# 47 -
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“Haaa…”
Seret heaved a long sigh.
It has been exactly five days since the wedding.
Her father returned to Mushili, and Jeremy returned to Cervi. Even Lady Oxenbury returned to her home, leaving the palace quiet again.
Now that the once-crowded palace had calmed down, the quiet seemed to bring about some solitude.
“Ah…this is not the time for that.”
She shouldn't have felt alone. Siret quickly turned off the lights in her room and lay down on the bed.
She was avoiding Yuan with repeated arguments.
The day after the wedding, Yuan returned home at dawn,
Although he said, “Let’s meet tonight.”
She was grateful, but in reality she was confused.
Which newlywed stays out all night?
Yuan claimed that a problem had arisen at work, but Seret didn't really believe it.
He might have just said that, while spending the whole night with Lydia.
However, from that day on, he always came back before it was too late, and they had dinner together every time. This made it harder to avoid.
I used every excuse possible.
Wanting to spend time with her father,
feeling sick,
The desire to learn from her aunt.
But today, her father and aunt were absent together.
On top of that, she ate so much turkey for dinner that she could no longer use the excuse that she was sick.
She ate so deliciously that Yuan even asked her if she liked him that much.
“Should I pretend I have indigestion?”
No, Doctor Ken may call again.
The night she used the headache excuse, Yuan insisted on calling Dr. Ken... until her head actually started to hurt.
She promised herself never to use the excuse that she was sick again.
"I'll pretend to sleep tonight. He'll ignore it, right?"
Too tired to think of another excuse, Seret lay down and closed her eyes.
She had not been lying on the bed for long before Yuan entered the bedroom.
Her heartbeat quickened when she heard his footsteps.
Please, let it go. please.
While praying in her secret, she listened to every movement he made.
Yuan quickly approached the bed and lay down next to her naturally.
I felt nervous from being so close. Even her breathing seemed too audible.
“Are you asleep already?”
Yuan's faint voice reached her.
Seret opened her eyes slightly.
It was dark anyway; He will not see clearly.
“It seems too early for bed.”
“I was wondering what excuse you were going to use to avoid me today... if it was just pretending to be asleep?”
He laughed lightly.
She was exposed. Of course pay attention, it's too early to really fall asleep.
Finally, Seret sat down.
“I tried to pretend to be asleep, but I failed.”
“Looks like we need to talk, right?”
Yuan got out of bed and turned on the lamp.
The room lit up, and the two faced each other under the light.
Their gazes crossed.
The air seemed to move very slowly.
The look in Yuan's eyes was tempting enough to make her stomach quiver.
Avoiding his gaze, Seret quickly left the bed.
When she went to the tea table, Yuan followed her. They sat facing each other with a table between them.
“Please give me some time, Your Highness.”
Seret said, looking directly at him.
Of course she couldn't tell
I can't sleep with you because I can't have your baby.
And no,
I refuse to be used in your terrifying plan.
So she had no choice but to act like an innocent and frightened girl who had not yet prepared.
It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was at least something.
“Is it a problem that can be solved if I give you time?”
Yuan's expression began to show a little dissatisfaction.
Naturally, he didn't like it. He wanted a child from her as soon as possible.
Seret lowered her gaze to avoid the intensity of his eyes.
“...Honestly, I'm scared. I heard it hurts a lot.”
Seret's face turned red as if she were an innocent girl.
Yuan let out a low sigh. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back on the chair, crossing his arms. He looked at Seret steadily, as if telling her to continue talking.
“I need time. Time to prepare myself mentally.”
Seret looked up to meet Yuan's eyes, then continued speaking.
“How much time do you need to prepare psychologically?”
"year?"
Seret looked at Yuan with a slightly stern face.
Yuan laughed lightly when he heard the word “year”, then he immediately stared at her with a sharp look.
"year…."
His complaining voice sank to a low pitch.
“Can you give me that?”
“You must be planning something after a year?”
His voice returned to a mocking tone.
“In a year, I'll be more mature, right?”
And she had a plan. She intended to divorce him and run away.
Seret smiled.
