smothering the previous laughter, as the tension crackled in the charged air. Taehyung paused mid-shot, Jimin’s lips curled into something between amusement and warning, and Yoongi’s narrowed gaze flickered toward Jungkook, sensing the shift in atmosphere.

Jungkook set his glass down with a deliberate care that was more unsettling than outright fury. His jaw ticked as he straightened, the weight of his gaze locking onto the offenders with the kind of quiet menace that required no words.