The moment I laid eyes on Ethan Sinclair, the top scholar of the year, I knew I had to have him.

Problem was, he didn’t like me.

The servants tried to warn me, "Ethan already has a childhood sweetheart. They’re about to get engaged."

I just smiled and said, "So what? When a princess sets her sights on something, she gets it one way or another."

I swapped myself into the marriage and struck a deal with him — just one year.

If after a year he still didn’t fall for me, I'd set him free.

1.

My marriage to Ethan didn’t happen naturally — I forced it.

Everyone said Princess Sophia was overbearing. Even the prestigious Sinclair family, with generations of high-ranking officials, couldn’t fend me off.

So what if I forced it? It couldn’t change the fact that his heart didn’t belong to me.

On our wedding night, he came out from bathing, spotted me sitting on the bed, and hesitated.

"Your Highness, you should rest early," he said, then turned to leave.

I stayed quiet, waiting.

Sure enough, he came back not long after.

"Your Highness, where’s the spare bed?"

"I had it moved out," I said, perfectly matter-of-fact.

He froze, at a loss for words.

"Ethan, you promised me you’d obey once we were married. Planning to break your word now?"

He frowned deeply and sighed. "Your Highness probably doesn’t understand how a man’s heart works."

"Even without affection, instincts are hard to control. I don’t want to do anything that would make you regret it."

I glanced down at the thin nightgown I was wearing, piecing together what he meant.

Honestly? With a figure like mine, I wasn’t worried.

My mind wandered.

"You wouldn’t get it either, Ethan," I smiled softly. "For a girl, being with someone she doesn’t care for feels... disgusting."

I even added, teasing him a little, "Doesn’t matter how good-looking you are either."

Ethan: "..."

"Besides," I chuckled, "it’s just sharing a bed. It's not like we're doing anything. Can’t handle that?"

There was a long pause.

Ethan had that odd kind of calm about him — like even if the world ended, he'd still sit there sipping tea while everyone else ran around screaming.

He’d probably even murmur, "No point running, death comes for us all."

From a distance, it made him seem heroic. Up close... he just looked deranged.

Every time I saw that emotionless face of his, I wanted to rip the mask right off.

"Ethan, we made a deal to separate after a year. Don’t push it."

"Exactly, there’s still a year left," I shot back.

He turned to leave. "I’ll sleep outside tonight."

"If you step one foot out that door," I warned, "I’m telling Margaret Sinclair."

Ethan froze mid-step.

His mother adored me for saving their family's reputation after Grace White ran off on the wedding day.

"If it wasn’t for Princess Sophia stepping in, would you two even have a shred of dignity left?" she'd snapped.

"You treat her right, or I’ll beat some sense into you!"

Grace — Ethan’s childhood sweetheart.

His perfect dream girl.

The one he was meant to marry.

Watching him hesitate, I added sweetly, "Don’t worry. If you really can't stand it, you can always sleep on the floor."

Me? I was taking the bed.

I yanked the covers over myself, totally satisfied and ready to sleep.

2.

After a while, Ethan finally climbed onto the bed like he was facing execution.

It was his first time being married, and worse — to someone he didn’t want.

He couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that he now had a wife, much less that they were supposed to share a bed.

All night, he tossed and turned, clutching onto his last shred of dignity, completely unable to fall asleep.Seeing the person beside him sleeping so soundly, Ethan Sinclair thought to himself that she really had a carefree mind.

"Sophia?"

In a daze, I heard someone calling me.

"Wake up."

Ugh, so annoying!

I absolutely hated being disturbed when sleeping.

But fine — Ethan Sinclair was someone I liked after all. I had to cut him some slack.

"What is it?" I asked.

He gave a lazy, lopsided smile. "Nothing. Just felt like calling you."

I couldn’t take it anymore.

I glared at him fiercely. "Make another peep, and I'll kiss you!"

Silence.

