#03. Wedding (2)
“The Count and Countess of Arban are pitiful. Their first child turned out to be an idiot.”
Rumors about Sasha spread quickly.
She was called an idiot, a half-wit, even a possessed child.
If she had been born into an ordinary noble family, she might have been cast aside for bringing shame.
But…
“How did such a beautiful child come to us!”
“Sasha, my beloved daughter.”
Her parents, Count and Countess Arban, gave their daughter Alexandra endless love.
They lovingly called her “Sasha,” a shortened version of Alexandra.
Even when Sasha didn’t smile, or say “Mother” or “Father,” they whispered love to her every day.
When they had something tasty, they gave it to Sasha. Even though they weren’t rich, they bought her pretty clothes and read her stories at bedtime.
People mocked them for wasting time and effort.
Some even said, “Just abandon the useless child and have a new, healthy one.”
But their efforts weren’t useless.
Every day, their affection chipped away at Sasha’s cold walls.
She had once given up on life, but her parents’ love slowly helped her find the will to live again.
Then, on the 8th anniversary of becoming “Alexandra Arban”…
“Moth…er. Fath…er.”
Sasha, who had never spoken, opened her mouth and called her parents for the first time.
“They both cried so hard that their eyes swelled up,” Sasha thought with a smile.
From that moment, Count and Countess Arban became precious to her—so much so that she would live this difficult life again for them.
And marry—even in such an unfair, unbelievable situation.
She was only seventeen.
Her arranged marriage was with someone she’d never met, surrounded by terrible rumors.
Anyone else would have run away from such a marriage.
But Sasha accepted it willingly.
If she didn’t have memories from her past life, she might have hesitated. But she had already been in a political marriage before.
And she had decided to live this life as Alexandra Arban.
She was a noble daughter. Marrying a stranger for family gain was part of her duty.
Nobles had many privileges—but also great responsibilities. Marriage was the biggest one.
They were expected to strengthen ties between families and have children to continue the line.
The more powerful the family they married into, the more benefit for their house.
Many nobles tried to sell their daughters to the highest bidder.
But Count Arban wasn’t like that.
If Sasha had strongly refused, he would never have forced her to marry.
So why, at only seventeen, was she marrying a boy five years younger?
Because everything was at stake—like the safety of her loved ones.
“I didn’t realize the debts were so huge.”
She sighed, recalling what she had just learned.
“And more than half of them were because of me.”
The family finances had been okay when she was born.
But since Sasha was “different” as a child, they spent a lot—bringing famous doctors, buying expensive medicine, and even rare imported items to help her.
Her parents spent everything they had on her.
Eventually, they ran out of money.
Then came disaster.
“Even in this world, co-signing a loan ruins people.”
Her kind-hearted parents co-signed a loan for a distant relative who begged in tears. That ruined them.
The debt wasn’t massive, but for a family with only a tiny estate, it was impossible to handle.
They had somehow managed it so far, but now they were at their limit.
If they couldn’t repay, they would lose their title and become beggars.
If there had been more time, Sasha might have made money. She had knowledge from her past life—useful things that could earn her wealth.
But even with ideas in her mind, she didn’t have time to turn them into real income.
“There are quick ways to earn money… but they’re too dangerous.”
They could expose that she wasn’t ordinary.
Her parents hated that about her.
They never said it out loud, but Sasha noticed their fear.
They worried she would return to being a strange child with no attachment to life.
They even cried in secret, scared that she would shut herself off again.
So Sasha chose to live “normally.”
She buried her past memories and acted like other noble girls.
As her young body grew, her mind became more childlike too.
Sometimes adults said she was too mature or spoke strangely, but in general, she seemed like a charming teenage girl.
Except for rare “odd” moments, Sasha succeeded in acting ordinary.
She couldn’t let all that effort go to waste.
She struggled to find a solution to this crisis.
That’s when Duke Volkov made his offer.
If Sasha married his son, he would:
Pay off all her family’s debts.
Provide a generous annual allowance.
And if her husband died, still support her and leave her with a respectable inheritance.
“No matter how I look at it… this is a good deal for me.”
But why choose her?
The duke’s son wasn’t perfect, but still—he was from one of the most powerful houses.
It didn’t make sense to choose the poor, debt-ridden daughter of a minor count.
While Sasha was still thinking about this—
Bang!
The door of the bridal waiting room swung open, and a handsome, stern man walked in.
“That must be… the Duke of Volkov.”
He had short black hair, a strong jaw, and pale, perfect skin. He was in his mid-to-late thirties—tall and solid.
When their eyes met, Sasha immediately recognized him.
“Hello, Duke.”
“Yes. Good to meet you.”
Duke Dimitri Volkov answered coldly.
His stiff face made Sasha wonder:
“Did something go wrong?”
She was right.
“Pavel’s health has suddenly worsened. He won’t be attending the ceremony.”
Sasha blinked.
“A wedding… without a groom?”
Olga, standing nearby, panicked.
“What? What does that mean?”
Guests from all over had already filled the hall.
Now Sasha would stand alone and recite vows by herself? Everyone would laugh at her.
Olga’s mind spun with horror.
She glared at the duke and gestured to Sasha: “Say something! Get angry!”
But Sasha calmly waited.
The duke looked uncomfortable too.
“So there’s no need to get angry before hearing him out.”
She stayed composed, smiling faintly.
Then Dimitri spoke:
“…I apologize.”
Sasha blinked in surprise.
This was a man who probably wouldn’t bow to the Emperor—but he apologized first?
“Then this must not have been on purpose.”
She realized quickly:
Pavel missing the ceremony wasn’t an insult. The duke clearly felt sorry.
“If he’s sick, he should rest.”
“I understand. He needs rest.”
“…Thank you for understanding.”
Dimitri fell silent.
So did Sasha.
She looked peaceful, just like always.
“Oh, miss…” Olga thought nervously.
At first, she’d been ready to shout, but now she was scared the duke might get angry at Sasha’s calm attitude.
She remembered the rumors:
“That cruel Volkov heir must have inherited it from his scary father.”
People called Dimitri “the god of death” for his battlefield brutality.
“Please don’t harm our lady…”
Olga fretted.
Meanwhile, Dimitri stared at Sasha closely.
“Hmm…”
She looked like a gentle girl, but she wasn’t shaken.
Even grown men froze before Dimitri, yet Sasha stayed polite and calm.
“As I heard.”
He had been told Alexandra Arban was mature and thoughtful—someone who could get along with his difficult son.
He had hoped for at least half of what he was told.
“But she’s even better than I expected.”
She exceeded his expectations.
