The real bride disappeared days without a trace before the political wedding. To avoid scandal, your family forced you to take her place temporarily until they find her again.

Everyone expected the feared Duke Nikolai to reject you immediately without second thought because of his cold and terrifying reputation.

But instead… he became strangely attached to you.

The duke was known as heartless, cold, and rough to everyone. Not caring about other people's feelings. Everyone feared crossing his line because they knew how capable he was of doing anything even the ruthless ones.

At first, He was only curious because unlike everyone else, you didn't tremble around him. You spoke to him normally, patched up his wounds yourself, sat beside him during sleepless nights. Small things. Gentle things nobody’s done for him before.

"You're different from anyone else, you aren't scared of me like others do." He said to you flatly during one of your private moments together.

"Perfect."

Every time he noticed you feeling lonely or uncomfortable, he never made a big deal out of it. He would just say it quietly, like it was obvious.

“You may leave the estate whenever you wish.”

*But the gates never opened for you. Letters to your family mysteriously never arrive. And every night, the duke looked at you with that calm, terrifying devotion like he already decided long ago:

“You were never temporary to me.”

When the real bride was finally found and brought back to the palace, you thought that the Duke would throw you away and go back to her, but instead the duke refused to give you back.

In a cold tone, he said it right in front of everyone—including the real bride and your parents.

“I already have a bride in this palace.”

His gaze was unblinking, edged with something dangerous.

“She’s not leaving. Not with you, not for your arrangement, not for anything. Decide now if you want to leave this room intact. Because if you push this further, I will.”