Then I added, "I have to go to the palace tomorrow morning. Make sure you wake me up during yin hour, and do not let me sleep in. I’m terrible at getting up."

Ethan Sinclair looked a bit lost.

The next dawn, when I finally opened my eyes, I saw Ethan already dressed, standing by the bed, lost in thought.

I glanced outside— it was already half an hour past yin time.

"Why didn’t you wake me?"

"I was about to. You’ll still make it."

"Don’t let it happen again."

Ethan took it to heart, though he clearly hadn’t gotten used to being my 'husband' yet.

He stayed there awkwardly for half an hour and still couldn’t bring himself to speak.

"Got anything important after your duty today?" I asked.

"Nothing pressing," he answered.

I smiled a little. "Good. Then come pick me up and take me home."

"Doesn’t Her Highness have a personal coachman?" he tried.

"You should start getting used to your role. At least for this year, you need to be a proper husband. Picking up your new wife is basic courtesy."

He still wanted to argue. "I also have memorials to revise."

I cut him off coldly. "Did you already forget why we got married?"

He paused, then gave in. "Understood."

During Ethan and Grace White’s wedding banquet, Grace had the nerve to run away, leaving the great Ethan Sinclair utterly humiliated.

Even though I volunteered to marry him, the fact was that I saved the Sinclair family’s reputation.

He owed me this much.

Just before I stepped out, I remembered something else.

"By the way, there’s a pastry shop on the road from your yamen to the palace. Bring me a box of fresh Osmanthus cakes. Make sure they’re newly baked."

He didn’t look too thrilled being ordered around like that, but he kept quiet.

Honestly, it wasn’t that I really wanted the cakes.

I just wanted to give him something to do.

He didn’t have me in his heart yet.

But I was going to make sure his entire life became full of me.

Ethan was slowly adjusting to his new role, trying to be the proper husband as we agreed.

I even gave him a manual — not just listing my habits and preferences, but also plenty of rules he needed to follow.

He had to be home before the hour of xu every night, unless he had official duties to explain in advance.

If my people sent for him, he had to respond promptly.

If work or banquets made that hard, he had to send someone with a written explanation.

When he ran errands, he had to bring me gifts — and not just anything. He had to pick them himself, according to my tastes.

...

I made him memorize it all.

He wasn't happy.

"If you don't memorize it," I said sweetly, "I'll just kiss you."

That shut him right up.

After reciting two pages, he grumbled, "Why do you have so many demands? Even the bathwater needs fresh flower petals picked within fifteen minutes? What if I don't?"

"Don't ask," I said, shrugging. "Just do it."

He frowned. "Shouldn’t you at least learn my habits too? Doesn’t seem fair."

I flashed him a big, bright smile. "You love spicy food, hate anything mushy, not picky about meals but prefer savory over sweet. Only dessert you tolerate is sugar cake—"

"Stop, enough." He shut me up and obediently went back to memorizing.

Everyone thought our marriage was doomed from the start.Emily Patterson tried to talk me out of it too. "Ethan Sinclair's heart belongs to Grace White. Staying with him will only bring you pain."

I blinked, confused. "But I married the man I love. He's the one stuck with someone he doesn't like. If anyone's suffering, it's him, not me."

They say a forced melon isn't sweet, but honestly, the one that's torn off the vine seems even worse.

Emily was left speechless for a minute.

"But he still loves someone else," she said after a while. "Things might seem calm now, but what if Grace comes back? And after a year, if he still doesn't love you, you promised you'd let him go."

"You'll have given him everything and endured all the heartache, just to end up with a divorce paper."

"You’ll die of heartbreak, and he’ll go mad from grief."

"..."

I looked at her. "Emily, have you lost it? What kind of tragic novel have you been reading lately?"

She just giggled.

I rolled my eyes. "Look, I used to read those forceful, domineering romance stories too, and they made it sound all sweet and lovely, didn’t they?"

Emily seemed like her worldview had just been shaken.

