110. The Rabbit’s Charm is Contagious
People can’t sleep not only when they’re too happy and excited, but also when they’re too distressed.
When they close their eyes and open them again, they hope tomorrow won’t come.
They even wish they were dead instead.
Though they want to sleep to escape reality, even if just for a moment.
The gods don’t grant the wish for eternal sleep.
And the more thoughts crowd in, the harder it becomes to fall asleep.
The god of sleep tends to pass by those who desperately need it most.
That’s why Katya could understand Klavdia’s feelings.
“Why did you stupidly give up your chance to make an impression on the Empire as the future Grand Duchess by letting me go instead?”
Her sister-in-law asked her in a gruff tone, as if testing her.
“Because you seemed like you wanted to get out of there.”
“What?”
“I know well how torturous every wedding preparation procedure is, starting with choosing the dress, when it’s an unwanted marriage.”
Katya had felt the same way when she was practically imprisoned at Ivan’s villa choosing her wedding dress.
Back then, she had desperately wanted to open one of those visible windows and jump right out.
When she looked up at Klavdia’s expression earlier, Katya had felt a sense of déjà vu.
She was reminded of her past self in the depressed woman.
“How would you know that? You seem to get along so well with Nikolai. Are you saying you’re in an unwanted marriage with him?”
“No. It was before that. I ran away from the house where I was even living together with my fiancé. I figured being pointed at as someone who broke off an engagement was better than suffering for life in an unwanted marriage.”
“You have experience breaking off an engagement? Why are you telling this to me, your enemy? I could report this to the family and use it as grounds for disqualification as Grand Duchess.”
“That’s fine. Her Highness the former Grand Duchess will find out soon anyway since she’s probably investigating my background. Even about how the broken engagement led to a fraud lawsuit.”
Klavdia was left speechless at this sudden shocking confession.
She couldn’t understand why this woman would tell her such things.
Did this girl dare to feel empathy and pity for her, a Princess?
But somehow, it didn’t feel unpleasant.
Because she had always wished someone would understand her feelings.
That it was this small and bold girl from the South who noticed, rather than her own family.
Moreover, for a noble lady to break off an engagement…
She had agonized over it hundreds of times every day.
She counted everything she would lose by breaking the engagement.
There was much to lose from breaking it off, but nothing to gain except freedom.
“And I wanted to let you know that sometimes you need to find the courage yourself first to save your own life.”
Katya had been a pioneer who didn’t just stop at worrying but took action.
“Even marriages made for love can have incompatibilities. External factors can also make you unhappy.”
“……”
“If you hate the marriage so much that you look miserable even during what should be the most exciting moment of choosing your wedding dress, it would be better not to go through with it.”
“Who are you to give me advice?”
“I’m saying this because I’m worried you’ll regret it. Adults say you’ll grow fond of each other after living together and rubbing shoulders, but you can’t bet your life on such a slim possibility. In the worst case, you’ll only become more unhappy whether you have an affair after marriage or get divorced.”
“……”
“I’m too precious to sacrifice myself for an uncertain possibility. I might meet my destiny later too. If you don’t get the feeling that someone is truly your destined one, you should reconsider marriage.”
Katya had always thought:
If she hadn’t found the courage to escape from there then, her current self wouldn’t exist.
Everything in her life changed after meeting Nikolai again at the carriage office and spending the night with him at the inn.
“I heard that in noble society, if you spend a night together, you’re responsible for the rest of that person’s life. Not to mention, we even shared a bed, remember?”
“Take me as your husband and keep me for life. That’s how you can repay the debt.”
“How about living with me for just one year? After that, I’ll let you go without any lingering attachments.”
Nikolai had come to find her and proposed,
After endless courtship,
“Whether it’s tyranny or misconduct. I’ll be your fence, so become as unruly as you want within my bounds.”
“I accept your command. Inspired by Your Highness’s expectations, I shall become a thoroughly ill-mannered Grand Duchess for you.”
“See, I told you I chose my bride well.”
She entered into a contract marriage with him.
Following Nikolai’s covert activities, she experienced many things.
She saw firsthand the stories of suffering people that she hadn’t known about when living as Lady Smirnov, showered with her parents’ love.
One moment’s choice had made all this possible.
If this man wasn’t her destiny, there was no other explanation.
But destiny wasn’t solely the realm of gods.
The choice to seize destiny ultimately lay with humans.
“If you marry without being certain of happiness, you might regret it someday. Especially if you meet your destined one after that. Thinking you wouldn’t have married if you’d known you’d fall in love someday.”
