How to Win My Husband Over

Chapter 10

Well, I guess I am a doll. Just like they say, kids are more observant than we give them credit for.

“Princess,” a voice called.

Yikes! Why is everybody popping up out of nowhere today? Arianne, who held out the flowers with a trace of a smile, froze instantly. My arms stiffened, still outstretched to take the bouquet. I hadn’t thought I would see him again today. His ashen silver hair glittered. As he walked through the narrow trail between elegant sculptures, the peaceful scenery only cast him in a more terrifying light. Arianne clutched my dress, and I could feel her trembling.

Being frightened of me is one thing, but why so scared of him? He’s your cousin.

Iske stopped about eight feet away from us and said in a cold, curt voice, “Your father is looking for you. Like I told you before, you shouldn’t wander off on your own.”

Huh?

The next moment, the little princess thrust the bouquet into my hand, then ran like a nimble kitten past her cousin and toward the palace. Iske didn’t try to stop her, so this was probably typical behavior for her. With his brow furrowed in disbelief, my never-changing husband didn’t even bother looking back.

“Birds of a feather.…” he muttered.

Hey, you of all people don’t get to say that. I silently stood up straighter with the flowers still in my hand. I didn’t like being put in the same category as the six-year-old princess, but I tried to put on my best demure smile.

“You were looking for the princess?” I asked.

“No. I was looking for you. I’m not a guard, you know.”

What’s that now? You were looking for me? Why, when you abandoned me earlier? Do you want to beat me up when there’s no one watching? Though I felt a twinge of fear, I didn’t show it.

I opened my eyes wide and exclaimed, “You were looking for me? Really?”

“Yes, really,” he said bluntly, then moved closer.

What, you’re really going to hit me? Well, as long as you spare me later…

“What are you doing?”

“Huh?”

“Open your eyes.”

I slowly opened the eyes I’d instinctively shut tight to find his muscled chest right in front of my face. I glanced up. He was staring down at me with sinister mirth in his eyes.

“What, are you used to getting knocked around, Princess of Romana?”

How do you know? Well, you’re big and obviously pissed. Of course, I’m scared. I wonder how tall he is. I think he’s almost seven feet.

“You said earlier you’d hide just to watch me.”

“S-seeing you like this is great, too.”

“Really? Then why are you reacting like this? Did you expect me to kiss you?”

He tilted his head and muttered mostly to himself. This is new.

If he would have just glowered at me like he always did, I could have handled that. But his red eyes narrowed and scrutinized me, which was even more menacing. I knew he would see through me if I said I’d really hoped for a kiss. I’ve cowered my way through two lives, you know.

“Because you were clearly mad at me earlier, so…”

“So you thought I would hit you?”

“Not exactly, but if you do…”

“So… You think I might hit you, but you still like me?”

“Why not? You’re the first person to protect me. I’ll work hard to fix my flaws, just please don’t hate me.”

Silence descended on the garden. As I held the bouquet with both hands and gave him a pleading gaze, Iske stared back at me with his now indecipherable eyes.

You’re glaring at me again? You never change, do you? But then there came hurried footsteps. The person was clearly coming toward us, but neither of us bothered to turn and see who it was.

“Sir! Sir Iske!”

My husband turned only when called. The squire boy panted as he approached us, then flinched, visibly puzzled to see us together.

“I’m afraid you should come with me, sir.”

Hmm. Paladins are roaming all over the palace. Is something going on?

My husband moved to leave, but then he blurted out, “Wait here.”

Hmm, so you have plans for me after all? That’s unexpected. Should I put flowers in my hair while I wait? I watched as the giant man walked away. Then I sat down on a nearby flat rock, and my braided hair danced lightly in a refreshing breeze.

Anyway, I wonder what Freya’s little brother is thinking. It was hard to believe he despised me on such a personal level based purely on rumors.

He might not approve of Iske, the knight he looks up to, having married a woman like me, but that’s not enough. Could it have something to do with Freya? I sorted my thoughts for a while, then noticed the flowers in my hand. They were Rudbeckia, my namesake. Ironically, they symbolized eternal happiness.

