What? Pesha wondered for a moment if she had heard him correctly.
Everyone knew this was a political marriage, so did they really have to go as far as kissing when they were practically strangers meeting for the first time?
She was panicking and looking around when, all of a sudden, Owen’s large hand grabbed her face.
That forced her to face Owen directly, but his expression was still stiff and hard.
“L-Lord…….”
Ignoring Pesha’s obvious fluster, Owen lowered his head.
‘Surely he’s not actually going to do it?’
At that moment, she felt a soft sensation against her lips.
He really did it.
Owen lightly held Pesha’s frozen lips between his own, gently pressing them together before pulling his face away.
“…….”
Pesha could not say a word.
All she could do was stand there like a stone statue, her eyes wide open.
Whether he knew how shocked the bride was or not, the officiant, who had been repeatedly wiping his cold sweat with a handkerchief, brought the wedding vows to a close.
“With this, the couple has become one. Please give them a round of applause for their union.”
Whatever their true feelings might have been, applause from the guests on the bride’s side could be heard.
And the adjutants on the right…….
‘Oh, my goodness.’
Creak. Pesha stiffly turned her head, and the guests on the groom’s side came into view.
They were not even pretending to clap. Instead, they sat with their arms crossed, looking thoroughly displeased.
‘Damn it…….’
The hostile gazes directed at her seemed to foretell that the road ahead would not be a smooth one.
‘Well, I can’t say I don’t understand how they feel. Of course they’d hate me.’
They had been given the perfect opportunity to receive a ducal title, only to end up getting a duke’s daughter instead of the title. How unfair must that feel?
Even if she had been sitting in their place, Pesha did not think she could look kindly upon the bride.
‘Well, I can already see what my life as a daughter-in-law is going to be like.’
Having given up on everything, Pesha let out a hollow laugh.
She could already foresee the hardships ahead.
***
After the wedding, Pesha climbed into the large four-horse carriage that had been prepared in advance.
They had said that she would be heading straight to Swapro, the territory of House Namoi, immediately after the wedding, and that was exactly what happened.
After escorting Pesha and helping her into the carriage, Owen followed her inside and sat down on the seat opposite her.
Silence settled inside the carriage.
She had her head bowed so low that she could not tell for sure, but somehow, she felt as though he was staring at her.
Pesha cautiously raised her eyes and looked at him.
Sure enough, he was glaring at her with such a terrifying gaze that it seemed as though he might bore straight through her.
‘Eek.’
Startled, she lowered her eyes again, but she found it unbearable to keep enduring his stare forever.
Pesha realized that she had to come up with some sort of topic and opened her mouth.
“C-Count Namoi.”
“…….”
He did not answer, merely watching Pesha as though telling her to say what she wanted.
First of all, she had to apologize.
It was a little ridiculous to be offering an apology after they had already rushed through the wedding, but she could not simply wipe her mouth and pretend nothing had happened.
She needed to tell him that she was truly sorry for humiliating him, but her mouth was dry and her tongue felt stiff, making it difficult for her sincerity to come through properly.
Pesha squeezed her eyes shut, gathered her courage, and apologized.
“I’m sorry about that time.”
No matter how desperate she had been, no matter how afraid she was of dying, she should not have humiliated someone who had hurried back after protecting the country, especially in front of so many people.
“That time?”
The man’s deep, low voice sounded threatening.
Pesha fidgeted, not knowing what to do, before answering.
“I-I mean when I said I didn’t want to marry you.”
“…….”
“It wasn’t because I! Because I disliked you! I just thought it was too early for me to get married…… I was being thoughtless.”
“Since it was too early for you to marry, I suppose you intended to enter a monastery altogether.”
Huh?
Pesha was briefly bewildered, not understanding what he meant, but then she remembered what she had said that day.
“Your Majesty! I don’t want to marry Count Namoi. I…… I will become a nun instead of getting married!”
The moment that memory flashed back into her mind, Pesha let out a groan.
“Ah…….”
I’m screwed. Why did I say something like that?
To anyone who heard it, it clearly sounded as though she was saying she would rather become a nun than marry him, so there was no way she could take it back now.
“I-It’s just, that’s…….”
She was about to frantically string together an excuse.
But Owen cut her off and spoke in a cold voice.
“I’m sorry. I did not realize my wife was so devout. As soon as we arrive at the estate, I’ll order them to expand the chapel.”
“No…… That’s not what I meant.”
“If not, then? What else do you want?”
The gaze with which he looked down at Pesha was not merely chilly, but ice-cold.
Meeting his eyes, Pesha’s guilt was washed away by half.
In its empty place, a surge of anger took over.
‘This…… What a petty man. I even apologized politely, and all he does is mock me?’
He really was the cold-blooded man who, in the original story, eliminated the villainess without even pretending to listen to her circumstances.
What an infuriating protagonist!
No matter how many insults she hurled at him in her mind, the words she could actually say aloud were limited.
“Ah…… Nothing. Haha, hahahaha.”
With an awkward laugh, silence once again descended over the carriage.
The awkward silence felt so suffocating that she thought she might choke to death.
Several hours passed, and once the carriage left the city behind, the scenery outside the window was nothing but fields.
Sitting still without any conversation at all made her unbearably restless.
Before she knew it, Pesha had begun nodding off.
Clatter!
Then, when the carriage ran over what seemed to be a protruding rock, she hit her head against the carriage window.
“Gasp!”
Pesha clutched her forehead and stole a glance at Owen.
He was looking only out the window, as though he had absolutely no interest in Pesha.
He was obviously pretending not to know, even though he clearly knew.
As her face reddened with embarrassment, Owen, who had been quietly staring outside, suddenly slammed his fist against the carriage wall.
Then the carriage gradually began to slow down.
The knights escorting the carriage also approached the window.
“My lord. Is something the matter?”
“Let’s take a short break.”
At those words, Pesha’s eyes widened.
Come to think of it, they had set out in the morning, but the sun was already sinking low in the sky.
‘I thought I’d be stuck sitting here all the way until nightfall.’
The moment the carriage came to a complete stop, Pesha jumped out as though escaping.
Then the maids, including Minnie, got down from the other carriage following behind and hurried over to her.
“My lady! We were going to help you down……!”
“It’s fine. More importantly, it’s nice to get some rest. I can finally breathe. Ugh…….”
She stretched out both arms, loosening her stiff body, when she noticed Owen getting out of the carriage as well.
Even while Pesha had been getting out, he had remained inside, but now she could see him speaking with the knights.
Worried about him, Pesha slowly began putting as much distance between them as possible.
Things had been awkward enough inside the carriage. She did not want to stay stuck beside him even outside it.
Seeing that Pesha did not look well, her maid Minnie cautiously spoke to her.
“My lady. Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”
“No. I’m fine.”
But her face clearly did not look fine.
Minnie glanced discreetly at Owen, who was talking with the knights, then brought a hand to Pesha’s ear and whispered softly.
“It must have been difficult being alone with Count Namoi……? But please stay strong. Now that you’re husband and wife, surely he wouldn’t do anything to you, would he?”
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