TMWSH 01

TMWSH

Posted by Fahad, Released on October 9, 2025

All Chapter

~Chapter 01~

. I Don’t Think This Is My Husband

Ruined.

Completely ruined.

The entire family had gone under.

Her father had finally done it.

This couldn’t be happening.

Sure, her father liked gambling a little too much—well, a lot too much.

And yes, her stepmother was quite fond—again, too fond—of luxury.

But people said even ruined nobles could survive three generations before starving to death!
Apparently, that didn’t apply to Irina.

“Marriage, you say?”

It happened just a few days ago.

“Yes. You’re of age now, after all. And the Marquis is a very fine gentleman…”

Born into a noble house that had nothing but its title, Irina had reached adulthood only to find herself betrothed—thanks to her father’s folly.

A political marriage.
To pay off his gambling debts.

To a man she had never met.
A man in his sixties.

That old noble was said to be one of the richest men in Arendor.

Rumor had it he wasn’t even originally from the kingdom but had immigrated with a fortune so immense that the royal family gladly welcomed him into the ranks of nobility.

Apparently, her father’s gambling debts had extended even that far.

Strangely enough, Irina had more or less expected something like this to happen.

Whenever she had that kind of “feeling,” it always turned out to be right.

She even experienced déjà vu so often as a child that she once wondered if she had some kind of ability.

So even when she heard such shocking words over breakfast, she wasn’t particularly surprised.

‘Ah. I see. So it finally came to this.’

That was about it.

Her intuition only ever came when something bad was about to happen.

“So you sold your daughter to pay off your debt? How much? Did they at least agree to clear it all?”

Her stepmother, Scarlet, gasped and shrieked.

“Oh my! What kind of way is that to speak to your father!”

Irina’s gaze flicked briefly toward Scarlet.

Her stepmother’s acting skills had improved quite a bit.

“My dear, it’s fine. Irina, listen to your father. I’m doing this for the family, you understand. It’s all for the sake of our house, but also for you—”

“There’s no need to explain. Fine, I’ll marry him.”

At that, Count Kosat blinked in disbelief.

A few years ago…

When Irina’s birth mother died of illness and her father was raising her alone, things had still been bearable.

Irina—though half resigned now—had once been a bright and spirited girl.

Her stepmother came into the picture when Irina was seventeen, and that was around the time her father began to change.

He no longer cared for his only daughter.

He sold household possessions, then part of their estate, and then more and more—until it seemed like he’d sell everything he owned.

And now, finally, he was selling his daughter.

The only consolation was that, for the moment, none of Irina’s personal belongings had been pawned.

Though, that wouldn’t last long.

Irina added coldly:

“In exchange, I want you to write a pledge that once the debt is cleared after my marriage, you’ll never interfere with my life again.”

“What? Are you saying you’ll cut ties with your own father?”

“You’re the one who’s already cutting them, aren’t you?”

Count Kosat drew in a long, deep breath but couldn’t say a word.

“You can do that much for me, can’t you, Father?”

Then she rose from her seat.

“Congratulations, Stepmother. Thanks to me, you won’t have to sell the family name.”

With a faint smile, she turned and left. Scarlet’s expression—until then a perfect picture of sorrow—twitched ever so slightly.

Not bad for someone who had spent last night whispering in Father’s ear about how they had to keep their noble title and how marrying off Irina was the only way.

Irina knew it was meant for her to overhear.

After that, she retreated to her room and didn’t see her father for several days.

Today, too, she just sat blankly, staring at the floor, doing nothing.

Her soft, milk-tea-colored hair drooped lifelessly.
Her amber eyes, once shining, looked dull.
Even her frail shoulders carried the weight of gloom.

“Well, maybe this is for the best,” she murmured.

Better to marry and leave than to stay with a father who felt guilt yet clung to his losses, and a stepmother still obsessed with luxury.

She had long since stopped feeling anger. Only apathy remained.

This would be the last time.

She would repay her parents for raising her—and that would be the end.

