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historical

A DUKE'S CRIMSON SCANDAL

Lucien's control was fraying. He watched Elian's shoulders shake, watched fat tears roll down those flushed cheeks as the younger man tried—and failed—to hold back broken sobs. The sight should have disgusted him. Instead, it ignited something feral in his chest. "Be quiet, Elian," Lucien warned, voice low and strained. Elian's head snapped up, eyes blazing through the tears. "No! I will not be quiet!" His voice cracked, raw and defiant. "I demand you let me go. Set me—ah!" Lucien moved before he could think. In one brutal motion, he slammed Elian against the nearest wall, the impact knocking the breath from both of them. Elian's back hit stone with a dull thud, his wrists pinned above his head by one of Lucien's large hands. "Be quiet," Lucien hissed again, forehead pressed against Elian's, their breaths mingling hot and desperate. Elian whimpered, twisting uselessly in his grip. "You monster… you—" Lucien's mouth crashed down on his. It wasn't gentle. It wasn't a kiss—it was a claim. Hard, punishing, devouring. Elian gasped into it, the sound swallowed instantly as Lucien pressed closer, body caging him completely against the cold wall. The taste of salt from Elian's tears mixed with something sweeter, something that made Lucien's blood roar. Elian struggled for half a second… then his lips parted on a broken moan. Lucien pulled back just enough to growl against his mouth, "I said be quiet." But Elian—trembling, furious, aching—only whispered back, voice wrecked: "Make me." **** Some truths are worth killing for. ​Son of a traitor, Elian Morel was meant to burn in the Duke's dungeon. Instead, the ruthless Duke Lucien pulls him from the darkness and keeps him locked in his private wing—close enough to watch, to touch, to break. Elian hides a dangerous gift: with one touch, he can drag out the truth behind any lie. Lucien is cold precision and merciless control, a man bound by a royal betrothal and secrets of his own. But the more he tries to possess Elian, the more his iron restraint begins to crack. In a world of court intrigue and deadly politics, their charged proximity turns into something darker—something hungry. Every defiance, every forced confession, every lingering gaze pushes them closer to the edge. Between captor and captive, hatred and desire, a forbidden bond begins to form. One that could destroy them both. Power, obsession, and a love that defies the throne.
Rosegold_n · 166.1k Views

Ghost in the palace

Ananya never expected death to bring her into another life. One moment, she was running her parents’ restaurant in the modern world. The next, she opened her eyes in silk robes, surrounded by hostile stares — the Queen Consort of the empire. But this body was cursed in everyone’s eyes. The Emperor loathed her. The mistress laughed at her. And the court whispered behind her back. Only she wasn’t truly alone. > “Finally, someone can see us!” “What kind of Queen Consort are you, so calm even with ghosts in your chamber?” “Shut up, Wei Rong, let her breathe. She looks like she’s about to faint.” Three ghosts — a stoic scholar, a brash general, and a mischievous noble girl — lingered at her side. They were invisible to all but her. And with them, she learned to survive the poisonous palace. When rumors spread that she was cursed, Ananya stood before the empire’s court. Instead of tears, she offered proof. Instead of fear, she offered dignity. > “If Heaven believes I am cursed, let the fire and smoke betray me. I will not hide.” And Heaven sided with her. Outside the palace, crises struck — starving soldiers, missing supplies, merchants growing fat from stolen grain. Inside, Lady Zhen, the Emperor’s favored mistress, grew bolder by the day, flaunting her beauty and mocking Ananya’s quiet grace. > “Sister, do you still dream of winning His Majesty’s heart? Look at you — plain, dull, unworthy.” “If simplicity is a crime, then let it be mine,” Ananya answered, unshaken. The Emperor indulged Lady Zhen openly… but in the silence of night, he tasted Ananya’s food, lingered at her table, and found himself unsettled by her calm. > “This is not palace fare,” he muttered. “It is lighter,” Ananya replied softly. “Easier to sleep after.” Step by step, conspiracy thickened. At a grand banquet, a poisoned cup was placed in Ananya’s hand. But a ghost’s laugh echoed in her ear — and the cup was swapped. A dancer collapsed instead. From that night on, the Emperor’s gaze changed. He began to notice the woman who never begged for favor, never fought for attention, yet always endured. Still, war brewed at the borders. Betrayals reached even the throne. Assassins crept through the palace halls. And the one person who seemed weakest became the calm at the center of the storm. Through whispered secrets, mischievous hauntings, and quiet resilience, Ananya carved her place in the empire. She would not simply survive. She would rise. And the Emperor who once despised her would one day whisper only her name.
Ashima_Mahajan_ · 225.5k Views