The Fake Wife of the Strongest Husband Wants to Survive - Chapter 4

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 4
What did you say? Pesha’s ears refused to believe what they’d just heard.
Everyone knew this was a political marriage, but did she really have to kiss him when they were practically strangers?
Panic seized her, and she was glancing about wildly when Owen’s large hand suddenly gripped her face.
Before she could react, she found herself forced to look directly at him—and his expression remained as rigid and cold as stone.
“Y-Your Highness……”
Ignoring the alarm written plainly across Pesha’s features, Owen lowered his head.
‘Surely he wouldn’t actually—’
Then she felt something soft press against her lips.
He’d actually done it.
Owen captured her frozen lips gently, meeting them with tenderness before drawing away.
“……”
Pesha found herself speechless.
The best she could manage was to stand motionless like a statue, eyes wide as saucers.
Whether aware of the bride’s shock or not, the Officiant—who’d been dabbing away cold sweat with a Handkerchief—brought the marriage vow to a close.
“With this, we ask for a round of blessing applause for the newly united couple.”
Whatever doubts lurked beneath the surface, the bride’s guests clapped audibly enough.
And the groom’s attendants……
‘Good heavens.’
Her head turned stiffly, and Pesha’s eyes fell upon the groom’s guests—they weren’t clapping at all.
Instead, they stood with folded arms, their expressions dark with disapproval.
‘This is dreadful.’
The weight of their displeasure seemed to foretell a difficult path ahead.
‘Not that I can’t understand their feelings. They have every right to resent me.’
At what should have been their golden chance to gain a dukedom, they’d gotten the Duke’s daughter instead—no wonder they felt cheated.
Had she been in their position, she too would have found it hard to look kindly upon the bride.
‘My future as a daughter-in-law looks bleak indeed.’
Having surrendered to her fate, Pesha let out a hollow laugh.
She could already foresee the hardships to come.
* * *
Once the wedding concluded, Pesha climbed into a large Four-horse carriage that had been prepared beforehand.
She’d heard they would depart immediately for Swarp, the estate of House of Namoi—and it seemed that was indeed the case.
Owen escorted Pesha into the carriage and then seated himself across from her.
Silence settled over the interior.
Though her head was bowed so she couldn’t be certain, she had the distinct feeling he was watching her.
Pesha risked a glance upward to study him.
Just as she suspected, he was staring at her with an intensity that could have burned through stone.
‘Oh!’
Startled, she lowered her eyes again, but the weight of his gaze was unbearable to endure in silence.
Pesha realized she needed to break the tension and opened her mouth.
“My lord Namoi……”
“……”
He said nothing, merely fixing her with an expectant stare that urged her to state her business.
First, she needed to apologize.
It was absurd to rush through a wedding and then offer an apology, but some things couldn’t be simply overlooked.
She should tell him how sorry she was for the humiliation, but her throat was dry and her tongue felt stiff—the words wouldn’t come with proper sincerity.
Pesha squeezed her eyes shut, gathering her courage, and offered her apology.
“I was truly sorry for what happened then.”
No matter how desperate or terrified she’d been, it was wrong to have subjected him—a man who’d rushed home from defending the realm—to such public shame in front of so many witnesses.
“Then?”
The man’s deep, low voice sounded almost menacing.
Pesha fidgeted uncomfortably before answering.
“When I said I didn’t want to marry, Your Highness.”
“……”
“It wasn’t that I disliked you personally. I just thought I was too young to marry yet…… I was foolish and short-sighted.”
“So because marriage seemed premature, you decided to enter a convent instead, is that it?”
Eh?
Confused for a moment by his words, Pesha suddenly recalled what she had said that day.
“Your Majesty! I don’t wish to marry the Earl of Namoi. I…… I will not marry—I shall become a nun instead!”
The memory flooded back, and Pesha felt her face grow hot with shame.
“Ah…….”
This was a disaster. Why had I said such a thing?
No matter who heard it, I’d made it sound as though I’d rather become a nun than marry him—there was no way to take it back.
“That is, well……”
I was scrambling frantically for an excuse when he cut me off.
Owen spoke in a cold voice, severing Pesha’s words.
“I apologize for not realizing you held such deep religious conviction, madam. I’ll order the chapel expanded the moment we arrive at the estate.”
“No…… that’s not what I meant.”
“No? Then what else could you possibly want?”
His gaze boring down at Pesha turned not merely cool, but glacial.
Meeting his eyes, Pesha felt half the remorse drain from her chest.
Into that hollow space rushed a scalding tide of indignation.
‘This…… petty, insufferable man. I apologized politely, and now he mocks me?’
True to the original work, he played the ruthless villain who’d never deigned to hear the heroine’s side before condemning her outright.
An unbearable protagonist if ever there was one!
For all the curses—real and imagined—that churned in her mind, the words she could actually voice remained limited.
“Ah…… nothing. Ha ha, ha ha.”
An awkward laugh hung in the carriage, and silence fell again.
The oppressive quiet felt as though it might suffocate me.
As hours crept past and the carriage rolled beyond the city, the landscape outside shifted to nothing but open fields.
Sitting still without conversation was a peculiar agony—an itch I couldn’t scratch.
Before long, Pesha found herself nodding off without realizing it.
Bump!
When the carriage hit a rut, her head snapped against the window frame.
“Ow!”
Pesha clutched her forehead and cast a furtive glance at Owen.
He stared straight out the window as though she were completely invisible to him.
He clearly knew what had happened, yet pretended he didn’t.
Mortification burned across her face, and just as she turned away, Owen suddenly struck the carriage wall with his fist—hard.
The carriage began to slow.
The knights escorting the carriage moved to the windows.
“Count. Is something the matter?”
“We’ll rest for a while.”
Pesha’s eyes widened at this.
Now that she thought about it, we’d left in the morning, and the sun was already sinking low on the horizon.
‘I thought we’d have to sit here in silence all the way until nightfall.’
The moment the carriage came to a complete stop, Pesha fled outside as if escaping.
The handmaids, Mini among them, descended from the trailing carriage and approached.
“Miss! We were about to help you down……!”
“It’s fine. Besides, this rest feels wonderful. Mmm…….”
She was stretching her stiff limbs, arms spread wide.
While Pesha emerged, Owen remained in the carriage, then descended to converse with the knights.
Aware of him, Pesha quietly edged away as far as she could.
It had been unbearably awkward inside the carriage; the last thing she wanted was to stand close to him out here as well.
Seeing Pesha’s displeased expression, the handmaid Mini approached with caution.
“Miss. Is there something troubling you?”
“No. I’m fine.”
But her face said otherwise.
Mini glanced at Owen, who was still conversing with the knights, then leaned close to Pesha’s ear and whispered softly.
“It must have been difficult being alone with the Count in such close quarters……? But please don’t lose heart. Now that you are husband and wife, surely he wouldn’t do anything to harm you?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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