Some time passed.

As Irina brushed back her tousled hair, a knock came from the door.

“Come in.”

A maid entered and bowed her head.

“My lady, dinner is ready.”

Irina glanced toward the window. The morning sun was gone—sunset had already fallen.

“How did the time pass so quickly… All right.”

Dinner was meager. Even the salad greens looked wilted.

Much like Irina’s current state.

Until the marriage went through, the family was penniless; she should be grateful for even this much.

She dined alone.

Her father and stepmother were probably out again.

“I’m done eating.”

“You’re not eating any more? You’ve hardly touched anything. Please, at least one more bite, my lady.”

“I’ll just get sick if I force it. Take it away.”

Her old nanny, Maria, frowned with worry.

“The Count is far too cruel… treating such a delicate young lady like this…”

Even though Irina was grown, Maria still saw her as a child.

When the news of the marriage first came, Maria had been the only one to shout in protest at the Count.

Her eyes were slightly red even now.

“I’m old enough to get married anyway.”

“Shall I bring some thin soup to your room?”

Irina gave a faint smile and shook her head.

“No. Thank you for worrying, Nanny.”

“It’s only natural, my lady.”

“I’ll head upstairs.”

Her mouth felt dry, so she drank the water and returned to her room. But rest didn’t come.

“My ladyyy!”

Her maid, Liley, burst into tears the moment Irina stepped in.

While Irina had been at dinner, Liley had been packing.
Now she was bawling like someone had died.

They hadn’t been particularly close, but after years together, some affection had formed.

“If you leave, my lady, I have no reason to stay either!” Liley sobbed.

For the first time, Irina’s stoic expression faltered. Her eyes softened.

At least someone besides her nanny still cared.

“You’re saying you’ll come with me? Liley, you—”

Liley abruptly stopped crying.

“Me? Hic… why?”

“…You’re not?”

Why was she staring like that?

“Hic. Of course not! I’ll have to quit and find another job right away. Who knows if I’ll even have food next month?”

Shaking her head vigorously, she burst into tears again.

“So that’s why you’re crying?”

“Sniff… of course!”

Right. That was Liley, all right.

Irina sighed, unimpressed.

She’d thought as much—the way the girl was packing didn’t look like she was preparing to follow her.

“Fine. I’ll give you one of my gems, so please stop crying.”

“Bwaaah… Oh, I couldn’t possibly… then maybe the second smallest one, please?”

“…You’re not even pretending to refuse, huh. I’ll give you two, so stop crying already.”

“Sniff… Yes, my lady!”

Irina blinked, momentarily at a loss, then gestured toward the door.

“You’ve worked hard packing. Go rest.”

“Should I warm up some goat’s milk for you? Maria said you didn’t eat well.”

Truly—illness and remedy in one breath.

Irina waved her hand.

“No, I’m fine. I’m just going to sleep.”

“Yes, my lady. I’ll dim the lights for you.”

A few minutes later, Irina sat alone again on her bed, staring absently at her toes.

Liley had done all the packing, so there was nothing left for her to do.

For all her fuss, the girl was efficient.

When Irina gave her the promised gems, Liley had protested that she couldn’t possibly accept her lady’s jewels—
so Irina forced three into her hand.

“Ah.”

Suddenly remembering something, Irina pulled out a small jewelry box hidden under her bed.

She placed it on her lap and opened it.

Inside were her mother’s only keepsake and two necklaces.

From it, she took out two small pendulum charms—each no larger than a quarter of her fist.

One was white stone speckled with black dots; the other looked like moss-covered rock.

They weren’t pretty, but the metal loops were still intact and gleamed faintly.

“I should take these with me.”

They were gifts from her childhood friend—and first love—her former servant.
Though he had cruelly rejected her confession.

That damned gray-haired boy.

He’d given them to her, telling her to keep them close at all times.

She’d been too fond of him to throw them away… yet too hurt to wear them.
So they had sat in her jewelry box all these years.