Don’t Tame the Tomboy

“What? You’re getting married? And to the Grand Duke?”

A stunned Bianca jumped out of bed and turned to face her sister.

The two of them had planned to sleep side by side in the same bed after a long time.

It was a reaction that Katya had expected, but she felt inexplicably embarrassed and hid under the blanket.

When Bianca also entered, the blanket rose like a tent.

The nearby candle cast a thin, bright light through the white linen cloth.

“Hiding won’t solve anything, you know?”

“That’s why I’m telling you first.”

“Well done.”

Feeling pleased with being the first to hear the news, she lay down and smirked at her sister.

“It’s still a secret from Father.”

“When will you tell him?”

“Soon. Actually, it hasn’t been long since the proposal. I met him earlier today after contemplating for a while and agreed.”

“Is that why Ivan stormed out? He kicked everything in his path.”

“Really? What a funny guy. Maybe he has anger management issues.”

Katya chuckled in disbelief.

“But you know, when the butler mentioned it was expensive, he suddenly became well-behaved. After that, he tidied up and left quietly.”

Imagining the clumsy and pitiful figure straightening up and leaving, no laughter came out anymore.

Katya suddenly felt resentful. She couldn’t help but feel unjust for being deceived by such a worthless fool.

“But I’m upset. When did you two have that kind of relationship? Were you originally acquainted with the Grand Duke?”

“Actually, it was when I escaped from Petrozky’s villa. Ivan’s subordinates chased us all the way to the inn.”

“Are you okay? What will happen if you tell him now? I won’t stand idly by!”

Katya grabbed Bianca’s hand as she tried to get up in excitement and gently laid her back down.

She had known this would happen and had chosen not to say anything.

Normally, she was a quiet and well-behaved younger sister, but when it came to her sister’s affairs, she would disappear from sight.

“Anyway, at that time, I was almost about to be dragged away, but coincidentally, the Grand Duke happened to be there and rescued me.”

“The Grand Duke?”

“Yeah. And he even brought me back to the Duke’s residence. Thanks to that, I returned safely.”

“…Wait a minute. Didn’t you say that day that you stayed overnight at the inn because of the heavy rain?”

She has a good memory. In response to the sharp observation, Katya cleared her throat and pushed her head out of the blanket.

Bianca also didn’t miss a beat and quickly followed suit.

“Sister, you don’t mean you and the Grand Duke…? Ah!”

Her face turned completely red, and she quickly covered her sister’s mouth.

In reality, it was practically her unofficial first night with Nikolai.

Back then, they had no idea it would turn out like this.

With all her strength, Bianca managed to free herself from her strong-handed sister’s grasp.

“Ouch, I can’t breathe! Sister, seriously?”

“I’m just kidding?”

“What do you mean kidding?”

“It means it’s anything but that. Absolutely not!”

“But then why can’t you look me in the eye?”

In response to those words, Katya turned her head towards Bianca, but her green eyes were directed elsewhere.

“Look at this sister. Seems like something’s going on.”

“The important thing is! At that time, I didn’t even know he was the Grand Duke, and I committed such rudeness that it’s terrifying to think about it now.”

“But how did you come to think about marriage?”

“I’m curious about that too.”

Where did she look, and how did she fall in love?

Nikolai had pointed out the exact moment he fell for her, but Katya couldn’t understand it at all.

If she were a man, she would have never fallen in love with a woman like herself.

He’d probably proposed to a delicate and tender beauty, with platinum hair like Bianca, a trembling lily of the valley.

However, despite encountering Bianca several times while coming and going to the Duke, strangely enough, Nikolai showed no interest in her.

His gaze was always on Katya.

“They say the gods are fair, and it seems to be true. Giving him everything, including strange tastes and peculiar preferences….”

“What are you saying?”

“It’s nothing.”

Anyway, the beneficiary was none other than herself.

At this point, he was showing such intense affection that it was unimaginable for him to set his eyes on another woman in the future.

Unlike Ivan, who blackmailed her by holding her secret as a weakness, Nikolai did not try to force her into marriage using his position as the Grand Duke.

He simply waited silently until she accepted his proposal.

Such a man was truly rare.

No, perhaps there was no one else like him in the world.

“Sister, do you love the Grand Duke?”

Bianca asked Katya, who was lost in thought at that moment.

In response to her question, Katya lay down and stared at the ceiling for a while.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“But I don’t think I’ll ever find someone who loves me as much as he does.”

He was not the kind of man who would try to tame a tomboy to suit his tastes.

And above all else…

“He said he loves me for who I am, without any pretense or refinement.”

He wasn’t a man trying to mold the mischievous girl to his liking.

A slow smile appeared on the corners of the younger sister’s mouth as she watched her sister.

“Then he’s approved.”

With a positive response, Katya turned back to her.

