Chapter 1

Why are you obsessed with your fake wife?

E-book publication / August 22, 2021

Author / DD

Cover illustration / Coco Lip

Publisher / Fiance

ISBN 979-11-6730-097-3[05810]

© DD, 2021

This publication is a copyrighted work and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission.

Chapter 1

The marriage between the Balladit Duke's family and the Winterfell Marquess's family, who are sworn enemies.

Will this historic marriage bring reconciliation between the two families?

Most people answered yes.

They believed that becoming relatives would push past old grudges.

But if they could see the scene at this wedding feast, they would immediately realize how wrong they were.

At the party celebrating the birth of the newlyweds, the atmosphere was not warm but filled with a cold chill.

And the source of this chill was not the outside air or a block of ice, but a person.

"…Honeymoon room?"

The groom, who had been wearing a sullen expression throughout the feast, raised an eyebrow.

Even with just two words, his voice was filled with annoyance.

He asked the butler with a tone of disbelief.

"Did you just say honeymoon room? You want us to consummate the marriage?"

"Yes, now that the wedding is over, you are officially a married couple…"

"Are you telling me to share a bed with a woman who might have come here to assassinate me?"

"Oh, assassination?!"

The bride, taken aback by the unexpected word, trembled and raised her voice.

Her carefully made-up face quickly turned into a frown. Her pale complexion, which makeup could not hide, betrayed her fear.

But to the groom, Glen, who did not trust her at all, her reaction was nothing more than a despicable act.

He burst out laughing, finding it absurd, and continued.

"Then, Nadia Balladit, I have a question for you. Why did you volunteer to marry me? Are you a spy? Or are you planning to forge documents of treason? Do you intend to pin the crime of treason on our family?"

"That…"

"Speak the truth. No one here will protect you."

His voice was filled with genuine hostility.

The bride, trembling with fear, began to stammer after a long pause.

"It's because I have long admired the Marquess…"

"Nonsense!"

Crack. The sound of his teeth grinding could be heard.

"Are you telling me to believe such a lie?"

"Really, it's true! Please believe me. I fell in love with you at first sight."

The bride, Nadia, answered with a downcast gaze.

Her trembling eyelids seemed ready to spill tears at any moment.

If she weren't the daughter of his enemy, she might have almost convinced him with her realistic performance. How could she be so despicable?

'No doubt it's something your father made you do.'

Including the lie that she loves him.

Glen was not foolish enough to believe that the daughter of his enemy just happened to fall in love with him at first sight.

This was nothing more than a scheme by the Duke of Balladit to plant a spy in the territory of his rival.

The fact that the king, a puppet of the Duke, actively promoted this marriage was proof enough.

"Have we ever had a conversation before? Do you expect me to believe that you fell in love with a man you've never spoken to and followed him all the way to the North?"

"Does falling in love require a reason?"

"What a lunatic…"

"I love you, Marquess! Please accept my feelings!"

"…"

He glared at Nadia, who was still feigning helplessness and trembling, and gritted his teeth.

While he was suspicious of her motives for coming to the Winterfell family, he could not roughly interrogate the Duke's daughter.

For now, he could not harm her.

His clenched fists were trembling. Glen had to exercise patience several times to avoid acting on impulse.

'In any case, in enemy territory where I have no allies, a weak woman can do very little.'

Especially a wife who does not have her husband's recognition has even more limited options.

So, thinking rationally, there was no need to immediately expel her.

Removing an unwanted wife could wait until after dealing with his rival.

Until the day he could avoid suspicion of plotting independence for the North and build up his own strength.

He clenched his teeth and said,

"Fine. Let's see how long you can keep up this lie of love."

"…!"

Nadia's expression brightened at the prospect of being tolerated for now. But it was short-lived…

"But don't even dream of the delusion of being recognized as my wife. I will never have an heir with the daughter of Balladit."

"But I am not my father's spy! How can you doubt my sincerity…"

In response to Glen's warning, she immediately put on a pained expression.

