103. Katya Won’t Stand For It
“What did you say?”
Katya’s eyes narrowed.
She doubted her ears.
After Ivan’s exit from her life, this was the most ridiculous thing she had heard in a long time.
Even a random woman on the street would slap someone for such a proposal, let alone suggesting to his brother’s wife to become his concubine—if he weren’t the Grand Duke’s brother.
She knew of the ancient custom of a younger brother marrying his deceased brother’s wife.
But Nikolai was very much alive.
In other words, this was treasonous talk that deserved punishment.
“Desiring the ruler’s wife is a serious crime that not even someone from the Grand Duke’s family can escape punishment for.”
“It’s not officially approved yet anyway, right?”
He meant he couldn’t acknowledge her as his sister-in-law.
Actually, even the person who said those words was flustered, unable to take back what had come out of his mouth.
Jealousy had made him speak rashly. This wasn’t what he had meant to say.
He had wanted to confess his true feelings more sincerely.
But now it was too late to correct himself without losing face.
His mouth started running contrary to his heart.
“I’m making you an extremely generous offer right now.”
“Ha…… A generous offer?”
“Even coming from the South, you must have heard rumors about my brother. What could be your motive for marriage? With your ambition for power and honor, you must be aiming to enter the family.”
“……”
Katya decided to listen further to see how long this nonsense would continue.
She couldn’t believe this person shared even half of Nikolai’s blood.
How could half-brothers be so different?
Come to think of it, since the former Grand Duke openly kept concubines and illegitimate children, perhaps Mikhail took after his father.
No, rather, Nikolai was the odd one out.
Just look at yesterday’s cold atmosphere during dinner.
How did such a romantic come from this dysfunctional family?
“You know our side will never approve anyway. You’ll end up jilted, and then you can forget about any other marriage prospects.”
This was a familiar repertoire.
Actually, she had become immune to it after Ivan, so it wasn’t even amusing anymore.
Both Ivan and Mikhail had the same misunderstanding.
That marriage was the most important thing in Katya’s life.
She had never feared being unable to marry again.
She feared damage to House Smirnov’s reputation and problems with her sister Bianca’s marriage prospects, but she never once feared living and dying unmarried herself.
Moreover, those idiots didn’t know that this contract marriage would end in divorce anyway.
Though she would receive honors as the former Grand Duchess after separating from Nikolai, she would officially become a divorcee.
No man would want to marry a former Grand Duchess.
Well, this was only possible if they made it to the national ceremony anyway.
In any case, about being jilted.
Yes, the worst case scenario would be getting jilted without being recognized as the official Grand Duchess, as Mikhail said.
In that case, she would lose everything—the compensation Nikolai promised, inheritance from House Smirnov, national honors given to former Grand Duchesses—and be kicked out penniless.
But Katya had never considered this worst case scenario.
She believed Nikolai wouldn’t let that happen to her, and more importantly—
‘I absolutely won’t leave until I can help the Grand Duke.’
Since realizing her feelings for him, Katya always thought,
She absolutely couldn’t part from him until she repaid everything Nikolai had done for her in the South.
She would do anything to protect this man.
He was the one who made her realize she deserved to be loved.
“How did you seduce my brother anyway?”
Mikhail asked when there was no response.
“What?”
“Brother had no intention of marrying. There were even strange rumors about him and Oblonsky.”
“I don’t know who Oblonsky is.”
“Do you think a tomboy like you suits my brother? Going around getting into fights! I can’t believe Brother had such low-class tastes!”
Again, words burst out contrary to his thoughts.
He spoke a lot for someone who had fallen for such a woman himself.
“Then why offer me the position of concubine? Did you fall for me?”
“T-that’s……”
“If you’re thinking something provincial like taking responsibility because I saw your underwear—”
“That’s not it! I just……”
The word ‘provincial’ turned his mind blank as paper.
“Just what?”
She was an impudent woman.
Yet why did she look so pretty with her round eyes demanding an answer?
Mikhail rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.
Never having failed to get what he wanted before, he felt incredibly frustrated.
“I just wanted to kindly inform you of your place.”
“My place?”
“Yes! After being jilted, even the position of my concubine would be too good for you. Since you never know what might happen, you’d better stay on my good side. If you behave, I’ll cherish you as my beloved concubine.”
