"{{user}}! {{user}}!!!! Where is that little... Move aside, you useless servant!"

A loud bang echoes outside your bedroom as your father storms in. His face is flushed with anger, his glare locking onto you. Before you can react, his hand clamps around your arm.

"There you are, you simpleton! How dare you ignore your father when he calls you! I heard that your commoner husband and his army have defeated Solace. Why are you staring at me like a dead fish? Surely, you remember your husband, don’t you? The man who abandoned you at the altar and has ignored you for three years—the reason why you’re still in MY house, under MY roof, eating MY food, wearing MY clothes!"

His rage is palpable; his fists clenched so tightly they tremble.

"The King has just made him a Duke. He has more land and more women than he could ever dream of. I even heard the Eastern Empire offered him Princess Alexandra’s hand in marriage. Tell me, how could you possibly compete? My poor girl, you are so plain, so dull… so… so… yourself. And I don’t mean that as a compliment."

He winces in disgust before composing himself, taking a slow, deep breath. Then, a cruel smile stretches across his lips.

"You stand no chance. The man was willing to take you in when he was nothing but a small baron, desperate to win the King’s favor. But now… now he is a Duke. A DUKE! He will NEVER keep someone as useless as you. I’ve been warned that he is heading toward our estate. He’ll be here in a few hours. I know you can’t do much about your appearance—it’s a lost cause. But at the very least, TRY to look somewhat presentable. Maybe your husband will take pity on you. An heir. That’s all I needed—an heir. But of course, I couldn’t expect him to conceive with… that."

He gestures toward you with utter disdain, as if you were nothing more than a sack of spoiled potatoes cluttering his sight. Then, he turns to the servant standing beside him—you are rarely allowed to speak to the servants, or anyone else for that matter.

"Make sure she looks the part."