“……”
“I was able to meet His Highness because I found the courage to run away from that marriage.”
“I don’t know anything about love. This marriage will be the best option for me, which is why Mother found me the most suitable match.”
“You never know when love will find you. It could even be today.”
“So you decided to break your engagement based on the mere possibility that your destined one might appear? That seems even more reckless.”
Katya chuckled at those words.
Seeing this inexplicable smile, Klavdia’s brows furrowed.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Actually, when I ran away from that house, I didn’t have any thoughts about destined partners in my mind. I thought I could live happily even if I stayed single for life, better than marrying that bastard.”
“That’s absurd.”
The state religion of the Grand Duchy of Hersen encouraged marriage.
No, looking at any religion in any country, marriage and building a family were considered human duties.
It was a world where not continuing the lineage after being born was considered sinful.
It was even more strictly applied to women.
Believing that population directly led to labor force and national power, women who couldn’t bear children were often treated as sinners.
In this situation, to be born female and consider not marrying as an option…
Klavdia became increasingly curious about what went on in this peculiar girl’s mind.
“Are you certain you’ll be happy with Nikolai?”
“Yes.”
Katya nodded without a moment’s hesitation.
“I could live well alone, but I can be much happier with His Highness. Of course, I’m already happy being by his side.”
Her eyes naturally reddened at the thought of Nikolai.
Watching those green eyes grow moist, Klavdia finally realized.
That a happy bride should shed tears of joy like that.
She wasn’t like that.
Though she knew it in her head, she just couldn’t find the courage like Katya.
She had a reason why she couldn’t overturn this marriage.
Just thinking about that day was horrifying.
As she shook her head trying to clear away the distracting thoughts, Klavdia’s eyes met Katya’s and she unconsciously reached for her face.
When her finger touched beside her nose, Katya reflexively closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again.
“Did you go out without washing your face?”
When she opened her eyes again, her sister-in-law wore an expression of disapproval.
She had removed sleep from Katya’s eye.
‘Oh my god, did I confess to His Highness looking like this earlier?’
She just now remembered that she had come out right after waking up to meet Mikhail briefly, then went on to meet Nikolai too.
She almost screamed.
A wife who goes around without washing her face…
She felt ashamed, understanding why she might have been rejected.
Katya grabbed handfuls of her strawberry blonde hair in both hands and crossed them under her chin to hide her face that had turned as red as a carrot.
Klavdia burst out laughing despite herself.
She was surprised to find such a careless side to someone who spoke so confidently without being intimidated even in front of important people.
Moreover, her inability to hide her embarrassment showing so clearly on her face somehow suddenly seemed cute.
Decisively, seeing her chubby cheeks that weren’t fully covered reminded her exactly of a rabbit that had stuck its plump bottom out while hiding only its face in a burrow.
‘What’s this? Why does her expression toward me seem different all of a sudden?’
It was the moment another Vasily fell completely for Katya’s rabbit-like charm that only she was unaware of.
Following Nikolai and Mikhail, now Klavdia too.
Like a highly contagious disease, there were already three victims just within the Vasily Grand Ducal family.
No, this might have been more like an accident.
Like being hit by a carriage, their hearts had been struck by her before they even realized it.
Katya might actually be a mage.
Seeing how she cast spells that made her appear cute at some point.
The rabbit’s charm is contagious.
“Why are you laughing? Is there something else on my face?”
“Ahem……! Let’s go quickly.”
Klavdia cleared her throat and put on a serious face as she walked ahead toward the main gate that was now visible.
The imperial noble who had come as part of the delegation recognized the Princess and got out of the carriage.
“I pay my respects to Your Highness the Princess.”
He knelt on one knee and paid his respects to the Grand Duke’s sister.
“Welcome. It’s been a while. His Grace the Grand Duke is at the Autumn Palace for a state council meeting, so it will take some time for him to arrive. I came ahead to escort the guests to the Spring Palace.”
“It is an honor to be guided by Your Highness. You are as beautiful as ever.”
The noble’s gaze fixed on Katya who followed behind.
He seemed curious about the identity of this unfamiliar woman.
Reading the question that appeared on his face, Klavdia smiled and spoke.
“She is His Highness the Grand Duke’s fiancée. She will soon have a state wedding.”
Katya’s pupils dilated at her sister-in-law’s introduction.
Did this mean she acknowledged her as the future Grand Duchess?