“……”
The woman’s lips sealed tightly, perhaps intrigued.
Mikhail felt pleasure at finally managing to shake her composure.
Growing cocky, he continued:
“Who knows? If you act sweet and gentle toward me, I might even allow you the position of primary wife instead of concubine……”
He shyly hinted at his true feelings.
Having heard that far, Katya approached him step by step.
“How should I act to be sweet and gentle?”
“Ahem, ahem! You know, the way normal women do. Batting their eyes and calling out sweetly in a nasal voice like ‘darling~’.”
He cleared his throat and stated his wishful thinking.
His chest tingled, imagining Katya acting cute toward him in a soft voice.
She nodded as though she understood, then started acting coy with fluttering eyes.
“Darling~. Like this?”
“I couldn’t hear well. Do it again.”
“Darling……”
“Yes.”
“Would you come a bit closer for a moment?”
Katya blushed shyly and gestured for him to lean down, whispering softly.
Wondering what she would say, Mikhail leaned sideways with an excited heart.
That’s when it happened.
“Ugh!”
He let out a short cry and crumpled forward as she kicked his shin hard.
“What are you doing!”
“The nonsense was too perfect, I couldn’t listen anymore.”
“How dare you act so insolently!”
Mikhail raised his head and shouted irritably.
Katya looked down at him while raising one corner of her mouth in a smirk.
“Who’s really being insolent here?”
“What?”
“Go ahead and tell people. That you asked your sister-in-law to be your concubine and got your leg kicked.”
“…… W-why are you suddenly speaking informally!”
Unable to refute her valid points, he nitpicked about her speech pattern.
“The Grand Duke family’s approval is just a formality. Whether you acknowledge me or not, I’m already the Grand Duke’s wife and this country’s consort. I officially became Mrs. Vasily, registered in the Grand Duke’s family registry with the Archbishop’s blessing.”
“……”
“I’ve been quietly going along out of respect since the family seemed to want to flaunt their authority over the Grand Duke using the national ceremony as an excuse. But I won’t tolerate crossing the line.”
“I-I—!”
As he tried to stand up, Katya pressed his forehead with her index finger.
“It’s ‘I am.'”
“What?”
“I am the only consort the Grand Duke acknowledges. So show proper respect. Besides all that, what kind of dysfunctional family speaks informally to their sister-in-law?”
“Are you insulting our family……”
Seeing her eyes flash dangerously, Mikhail quickly added:
“……ma’am?”
“Who’s really insulting the Grand Duke by coveting his wife?”
He wondered what she ate to be so good at verbal sparring too.
To his eyes, Katya looked like an invincible fighting c*ck.
“Do you really not know who needs to watch their behavior here?”
“What do you mean……ma’am?”
“Your appearances at the Despot Clubhouse that almost became a s*x crime scene, and the illegal gambling fighting ring—busy showing up here and there in one day? The social circles that love to gossip would really enjoy hearing about this.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Yes, I’m threatening you. If you feel like writing a letter of recommendation, my lips might become heavier accordingly.”
Mikhail almost got caught up in her pace at her smoothly flowing negotiation skills.
But that was the one thing he absolutely refused to do.
The thought of personally helping send Katya to marry his brother…
He could never do it even with a knife to his throat.
“Don’t ever expect that from me!”
“Well, I figured as much.”
“What?”
“I knew you wouldn’t. I wasn’t expecting it anyway.”
Katya shrugged, spreading both palms.
Her attitude made her even more irritating.
“And earlier, what, entering the Grand Duke’s family? That means nothing to me. If anything, it’s an unwanted condition that brings lots of hassle.”
“Then why marry my brother?”
Mikhail found himself speaking formally without realizing it.
“I came all this way looking only at the Grand Duke. Without him, I have no reason to stay at the palace.”
Mikhail bit his lower lip.
The love between Katya and Nikolai seemed more solid than he thought.
He couldn’t see any gap to wedge himself into.
“Do you love my brother?”
He asked quietly.
“I love him.”
Katya said.
“More than anything else in my life.”
The moment she spoke those words, she realized.
I don’t want to divorce.
If possible, she wanted to stay by Nikolai’s side for life.
