My husband is the best

"You look… delectable, Your Grace."

As soon as my words reached my ear, I bit my tongue in surprise. What did I say just now? His expression told me 'don't change the subject'. Good gracious.

"My lady, will you be honest with me if I asked you a question?" he asked with his eyes digging a hole right through my eye. 

"I'm not sick, Your Grace."

"Lying will not help you or me." His eyes darkened as the temperature inside the carriage dropped. 

'I'm not lying...' were the words I failed to say as I pressed my lips together. What should I tell him? He could call off this engagement if he knew I might die; I couldn't let that happen. 

I might truly die if I stayed in the Ross Estate, after all.

I unconsciously clasped my skirt while staring intently at him. Anything I would say from now on would determine my future.

"Why do you want this marriage so badly?" he asked, which caused my brows to furrow. "And does Marquess Ross knows about your condition?"

My mouth opened and closed. I had to calm down first, so I took a deep breath. 

"My father doesn't know, Your Grace," I replied, and he nodded in agreement.

"I figured. Marquess Ross isn't someone who would recklessly toss a sickly daughter, knowing I can use this excuse to my advantage," he mused as a matter of fact. "But why are you keeping this as a secret, My Lady?"

There was a moment of silence that followed his question. I assessed him and took a deep breath.

"Why do you want this marriage?" he repeated, but his tone this time was more stern.

"I want to get out of the Ross Estate," I admitted bravely, knowing there was no point in lying. "It doesn't matter if it's through marriage. I need to get the hell out of that place."

"Do they hurt you?"

I pressed my lips into a thin line and shook my head. "No, they don't."

"Hurting someone, I didn't mean physically but never mind. Still, I'm curious. Why do you want to get out of the Ross Estate?"

"Do I have to answer that?"

He shrugged. "If you want this marriage, then yes. You already know I can call off this engagement using your health condition as an excuse."

He was correct. This thing could be canceled and my chance of survival would pummel down six feet. Forget about this damn sickness. Augustus would aggravate me to death.

'Trust, Vera. You have to put a little bit of trust in this man if you're going to marry him.' My mind advised while I looked at him in the eye. 'Having trust as the foundation of this marriage or alliance is better, don't you think?'

"Trust is a hard thing for me to do," I muttered as I tightened my grip on my skirt before I let it loose. "Can I trust you, Your Grace?"

"No, you can't."

I nodded. "I will die if I don't go out of the Ross Estate."

"I believe I said you can't trust me."

"But I still did, regardless." I raised my chin lightly while he just peered at me coldly. "Please marry me, Your Grace. I don't mind if you take ten, thousand mistresses. I will live as quietly as a dead rat and will stay out of your way. You will get to keep your life. I won't complain, intervene, or demand from you."

His silence heightened the anxiousness creeping into my heart. My offer was tempting. Why was he not answering? Marrying me would be convenient for him since the emperor who plotted this would stop nagging him to get married.

"You will not mind if I take home a thousand mistresses?" he asked after his long silence, and I nodded profusely. "You won't complain, intervene, and demand from me as well? What a tempting offer."

I know, right? There was a glimmer of hope that bubbled in my heart but was short-lived a second later.

"But how about your duties as my wife?" Luis raised a brow and tilted his head to the side. "You will be the Grand Duchess, after all."

"I will do everything I need to as the Grand Duchess, Your Grace." I sounded like selling myself, but that's basically what this conversation was. Should I tell him more benefits if he procured this treasure called Me?

"How can you say that with such conviction if your primary duty to give me an heir will be proven impossible considering your frail body?"

His last remarks rendered me speechless. I once again grip my skirt, grinding my teeth secretly. 

"Is bearing an heir the only thing a woman can do?" I asked, even before I could have second thoughts. "That's quite disappointing to hear, then. I thought the Grand Duke of Esmond doesn't discriminate as long as a person can be an asset to him. I guess I heard incorrectly."

"As long as they can be an asset. Can you?"

"Who knows, Your Grace? You will not find out if you don't see it for yourself." The corner of my lips stretched into a forced smile.

There was just something in this men's world that a woman's duty to bear children that totally irked me to the core. That was one of the primary reasons I lived my entire life as Vera, proving this saying wrong. 

I became an empress despite being a lowborn without tact and sat a foolish man on the throne. The only thing that didn't go according to my plan was my end in the hands of my spouse and this second life as Marsella.

"A woman can be just as terrifying, as intimidating, and as dangerous as a devil," I remarked with absolute certainty. "Not all women are fans of romance, Your Grace."

"If you deem me useless, then you can toss me away as you please," I added with confidence. That would work for me as well. He could divorce me after I had enough money to live a luxurious life on my own.

Luis and I stared at each other in silence. I was mentally preparing myself to accept his refusal and the end of this shitty engagement. I could just think of another escape plan.

To my surprise, the side of his lips curled up. "That's more like it."

My brows knitted, staring blankly at him. What did he mean by that?

"Will you die tomorrow?" he asked out of the blue, and I could only answer with a confused, "no?"

"How about next week? Will you die then?"

"What? No?"

"In a month?" 

"How am I supposed to know that?" I gasped in dismay, forgetting my manners as I clicked my tongue in irritation.

Luis nodded approvingly. "I will arrange our marriage in a month. Don't die until then."

The carriage then stopped, reaching the Grand Duke's estate. Luis offered me a weak smile and offered me his hand.

"Shall we?"

I gazed at his hand, then back up at him blankly. Did he say he'll hasten our wedding? My eyes twinkled. In my eyes right now, he was someone I should worship.

"My husband is the best~!" my hand reached for his and clasped it excitedly. "Kyah~!"

"Don't celebrate just yet, my lady. You're unsure if you're getting out of hell just to jump to another hell." He chuckled, but I didn't care while he assisted me out of the carriage.

"A hell with you is better than being in hell alone." The corner of my lips stretched from ear to ear, winking at him coquettishly.

Luis let out a shallow breath. "Didn't you say not every woman is a fan of romance?"

"I just became one just now." I giggled, blushing in delight.

"How fickle," he mumbled as if he suddenly regretted giving me his word.