When You Don’t Get Along With Your Husband - Chapter 3

Tatiana doesn’t think people went through the process of reasoning to determine whether these rumors were true or not. They just talk without caring about that. Why? Because they want to mar the life of someone successful.

As a result, even the great Gideon Ainsler had a few scandals attached to him.

Tatiana doesn’t want to say that he’s at fault for this. But if we were to find a cause from him, it would be in that arrogant and indifferent attitude he shows at parties.

Gideon Ainsler, age twenty-four.

He still had no fiancée, which was somewhat late for a royal.

Up to here, one might understand, but he showed no interest in women at all.

Yes, even up to here one might understand, but he was a bit extreme. Not only did he not engage in casual conversation with women at royal-hosted parties, he didn’t even give them a single glance.

Even his half-brother, who’s five years younger than Gideon, at least danced with women.

It was a famous high society anecdote that at last year’s party, which also served as the debutante ball for young ladies, Gideon had looked around the hall once and then left without a word.

Tatiana had attended some tea parties carefully selected by Duchess Muller, so she could hear quite specifically what kind of rumors were circulating about him.

That his sexual preferences were different and he was actually involved with the aides who followed him. That when he entered a room with his already married sister, Princess Scarlet, they wouldn’t come out for a long time. Or even… strange worries that he might have issues with sexual function.

‘People are really going too far.’

If they had said something like he lacks sociability, or his ability to embrace the public is somewhat lacking, it might have sounded like healthy criticism.

But this was so vulgar and the intent behind the gossip so obvious that it wasn’t even worth sighing over.

And whether it was because of her childhood memories, or because he was one of the people who remembered her father, Tatiana felt oddly upset when someone gossiped about Gideon. She even wanted to take his side.

Love and marriage can be very important for some people. It can even be the goal of life itself. Then you should acknowledge the fact that there can also be people for whom it’s not.

From Tatiana’s perspective, Gideon seemed far better than those who couldn’t live without women, or those who tried to find fault and belittle others in any way possible, but apparently not for the nobles of this country.

“His Highness must have very high standards.”

“He might have different tastes……”

Tatiana searched for the source of the voices and sent a cold gaze. It wasn’t a metaphor, but the actual aura of a finely honed swordsman, causing the knights guarding the banquet hall to flinch simultaneously.

And Gideon Ainsler, the man who was fueling these groundless rumors by surrounding himself with aides no less handsome than himself, gazed intently at Tatiana standing in the corner of the hall.

It was at that moment that the people in the hall witnessed something strange.

On the prince’s face, which had been like a piece of ice…..

“Why is he suddenly smiling?”

Tatiana confirmed from the noble’s words, who she had directed her killing intent at just seconds ago, that everyone was seeing the same sight as her.

But Gideon didn’t stop at just smiling for no reason.

“It seems he’s coming this way…?”

Tatiana confirmed once again from the noble’s words.

Gideon was indeed walking towards where she was. At an elegantly slow pace that felt almost annoyingly so.

Thanks to this, people’s gazes were gathering with each step he took.

She immediately realized.

‘He’s doing this on purpose.’

That was an intentional act to draw attention. And the moment Gideon stopped precisely in front of Tatiana, her plan to become the 53rd stone pillar of the party venue completely fell apart.

“Tatiana Bloom, it’s been a long time.”

“……Yes, Your Highness.”

Tatiana hesitated for a moment when the prince called her Bloom. She was currently Tatiana Muller, after all.

“You still have the same face as when you were young.”

They had encountered and passed by each other at least thirty times up until today. But this was only the third time they had exchanged words.

Their first meeting, Lord Bloom’s funeral, and today.

Tatiana thought that when Gideon said ‘when you were young’, he might also be recalling their first meeting. While this made her inevitably embarrassed, she responded in a deliberately calm voice.

“……It’s an honor that you remember, Your Highness.”

What words could they possibly have left to exchange now? Congratulations on your debutante? Was it time to reminisce about her father who died in the line of duty, chatting about memories of the deceased?

Why isn’t this person leaving? What more… could we possibly have to say to each other?

Tatiana found this situation awkward, and the nobles who were watching as if it were all very unfamiliar felt the same way.

This was a meeting between a current celebrity and a former celebrity. That alone was enough to become a topic of conversation. Moreover, the First Prince was someone who had never even given a private greeting to a woman at a party.

But today, he seemed to have come out with some strange determination.

Despite having neglected parties for years, he was now smiling even more vividly than before, like a picture. As if he had been waiting only for this day. With an expression that seemed joyful, but also gave off an ominous feeling.

“Tatiana Bloom.”

“Yes.”

“……”

“……What is it? Please say something, Your Highness.”

“Anything?”

Gideon asked with a look that said ‘Really?’ ‘Is that okay?’ And a moment later, he opened his mouth very slowly, in a way that no one could take their eyes off him.

His voice resonated throughout the banquet hall with great calm. However, what flowed through that voice was a statement that no one present could have imagined.

“Tatiana Bloom, please become my consort.”

Crash.

Reflecting everyone’s bewilderment, the loud sound of someone dropping a white wine glass on the marble floor was heard.

Tatiana just blinked her large eyes for a while.

She tried to say something belatedly, but…

“Uh… well… um……”

None of it managed to form a complete sentence, and she closed her mouth again.

This might seem out of the blue, but Tatiana really disliked appearing naive or immature in front of the prince. She seemed to have been conscious of him like this occasionally in the past as well.

Why did she feel this emotion particularly towards the prince?

It’s because childhood memories tend to last longer, and among them, there are some moments that are especially vivid, but that wasn’t all.

Tatiana’s father had personally taught and trained numerous knights. Gideon Ainsler was the only man among those countless young people who had drawn Sir Bloom’s admiration with his swordsmanship.

When she was young, Tatiana seemed to have felt envy and a strange sense of competition towards Gideon. But now, after growing up, to show such a clumsy reaction in front of him again.

However, this couldn’t be entirely her fault. Judging by the dropped glass around them, others were equally surprised.

Not that this fact provided much comfort.

“Did I just hear correctly……”

“You probably did.”

“……”

She still wore an expression of disbelief, but a man who had just proposed naturally had to be kind to the other party.

Gideon explained once more.

“Yes, Tatiana, you just received a proposal from me.”

Well, what will you do now? There was a faint hint of laughter in his eyes.

He seemed to be enjoying the people’s agitation and Tatiana’s, as if teasing her, and also as if expecting to see how she would react.

Should we say it’s fortunate? Tatiana was quite bold.

There’s a reason they say to make children exercise. While martial arts can bring out a person’s aggressive side and competitive spirit, it also cultivates calmness in dealing with crisis situations.

Amidst everyone’s confusion at this proposal that was close to a disaster, the first to regain her senses was Tatiana herself, the person directly involved.

She first slowly scanned the party venue. Then her eyes fell on the Queen sitting in the place of honor, looking down at them. She was clearly smiling, but would it be too much to say that cracks could be felt in that smile?

But that’s how it looked to Tatiana.

The Second Prince next to her was dumbfounded, and Gideon’s sister was covering her mouth with a fan, but her eyes were laughing.

Yes, that’s what real laughter looks like.

On the other hand, the handsome men that Gideon kept around him all had troubled expressions. They looked like they were wondering how to handle this situation, and some were sighing as if they had expected this.

Then, if there was someone Tatiana should be most concerned about among them, who would it be? What excuse could she use to escape?