It Feels Like I’m About to be Divorced, But my Husband is My Favorite

Episode 14

‘Wait, isn’t that brat of a Crown Prince supposed to be the youngest swordmaster?’

Then, how can he not notice the fly buzzing around him? Is he just distracted, or… could the imperial family be deceiving the empire? I watched the Crown Prince, harboring a reasonable suspicion.

Kaiden noticed my gaze and let out a slight chuckle.

“Amusing, isn’t it? A marriage proposal, of all things.”

“……”

“Everyone in this empire knows of your obsession with me. Who would dare propose to you?”

Well, Euclid would!

I instinctively thought of my favorite person, but I had a strong feeling mentioning Euclid here wasn’t a good idea.

I’ve always had a knack for sensing things. That’s why, even before I came to this world, I’d make investments against everyone’s advice if I wanted to. And whenever I did, I always struck gold.

I was a bit ticked off, but I thought it’d be better to ignore the Crown Prince’s words and focus on nothing in particular.

‘Thankfully, it’s not a bee… maybe just a fly? Do flies even exist in this world?’

I was watching the bug circling around the Crown Prince in a daze, but Kaiden scoffed, as if mistaking my silence for having nothing to say.

“Even if there was a madman like that, I know you would never give up on me.”

A madman? Really?

That’s definitely a fly.

Even a dirty creature like that could recognize a dirty presence.

‘This won’t do. I have to squash that fly.’

Insulting my favorite person? Unforgivable. I needed something to vent on.

If I caught the fly out of nowhere, the clueless Crown Prince would surely be startled in a ridiculous way.

The mere thought of it amused me, so I barely listened to his words, instead focusing intently on the fly’s movements.

“Let me be clear this time. Stop with your nonsense. If you keep this up, I won’t accept you as my Crown Princess or even as my consort…”

Smack!

A fierce and sharp sound echoed in the sitting room.

I was thrilled with the satisfaction of having swatted it with a single move, but I froze halfway through a smile.

“……?”

Wait, why is my hand near the Crown Prince’s cheek?

I just swung at the fly because it had finally settled somewhere, but…

The Crown Prince, who had turned his head completely to the side, slowly straightened himself and asked in a chilling voice.

“Did you… just hit me?”

Oh no. I finally realized the situation.

It just so happened the fly landed right on the Crown Prince’s face.

Upon closer inspection, the remains of the dead insect were still stuck on his cheek!

Oh crap. What did I just do?

Kaiden found himself puzzled as he looked at Evgenia, who seemed as surprised as he was after slapping him.

This was the woman who would shamelessly pull off the most outrageous stunts, eyeing his seat without a single blink.

Even when she’d demand the spot beside him, professing her love.

And even when she’d throw fits, shouting and causing a scene after enduring his insults and taunts.

In all of it, she was calculating, never letting her emotions spill too much or stepping out of line.

Yet today, she wore an annoyed or indifferent expression like back when they’d first met as children.

And as surprising as that was, to see her lose her temper and even strike him?

On top of that, she was now visibly flustered and didn’t seem to know what to do with herself.

“Unbelievable.”

Could Alexis have been right about her behaving strangely?

He muttered in disbelief, causing Evgenia’s shoulders to flinch and tremble.

At this point, he had to admit it: his marriage proposal had truly rattled her.

Every time he returned from the battlefield, he’d purposefully ignore her, dance with other ladies, or send gifts to suggest a different partner.

Of course, all these meetings were purely one-time affairs.

He had no intention of pursuing anything further, and Evgenia understood this well enough to end them on her own.

But this time, he wasn’t just offering to dance.

Under pressure from the Emperor to finally solidify a union with the Basilian Dukedom, Kaiden had resorted to drastic measures.

He had enlisted the duke’s newly adopted nephew, fully aware that Evgenia wouldn’t take it lying down.

He had expected her to protest violently, but he hadn’t anticipated such an emotional response.

“Forgive… forgive me…”

Evgenia’s voice was barely audible, her lips pressed so hard together they almost bled.

For a moment, it even looked like she was suppressing laughter, but that couldn’t be it.

Seeing her uncharacteristically subdued stirred mixed feelings within him.

‘Yes, if only she had acted like this sooner.’

Then he wouldn’t have felt the need to publicly disgrace her.

And simultaneously…

‘It’s alright. It’s not too late yet.’

Relief washed over him, greater than his resentment, enough to make him smile without realizing it.

But he quickly regained his composure.

This wasn’t enough. There was still a long way to go.

What he truly wanted from Evgenia… was still far from reached.

Steadying his resolve, Kaiden looked intently at the hand she had slapped him with.

It was surprising enough to see her lose her temper, but more intriguing was that Evgenia, who despised physical contact, had touched him first.

Normally, he was the one holding her by the shoulders or arms, trying to get a genuine reaction out of her.

Though he was a bit disappointed that she had done it just to slap him, he couldn’t help but find it oddly satisfying.

“Your Highness, it’s time to return to the palace.”

Outside the drawing room, the anxious voice of the lieutenant could be heard.

In truth, there was more than a handful of tasks that needed to be completed before departure. But since the bait had been cast, it was essential to check if the fish had bitten properly.

When he managed to find a brief moment to hurriedly visit the Duke’s residence, he hadn’t expected much. But now, with today’s unexpected gain, he felt satisfied and ready to leave.

“I should get going now.”

“Oh…”

“If I set out this time, I probably won’t be back for at least three months.”

“…”

Unlike in the past, when she would have put on an indifferent expression, today, Evgenia seemed unusually troubled. Her lips parted as if she had something to say, which stirred a slight urge in him to enjoy her reaction. However, there was no more time to delay.

Yet, he was pleased to think that the goal was not far off.

Just as Kaiden suppressed his feelings and turned his back without hesitation, Evgenia unexpectedly called out to him.

“Wait!”

Startled, he turned around to find a handkerchief suddenly thrust in front of him.

“…Is this for me?”

Not believing it, he asked, and Evgenia shyly averted her gaze, mumbling something under her breath, though Kaiden was too taken aback to catch it.

Despite his numerous departures in the past, not once had Evgenia ever given him a customary handkerchief.

The very first handkerchief from her…

‘Her taste is… unexpected.’

A delicate pink color adorned with lace—it was completely unlike what he had imagined, but he liked it.

“I’ll accept it.”

As Kaiden took the handkerchief as if seizing it and tucked it into his coat, Evgenia gasped slightly in surprise and looked up at him.

She seemed to find it strange that he hadn’t refused it with mockery, as he usually did, but instead accepted it without resistance.

Observing her confused gaze, Kaiden mocked himself internally.

Would you even realize that your deep, cold purple eyes have always reminded me of strong liquor?

Or that the only thing that helped me endure those long campaigns was that same intoxicating drink?

But now…

‘It seems I have something else this time.’

Feeling the thin handkerchief tucked away gave Kaiden a surprising sense of reassurance. Turning to leave for real this time, he brushed his cheek, which had started to feel oddly warm despite not having been hurt.