Your Highness, It’s Not Me, It’s Them!

Instinctively, I tensed up, shrinking my neck like a turtle. I wanted to run, but with the maid standing firmly behind me, there was nowhere to go.

“Young Lady.”

The man stopped right in front of me, towering over me with his impressive height as he looked down.

His broad, sturdy shoulders and imposing stature made him seem like a wall blocking my way. I felt small and intimidated—almost like a fool.

‘But I’m not someone who just takes it lying down.’

Clenching my jaw and fists so tightly my lips felt parched, I summoned all my resolve. I stared back at his arrogant gaze with defiance. He had started this confrontation, so there was no reason for me to back down.

My eyes burned with the determination to say, “Go ahead, say what you want.” But as the silence stretched on, the tension in my body began to falter, and my eyelids grew heavy.

‘No, no! I can’t lose here! Hold it together!’

I could feel tears welling up. Even as I strained to keep my gaze steady, my eyelids twitched uncontrollably, and moisture started gathering at the corners of my eyes.

At that moment, the man tilted his head slightly and raised an eyebrow before moving his arm. I stiffened, unsure if he was about to strike.

“Let’s head inside. It’s late, and I’m getting hungry.”

His sudden movement startled me as he extended his hand, and for a split second, I thought he was going to hit me.

His expression was as cold as a sharp-edged blade, but his voice carried an unexpected softness that caught me off guard.

‘But why is he extending his hand like that?’

Uncertain of his intentions, I hesitated. Should I lower my guard? But before I could decide, he sighed and grabbed my wrist, gently placing my hand on the back of his.

“H-hey!”

My voice shot up like a startled bird, echoing in the room. The man’s eyes widened slightly before narrowing again, his gaze piercing as if I were some oddity. My face burned with indignation.

That look—it was identical to the one the maid had given me when we first met.

Yes, I know. I’m probably acting crazy. But if you were in my shoes, you’d get it.

“Who do you think you are, grabbing a woman’s hand like that? Let go of me!”

I struggled with all my strength to pull my wrist free, but his grip was unyielding. No matter how much I tugged, he didn’t budge an inch.

His expression didn’t change, either. He continued to look down at me as if he had no intention of letting go.

Maybe now’s the time for a well-aimed knee strike…

“It is my duty to escort you, Lady Vareian.”

Escort?

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“It means I am the only one allowed to touch you. As your future husband, is there an issue with that?”

Future husband?

Wait—did he just say husband? So this man was the Grand Duke I was supposed to marry?

I had assumed the Grand Duke would be some old man, but instead… How was someone this gorgeous supposed to be my husband? Just looking at him up close might be enough to make my heart give out!

“So, you’re saying you’re the… Grand Duke?”

My head spun as confusion and embarrassment collided, leaving me feeling uncomfortably warm.

When I saw him from the fourth floor earlier, he looked too small to see clearly. Then again, I hadn’t exactly been in the mindset to examine anyone closely.

At my cautious question, his smooth brow creased slightly. Even with a frown, he looked unfairly beautiful.

Seriously, what on earth!

“I am indeed Jovern, the Grand Duke and your fiancé. Are you only now realizing this?”

There was a faint edge of reprimand in his tone. Straightening my posture, I shot back, “It’s possible not to know. Does a person have to know everything?”

“Are you joking?”

“Does it look like I’m joking? Can’t you see the word ‘serious’ written all over my face?”

One thing was clear: this man didn’t see me as a woman at all. What kind of relationship was this, where we were supposedly engaged yet completely frosty with each other?

More importantly, how could he remain so indifferent when facing someone as beautiful as me? Granted, this wasn’t my real face, but still. How could he not react to such beauty?

‘Is everyone in this strange land this ridiculously good-looking?’

Fueled by sudden annoyance, I resolved not to lose to him. My flushed cheeks burned with frustration, but I turned my head with a huff, feigning indifference.

“Being scolded before we’re even married—how am I supposed to marry someone like this? Who decided this for me?!”

The hand gripping my wrist twitched at my outburst, and I froze. A cold shiver ran down my spine as if the room had suddenly dropped several degrees.

Why was it so cold here? If this kept up, I’d end up bedridden with a cold.

“Let’s go inside. Unlike you, I don’t have time to waste.”

“Who are you to decide whether we go inside or not?!”

“I have no desire to argue with you any further.”

With that, he simply tightened his grip and pulled me along back into the room. I felt like a sack of flour being dragged around all day.

‘Am I some kind of luggage to him?!’