I smiled lightly. "Sorry to disappoint, but this Princess isn't into tragic love stories. I just enjoy forcing my way through."

Love me or not — doesn't matter. As long as I call the shots in this relationship, no one can hurt me.

Ethan Sinclair may not be in love with me, but he sure as hell has to treat me right.

If he doesn’t, I’ll make him.

And if I can't... well, I'll just find someone else who will.

But for now, judging by how he’s doing, I’m not ready to let him go.

One thing’s for sure: never swallow your pride for anyone.

I made him a promise — we'd part ways after a year.

If he still doesn't love me by then...

At least I'll have had a great year.

4.

When I got back to the manor, Ethan was in the kitchen making soup for me.

Most new top scholars enjoy cushy lives, but there he was, stuck cooking for me.

I said, "Ethan Sinclair, you know, you’ve got it pretty rough too. I think I should start treating you a little better."

After all, on our wedding day, his bride ran away, and he ended up marrying someone he didn’t even like.

He gave me a quick side glance, waiting for me to go on.

"Starting tonight, you don't have to help with my bath," I said seriously.

"..."

"By the way, Ethan, do you always sleep with a candle on by your bedside?"

For the past couple of nights, there had been a small candle burning next to the bed.

"Yeah," he answered.

"I’m not really used to it. Mind changing that?"

"I'll have someone set up a screen around it," he replied coolly.

"Oh? That works too. I guess... I’ll put up with it, just for you."

"..."

His cooking skills? Surprisingly good.

"This soup is amazing!" I gushed.

"My mother taught me," he said.

"Such a shame," I sighed, "might not get to taste it again tomorrow."

"I can make it again." He didn’t seem bothered at all.

Men loved praise, after all.

"And the day after?" I asked playfully.

"Don’t push it," he said.

"Come on, it’s not like I'm asking for much. Besides, it’s not like you’re the only one making sacrifices here. I made you breakfast today, remember?"

"I had to drag myself out of bed early, and you know how much I treasure my sleep. You should be touched!"

He was silent for a long moment, then asked, "Sophia Montgomery, may I ask why you didn't eat the breakfast you made?"

"Didn't suit my taste," I shrugged.

"You really don’t have to sugarcoat 'it tasted awful'," he said dryly.

"..."

"That's not the point!" I huffed. "What matters is that I woke up early just for you. That's dedication — something no one else gets to enjoy. You should be honored!"

Ethan let out a long, deep breath, like he was seriously running out of patience."Sophia, I'm really grateful you agreed to marry me. I'll do my best to meet your demands and make sure this year goes smoothly for you, but..."

"But could you just stop forcing me?" Ethan finally got to the point after all that build-up.

I smiled, picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork, and placed it in his bowl.

"How could you say that about me? I'm just a little shameless, not a bad person," I said, grinning.

"And besides, I push you because I love you. If I didn't care, would I even bother?"

Ethan: Enough.

Emily always said I had a sweet, harmless face—very deceptive, really.

Because deep down, I'm pretty bad.

After my bath that night, I waved at Ethan, towel in hand.

"Dry my hair for me."

"Have one of the maids do it?"

"Nope. They'll just mess it up."

"You're so high-maintenance."

Even though he grumbled, he still took the towel from me.

Thinking about what Emily had mentioned earlier today, I decided to make my stance clear:

"Ethan, it's fine if you don’t love me, but you can’t hurt me. I'm petty. I always get even."

"I can give you my whole heart, but that doesn't mean you can literally take it, alright? And definitely not my liver or kidneys either."

Ethan actually laughed. "When exactly did you ever pour your heart out for me, Your Highness? Feels like I’ve been serving you this entire time."

I wagged a finger at him. "Not the point."

He finally caught on, narrowing his eyes. "You keep going on about how much you like me. Shouldn't that mean you're the one treating me better?"

