When You Don’t Get Along With Your Husband - Chapter 4

“Well. It seems that the person who would become my mother-in-law doesn’t like me.”

“Are you marrying your mother-in-law?”

“……”

Gideon retorted as if he had heard something trivial, leaving Tatiana at a loss for words again.

In fact, she knew. What was it? That the key to resolving conflicts between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law lies with the husband? She had picked all this up from peer gatherings.

But at that moment, Tatiana suddenly realized that she had just received the public proposal that other young ladies had dreaded so much.

Ah, is this how a gap forms between them? And these were friends she had made with difficulty.

Tatiana frowned, recalling the efforts she had poured into those gatherings to avoid being left out.

Gideon seemed to take this as a bad sign. Perhaps that’s why he whispered in a voice only she could hear, stating a fact everyone already knew.

“She’s not your real mother anyway.”

“Marrying into a family with complicated circumstances requires more thought……”

“Have you ever been married? Surprisingly, the reasons are all quite practical.”

“……This would be my first marriage.”

Gideon started laughing out loud, and Tatiana became even more troubled than before. Because it seemed that to others, they would appear to be getting along very well.

In fact, people were wondering if Gideon and Tatiana had been interacting separately.

Feeling the need to get really serious now, Tatiana turned to where her adoptive parents were and said.

“I should consult with my parents……”

But it seemed that consultation would be difficult. Duchess Muller’s face had turned so pale that she looked like she might faint at any moment.

She had always said to discuss and decide if anything happened. What should one do when the person who should be coaching her loses their senses like this?

“Whose opinion are you concerned about right now, Tatiana? According to Valter’s constitutional law, a woman who has had her debutante can decide on her own marriage regardless of her family’s wishes, and you are an adult.”

“……”

His words were correct. But how far can the penetrating power of law exert its influence compared to custom? Why do people say to avoid marriages that parents oppose if possible?

In fact, Tatiana wasn’t sure if Duchess Muller’s reaction was a gesture of opposition or simply surprise.

“You also have your own birth parents, don’t you, Tatiana?”

“……Even so, this is too sudden, Your Highness.”

“No, it’s not sudden at all for me.”

“……”

“Are there any aftereffects on your leg? I heard you had injured a ligament.”

There was only one time in Tatiana’s life when she had been injured severely enough to impair her movement. Gideon was referring to her absence from last year’s party.

And to Tatiana, who was pondering deeply, his words sounded exactly like this: If she had attended the party as scheduled, he would have proposed then too. So it wasn’t sudden.

Tatiana’s doubts couldn’t be resolved with just this much. Rather, the more she heard, the more puzzled she became.

What on earth is the prince plotting? Does he have some grudge against me?

She gazed at him endlessly, looking completely baffled, and from then on, Gideon started adding conditions one by one. As if proposing a deal. As if trying to make her choice easier, as if trying to entice her.

“I’ll take care of all the ceremonies and procedures, so you won’t have to lift a finger.”

“……”

He meant she just had to show up.

“If you have any preferences, I can accommodate them as much as possible.”

“……”

He was saying he would fulfill her wishes if she had any fantasies about the ceremony.

What should I do? I don’t have any.

“I’ll also transfer the Bloom family assets currently managed by the Muller family back to your name. This should have been done long ago, but it wasn’t.”

“……”

Tatiana, who had been indifferent, showed a bit of reaction to this.

Her parents were nobles of commoner origin without any relatives.

After her parents’ death, Tatiana needed a guardian in many ways. But now that she had come of age, whether she got married or just became independent, the Bloom family assets should be managed by her as her share.

While there might be noise or hurt feelings when money is involved, legally it was a natural procedure and there was nothing wrong with it. Moreover, Duke Muller was her father’s friend, and the Muller family was already too wealthy to covet the Bloom family’s inheritance.

Having been well-fed, well-dressed, and cared for in a good family, Tatiana was thinking of expressing her gratitude substantially.

The reason she had neglected all this for a year, letting time pass, was simply because she found it bothersome. But what benefit does he gain from this marriage by taking care of this troublesome task for her? Even mobilizing the wolf-like nobles as spectators?

As Tatiana pondered, several plausible reasons came to mind. Among them, the simplest and most one-dimensional one might be,

“Do you perhaps need an excuse to suppress rumors?”

“……What rumors?”

Does he not know? People have been using him as a topic and saying all sorts of nonsense?

If he really didn’t know, that would be fortunate. If not, Tatiana might have wanted to tell him this:

That it’s really not a big deal. That they’re just doing it because they’re jealous of you. That it’s the only way they can pretend to play with you at will and feel superior to you.

So there’s no need to pity their sincerity and effort, but don’t mind it. It’s not worth getting upset over, and you’re not someone with enough free time to waste on such petty people.

She had almost given unnecessary advice to a royal without knowing her place, but it was fortunate that he seemed unaware of what kind of malicious gossip was circulating about him.

Or not. Is he just not paying attention to it? If so, that was fortunate in its own way.

Tatiana chuckled and looked around the hall once more.

Duchess Muller looked so unsteady that she seemed on the verge of fainting backward.

The Queen’s eyes showed even more clear anxiety than before.

All the nobles were looking at Tatiana, waiting for her to speak.

Yet she didn’t know what to say right now.

And at that moment, Tatiana had this thought: It’s not just me who didn’t predict this situation, and everyone is equally unaware of what comes next, aren’t they?

Then she found this situation troublesome, but… also a bit interesting.

It felt like participating in a play that always catches people off guard because you can’t predict the ending.

“Your Highness, this is quite amusing. Do you think I can realistically refuse this?”

While the impact of accepting would be significant, the aftermath of refusing would be no less severe.

Perhaps the latter might be even more serious. Has there ever been a case of refusing a royal proposal since the founding of Valter?

“It would be difficult, realistically.”

If he set up this situation knowing that, he was a confident criminal.

Tatiana glanced at Gideon with a sulky look, but he calmly added.

“However, I naturally understand that you might not like me. I’m aware that there’s a high possibility you might dislike me.”

Then are you a bit anxious now too? Do you even feel such emotions?

Tatiana was very curious about this, but the man who had just proposed seemed to be better at managing his expressions than anyone else here.

But he too, like everyone else, was staring at Tatiana, waiting for her answer.

Tatiana thought while stroking her cheeks a few times. Somehow. It seemed like a good day for causing trouble since morning.

She smiled and slowly extended the back of her right hand to Gideon.

Gideon, who had been quietly watching this, bit his lower lip firmly and then released it with a whistling sound. He seemed clearly satisfied with Tatiana’s answer, but his eyes were still difficult to read as to why he was satisfied.

He then lightly pressed his lips to the back of her hand.

“Then I’ll see you on our wedding day. Wife.”

An endless silence fell over the hall.

If a needle were to drop in this place, everyone would hear the sound. And what pulled the frozen people back to reality was an even louder thud.

Tatiana’s eyes, as she turned around, grew even wider than when she had received the absurd proposal. Duchess Muller had really fallen backward with an “Ugh.”

Tatiana immediately ran over, secured her airway first, and checked for bruises. Then she scolded the guard knight.

“You should have supported her.”

What if the knight’s reflexes are only this good?

Gideon, who had been watching this scene intently, gestured to his attendant and instructed him to escort the Muller family back to their mansion. Then he leisurely left the party venue.

As always, first. As if he had finished all his business here.

* * *