“Aren’t you scared? In the north, he’s called the Grand Duke of Blood. He’s killed so many people around him.”

“I’m fine as long as you’re happy, sister. And if he were such a bad person, you wouldn’t have agreed to marry him, would you?”

“Do I have discerning eyes? You just believe everything.”

“You told me you wouldn’t marry unless you lower your eyes1suggests that instead of avoiding or turning a blind eye to a situation or problem, it is better to confront it directly or take appropriate action.”

“That’s right. I’ve never thought it’s possible to get married without lowering your eyes.”

What seemed impossible became a reality.

It felt like she was dreaming.

She was worried because the position of the Grand Duchess seemed burdensome and being a hostess didn’t suit her nature, but Nikolai was the ideal she had always imagined.

If he hadn’t appeared in her life, Katya might have lived alone without ever getting married.

It was a position that anyone would desire, but it was astonishingly returned.

This marriage contract was advantageous for Katya in many ways.

After experiencing one year of married life, she would be able to preserve her freedom and the Duke’s estate after the divorce.

But Nikolai was different.

“Then, what does the Grand Duke gain by marrying me?”

“The thrilling newlywed life with you?”

“Besides that, the Grand Duke doesn’t have anything to gain from me.”

“Why wouldn’t I gain anything? There must be lifelong memories to cherish before dying.”

Is that really all he wants from me?

What do I have to say about it.

Katya became curious whether she truly had the qualifications to receive such love from him.

“Oh, it’s a shame that I could have rejected all those suitors thanks to you enduring all this time.”

Bianca expressed her dissatisfaction with a mischievous face.

Duke Smirnov had put forth a condition that he wouldn’t allow the marriage of his second daughter until the eldest daughter got married. Now, once Katya got married, Bianca had no more excuses.

“Did you find that person? Your first love, you said.”

“Not yet. I was planning to go to the northern region to look for him. Will your wedding take place in the north? Then I can stay at your place and search! Since it’s the palace, I might easily come across those nobles too, right?”

“Oh! Now that you mention it, I haven’t told you that either.”

As if remembering it just now, Katya mumbled.

Apart from Katya’s family, the people in the southern region were still unaware of the Grand Duke’s journey to the south. Duke Smirnov had made sure to keep it a secret from the other nobles, and Ivan, out of fear for Nikolai, hadn’t even thought of mocking him with reckless words.

“It seems like the Grand Duke’s journey to the south hasn’t ended yet, so we might have to postpone the wedding until after that, I think?”

“There aren’t many days left until I can’t call you ‘sister’ anymore. Now that you’re a Grand Duchess, I’ll have to call you Her Highness.”

“Whatever. Even when others are around, keep calling me ‘sister’ when it’s just the two of us.”

“Oh my? Your Highness, to think you’re considering using such deceitful methods from the start!”

“The Grand Duke said even such a devious Grand Duchess is welcome.”

Katya shrugged her shoulders at the playful reprimand.

“Really? I hope it pleases my brother-in-law.”

“Brother-in-law?”

“Well, he will be my brother-in-law. He’ll be my sister’s husband.”

The younger sister seemed incredibly excited at the thought of welcoming a new family member.

Father would probably be surprised at first, but eventually, he would be delighted.

Katya realized once again that marriage was not just a matter between two people but also an affair between households.

When she got divorced, she could already envision how sad Bianca and Father would be.

They were the most beloved family in the world, but precisely because of that, she thought it would be better to hide the contract marriage.

***

Early in the morning, a guest arrived at the lodging where the Grand Duke and his entourage were staying.

“Here it is, as you mentioned.”

As soon as Luka sat down on the chair, he pushed the box onto the table.

Nikolai, who was sitting across, accepted the box and placed it on the seat next to him without even bothering to check its contents.

“Why don’t you open it? You said you would go out today.”

“Forget it. There’s no need for perfume when I’m just meeting those men.”

“Then why did you urgently ask for it in the letter?”

“Could it be that there’s some smell coming from my body?”

“It didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s not that, I’m really asking. What kind of smell do I have?”

Nikolai’s gaze became quite serious.

There was a scent about Katya that always made him feel good.

So he thought it would be nice if he also smelled good when she met him.

Suddenly, he became concerned whether he had only emitted a sweaty smell to her all this time, which led to him persistently asking for perfume.

“It’s strange. When you were in the north, you didn’t care about those things. It’s like you’re someone who wants to impress a woman.”

Luka made an unnecessary comment.

Normally, Nikolai would have reacted instantly, but this time, there was no response.

Did the joke go too far?

“Your Highness……?”

“That’s right. I’ve fallen in love.”

“Pardon?”

“Now, to the point where I can’t do without that person.”

Nikolai, wearing a warm gaze that she had never seen before, muttered those words.