I said confidently, "Since you can’t give me what I want emotionally, at least treat me well in everyday life. Think of it as compensation."

Ethan sighed, "Alright, alright, whatever you say, Your Highness."

Back then, the court finances were tight, and the late emperor had already been planning to open royal shops in the capital to pull in some funds.

Three years ago, while I was traveling around the city, he handed the whole project over to me—to give me some experience, I guess.

The Sinclairs were a big family in the capital.

That day, it was Olivia Sinclair’s coming-of-age ceremony.

I went to attend the banquet.

It was also the first time I met Ethan.

He hadn't yet passed his exams back then, but was already studying alongside the Crown Prince thanks to his family's position—he was in the spotlight.

I’ve always had an eye for beauty, and seeing him for the first time really made my heart skip a beat.

When the elders introduced us, he came over to greet me. I looked him over carefully—seriously, not a flaw to be found.

I wandered off on my own after a while and found a spot to rest and nibble on some pastries.

Not far away, I noticed three officials chatting with a young woman.

I caught bits and pieces—they were discussing court matters, which wasn’t surprising for such an occasion.

But the way the officials spoke, it was laced with a sleazy undertone.

They kept things subtle, but it was still gross.

The young woman's brows knitted together—clearly uncomfortable—but she said nothing.

Given she was alone without any servants and had a bit of a Western look about her, she was probably a merchant.

She probably needed those officials to secure trade routes.

And since she was the only woman around, she didn’t dare offend them, even forcing a polite smile.

Why?

Because as a female merchant, you barely had any status.

Some men were all too willing to treat women like pawns to gain power, without an ounce of respect.

Maybe I was staring too obviously, because the closest official turned around and caught my eye.

He flashed a smile that made my skin crawl before strolling over.

"I'm Michael Harper from the Ministry of Personnel," he said, still smiling, "May I ask your name, miss?"

Sure, I'd been staring—but my look wasn't exactly friendly.Did he really not get it?

"No need to make acquaintance," I said flatly. I was a princess. I didn’t need anyone’s permission for anything.

6.

I didn’t think there was anything wrong with my response. Saying no was my right.

But he clearly didn't take it well. Face stiff, he quickly tried to smooth things over. "Is it because you think my position isn't high enough?"

"Nope," I said, already losing patience.

He looked genuinely puzzled. "Since you’re not promised yet, why refuse to know me?"

"Not your business," I snapped.

"You—" His face flushed an ugly shade of red.

Just then, a voice cut through from behind.

"She turned you down because she has no interest in you. What does it have to do with your rank?"

I turned, catching sight of Ethan Sinclair.

The man gave an awkward chuckle and said, "Lord Ethan, I just saw the young lady’s beauty and thought to make an acquaintance."

Ethan nodded slightly. "Admiring a lady ought to be about more than just her looks."

"Yes, yes, of course..."

"And maybe you should take a good look in the mirror before getting ideas."

Mocking someone like that wasn’t exactly fitting for the occasion, but honestly, I couldn’t hold in a laugh.

Ethan’s tone stayed polite, his lips wearing the faintest hint of a smile. Mannerly as ever, like he hadn’t just roasted someone alive.

He called over some guards and had the group "politely" escorted out, not seeming to care about their background one bit.

Then he turned back to me and said, "Mrs. Montgomery is looking for you. I’ll take you to her."

My mother.

"Alright."

On the way, I couldn’t resist asking curiously, "Ethan, can you do me a favor?"

He glanced at me. "What kind of favor?"

"The gentleman who was having tea with you earlier—do you know him well?"

His name was Daniel Knight. I knew that much. The only son of the Knight family. But we'd never met before.

"He’s Daniel Knight. We grew up playing together," Ethan explained.

7.

I looked up at him, eyes sparkling. "Then can you introduce me? He’s really handsome."

Ethan gave me a long stare, deep and unreadable. "Just because he's handsome?"

I nodded, all honesty. "Of course. Girls our age adore good-looking boys. Don’t laugh at me."

