Chapter 4

Lurua was beaming.

Whenever she thought of that first night, she couldn’t help but smile. The Marquis, so disheveled and pleading beneath her, stirred a strange sense of conquest. To have him completely in her grasp with just a few movements of her hand—just recalling the thrill of that day filled her with a fierce desire.

Because of this, Lurua barely heard her name being called.

“Lurua, how dare you daydream before the Imperial Princess.”

“Ah.”

The Empire’s eldest princess, Princess Griniche, tapped her cheek. Her soft cheek was pressed by those long fingers. Despite her words, her gesture was rather friendly and playful.

“Please forgive me, I’m a newlywed bride, after all.”

“Ah, you mean the Marquis of Peraize?”

Lurua responded with a light laugh instead of an answer. She was currently attending a tea party hosted by the Princess. The table was set in the middle of the imperial palace garden, and she was seated right next to the Princess herself.

“Unexpected. I thought you’d cause a scene at the wedding, not fall for the Marquis.”

“I actually planned to, but my husband was so handsome I just couldn’t.”

At her frank reply, the Princess laughed softly.

“Well, the Marquis certainly is striking. Seems you’re not harsh to every man after all.”

Lurua understood what the Princess meant. When she first attended a tea party, the Princess had briefly stepped away, and in that time, the First Prince had come over to flirt with the ladies. Lurua had famously smacked him on the head with a tray. The Princess returned just in time to witness this and burst out laughing.

It was a big topic in the social circles for a while. After that, her reputation really took a hit.

Lurua shamelessly smiled and spoke.

“I swear I didn’t know he was the Prince, Your Highness.”

“Oh? Would you have acted differently if you had known?”

“I would’ve asked Your Highness’s permission first, of course.”

At that, the Princess laughed again. She liked this side of Lurua—frank and bold, or, to put it plainly, brash and headstrong.

Watching her was like scratching an itch in a spot no one else dared to touch. Maybe it was because she did things others wouldn’t, or because she didn’t act awkwardly around the Princess.

Lurua’s ability to act so freely was partly thanks to the Princess. The Andes Earldom was powerful for an Earl’s house, but more than that, the Princess happened to like Lurua’s wild temperament.

“It’s good to see you’re doing well. I was worried for nothing.”

“You worried about me?”

“Of course. Anyone would worry when someone like you gets married. You’re the one who rejected countless proposals in the most dramatic ways.”

The Princess spoke playfully, then suddenly grew serious.

“But if you ever come to dislike the Marquis, just tell me. I can help with that much.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Satisfied with her answer, the Princess smiled brightly again. She finally lifted her now-cool teacup.

“I’ve kept you to myself for too long. I’m sure the others have plenty to ask you.”

At those words, Lurua looked around. Young ladies and noblewomen alike were gazing at her with sparkling eyes. Lurua felt a bit flustered. Clearly, she was the star of today’s tea party.

Contrary to the rumors, Lurua actually got along well with other women. Most of her troublemaking was directed at men who pestered her. Her cute looks and bold, mischievous personality were quite charming.

There’s nothing more entertaining than watching drama from the sidelines, and with the Princess’s favor, the ladies were naturally curious about her.

The more seasoned noblewomen usually disapproved of her, but today’s guests were all young ladies just coming of age or newlywed wives like herself. Lurua could guess why the guest list was arranged this way.

The first to speak was the woman seated closest to her. Her cheeks were slightly flushed with curiosity.

“Lady Andes. Or rather, now the Marquis of Peraize’s wife?”

“Just call me Lurua, please, Madame.”

“Then, Lurua. Honestly, everyone here is very curious about your marriage. If you don’t mind, could you tell us about it?”

“Of course, I don’t mind.”

No sooner had she spoken than the ladies around her began bombarding her with questions. How did she end up marrying the Marquis? When did they first meet? Why did the Marquis propose to her? Why did she like him? And how was married life?

The torrent of questions made Lurua feel a bit overwhelmed. Long-winded explanations weren’t really her style.

“……So, the day I first saw him, I fell in love at first sight.”

“Oh my, how romantic…….”

“I knew it! I always said that if Lurua fell in love, she’d cherish her man.”

‘Please don’t turn me into the heroine of a romance novel.’

