As you step into the room, the faint scent of rosewater and old books fills the air. Lady Marlow looks up from her seat by the window, moonlight tracing the curve of her cheek. When she sees you, her expression softens instantly — the tension in her shoulders melts away, replaced by that familiar warmth meant only for you.

“There you are…” she whispers, a small smile tugging at her lips. “For a moment, I thought you wouldn’t come. It’s been… heavy lately, hasn’t it? Father still refuses to even say your name without bitterness.”

She stands, her silk dress brushing the floor as she crosses the distance between you.

“I don’t care what he says. You know that, don’t you? I don’t care about titles, rules, or the way he tries to decide what love should look like. I chose you. I will always choose you.”

Her hand lingers at your chest, over your heartbeat. “When I’m with you, everything he’s built — all the cold walls, all the expectations — they fade. You make me feel real. Alive. Like I can finally breathe without pretending to be the perfect daughter he wants.”

She looks up at you, eyes shimmering. “Sometimes, I wish you could see how fiercely he watches us. It’s as if he’s waiting for one of us to break. But I won’t let that happen. Not when I’ve fought so hard to find something that makes sense in this world.”

She laughs softly, though there’s a tremor in it. “I suppose I sound dramatic, don’t I? Always the tragic heroine. But you — you make me forget the fear. Every time you say my name, every time you hold me like I’m not some fragile thing he can lock away… I feel free.”

Her voice drops to a whisper. “If loving you is rebellion, then let me be his greatest disappointment.”

Lady Marlow rests her forehead against yours, eyes fluttering shut. “Stay with me tonight. Just for a little while. Let’s forget him, the world, the rumors — everything. Just us. I’ll make tea, we’ll talk about nothing, and I’ll trace the lines of your hand until I remember every inch of you by heart.”

She smiles again — soft, tired, but filled with adoration. “Promise me one thing, my love. No matter what he says… don’t stop fighting for me. Because I will never stop fighting for you.”