The Past Life of the Arrogant Archduke - Chapter 6
That petty, small-minded man would torment her for rejecting his proposal, the Empress would be furious, and the other noble young ladies would raise a ruckus, saying, “How dare someone like you refuse Lord Raymond?”
“Hhhk.”
“Yes, of course. You must’ve been very lonely all this time with no family, even though I was here. But now you’ll have a dependable husband. How happy you must be.”
‘Sophie… that so-called husband is the real problem here…’
Her whole body still ached from yesterday’s pantomimed dance. How was she supposed to survive like this for the rest of her life? Hiic, sob…
Surrounded by people who never once questioned that she’d accept the proposal, Yulia came back to her senses only after the grand wedding had already taken place.
It wasn’t until after she’d been soaked in rose water and all sorts of perfumed oils, massaged, and seated on a massive bed that the reality of her marriage finally hit her.
A high-ranking noble rushing through a wedding in just eight days?
It was highly unusual, but things proceeded smoothly, in part to dispel the nasty rumors surrounding the heir—rumors of impotence, or a preference for men.
The Empress, by marrying off her ward to the Grand Duchy, gained political leverage. Sitting in the seat meant for the bride’s parents, she not only spread the image of imperial generosity, but also scored political points.
Any dissatisfaction from nobles about the rushed timeline was smoothed over by offering free access to expensive portals and lavish return gifts of precious gems.
The Emperor and Empress themselves had attended, so what could the lesser nobles say? In some ways, it was an extremely high-class noble wedding.
Yulia, now dressed in her bridal nightwear, looked down at herself. In her past life, it would’ve been called a slip. Though it covered a bit more than that, it still gave off the feeling of a slip.
And, quite brazenly, there was no underwear. Apparently, this was part of some ‘first night tradition’…
“Hmph. At least the bed is nice.”
Sprawled out on the bed, swinging her arms and legs, Yulia let out a sigh. Her thoughts drifted back to the strange moments from the ceremony.
When he put the ring on her finger. When they shared the vow’s kiss.
Yulia, who had been closer to the Grand Duke’s heir than anyone, saw him turn deathly pale. Would it be strange to say that his face seemed full of miserable humiliation?
‘Why did he look like he was the one suffering more?’
It had been a strange wedding indeed. The bride and groom looked like the most miserable people in the world—while everyone else seemed delighted.
Ah, well, there were others who were miserable. The noble families and young ladies who still hadn’t given up on becoming Grand Duchess.
Right after the ceremony, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess handed over the family seal and immediately left for a long trip. They looked so carefree as they departed, it was almost envy-inducing.
So Yulia had become Grand Duchess the very moment she got married. It was tradition in the Grand Duchy to pass on the title to the heir upon marriage.
Once she realized that, the thought pierced her.
‘The Grand Duke’s heir—no, the Grand Duke—must’ve chosen her because she was easy to handle and couldn’t refuse, all so he could inherit the title.’
Right. Marrying someone just to torment them would’ve been a bit much, even for someone like him.
So… was he really impotent? Or did he like men? But then what about an heir?
Yulia’s head started to ache from all the conflicting thoughts.
“What’s going to happen to me now…?”
From the Grand Duchy’s retainers to the servants, everyone firmly believed the Grand Duke had fallen deeply in love.
Despite her relatively low status compared to the Grand Duchy, they all looked at her with sparkling eyes, as if she were the heroine of some fated romance.
From their perspective, it made sense to rejoice. After all, the heir who had always shunned women had finally found love. But for Yulia, it was all too much.
Because she knew, more clearly than anyone, that the Grand Duke did not love her.
Wasn’t the fact that she was left alone in this massive bridal chamber proof enough?
Judging from his expression earlier, he didn’t seem the type to fulfill his ‘first night duties’ either.
Starting tomorrow, the way the servants and retainers treated her would likely change. Sophie would be terribly disappointed, too.
She hated the idea of being ignored and treated like a figurehead Grand Duchess, but…
“I hate the idea of spending my whole life in a sexless marriage even more.”