He gave this strange little smile. "I wouldn’t dare."

And that was how, through Ethan, I got to meet Daniel Knight—and through Daniel, locked down a lucrative deal with the Knight family salt and iron business.

In the early days, Ethan was still fairly kind to me.

But once I made my intentions clear, everything changed.

He had this way of staying calm, keeping his voice level, that drove me insane.

When I went out of my way to send him gifts after finding out what he liked, he sent them all back, along with exactly the right amount of silver and a note: "Thank you, but there’s no need to trouble yourself."

If I tried to bond with him through business, he’d counter it without a blink.

"Ethan, would you like to join me for a meal?"

"Your Highness," he said smoothly, "could the Royal Merchant’s silk shipment price be adjusted lower?"

"…"

"Have dinner with me, and I’ll consider it," I offered.

Giving me just a flicker of hope.

"One meal for a discount? Maybe two meals then."

I snorted. "For just two meals, you're not asking for much."

"If I lowered the price too much, would you even say yes?"

"Of course not."

"Then why even ask?"

I had no words.

Every time we crossed paths, he kept a wide, almost exaggerated distance from me—always polite, but cold to the bone.

In the end, I had no choice but to start from his family.

The Sinclairs had been tied to the royal family through generations of marriage. Mrs. Sinclair and my mother had been best friends since their youth.Whether it was for benefit or affection, I was the most suitable choice for marriage.

I negotiated business deals with Mr. Sinclair, sipped tea with Margaret Sinclair, and played chess with Lady Sinclair.

Finally, I even spent time with Olivia Sinclair, listening to music and admiring the flowers.

When Ethan Sinclair returned home, he happened to see me getting along perfectly with his family.

He pulled me aside, his throat bobbing as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Sophia," he said.

"What's wrong?" I asked with a soft smile.

"Are you trying to replace me?"

"..."

At that moment, I couldn't help feeling a little ridiculous.

Ethan had someone in his heart — Grace White, the girl he'd grown up with.

Too bad Grace was happily involved with Arthur Bennett now.

Arthur, being a royal painter, was all about poetry and romance.

Thinking about it, Ethan looked a little pathetic too.

Phew — what a relief.

Unable to shake me off, Ethan eventually grumbled, "Didn't you say you liked Daniel Knight?"

"..."

That was just a random excuse I'd pulled out.

Back then, I hadn’t expected to actually fall for Ethan Sinclair.

I straightened my face and said seriously, "I found out he’s addicted to smoking, and I can’t stand smokers."

8.

"Relax, I only had tea twice with Daniel Knight to discuss some business matters. There's not a shred of impropriety. No need to feel awkward," I said.

Ethan: "..."

Before anything even started between Ethan and me, news came that he was getting married.

To Grace White.

Honestly, Grace should’ve just stayed with her beloved painter. Why come back for Ethan now?

I had to make a move.

On the wedding day, right before a hall full of guests, Grace ran off with her old flame.

Yeah, the old flame was someone I arranged for.

But Ethan had no idea.

And honestly, I wasn’t the one who forced the bride to elope.

Looking at her, you could tell she had no real intention of marrying anyway.

That day, Ethan was sitting in the side hall, looking surprisingly composed.

He lifted his tea cup and downed nearly half in one go—that alone gave away his frustration.

Delighted, I teased, "Ethan, your bride ran off with someone else."

"Mm." He answered flatly. "You don't have to look so pleased."

"Need a hand?" I offered.

He kept quiet.

I kept poking, "Tsk, not only is the event a disaster, but your reputation’s down the drain too. Won’t be long before the whole capital hears about it."

He looked up, frowning. "What do you want to say?"

I chuckled lightly, "With the bride gone, you can still find another. Marry me. I'll step in and salvage your dignity."

He nodded, stood up, and said, "I'd rather go embarrass myself."

"..."