Out of the blue, cold water splashed me from behind, and I instinctively tried to stand up, but something wet and slippery wrapped itself around my body, and then I was pulled into the water. I didn’t have the chance to scream or fight.

Splash!

The water was freezing cold. My heart seemed to stop for a moment. I should have thought something like, This is a stupid way to die, but strangely, I felt no fear. Perhaps I was losing my mind while being held by some lunatic pond monster, but the thing wrapped around me didn’t seem to want to kill me.

I writhed about, and the grip loosened a little. As funny as it was, it felt like I could shake the thing off and swim up to the surface. It would let me.

What is this? It’s like it just wants to play with me… Or am I getting delusional with fear? Or maybe it’s some kind of mind game. As the oxygen in my lungs depleted, I instinctively tried to free myself and get air. I moved my hand to grab the arm around my waist, but then the water shook as if a torpedo had exploded, followed by a blinding light.

I was free for a moment. But the next second, something strong grabbed me from above and pulled me up. I gasped desperately for air, breathing in deep. My head was spinning, and they were all talking around me.

“At the palace…”

“How can this be?”

What are they saying? I managed to open my eyes, trying to get a hold of myself. The first thing I saw was my husband’s face, looking scarier than the devil’s.

Why are you suddenly smaller? Oh, you’re not. You’re holding me. His ruby-red eyes were glaring at me ferociously. I didn’t know what had happened, but it seemed like that pond creature had been a demonic monster. Did he think I’d put myself in danger again? Like the time the holy fire went out in my room?

I’m not going to take the blame this time.

“Waaaah!” I burst into tears and clung to Iske, who flinched, but I didn’t care. Clutching him tight, I said between sobs, “I was so scared! But you saved me again, I knew you would!”

It became completely silent, and Iske heaved a sigh. An exasperated sigh.

***

It seemed a demonic monster appearing in the palace’s romantic pond was quite a serious incident. The palace had to have perfect security, and the famous pond had been undisturbed for decades. But a demonic monster had shown up to attack a human all of a sudden, so of course everyone was perplexed.

Plus, even though no one in the North liked me and my husband was neglecting me, I was still the pope’s beloved daughter. Or at least they thought I was. If I had died there, there would have been grave consequences for Britanya.

I tried to recall what I’d read, but as far as I could remember, demonic monsters didn’t pop up all the time like that. The palace, the temple, and the nobles’ houses were located in the central area of Erendille, which was safe and clean. What had happened to me at the pond and on my first night in the North didn’t make any sense.

Of course, the real Rudbeckia from the book hadn’t faced any of those dangers. Her holy fire never went out, and she never left the banquet to be by the pond. I feared if things like that kept happening, people might start thinking I was a witch who attracted monsters.

“Ha.”

Then it was that time of year again. I was fine until the night I was dragged into the pond by the monster, but I started to feel off the day after. At first, I thought it was a mere cold, but it wasn’t. I felt hot, as if there were a fire burning in me that stung like millions of poking pins and needles. This had happened twice every year since I woke up in this new body.

I had been through it about two months ago, so I’d thought I wouldn’t have it until the end of the year. But of course, it came earlier this time. When I first experienced it, my family summoned a physician, but he kept swearing I had no symptoms. Other physicians said the same thing. The next time it happened, they all became suspicious that I was faking my illness to avoid getting engaged. After that, I decided to bear it on my own.

I was used to taking pain. I knew the symptoms would disappear in a few days. Though I could have summoned a local physician, I didn’t want to risk having everyone think I was a liar, especially my ill-tempered husband. He was going to think I was trying yet another scheme. I wondered what he had tried to say by the pond.

Of course, we didn’t have a chance to talk because of the monster attack, but… He had bothered to find me and asked me to wait for him. That was surprising enough on its own, no matter what it could have been about.

This was my chance, and I wasn’t going to miss it.