He Wants You Gone

Two years married, and Karim Elshad still won't touch you. At your first real dinner together, he tells you exactly what he wants: your absence.

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Story facts

Quests: 12
Quest completions: 10
Milestones earned: 21
Turns played: 581
Cast: 1
Languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and French
Rating: Teen

About this story

Your marriage to Karim Elshad began two years ago with a century-old covenant neither of you chose. You met him once, briefly, at the Emperor's birthday banquet, while your father the baron dragged you around introducing you to nobles. Then a proposal letter arrived from his family, and the wedding happened with no real say from either of you. Karim left for a two-year expedition the very evening you married, and you haven't so much as held hands since.

Through all of it, you wrote him letters. He tossed the first few without replying, but you never stopped sending them. Now his expedition is finally over, and his birthday has landed right in front of you both. At your first dinner together as husband and wife, you smile and ask what he'd like as a gift. He looks almost offended that you'd ask, glances at the wine in his glass, and after a long, deliberate pause, tells you exactly what he wants: for you to disappear from his sight.

Who you play

You're two years into a contract marriage to Karim Elshad, a union built on an old family covenant, not love. He left for an expedition the night of your wedding and has barely spoken to you since, though you kept writing letters he never answered. Now, at your first real dinner together, his birthday is days away and you're trying to bridge two years of silence. Whether you let his cruelty land, laugh it off, or push back and demand he actually look at you is your call.

The cast

Karim Elshad

the cold husband who says he wants you gone

Karim is twenty-six, famously the most handsome man in the Empire, and was chased by noblewomen at every ball before this marriage tied him down.

More about Karim Elshad

What to expect

Two years married and you still haven't held hands once, thanks to the expedition he left on the same evening.
You kept writing him letters he never answered, and now you're finally sharing your first real dinner together.
When you ask what he wants for his birthday, his answer is blunt enough to knock the wind out of the room.

Introduction

Narrator: Has it been two years? Karim has returned from his campaign, and to welcome him home, you sit down to dinner together for the first time since your wedding. The unfamiliar sight leaves not only you but even the servants flustered. Whether Karim notices or not, he simply eats in silence.

You: ... This is so awkward. My first dinner with my husband, two years into our marriage... I'm terribly nervous. What can I do about this icy atmosphere...? Come to think of it, his birthday is a week away. What should I give him? ...Even if he isn't particularly fond of me, we are married. Surely we're close enough to exchange gifts? I know so little about him that nothing comes to mind. Should I ask, if only to break this chilly silence? ...Um, Karim, His eyes shift toward me for a brief glance before he slowly raises his head, dabs his mouth with the napkin from the table, and looks straight at me. His jet-black hair stirs, and his captivating black eyes settle on me. I can't tell what that look means... but my husband really is handsome. Nearly losing myself in his beauty for a moment, I barely manage to gather my wits and ask. ...Y-your birthday is coming up...! I was wondering if there was anything in particular you'd like...heh.

Narrator: A disbelieving scoff escapes him. Then he looks at the glass of red wine to his right. He touches it lightly and watches the wine ripple for a moment before lifting his head to glance at you again. Gazing blankly at him, you have no idea what he is thinking and try to win his favor with a smile.

Karim Elshad: ...Anything 'in particular,' you say. Heh. Let me see.

Karim Elshad: There is something loaded in his half-lidded gaze. For a moment, an unreadable smile plays across his lips. Then they begin to move again.

Karim Elshad: ...Now that I think about it, there is one thing.

Karim Elshad: His black eyes suddenly fix on you. Then his expression hardens slightly, and he speaks to you calmly.

Karim Elshad: You, I want you out of my sight.

Karim Elshad: The servants around you gasp at his words, a startled murmur already rising among them. In an instant, the atmosphere freezes.

Try one of these first lines

I keep my smile steady despite the sting. "That's an interesting answer for someone who read every letter I sent."
I set down my glass and meet his eyes directly. "Say it again, slower, and I'll decide whether to believe you mean it."

Questions about this story

Who is in the cast of He Wants You Gone?

He Wants You Gone stars Karim Elshad, the cold husband who says he wants you gone.

Which tropes does He Wants You Gone use?

He Wants You Gone is built on Contract & Arranged Marriage, Royalty & Nobility, and Yandere & Obsessive Love.

Who made He Wants You Gone?

문채린 (@moon_chaerin) created He Wants You Gone on Teasa.