AMOTGD

CHAPTER Vl

I bowed deeply and prostrated on the ground. What choice did I have? When you're told to do something, you do it.

I just need to handle this well. When the Grand Duke makes advances, I should run for my life, just like I've been doing. The Grand Duchess isn't taking me in without knowing the circumstances, so she'll probably overlook her husband's foolish antics.

In fact, with the Grand Duchess around, the Grand Duke might be more cautious, right? If so, it wouldn't be a bad idea to put an end to this once and for all. I need to show that I have absolutely no interest in the Grand Duke.

'Yes, that's it!'

A brilliant idea struck me, and I lifted my head. Then, with a trembling voice, I addressed the Grand Duchess, who was looking at me.

"Your Highness, may I dare to make one request?"

With her eyes narrowing at me, I presented the best solution to avoid my tragic ending.

"I wish to marry Paul, the stableman."

* * *

Who said it? That an unlucky person will break their nose even if they fall backward. In other words, even if you gamble, the first bet is bound to go wrong. Maybe that's about me.

"To marry Paul... the stableman, you say."

To get straight to the point, the Grand Duchess readily granted my request. She didn't know who Paul the stableman was, but she was happy to agree since I wanted it.

Why wouldn't she? I was a woman who's supposedly constantly eyeing her husband. No matter how much she kept me by her side, she wouldn't be satisfied. She would gladly throw me to another man, especially when I offered myself up.

So, like roasting beans over a flash of lightning, I exchanged rings with Paul that very day and got married the next day.

Paul, who was bewildered by the situation, was someone I later sought out to apologize to profusely. I explained and apologized for dragging him into this suddenly but promised to treat him well for the rest of our lives. I promised we would have a long and happy life together.

Who is Paul, you ask? Well, he's just a stableman.

That's all there was to it. In terms of our world, he's a tall, well-built, ordinary, and diligent man.

But in this era, knowing how to handle horses is a professional skill. He wouldn't starve anywhere, and it was well-known that Paul rarely drank and was family-oriented. Doesn't that give you a clear picture?

To a modern person who doesn't dream of being Cinderella, he's a perfect husband material with a steady income. And life is about reality.

In romance novels, the Grand Duke, the Imperial Prince, or a conglomerate heir might be husband material, but in modern life, a stable job is the best (pun intended). What could I expect from someone when I'm ordinary myself? It's a blessing to meet a normal person after carefully choosing.

When I first woke up in this world, my dream was to meet a diligent man, have two kids, and live happily ever after. In that sense, Paul was someone I had my eye on for a while, and I seized the opportunity with the help of the Grand Duchess to snatch him up.

"I can't believe I'm being overshadowed by a stableman."

The wedding itself went well. Really well.

Despite everything, my new husband blushed and promised to do his best to make me happy, which made me happy. I thought it would be fine to build our feelings post-marriage, even if we got married first and fell in love later.

"But isn't it too cruel to trample on a man's pure love, Julie?"

That's what I thought, but...

What in the world is happening now?

Here I am, thrown into the stable, wearing a hastily made white dress that looks quite shabby. The pristine flower crown on the bride's head was now completely ruined from being dragged around.

But more frightening than that...

"Is it because of that bastard that you've been rejecting me all this time?"

His cold eyes looked down at me from above, as I knelt.

I could hardly breathe. It was too intimidating.

I had heard rumors about his bloody battles on the warfront, but I had only ever seen his gentle smile. I couldn't have imagined this side of him.

My hands and feet trembled as the Grand Duke, holding a riding crop, tilted his head and murmured expressionlessly.

Wait, wasn't this supposed to be a romance fantasy? Why has it suddenly turned into a horror thriller?

"Y-Your Highness, my wrists..."

"Oh, they're tied. It's tiring if you resist."

Resist? What do I need to resist against?

It's not like he's going to torture me, right? No, wait. Why am I even here? Marrying the man I love is my choice. Even in a society with a class system, I'm not a slave, am I?

"Let me go, sir. My husband is waiting for me."

I could have said 'Paul', but I deliberately used the word 'husband' to make him feel guilty and snap out of it. Besides, isn't he a married man too?

'What are a separately married man and woman doing in a stable at this hour?'

I bit my lip and glared at him, saying this sharply. He leaned closer, as if he found what I said amusing, and replied.

"A husband you haven't even spent the first night with?"

"A husband I've had a wedding ceremony with."

Where does one's identity as a husband begin? From the first night or from the wedding ceremony?

Never in my life did I think I'd have such a heated debate over this, especially not on my wedding night, in my husband's sacred workplace, with another man.