The Duke's Obsession With His Wife — Chapter 8

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT LETTING ME BE...

...YOUR VERY OWN PERSEUS?

ARE YOU...

...TRYING TO PROPOSE TO ME?

#SHOOK #TRIGGERED

OF COURSE. WHAT ELSE COULD I BE SAYING?

NEVER MIND.

SO I DIDN'T JUST IMAGINE THAT...

BUT, WHY?

WE BARELY KNOW EACH OTHER, SO I'M SURE IT'S NOT LOVE.

WHY ME?

HMM...

"WHY," INDEED...

SOMETIMES, I WISH I COULD BE ANDROMEDA.

IT SOUNDED MORE LIKE SHE WAS SHARING A BIG SECRET...

RATHER THAN HER THOUGHTS ON THE PAINTING.

THE ONLY FAMILY SHE HAS IS THAT HORRIBLE STEPMOTHER, STEPSISTERS WHO MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS...

AND A FATHER WHO RARELY SPENDS TIME AT HOME.

SHE'LL NEED A HUSBAND IN ORDER TO GET HER INHERITANCE...

BUT SHE SHOWS VERY LITTLE INTEREST IN GETTING MARRIED.

PERHAPS IT'S BECAUSE SHE KNOWS SHE CAN'T AFFORD A DECENT DOWRY.

SHE MUST HAVE JUST RESIGNED HERSELF TO HER FATE.

AND THAT'S WHY...

...THIS WILL BE AN OFFER SHE SIMPLY CAN'T REFUSE.

YOU SAID YOU WISHED YOU COULD BECOME ANDROMEDA.

AND WHAT'S THAT GOT TO DO WITH YOU?

WELL, IT JUST HAPPENS SO THAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR AN ANDROMEDA LIKE YOU.

LIKE ME...?

SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A HERO, BUT DOESN'T NEED LOVE.

PAPA KIRISTAN...

I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOUR REAL NAME. YOU DIDN'T EVEN SIGN IT ON THE HORSE BREEDER'S CONTRACT.

THAT'S—

DID YOU KNOW THAT NOBLES FROM THE GREAT HOUSES...

ALL SHARE A PARTICULAR ATTITUDE THAT THEY CAN'T EVER SEEM TO CONCEAL?

IT'S RATHER OBVIOUS.

THE FACT THAT YOU REFUSE TO REVEAL YOUR NAME...

TELLS ME THAT IT PROBABLY CARRIES A LOT OF FAME AND INFLUENCE.

I'M WILLING TO SHARE MY NAME WITH MY FUTURE WIFE, AT LEAST.

I SUPPOSE A CHILD IS WHAT YOU NEED?

NOT FOR ME.

NOT FOR YOU, MAYBE...

BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN YOUR FAMILY WHO FEEL DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THAT MATTER.

I MAY BE QUICK TO PICK UP ON THINGS, BUT I'M NOT A VERY "NOBLE" PERSON.

AND I DON'T WANT TO BE BURDENED WITH THE DUTIES OF A NOBLEWOMAN.

BUT HAVEN'T YOU REALIZED IT YOURSELF, LADY ANRI...?

I CAN GIVE YOU ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT. I CAN BE YOUR...

PERFECT ESCAPE.

I DON'T CARE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE ON THE BURDENS OF A NOBLEWOMAN.

I WANT YOU, ANRI.

OH MY

HOW VERY FORWARD OF YOU...

I'LL DECLINE.

SHIELD OF ANDROMEDA

HEY!!

OPEN UP, YOU LITTLE WITCH! I WANT TO KNOW WHY THAT GENTLEMAN BROUGHT YOU HOME TODAY!

QUIT BOTHERING ME AND GO TO BED ALREADY!

WHAT A PAIN.

THIS ONE IS FOR YOU.

WHAT?

BUT, THIS IS...

IT'S A GIFT TO SHOW MY APPRECIATION FOR ALL THE HELP YOU'VE GIVEN ME TODAY.

I'LL SEE YOU SOON.

HEY, WAIT!

WAS I BEING TOO STUBBORN?

EVERYTHING HE SAID WAS TRUE, AFTER ALL.

HE EVEN KNEW HOW MUCH I WANTED TO ESCAPE FROM THIS HOUSE.

BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I'M A COUNTESS OR A DUCHESS.

A NOBLEWOMAN HAS TO GIVE BIRTH IF SHE WANTS A COMFORTABLE LIFE.

ANDROMEDA WAS ONLY ABLE TO HAVE SIX CHILDREN...

BECAUSE PERSEUS WAS A GOOD HUSBAND TO HER.

AND THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT MAN CAN BECOME MY PERSEUS.

BESIDES, IT'S NOT THAT I REALLY WANTED TO BECOME ANDROMEDA.

I JUST...

WELL, THERE'S NO NEED TO LET THE PAST BRING ME DOWN!

I'M SO HAPPY TO FINALLY HAVE A PAINTING OF MY OWN.

WHERE SHOULD I HANG THIS?

OKAY, ONE, TWO...

THREE!!!

GYAA, AHH!

CANDICE, COME HERE AND GIVE ME A HAND.

WHAT FOR?

YOU CAN PULL THOSE STRINGS ALL YOU WANT, BUT IT WON'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT SHE'S BEEN STUFFING HER FACE SINCE BREAKFAST.

CANDICE!

MOTHER! PUTTING A NICE DRESS ON EUNICE...

IS LIKE PUTTING PEARLS BEFORE SWINE!

IT'LL BE EMBARRASSING TO BE SEEN WITH HER, ANYWAY.

LET'S JUST GO TO THE BALL WITHOUT HER.

LADY ANRI, TIME FOR YOUR BREAKFAST!

ALRIGHT, FINE.

UH... MY LADY.

WHAT IS IT?

ARE YOU REALLY NOT GOING TO GO?

TO DUKE BRISTON'S BALL, I MEAN.

TO BE HONEST, THE BRISTON BALL...

IS WHERE EDWIN AND ELIZE MEET FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

IT'S ONE OF THE NOVEL'S MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS...

BUT I'M JUST A SIDE CHARACTER, SO I PROBABLY WON'T EVEN GET A CHANCE TO SEE ANYTHING.

WHY WOULD I GO TO A PLACE LIKE THAT? I'M NOT GOING.

ALRIGHT, MY LADY. GET SOME REST.

I'LL GET YOUR NEWSPAPER AND A DESSERT.

THAT MUST BE THE CARRIAGE...

I GUESS THEY JUST LEFT... THEY SURE ARE IN A RUSH.

A-ANRI...

I DIDN'T THINK I'D FIND YOU HERE.

EUNICE...? WHY DIDN'T YOU GO TO THE BALL?

DID CANDICE BULLY YOU INTO STAYING HOME?

... I'VE CHANGED MY MIND.

LET'S GO.

COME WITH ME...

...TO THAT LOUSY BALL!