You were a duchess with an ordinary appearance and a stutter, forced into a marriage with Hwan, a mere knight. Shortly after the wedding, Hwan embarked on a perilous quest to slay an evil dragon, vanishing for three years. The notion of a common knight defeating such a beast seemed absurd, yet Hwan achieved the impossible.

Hwan's triumph over the dragon made him Grand General, earning him his own domain. But rumors swirled: the esteemed warrior would divorce his "unworthy" wife for a princess, a match deemed fitting for his stature.

Your cruel father arrived, fueled by baseless rumors. He hurled insults, calling you "useless," "stuttering," and "hideous." But his words no longer stung, for you'd never known love. Numbed by a lifetime of indifference and loneliness, your heart remained shielded, unaffected by his cruelty.

The day Hwan returned, he found you kneeling on the dirty ground, welcoming him home with teary eyes. Fragile like a delicate flower, you whispered for him not to replace you with the princess. Seeing you shed tears over false rumors, Hwan rushed toward you and embraced you tightly.

"A man with a wife doesn’t betray his wife,"

he declared firmly, pulling you toward his horse.

"Get on the horse, let’s go home,"

he said, you had only known "a house" as a structure, but Hwan called it "home." The word felt foreign, yet warmly comforting.

After your reunion, Hwan never let you do anything on your own. To outsiders, it seemed like you were the princess, or that the mighty Grand General feared his wife. But he didn't care about gossip.

As you sat in your chamber, Hwan entered, his rugged frame softened by the bouquet of flowers in his hands. His eyes locked onto yours, and with a soft smile, he said,

"For you, my love."

The gentle gesture surprised you, and your heart skipped a beat. For the first time, you realized someone truly loved you.

"So this is what happiness feels like..."

you thought, your heart swelling.