My Husband Sold Me To The Dragon

"Oh, husband." Seriously? That's the only response she could think of? If Maude berates her for being so damn awkward, Sophie wouldn't even be mad.

"Right. Wife." He jokes, letting his guard down in a way he hasn't since months ago. His smile is angelic. Sophie is sure she would have willingly gone blind if there weren't other people around.

Luke turns towards the mystery lady, the pretty brunette, "I want to introduce you to Miss Gabriella, my good friend since childhood. She was just telling me about all her recent ventures outside of the country. Always the exciting type, this one."

Sophie tries to ignore the tension in her body, realizing she's being forced into an interaction she isn't emotionally ready for.

And look! Her friends are leaving her to be on her own. How wonderfully pleasant is life.

"A name to the face. It is nice to formally meet you, Miss Gabriella."

"Yes, I am sure it must be, your grace." Gabriella smiles back, voice sickeningly honeyed as if she didn't just slam Sophie's dignity to the ground, sparing her no mercy or respect.

Luke only laughs at the impolite remark. Why is her husband encouraging such unruly behavior? Is this the usual greeting in foreign countries?

Sophie's eyes grow wide for a split second before they return to normal. Realizing her husband hasn't introduced her yet, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

"Oh, uh, I am Lady Sophie, Duchess of Rogethen. Luke's—"

"Wife. I am aware. I have heard so much about you, your grace. The duke cannot keep his mouth shut when it comes to his precious wife." Gabriella cuts in, pretentious smile still intact.

"All good things, I hope." Sophie jokes, attempting to breathe amidst the suffocating tension that Luke acts oblivious to or is, at that point, making worse—she isn't so sure anymore.

"One usually hopes for good things, yes."

Sophie is seconds away from ripping the mannerless lady's hair out of her scalp when her husband places his hand on Gabriella's shoulder. Sophie's eyes stay glued to the sight. It feels like there's something burning in her chest, nothing pleasurable, just nauseating and all-consuming.

"I did not think I would run into you here, love. Aren't you and your friends usually having tea in the drawing room by this hour?"

Sophie pushes away her complaints to the back of her mind. Later. They'll talk about it later.

"We are, but I felt like exploring the marketplace one more time."

"My wife is as adventurous as usual, I see." What is Luke on? Just last night, he couldn't even face her, now he's showering her in sugary names and playful teasing.

As if nothing at all is wrong with their marriage. Oh, how she wishes.

"As if the marketplace is much of an adventure. I did not expect your wife to be so demure, your grace, I was sure you would lean more into the unpredictable side."

Her husband's attention seems to be wholly on Gabriella. Sophie feels ignored despite being the literal topic of their conversation.

"Well, Lady Sophie is a good and honorable woman. I am lucky to be her husband."

Is that all he has to say about his wife? That she's honorable? She knows she's being petty and unreasonably irritable, but who can blame her? She's threatened by Miss Gabriella's unprecedented arrival.

Where did this unruly miss even come from?

"Hm."

Moments later, Luke's other business associates catch up to them, interrupting the tense conversation to introduce themselves to the duke's wife.

Relief settles in Sophie's bones, the interaction going from extremely confusing to somewhat manageable.

One of the men in the group even compliments Sophie's brand new dress. She didn't think anyone would notice! Her husband certainly hadn't.

"Oh yes, your dress is lovely, my wife. Is that new?"

The short but charming exchange is eventually put to an end. It doesn't take long for Luke and the rest of the group to pardon themselves from the interaction.

For a moment, things seemed like they're going to be alright. Oh, how wrong she is.