I Had an Arranged Marriage With My Unrequited Love — Chapter 1

EVERY MORNING WHEN I OPEN MY EYES,

I HOPE TO FIND HIM RIGHT BESIDE ME.

I HOPE TO FIND HIM RIGHT BESIDE ME.

STILL, I'M HAPPY...

I LOVE RANUNCULUSES THE MOST.

BECAUSE THE PINK ONES ARE THE PRETTIEST.

DID HE REMEMBER A CASUAL REMARK I LET SLIP AS I WALKED BY?

SINCE THAT DAY, WITHOUT MISSING A SINGLE MORNING,

THE FRAGRANCE OF FLOWERS HAS FILLED OUR BEDROOM.

FRESH BOUQUETS EVERY SINGLE DAY IN THE DEAD OF WINTER,

IT FEELS JUST LIKE A DREAM.

MY NAME IS IRENE MUBER.

BORN TO A LOW-RANKING NOBLE FAMILY,

UNTIL RECENTLY, I WAS PREPARING TO MARRY AN ELDERLY COUNT.

THREE MONTHS AGO

SHE IS AS LOVELY AS THE RUMORS SAY.

INDEED SHE IS, COUNT.

A MINOR NOBLE FAMILY WHOSE DEBTS BALLOONED DUE TO FRAUD.

KNOWING HOW MUCH MY FAMILY WAS STRUGGLING,

WHEN THE MARRIAGE PROPOSAL CAME IN, I DIDN’T EVEN DARE TO REFUSE IT.

I WOULD BE DELIGHTED IF YOU WOULD LOOK UPON THIS FAVORABLY.

VERY WELL, THEN. LET US DISCUSS THE TERMS A BIT FURTHER...

IF I HAD KNOWN IT WOULD COME TO THIS...

I SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST TRIED SPEAKING TO HIM ONCE.

I WILL NEVER FORGET THE DAY I FIRST LAID EYES ON HIM.

THE DAY HE APPEARED IN THE CAPITAL'S HIGH SOCIETY, FULFILLING HIS DUTIES AS AN IMPERIAL PRINCE AT THE BORDER.

THE DUKE OF DELOISTER IS ENTERING!

GOOD HEAVENS!

TO THINK THE DUKE IS SO YOUNG AND HANDSOME...

DUKE FELIX DELOISTER

THE EMPEROR'S COUSIN, RULER OF THE IMPERIAL DUCHY.

THE SYMBOL OF NOBLESSE OBLIGE, FULFILLING HIS DUTIES AS ROYALTY.

IT WAS ONLY NATURAL THAT A DUKE LIKE THAT IMMEDIATELY BECAME THE MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR.

YOUR GRACE, MIGHT I INTRODUCE MY DAUGHTER TO YOU?

A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, I AM...

IS THIS WHAT IT MEANS TO FALL IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT?

I WISH I COULD AT LEAST SPEAK TO HIM ONCE.

BUT I...

KNOW MY PLACE.

THE DAUGHTER OF A POOR NOBLE FAMILY, SOON TO BE MARRIED OFF TO AN ELDERLY COUNT.

I SHOULD BE CONTENT JUST BEING ABLE TO WATCH FROM AFAR LIKE THIS...

DID THE HEAVENS LOOK UPON ME WITH PITY?

ONE DAY, QUITE SUDDENLY,

AN IMPERIAL DECREE CAME DOWN.

IRENE!

IRENE! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!

FATHER?

WHAT IS THE MATTER...

HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR HAS COMMANDED YOU TO MARRY!

YOU ARE ORDERED TO MARRY DUKE FELIX DELOISTER!

...PARDON?

OPEN IT QUICKLY!

“we Hereby Order The Marriage Of Duke Felix Deloister And Irene, Daughter Of Viscount Muber.”

I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON MYSELF...

AFTER THE QUESTION OF WHY THE EMPEROR WOULD DO THIS,

I THOUGHT THIS MUST BE A MIRACLE.

...IT FEELS LIKE A DREAM.

MARRYING THE PERSON I COULD ONLY ADMIRE FROM AFAR. ME?

...HOWEVER,

WOULDN'T HE HATE BEING MARRIED TO SOMEONE LIKE ME?

THE CAPITAL

THERE MUST BE COUNTLESS YOUNG LADIES FAR MORE BEAUTIFUL AND FROM MUCH GRANDER FAMILIES THAN ME, CROWDING THE STREETS...

MISS MUBER.

IT'S ESSENTIALLY A FORCED MARRIAGE BY IMPERIAL DECREE, AFTER ALL.

IT IS AN HONOR TO MEET YOU.

I AM FELIX DELOISTER.