Sniff. Nadia buried her face in her palms, as if in despair.

I almost chimed in, agreeing with her.

'Keep your word, you Marquess.'

He had been worried that he would be the one to demand marital duties.

But now that he had taken such a stance, he could only welcome it with open arms.

Thud, thud.

The sound of shoes hitting the marble floor and the chilling aura gradually faded away.

The sound of servants hurriedly following Glen could be heard.

It seemed he had left the room.

Nadia, feigning disappointment, lowered her head and asked,

"Has the Marquess… left?"

"That… it seems so."

The maids, unsure of what to do, began to exchange glances.

One of the maids, losing the silent power struggle, cautiously replied,

"Yes… it seems so."

Yay! Her inner voice cheered.

Since he had declared in front of so many people that he would not share a bed with her, he couldn't go back on his word.

After all, a man of this era prided himself on not speaking with a forked tongue.

Absolutely don't come. I'll use the big bed all by myself.

* * *

The circumstances that led to Nadia Balladit suddenly marrying into the enemy family were long and complicated.

So long, in fact, that it required going back to her first life.

Nadia, born as a second daughter of the Duke's family, seemed to have a life that started smoothly.

Although she was not a legitimate child, it was not a significant issue.

Nadia never overstepped her bounds, and the Duchess, who wanted to play the role of a magnanimous woman, was willing to embrace even her husband's illegitimate children.

While her half-siblings of similar age often picked fights with her, it was within a tolerable range.

Considering it as a trade-off for a comfortable life with a bit of inconvenience, she could manage.

And like most second daughters of noble families, she was used as a pawn in a political marriage after coming of age.

A position that was too good to give to a legitimate daughter but too valuable to leave unmarried.

The taunting voice of her half-sibling, who came to see her the day before the engagement, still rang in her ears.

'What's so great about being a hero from another world? A man with no roots or background! For all we know, he could have been a nobody in his own world. I wouldn't be able to live with such a man.'

Yes, she had definitely mocked her like that…

Nadia, suppressing a laugh, said,

"Are you now regretting that man? You used to say he was low and you wouldn't live with him."

"Watch your mouth. The low woman is you."

Nadia's gaze fell on a blonde woman in a luxurious fur coat, standing with a grand dress trailing behind her.

Her face, looking down at Nadia, was filled with triumph and superiority.

It was Kareen, the only legitimate daughter of the Balladit family and Nadia's half-sibling.

She sneered with a delighted expression.

"Considering you were seen cavorting with other men while engaged, you sure talk a lot."

"Your mind, which came up with the idea of framing me, is even dirtier."

"Oh my! There were several witnesses, and you still deny it!"

This incident had occurred at a masquerade ball.

The atmosphere at a masquerade ball was freer than at other parties, and many people had offered her drinks.

Attending such an event without knowing her own alcohol tolerance was foolish.

The number of drinks she had that day was far less than her limit.

Yet, at some point, she lost consciousness, and when she barely regained it, everything had already happened.

When she opened her eyes to the murmurs of the crowd, Nadia found herself half-naked, rolling on a sofa with a strange man in the lounge.

Worse still, there were countless witnesses to the scene.

The rumor that she, a betrothed woman, had slept with another man spread like wildfire.

Even a thousand-mile horse couldn't have been faster.

'That woman's mother seduced the Duke and improved her life.'

'She can't live without men. Indeed, like mother, like daughter. Tsk, tsk.'

'What did the Duke of Balladit say? That a bastard daughter disgraced the family's honor, and he could have cast her out with nothing.'

'But he mercifully ordered her to be confined to a separate house.'

'Oh, how merciful.'

Nadia was not foolish enough to think her father kept her out of love.

He only wanted to avoid being seen as a cruel father.

This was evident from the fact that she was locked in the basement, not a separate house.

The absurdity and disappointment were so overwhelming that a laugh escaped her lips.

To go to such lengths to tarnish the honor she once cherished.

"Who could have written this ridiculous script… Of course, it was you and Father, Kareen."

"You and Father?"