The Grand Duchess’s Pride

Summary 

“You’re quite good at pretending to be ashamed.”

On the first night of her long-awaited wedding, Hezenne, now the wife of the man she loved in silence for years, is met not with warmth—but with cold contempt. Grand Duke Ian, her husband, looks upon her with suspicion, his gaze frigid and unforgiving.

Their marriage, born not of love but of hidden agendas and tangled misunderstandings, begins to unravel from the start. Despite yearning for this union, Hezenne finds herself slowly breaking under the weight of mistrust and emotional distance.

But when the secret she tried so desperately to conceal is finally revealed to the world, Ian’s fury erupts. He turns away, accusing her of deception and betrayal.

“When exactly did you and your father conspire to get close to me?”
“I didn’t know… I had no idea my father was using our marriage as leverage. Please, believe me…”
“How far am I supposed to trust you?”
“…”

The accusations cut deeper than any blade—of lies, manipulation, and even bearing another man’s child. Each word he hurls at her is heavy with wrath, each silence more damning than the last.

As Ian’s rage grows and Hezenne pleads for just one more chance, the question lingers:

How much pain must she endure to be seen, not as a traitor, but as the woman who truly loved him?