Can the world/setting make a romance dark without characters being boarderline abusive/toxic?

So much of what’s labeled “dark romance” focuses on the MMC being the source of the darkness. Obsessive, possessive, cruel, stalking, control.. But what if the world itself is what’s cruel? What if the love story is forbidden, dangerous, emotionally intense, but the male lead is protective, not toxic? And any cruelness is driven from decisions he has to make in response to the world they are in.

Does that still count as 'dark romance'?

Asking because I haven’t qyuite found the dynamic I’m craving in the books I’ve read so far yet, so I started writing the book I want to read. One that’s still intense and dangerous, but where the darkness comes from the world, not from a the love interest themselves. Now I’m deep into it, about six chapters polished and the rest loosely roughdrafted, but I’m unsure now if what I’m making fits the genre or if it’s worth finishing at all.

The story centers around a deeply forbidden, achingly slow burn romance between a sheltered princess and her newly assigned bodyguard. He's not a stalker, and there's no questionably abusive moments, but it’s definitely still dark. Just like, a different flavor of dark.

The MMC (think: ex-special forces, stoic, scarred, possibly not entirely human anymore) is assigned to protect her during a politically tense time, and they’re forced into constant proximity. He's not looking for love—but he is loyal, and when he realizes how much danger she's actually in (from those closest to her), he begins making quietly disturbing choices to protect her. Morally gray, but always rooted in care.

He's not obsessed with her body or possessing her. He's obsessed with her safety, her soul, her future. He tries to push her away again and again, but she keeps reaching for him, and he keeps failing to stay away. Though he wants to protect her from even himself.

It’s heavy on emotional intimacy, slow tension, forbidden touches, and the agony of knowing they shouldn’t want each other but do anyway. The “dark” comes from the world they're in. A brutal, oppressive system with Handmaid’s Tale and Hunger Games vibes. And from the violent, quietly horrifying things the MMC has to do on her behalf (most of which she'll never know about).

I’ve written about 6 polished chapters and have the rest loosely outlined, but I keep wondering if this even qualifies as dark romance or if it’s too soft by genre standards. Is it still “dark” if the danger comes from the world and his violence is protective, not possessive?

I’d love your honest thoughts:
Is it still dark romance if the darkness stems from the world/setting?
As a dark romance reader would something like this appear to you?