“And you expect a man to suppress his instincts for a whole year while waiting for his wife to mature?”
"You can keep a mistress if you want. I wouldn't mind."
Seret said that with an innocent face.
In fact, she would have welcomed it. It would be perfect if he cheated on her.
“Haa.”
Yuan let out a laugh full of disbelief.
“There are many people who live like this. They take lovers... and have secret affairs...”
“Why would a new wife encourage her husband to cheat?”
Yuan's voice dropped until it became cold.
Seret shivered at the coldness of his voice.
She avoided his angry gray eyes, rushing to explain.
“I'm not encouraging you… I'm only thinking of your best interest, Your Highness Aldo—”
“Because you have no love for your husband?”
Yuan interrupted her with a cold tone.
His facial expression hardened like stone.
His cold gray eyes were as sharp as a razor, making Seret swallow unconsciously.
“There's no other reason for you to say something like that.”
Yuan continued to stare at her with that icy face.
“Do you want my love?”
Seret asked.
“A wife has a duty to respect and love her husband, right?”
Yuan said as he looked directly into her eyes.
Those words shocked her.
Then anger rose within her.
The duty of respect and love is not limited to the wife alone.
A man who had never respected her, nor loved her even once, now dared to speak of love and duty?
Seret's face hardened.
“Most couples are like that, but we are not like them. We did not marry for love. Also, I have learned that marriage is not based on love.”
Seret forced her voice to remain calm.
"You taught me that yourself, Your Highness. Marriage is not based on love. You said so when you proposed to me. Or is my memory failing me?"
“No, you're right. You remember well.”
“A woman…unlike a man, it takes a lot of courage to share a bed with someone she doesn’t like. So yes—I need time to prepare.”
Seret's words were clear, but she felt like crying.
In her previous life, she didn't need courage.
As long as it was about Yuan Freaktwister, that was enough.
She endured fear and pain because she loved him.
And you are the one who destroyed that.
It broke her so much that she could no longer love anyone.
Yuan watched her calmly.
“…Okay. I’ll give you some time, wife.”
“Since you're going to wait… I have to thank you for that.”
“But there is one thing you have to remember.”
Seret looked at him with eyes asking what he meant.
“Rejection of a marital relationship can be sufficient grounds for divorce.”
“…a reason for divorce?”
Siret's eyes shook as he heard Yuan's words.
“If we were to divorce like this, the guilty partner would be Seret Frecktwister. Not me.”
"this…."
"this…."
Siret's voice trailed off at the end of the sentence.
Yuan's words were not wrong, and she couldn't hide the confusion on her face. She never thought about it, and there shouldn't be any little loophole against her.
“So… try to gather your courage as soon as possible, Seret.”
Yuan stood up as he said this.
Seret looked at him silently.
For a moment, the two stared at each other—
They exchanged glances as if they were studying each other.
Yuan let out a light sigh, and gently rubbed the back of her head with his big hand.
Then he leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead.
“I trust you will at least allow me an evening kiss, my wife.”
Take a step back.
“Of course, Your Highness.”
Seret answered, meeting his eyes directly.
Yuan gave a small nod and left the room.
As soon as he walked out, Seret let out a deep sigh.
It seems like she needs to come up with another plan in case the divorce might fail.
***
Yuan flipped through some papers, then roughly put down his pen and leaned back in his chair.
The chair made a soft sound as it moved.
‘A woman...unlike a man, it takes a great deal of courage to share a bed with someone she doesn’t like.’
Seret's words from last night were endlessly echoing in his ears.
He let out a bitter smile.
This was nothing new.
Ever since she tried to break off the engagement, she has been repeating the same thing, which is that she does not love him.
He didn't have to feel hurt by words he'd heard countless times—
Yet he kept turning it over in his mind like an idiot.
Yuan raised his eyes to the ceiling, as if measuring his patience.
How long can he wait for a wife who doesn't feel any love for him?
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Yuan straightened his seat.
“Come in.”
Upon his response, the secretary entered.
“His Highness Grand Duke Bobruil has come.”
“Bring him in”
Yuan nodded.
When the secretary stepped aside, Reagan entered with a bright face.