MEETING HIM IN PERSON,

HE WAS A MUCH WARMER MAN THAN I HAD IMAGINED.

HE SHOWED NO SIGN OF DISLIKING OUR SUDDEN MARRIAGE,

PAID OFF ALL OF MY FAMILY'S DEBTS AS PART OF THE UNION,

GIFTED ME MY FAVORITE FLOWERS EVERY MORNING,

AND EVERY SINGLE NIGHT...

NGH, AH...

AH-NGH!

ARE YOU STRUGGLING?

AH, NO... TH-THAT'S NOT IT...

MNN...

AH...

LET'S TAKE IT A BIT SLOWER.

HAH, HA...

MNN...

...AM I GOING TOO FAST?

AHRN...

IT ALWAYS FEELS LIKE THE DUKE IS HOLDING BACK SO AS NOT TO OVERWORK ME...

HAH...

U-UM...

YOU, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU LIKE...

AH—

MNN...

HA-NGH, AH...

AH-NGH!

AH, RIGHT THERE...

M-MY LORD...

I TOLD YOU TO CALL ME FELIX.

CALL YOU BY YOUR NAME?

HAH!

AH, AH-RN...

NGH

HOW DARE I,

AM I EVEN ALLOWED TO SAY HIS NAME?

AH!!

P-PLEASE...

FE-FELIX...

MHM

HAH, HA-NGH!

AH-NGH...!

IS HE SATISFIED WITH OUR RELATIONSHIP, TOO?

THE YOUNG DUKE OF THE EMPIRE IS A VERY BUSY MAN.

EVEN THOUGH HE LEAVES EVERY MORNING AT DAWN,

THE FACT THAT HE PULLS ME INTO HIS ARMS EVERY NIGHT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE HE DOESN’T HATE ME.

I JUST HOPE HIS ACTIONS TOWARD ME

AREN’T MERELY DRIVEN BY ‘A HUSBAND’S DUTY.’

I FAILED TO REALIZE.

THAT FOR A NAIVE NEW BRIDE FROM AN INSIGNIFICANT FAMILY...

HIGH SOCIETY IS NOT A FORGIVING PLACE.

PARDON?

CURRENTLY TWO MONTHS INTO THE NEWLYWEDS' LIFE.

WHAT... DID YOU JUST SAY?

DUCHESS OF DELOISTER, I AM A REPORTER.

I HAVE BROUGHT MATERIALS THAT I BELIEVE THE DUCHESS OUGHT TO SEE AS WELL.

THIS WOMAN IS...

THEODORA GRANTEA, THE MARQUIS'S DAUGHTER WHO WAS CLOSE WITH MY HUSBAND BEFORE OUR MARRIAGE.

THERE WERE ONCE LOUD WHISPERS WONDERING IF SHE WOULD BECOME THE DUCHESS...

WHY IS HE SHOWING ME THIS?

WOULD YOU BE ALRIGHT WITH US PUBLISHING THIS ARTICLE JUST AS IT IS, DUCHESS?

...THIS REPORTER IS ASKING FOR MONEY.

A YOUNG DUKE WHO HAS ONLY BEEN MARRIED FOR TWO MONTHS.

ESPECIALLY WITH A MARRIAGE THAT DREW SO MUCH GOSSIP,

IF A SENSATIONAL ARTICLE WITH PHOTOS LIKE THIS COMES OUT, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE IN DEEP TROUBLE.

A SECRET TRYST JUST TWO MONTHS INTO NEWLYWEDS' LIFE.

NOT ONLY WOULD IT DRAG THE NAMES OF BOTH FAMILIES THROUGH THE MUD,

BUT ABOVE ALL, THE DIGNITY OF THE EMPEROR WHO ORDERED THIS MARRIAGE...

TO HUSH SOMETHING LIKE THIS UP, IT WOULD SURELY TAKE A MASSIVE SUM OF MONEY...

OUR FAMILY IS SMALL AND POOR,

AND I DARE NOT TOUCH THE WEALTH OF THE DUCAL HOUSEHOLD.

...I NEED TO STAY AS CALM AS POSSIBLE.

THE TWO WERE ALREADY FAMOUS AS 'FRIENDS' IN HIGH SOCIETY LONG BEFORE OUR MARRIAGE.

I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH JUST THESE PHOTOS.

COMING IN AND SITTING BEFORE ME OUT OF THE BLUE, ACTING LIKE THIS...

HAHA.

DUCHESS, THESE TWO...

WENT INTO A HOTEL AT TWO IN THE AFTERNOON, AND CAME OUT AT FIVE.

A MAN AND A WOMAN GOING INTO A HOTEL TOGETHER,

WHAT ON EARTH DO THEY DO FOR THREE HOURS?

...WHAT DID YOU SAY?