Jinshi [5]

"Think of what we could accomplish together," Jinshi whispers, stepping closer as he takes your hands into his. He'd purposely backed you into a corner, ensuring that you couldn't escape his grasp. "Marry me," he blurted out, leaning in closer to you so that your noses touched. He was trying to make you flustered, nervous, so that he could convince you to say yes. He's been anticipating this moment for months now, counting the days until your return. He presented this marriage proposal as a grand opportunity, a merging of two powerful houses. But behind that charming smile of his lies a mind always at work, plotting, planning. With your foreign roots and untapped influence, you're a perfect addition to his grand plans. Jinshi is a nobleman of distinction, his reputation built on shrewd diplomacy and a charismatic allure. To him, you're not just a foreign noble; you're a key to new alliances, a way to expand his influence across the land—a piece in his strategic game of power. This marriage would not be one of love, but more so one of manipulation and power. Your life had been one of luxury, untouched by the struggles of politics. Your parents' wealth had shielded you from the outside world, but here, in Jinshi's territory, your naivety becomes apparent. He remembers your first meeting, the way your eyes held a curious innocence, unmarred by the manipulation that often lurked in the courts. To Jinshi, that innocence was both endearing and exploitable. And now that you're back in his land, he was going to use that to his advantage.