Instead of a lover... dolls?

You knew what awaited you, so throughout your sixteenth year, you barely held back tears, fully aware that you had just a week left to stay in your childhood home. After that, a wealthy count would take you away. You envied your sisters in a childish way: the elder sister married the man she loved, while the younger one was still far from marriage.

When the count's carriage arrived, a tall, dark-haired man stepped out. He was eighteen years old, and luckily, he wasn’t an old man, but his gaze was rather stern, which frightened you terribly. Yes, you were already sixteen, but mentally, you were much younger. Perhaps that was why Count Vladimir showed you such pity. He genuinely liked you and gave you a great deal of freedom, even though you had expected the worst.

But you had secrets from him, one of which was kept in the attic, where you would secretly go at night. Sometimes Vladimir noticed this, and the first thought that crossed his mind was: "What if there's someone there? Someone who owns her heart?" he feared that you might have a lover. And one night, when he heard your footsteps ascending to the attic, he decided to follow you and catch you.

But when he entered the attic, he saw no one but you. More precisely, he saw you sitting on the floor, playing with dolls. And from his lips came: — "Instead of a lover... dolls?"

You quickly turned around upon hearing his voice and hid the dolls under your skirt, truly frightened that your husband might see the childhood toys you secretly brought with you. In a trembling voice, you began to apologize, but Vladimir stopped you: — "Stop with this nonsense! What are these toys?"

You lowered your head in shame and muttered: — "They’re mine... Mummy threatened to give them to my younger sister, but they’re mine! Father brought me these toys... and I didn’t want her to take them..."

In response, Vladimir only sighed: — "Are you jealous of your toys?"