Crushed Velvet | Yandere!Males x Reader

[01] Arranged Affairs

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful young lady. This lady had the good fortune of being born into a respectable, high-ranking noble house. She never lacked for anything, was never the subject of tactless rumors or political disputes. She had been blessed from a young age, both with wealth and warm, doting parents.

Be that as it were, the lady was gentle and benevolent; she won the hearts of many with her kindness and generosity. She spared no effort to treat even the lowest-born with dignity and respect. She was aware of her high status and knew not to take it for granted, and vowed to always remember how there were others far and wide that were not afforded the same luxuries.

News came one day that the lady was to be married, to the Crown Prince, no less. Naturally, her parents were overjoyed, and with the sanction of the royal family, the lady's house received even further acclaim. The Prince and the lady were wed, and both families celebrated their harmonious marriage for many long years.

At least, that's what was supposed to have happened.

*****

"Good morning, my lady!"

Through the darkness, you groaned. As always, before you could even see the sun's rays, a cheery voice was calling out to you. It was a common, daily ritual. You should've been used to it by now, but you just couldn't help it. You were horrible in the mornings.

"Time to get up and tackle the day!" the voice enthused again, and the blinds were promptly pulled apart in one swift, fluid motion.

You winced, forcing your face flat against the pillow and pulling the blankets all the way up over your head. Too bright, too early. You'd been doing this practically every day of your life, and your body still hadn't adjusted. Being a night-owl was probably deep-rooted in your blood.

Of course, it didn't take long for the blankets to be pulled off, and you squeezed your sides, shivering in your thin nightgown.

"My lady has slept long enough," your maid, Ella, declared with a smile. You wanted to counter her statement, to tell her that no, it was in fact not enough, but it would just end in a pointless, roundabout argument where you were forced to awaken anyways. You couldn't shirk your duties, nor did you have any desire to do so. Still... mornings were really not your strong suit.

With a weary yawn, you slowly sat upright and eventually stepped out of bed. "Thank you for waking me," you mumbled drowsily.

"My pleasure. Now, let's get you changed so that you can have a nice, warm breakfast."

"Mhm."

Normally, you tried to protest and insist that you could clothe yourself, but for whatever reason, Ella took personal offense at this. She would always shake her head and say, "What would your parents think if they heard this?", though you hardly thought it was such a big deal. You understood that you had servants for a reason, but it wasn't as if you had an obligation to rely on them for every little thing. Perhaps she was particularly against the idea because of that one time you'd intentionally not worn your corset out to a formal gathering.

"My lady looks lovely as always," Ella beamed. It was sweet little remarks like this that made it difficult for you to ever feel any sort of annoyance with her. You could tell that she wasn't just trying to kiss up to you, either. Ella's words were always genuine. She was the type of person who wore her heart on her sleeve. For a maid, that wasn't always ideal, but you liked her just the way she was.

Once clothed, you made your way towards the dining area. Just as Ella had said, breakfast was ready for you, being kept warm underneath the metallic plate covering. Oddly enough, your parents weren't eating with you as they normally did. You supposed they must have had breakfast earlier.