“Really, I’m so jealous. Where in the Empire could you find another man as handsome as the Marquis of Peraize?”

“He’s never even had a dance partner at a ball before… What made him fall for you, Lurua? Was it your lovely looks?”

Soon, they were chatting among themselves. Lurua left the excited ladies behind and fell into thought.

Come to think of it, Lurua didn’t know why Dandel had married her.

He was the head of his house, so it wasn’t as if he’d been forced into marriage like she was. The Marquis’s house could have had any number of willing brides. She’d heard he was cold, but unlike her, he didn’t seem to have any glaring personality flaws.

Judging by the ladies’ reactions, he was quite popular despite rarely appearing in society. Well, with that face, it made sense.

She really couldn’t think of a reason he’d choose her.

‘Maybe he just hadn’t heard the rumors about me?’

That seemed possible. The Andes Earldom was powerful enough to rival most Marquis houses. In the world of strategic noble marriages, her family was highly desirable.

Plus, she was quite pretty. Her face was lovely and innocent-looking, so if you ignored her personality, anyone could fall for her looks. In fact, Lurua had chased away many suitors who only wanted her for her face.

But even so, something didn’t add up.

The Marquis of Peraize could easily have married into a house higher than Andes. This marriage wasn’t particularly advantageous for him.

And Dandel didn’t seem especially taken with her looks. Even if the bedroom issues were due to his complex, he didn’t seek her out to spend time together. She could stare at his handsome face all day, but he didn’t seem to care where she was.

‘I really don’t get it.’

Why had Dandel married her? The reason wasn’t important now that they were already married, but she couldn’t help being curious.

In the end, Lurua spent the rest of the tea party lost in thought.

***

The clear blue sky had begun to turn red with sunset. As everyone chatted away, the tea party drew to a close.

As people headed off to their carriages one by one, Lurua was about to return to the mansion herself when she heard someone quietly calling her.

Turning toward the sound, she saw several women her age gathered together.

“What is it?”

“Now that you’re married, why not join us on the way back?”

“Gladly. I’d be happy to.”

Lurua’s eyes sparkled as she approached them. A good idea flashed through her mind, and her smile turned mischievous.

It was obvious why they’d called her over.

“Since you invited me separately, I suppose there’s something you couldn’t ask with everyone around?”

Despite her bluntness, the women just laughed. They led her to the carriage, wearing similarly playful smiles.

“Of course, adults have things to talk about.”

Of course. Lurua boarded the carriage with an ambiguous smile, teasing their curiosity.

Once everyone was inside and the door closed, the sound of horses’ hooves clattered, and only then did they speak again. Each wore a curious smile.

“To be honest, there’s something we’re most curious about. The most important thing about a husband is, well, you know.”

“Especially since the Marquis has never had a lover. The mystery is finally being revealed.”

“So, Lurua…….”

Three pairs of sparkling eyes focused on her. She swallowed nervously.

“How was your first night?”

At last, the main question came out, and Lurua burst into laughter. Of course, when young women gather, this sort of talk is bound to come up.

It was fun, but this time, she had something to gain. Under their expectant gazes, Lurua stopped laughing and sighed dramatically.

“To be honest, I have a bit of a dilemma about that…….”

“A dilemma? What happened?”

Immediately, urgent questions flew at her. They must have been dying to ask. Lurua didn’t bother to suppress her laughter.

“As you all know, the Marquis has never shown much interest in women.”

“That’s right.”

“So, even on our first night, he was rather indifferent. Can you believe it!”

Of course, this was a lie. He had tried to leave her alone on their wedding night, but in the end, he’d failed. The sight of him clinging to her in tears was far from “indifferent.”

The women, not knowing the truth, reacted strongly.

“Heavens, how could he!”

“Oh my, how bold…….”

“Don’t tell me you were rejected on your wedding night?”

One of those sounded a bit odd, but Lurua ignored it and continued, her expression turning mischievous again.

“So, I’m wondering… Is there any way to give such a husband a proper lesson?”

At her words, the worried women suddenly widened their eyes in realization. They exchanged glances and giggled. After a brief silent conversation, one woman, embarrassed, cleared her throat and spoke up.

“Actually, I heard something from my older sister……”