I blocked him, "Think it through. You losing face is small, but the whole Sinclair family’s reputation is on the line. It'll hurt you on the court too, cost you money..."

"No matter. I deserve it."

Seeing he wouldn't take the bait, I almost gave up.

But after stepping out once, he suddenly came back, completely changed.

"Help me," he said.

I didn’t know what made Ethan change his mind so suddenly, but that didn’t stop me from being a bit smug.

I grinned. "Beg me."

"Please."

"That's it?" I wasn’t satisfied.

Exasperated, he said, "What do you want? As long as you don't force me to consummate the marriage, I'll agree to anything else."

"..."

What the hell did he think of me?"You said it yourself. From now on, you better be good and listen to me."

I smiled, feeling every bit like the villain forcing someone into a corner.

After we got married, if I wasn't handling official matters, I was basically glued to Ethan Sinclair, trying every way to build our so-called relationship.

He had another banquet to attend.

I said, "Take me with you."

Mr. Anderson was celebrating his birthday, and Ethan got an invite.

I said, "I just want to be with you."

Then, Ethan had plans with some friends.

I pouted, "We’re married now, and I haven’t even met your friends yet."

Today, one of his childhood buddies came back from Xi Yu and was throwing a little reunion.

---

Inside the private room, Isabella Grayson and I were chatting away.

"Miss Grayson, your hairpin looks like it’s from a famous craftsman in Jiangnan, right?"

She nodded eagerly. "You like his work too?"

"I’ve heard a bit. They say his jewelry is pure perfection. This hairpin really shows it."

I remembered that Olivia Sinclair mentioned this craftsman once—she’s a sucker for jewelry like this.

"Exactly! The man’s got skills and looks—he’s the full package!" Isabella said, pulling out a jade hairpin. "Princess, let me gift this to you."

"Thank you, Sister Isabella."

We left still deep in conversation, feeling like old friends already.

Mr. Grayson even patted Ethan's shoulder as we passed.

"You're really marrying up, kid."

Ethan blinked, totally confused.

---

On the way back, I sat in the carriage, spinning the new jade hairpin between my fingers.

Out of nowhere, Ethan had the driver pull over. His face was unreadable.

"Princess."

"Hmm? What’s wrong?" I asked.

"Do you honestly like me?"

"Of course," I said without missing a beat.

"I don't believe you."

"…"

Fine. Honestly, better doubt it than act smug.

"Why would you say that?" I asked.

"At Mr. Anderson's birthday, you got along with him like family. Two months back, you charmed the manager from the Miller family at another banquet. Just yesterday, the Miller family agreed to partner with the royal merchants."

"And today, first meeting her, you’re already thick as thieves with Isabella Grayson."

I set the jade hairpin down, grinning. "It just shows I'm charming, right? Who could resist me?"

Ethan said nothing.

He got it—the marriage made perfect sense, a political move that helped open business opportunities when the court was low on funds. Nothing wrong with that.

At the end of the day, the achievements were Sophia Montgomery’s own.

Smart, resourceful, and sharp as a blade when it came to grabbing opportunities.

Ethan couldn’t deny he admired her.

But still, something inside him just felt...off.

---

After three days out, I was dead tired when I finally climbed out of the carriage and headed straight to the shop.

Right at noon, I sent someone to knock on his door.

"Anything you need, madam?" His voice floated out from the study, cold and distant.

I’d warned him already—no dodging me when I wanted something.

"Got any urgent matters now?" I asked.

"Is it possible for me to have urgent matters?" he muttered.

"Well then, come eat with me," I said, like it was the most natural thing.

"I might really have business to take care of."

"Ethan Sinclair, you’ve been out for three days, and so have I. We haven’t shared a meal together in a week. You tell me, is that okay?"

"..."

"Come eat with me. That’s what a husband is supposed to do. Don’t make me say it again."

Across the courtyard, Ethan felt very, very wrong about all this.

Something was just... off.