After the first night

“You're just a stupid woman... You think too highly of yourself. To me, you are no better than those who throw themselves at me every night just for a bag of money'' said Hugh casually, while looking for a piece by piece of his clothes scattered not far from the bed.

Atthy's body trembled, hearing sentence after sentence that Hugh continued to humble himself. She wasn't not angry, but her brain could still warn her not to get carried away by her emotions for the sake of her family. She couldn't help but widen her eyes at Hugh. A duke who had been in the status of her husband for three months. Hugh's sharp words stabbed deep into Atthy's heart. Shock, astonishment, confusion, and anger all mixed together woke Atthy up from her sweet dream last night.

The first night Atthy and her husband, Duke Drustan, began with a tragedy and was not at all romantic. However, Atthy is a woman and a wife. Hoping that it was all just because of the influence of liquor and Hugh's unstable emotions and because of his anger, Atthy herself didn't know what caused it. However, what she heard just now, made her shudder. Her husband insulted her, right after they spent the night together for the first time after a three-month marriage. Unsheathing her heart, it turns out, for Hugh, Atthy, is no better than the many sluts who have spent the night with her husband so far.

''Are you satisfied now that you've slept with me?'' asked Hugh, showing his arrogance.

The large luxurious room with exclusive items looked bleak to Atthy, the temperature was almost freezing and nothing outside was no colder than her husband's words. A red-haired woman with dark skin, looking shabby with a messy appearance. Her naked body looked bruised here and there, wrapped only in a sheet of blanket, which was just wrapped around her body carelessly. She, who endured pain almost all over her body, apparently also had to endure the screams stuck in her throat. She sat withered on the bed with a broken heart, shattered.

''You think by sleeping with me, you can control me. Woman... I am Duke Drustan, a woman like you is nothing special. I could easily find a woman like you on the street'' Again, Hugh arrogantly dropped Atthy without blinking.

Hugh's words continued to attack Atthy's pride as a woman and also a wife, and how hurt Atthy felt at that time. The man who had been her husband for three months but never once glanced at Atthy let alone touched her. However, Hugh easily insulted Atthy, especially right after Hugh released Atthy's virginity seal.

''Why are you telling me all that?... Are those words that a husband should throw at his wife on her first night?!'' Atthy exclaimed angrily, her voice trembling. He couldn't stand just continuing to silently accept all of Hugh's insults.

"Because I want to make your position clear, I don't want you to be too proud of your fake position."

''Which position?'' Atthy asked in a rising voice, unable to control her emotions anymore.

"Should I also explain that to you?"

''Yes!'' shouted Atthy firmly and with sharp eyes she challenged Hugh.

“Your position as a Duchess, which means my wife, I want you to realize, that there's nothing you can take advantage of at all. Like your peerage, your title as Duchess is only on paper… You are nothing more than a lowly noble taking advantage of the opportunities presented by those idiots who took advantage of you. Your father is just a man who wants wealth until he has to sell his daughter'' Hugh firmly clarified what he said earlier.

“Duke Hugh Ethan Drustan... You should know!... My father never sold me, and secondly... Property, position, neither I nor my family need any of that. Not even once, we will sell our pride just for the sake of a piece of treasure like what you are proud of'' shouted Atthy bravely answering Hugh even though his face was holding back the tears that kept trying to come out of his eyelids.

''Athaleyah Romanov, your explanation is inversely proportional to what I saw and heard. But, I'm giving you a chance... If it's like what you told me just now, you're free to leave me. There's no need to use the King as an excuse, with the power that I have, I assure you, that you won't get into trouble... Whenever you want, I will never get in your way'' Hugh challenged Atthy.

Hugh deliberately gave Atthy a choice. He was very sure that Atthy was just an act hard to get. Atthy doesn't have the courage to leave him. That was what he thought at the time, though now Hugh was starting to waver in his faith. Hugh believes that what his little wife is showing right now is not a drama at all. Hugh's little heart was very sure that his little wife was hurt by all his words. But logic shrouded Hugh's heart as it sank between all the files and reports he got about his wife.

''I'll go, but you have to promise me!'' said Atthy firmly.

Atthy made up her mind not to hope anymore, it was time for her to go. She felt what she did to make her husband look at her was in vain. Atthy knew there had been something odd about Hugh's attitude towards her, but Atthy's anger at Hugh's words made her unable to bear it any longer.

''I thought you wouldn't just walk away. Which mine do you want, my gold mine or my diamond mine? You want it to, don't you?! As divorce compensation…”

''I don't need it!'' Atthy shouted back, causing Hugh to shudder in his heart that his little wife dared to answer even when he hadn't finished his sentence.

''Hah! You're a hypocrite…” Hugh said with his usual cold expression.

"Whatever!... I don't care what you think, one thing I ask... I know you hate me, that's why I promise you. I won't appear in front of you after this ...'' Atthy replied again, not waiting for Hugh's mouth to close.

"Then... There's no way you can just walk away without any gain for you"

“There is... Peace and happiness in my family. Don't bother them, don't touch them, don't bother them, let them live their life as usual! That's my only request...''

“You're testing me?!… I can give you more than your family has. I'm not going to be poor just because of that''

"That's not necessary, I know very well who and how my family is. Accepts your gift... It will destroy my family even more"

''Athaleyah Romanov... What's on your mind?''

"My thoughts don't matter to you, do they?!"

"You're right, I don't care what you think, but I do care about the consequences of your actions."

"What could happen from the actions of a poor noble's granddaughter like me... How will that affect you?"

"I'll be honest with you, the support of stupid princes and kings who gave the official seal of my marriage to you is only because of pressure from the petty political elite. It bothers me quite a bit... Do you know why? Since my father complained about it... I was waiting for you to be honest with me, but it seems you can't appreciate my kindness, and instead set me up like this...''

''I don't understand anymore... Let's just say I'm just a fool from the village. Now, it's up to you. Give me the divorce papers, I'll sign it... And I'll soon be out of your sight, gone forever'' Said Atthy, who was tired of arguing with her husband. He wanted to put an end to all this tiring thing.

“Alwyn will send it to you right away. I want to see how far you bluff'' said Hugh, his expression cold with his piercing eyes glaring at Atthy.

Hugh just walked away leaving Atthy, after he had finished putting on his clothes, leaving Atthy so angry that tears wouldn't even fall from her eyes.

**