As soon as we entered, the warmth of the room washed over me, melting the cold stiffness in my body. The large fireplace against one wall roared with a comforting fire, its warmth filling the space.

‘If only this insufferable man weren’t here, I could actually enjoy the romance of a fireplace!’

I had always dreamed of having a fireplace since I was a child. I’d even pestered my parents about it. But I later gave up after learning how expensive and inconvenient they were to maintain.

Of course, for someone like the Grand Duke—practically a king in his own right—that wouldn’t be an issue.

“This way.”

The Grand Duke led me to the seat opposite where he had been sitting earlier. Pulling the chair back, he gestured for me to sit, then stared at me expectantly.

Could it be… that escort thing he mentioned?

“Please, take a seat, Lady Vareian.”

I’d only ever seen such gentlemanly behavior in dramas. Experiencing it in real life felt… surprisingly overwhelming. I’d always thought I’d cringe at something like this, but…

As expected, they say a great face can complete any outfit. With that face, it felt like anything he did could be forgiven.

“Ahem, well then, excuse me once again.”

So, I straightened my posture, lightly clenched my fists, and cleared my throat. I tried my best to mimic his neutral expression.

Drawing on all my senses, I walked as gracefully as I could manage and took a seat in the chair.

“I really don’t understand.”

Just as I was about to sit down, I heard him mutter under his breath, followed by a faint chuckle. I quickly turned my head to look at him, but his expression remained the same as before.

‘I could have sworn… that was a laugh of mockery. Did I imagine it?’

As he took his seat across from me, he casually rang a small bell on the table. A door on the side opened, and a man entered, carrying a small tray with two glasses of juice.

The man moved soundlessly, placing one glass in front of him and the other in front of me with smooth precision.

“The appetizer is grapefruit juice,” the server announced.

“Good work,” he replied curtly.

After that, the Grand Duke didn’t say another word, and I had no room to speak either.

I unfolded the napkin and placed it on my lap, imitating his every move. Then, I cautiously picked up the glass and began sipping the juice, stealing glances at him as I did so.

The amount of tableware was overwhelming. While the juice was delicious, I was too distracted by everything to properly enjoy it.

“This is pumpkin soup,” announced one of the servants as the next course was brought in.

Servants, who seemed to be well-practiced in serving multi-course meals, placed bowls of pumpkin soup in front of both of us. But then, something utterly ridiculous happened.

“…Not great,” he remarked after a single sip, setting his spoon down with a sharp clink.

Immediately, the servants whisked away both his bowl and mine, as if they couldn’t let the soup sit on the table a second longer.

I had barely taken one spoonful!

‘Hey! I was enjoying that! Don’t take it away! I wasn’t done!’

It felt unfair. These dishes were unlike anything I’d seen before, and I had to cautiously poke at them with my fork, sniff them, and taste the sauce before daring to eat. Just as I was starting to enjoy something, it would get snatched away.

“This is under-seasoned.”

“My apologies, Your Grace. The next dish will be served shortly.”

Not a single dish was spared his critique. I, on the other hand, found them all delicious. But before I could properly enjoy anything, the servants would remove it, leaving me with nothing but my fork to chew on in frustration.

‘Is this some kind of hazing? Like a power play to remind me who’s boss?’

The meal was entirely centered around him. I felt like a mere placeholder, unable to do anything but sulk as I watched the food disappear.

‘This is all because of his picky eating!’

He only ate the dishes he liked, leaving the rest untouched. Because of him, I barely got to taste anything and ended up nearly starving.

“I have plans this afternoon, so I won’t be able to join you for lunch. If you’re finished, I’ll take my leave now.”

With those words, he sipped his tea a few times and stood up, leaving without a second glance. I had just taken a single bite of the cake when the servants swiftly took it away, along with my untouched tea.

‘How am I supposed to live like this? Even animals bare their teeth when someone takes their food!’

Why did he even bother inviting me to dine with him if he was going to eat what he wanted and leave me starving? Was this some kind of elaborate prank?

Could it be that the original owner of this body had some kind of bad blood with this man? Was this marriage some kind of farce? Were we even really going to get married?

‘Ugh, my head hurts just thinking about it.’

“Excuse me!”

I called out to him as he nonchalantly walked away. He stopped abruptly, turning his head slightly to glance back at me.

“Do you have something to say?” he asked, his tone laced with annoyance.

His expression practically screamed, ‘I don’t have time for this.’

For some reason, his attitude made my temper flare. If I could, I’d possess a cat and scratch that smug face of his with my claws until I felt better.

‘And to top it off, he didn’t even let me eat properly!’