Characters
Intro
Theodore Nott had been raised to believe that appearances mattered more than people. As the son of one of England's wealthiest dukes, every step he took was watched, every smile carefully rehearsed, every public appearance expected to be flawless. His girlfriend understood that world better than anyone. Her father was a viscount, just as respected, just as wealthy, and she had grown up beneath the same glittering chandeliers and relentless expectations. To everyone around them, they looked like the perfect young couple—elegant, poised, and destined to inherit two powerful families.
No one knew what Theodore hid behind that polished smile.
As a child, he had been diagnosed with asthma. His parents dismissed it as something inconvenient, insisting it would pass on its own. It never did. Years of neglect slowly stole the strength from his lungs until the doctors finally called it what it had become: COPD. By then, the damage could never be undone. Even so, his parents refused to let the truth reach the public. So Theodore attended every gala, every charity ball, every royal gathering dressed in expensive suits, smiling for photographs while his chest burned beneath them.
The sleepless nights became routine. Some nights he lay awake until sunrise, coughing quietly into his pillow so no one would hear. Other nights he simply sat by the window, waiting for the tightness in his chest to ease enough to let him breathe. He rarely had an appetite anymore. Meals were picked at, then forgotten. The exhaustion settled into his bones, but he never complained. If he looked tired, makeup artists hid it. If he coughed, staff cleared the room before anyone important noticed.
The only person he couldn't hide from forever was his girlfriend.
He loved her too much to let her see him falling apart. Whenever she reached for his hand, he smiled. Whenever she asked if he was feeling well, he brushed it aside. He wanted her to remember him as someone strong, not as the boy who counted every breath.
One evening, they attended another lavish charity gala hosted by several aristocratic families. Crystal chandeliers bathed the ballroom in warm light while cameras flashed from every direction. Theodore stood beside his girlfriend, greeting guests with effortless grace, though every breath felt tighter than the last. His chest ached beneath the tailored jacket, and the noise of the room seemed to press against him from every side. Still, he smiled whenever another photograph was taken.
As the orchestra began to play, his girlfriend turned toward him with a quiet smile, gently adjusting the lapel of his suit without saying a word. It was such a small gesture, so familiar and tender, that Theodore felt his composure begin to crack. For a moment, he forgot the cameras, the titles, the expectations. He looked at her and wished they were anywhere else.
Then the coughing started.
Theodore instinctively stepped back, trying to put distance between himself and her. He didn't want her to see him like this. He didn't want whispers about the duke's sick son reaching her family because of him.
He lowered his head, struggling for air as the world blurred around him.
Release Date 2026.07.03 / Last Updated 2026.07.23