You have to take what they give you. Isn't that a violent demand?
Ever since I came here, I've been like his doll.
I felt humiliated inside, but when I heard that, I was furious.
"Are you just asking me to take it?"
"Why? Can't you even do that?"
Asking sarcastically, Kishian sneered at the corners of his mouth.
I glared at him with a shaped eyebrow, but he didn't care, and he cut the meat into pieces and fed it to me.
"You look angry, but you're going to have to hold on."
"..."
"From now on, you'll have to live in the bedroom I gave you, wear the clothes I gave you, and eat the food I feed you."
Hearing these words full of malice towards me, I couldn't help but laugh.
"You're putting in a lot effort. It's already painful enough for you to do this."
It was ridiculous that a man the size of a Grand Duke would put in the effort to humiliate someone like me.
It was just such a light-hearted remark, but for some reason, his hand stopped.
I don't think he was shocked or angry.
Just as I was wondering, he asked me an even more puzzling question.
"Is it that painful? What do you depend on me?"
I laughed again, thinking it was a new question.
"So you thought I'd be happy?"
"..."
"I still can't forget the past. I'm in a situation where I'm falling into your hands and taking out my anger on..."
I gave a self-help smile to Kishian with a stern face.
"Didn't the Grand Duke bring me here for that? I'm going to take my anger out on you."
He had led the army to the imperial palace to fetch me, and I wondered why he was acting like he was surprised.
It was only then that Kishian seemed to be reminded of the purpose for which he had dragged me.
"Yes, it should be painful. You have to suffer."
Mumbling as if to remind, he stood up.
Apparently, he had decided to stop force-feeding me food, so he handed me the dishes and utensils.
I was a little puzzled that the man who had been so pushy was suddenly about to back down.
"Are you going back to your bedroom?"
"Yes, why am I wasting my time dealing with you?"
"You thought it through. I'll take care of the meals so you can go home."
Yes, I wanted you not to waste your time on things that bothered me.
He had already become the untouchable Lord of the North, and I was his property.
It was already a win-win battle, so he didn't have to be obsessed with me at all.
He just have to enjoy the shining life that has spread out in front of him like a winner...
"You're going to have to eat everything that's in the bowl. I'll check with the maids later."
Before stepping out of my bedroom, Kishian paused at the door and suddenly said those words.
I said, "Okay." Only then did he close the door and disappear.
It doesn't matter if I starve myself or not.
I felt embarrassed, but I couldn't do anything about it, so I slowly emptied the bowl.
***
After that, I couldn't skip meals at all.
Unlike in the North Annex, where no one cared about me, when I came to the main building, I had to be watched by the maids in the name of "interest."
They pretended to flirt with me when I ate, and when I was done, they squinted to check my bowl.
When it was all emptied, it passed without saying a word, but on the days when it was not emptied properly, I was invariably scolded.
Just like right now.
"Wouldn't it be better to eat all that soup? It's a soup that the chef has simmered for over six hours for Your Highness."
When I couldn't finish the soup, Madame Bianca, who was watching from the sidelines, predictably beat me up.
"Look. I don't want to."
"But that's what Your Highness always says. You're so delicate and thin, and you always say you don't have a good appetite..."
Madame Bianca shook her head, genuinely worried.
I couldn't ignore her worries, so I scooped up a few more spoonfuls of soup and drank it.
As the saying goes, it was steeped for a long time, and it was quite flavorful.
The deep taste of the meat soaked my mouth and brought me a feeling of happiness.
It's just that I'm wary of Kishian, and I'm wary of everything Kishian's mansion has to offer, so I can't really savor it.
As I put a few spoonfuls of soup down on the bedside table on the road, Madam Bianca's eyes drooped again.
"Are you sure you're going to stop?"
"Yes, not today."
"Then it can't be helped, but... The Grand Duke must be up all night worrying."
There was no way Kishian would keep up at night worrying that I would starve, but I didn't bother to correct Madame Bianca.
If I corrected her that he didn't love me, he wouldn't believe me anyway, and even if she did, it wouldn't do me any good.
So I just replied.
"He wouldn't mind if you skipped meals like this. Or, rather, he might like it. Wouldn't the average man prefer a woman who was moderately hungry and thin?"
"Huh? No! That's not true, Your Highness!"
Madame Bianca, who was usually boisterous, once again grabbed my hands with a flurry of excitement.
I didn't have time to panic when I heard an even more disconcerting story.
"How worried the Grand Duke was about Your Highness's body."
"...Is he?"
"Yes, I feel like you're going to collapse right now, so I need to put on weight as soon as possible and get healthy. That's what he always said."
Why are you trying to fatten me up? Is this also one of Kishian's revenge?
I was trying to guess his intentions. I heard some strange words from Madam Bianca.
"After all, you have to get married soon..."
"Married?"
When I asked, Madame Bianca looked at me with round eyes as if surprised.
"Didn't the Grand Duke tell you? Uou're going to have a wedding in about a month?"
"Who... exactly?"
"Haha, you're mischievous..."
Madame Bianca thought I was joking, but I was really embarrassed.
What wedding all of a sudden?
I just stared blankly at Madame Bianca's eyes widened as if she realized I wasn't joking.
"Whose wedding is winning? Of course, it's the wedding of His Highness the Grand Duke and Your Royal Highness!"
The moment I heard that, I couldn't speak.
I couldn't even think about it.
I was embarrassed by the sudden news of my marriage from someone else.
"My... My wedding?"
Embarrassed, Madame Bianca gave me a more detailed explanation.
"Yes, the Grand Duke has just returned from the Demon Invasion Grounds, so he hasn't been able to hold the wedding yet. He said that the ceremony will be held properly this time... You really didn't hear it?"
I nodded, and a look of embarrassment immediately appeared on her face.
She was worried that she might have made a mistake, so I soothed her for now.
"No, I heard about it, but I forgot about it. As you know, I'm not in a good state right now, and I have a lot of work to do, so I forgot about it for a while."
"Are you okay? If you're uncomfortable... to the doctor."
"That's fine. Rather, I have something I want to tell the Grand Duke."
To Madame Bianca, who was waiting for me to speak, I spoke as calmly as I could.
"I have something to tell him about our wedding, so come over tonight when he have time, and tell me about it."
***
After I removed Madame Bianca from the bedroom, I waited.
I hope Kishian hears my message and comes to me.
I thought he might ignore my call to humiliate me, but he did.
It's also pretty fast.
Even though I asked him to some in the evening, he came unexpectedly in the early afternoon and asked me all the time.
"You said you have something to talk about the wedding. What is it?"
"...Are you asking because you really don't know what it is?"
I continued, feeling a smile leak out of my embarrassment.
"I didn't know you were preparing to cool off without a top."
"Is this something that needs to be discussed?"
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