How To Get My Husband On My Side

Chapter 1

"I've finally found a worthy groom for you, darling," announced Father, as he wiped off his lips with a napkin.

Sitting on the knees of my eldest brother Cesare, I felt the urge to run back to my bedroom and throw up all the food I'd just eaten.

My second brother Enzo, who had been busy devouring an awfully smelly quenelle, slammed his fork down and cried out in protest, "Not again! Father, how many times has it been already?"

"Enzo..."

"It hasn't even been three months since her last engagement was called off! Regardless of what our family would gain from this marriage, shouldn't you at least try to consider her feelings?"

"What a surprise to see you side with your little sister. Then, would you rather battle the barbarians yourself instead of accepting Britannia's support?"

"What are you talking about? Those savage barbarians up north wouldn't stand a chance against the likes of me, the greatest, most noble soldier to ha-"

"Shut your trap, boy."

The greatest, most noble soldier took the rest of the quenelle on his plate and shoved it into his mouth, aggressively chewing out of spite.

The marriage proposal wasn't any surprise to me though. I knew that it would come sooner or later.

"Who is it, Father?" I asked cheerfully.

My father, who had been staring disapprovingly at Enzo, looked back my way and smiled.

"He is Britannia's hero. The king's beloved nephew and famous knight of the North. He is very handsome, I'm sure you'll like him."

"What! Father, do you know how bad his reputation is?!"

"Boy, was I talking to you?"

Enzo became quiet again.

None of them had any idea that this handsome knight of the North would one day massacre our entire family. Oh you poor idiots...

"Ruby?"

As I pretended to hesitate for a moment, Cesare, who had been stroking my head, called for me again. His long fingers groped the back of my head and I shuddered in revulsion. It felt like a cold snake slithering up my neck.

I slowly raised my head and locked eyes with Cesare. After glancing at his eerie azure eyes, I shifted my gaze to Enzo who was frowning discontentedly, and then to Lady Julia and my father beside her, both seated upright, poised and dignified as always.

"Thank you, Father. I'm grateful that I can at least be of some service to you with this marriage."

Cesare curled his lips into a rare gentle smile and pressed them up against the top of my forehead.

"Perfect as always, our sweet little angel," he whispered.

Now I really wanted to puke.

But I had more pressing matters to attend to than throwing up. After all, the handsome knight of the North was out to kill me too.

***

I had thought that with that untimely helicopter crash, my tiresome life had finally come to an end and that I could finally rest. But if I'd known that I would be reincarnated as a lady in the Renaissance Era, and as a character in a novel that I'd read long ago, and, to make matters worse, forced to survive in an environment that was just as vile as my previous life, would I still have thought the same?

If I was going to be reincarnated as a character in this novel, couldn't I have at least been born into a decent family?

"Ugh!"