Chapter 19: The Accidental Date (Again!?)

After the Potato Incident (as the servants were now calling it behind her back), Verbena declared a personal war—against her own heart.

"I'm not falling for him," she repeated for the thirtieth time that morning, dramatically staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"You hear me, heart? We're business partners in this marriage. Divorce target is still active. No distractions."

Her heart, however, ignored her completely.

It beat faster every time she accidentally made eye contact with Theodore over breakfast. It skipped like a drunk rabbit when their hands brushed while reaching for the tea pot. Even now, it thudded suspiciously loud when the butler politely knocked on her door.

"Your Grace, urgent news."

Verbena opened the door, suspicious. "What is it this time? Did the garden fall in love with me again?"

"No, Your Grace. One of the Duke's remote villas has reported a serious structural issue, and both you and His Grace are required to inspect it personally."

"Both of us? Why?"

"The estate laws require the Duchess to approve all renovation expenses alongside the Duke."

Verbena scowled. "Estate laws are stupid."

"Indeed," the butler said smoothly, hiding his victorious smile behind his gloved hand.

Minutes later, Verbena found herself in a carriage with Theodore, bumping down a rocky forest path toward the so-called "damaged villa."

"I could've stayed home," Verbena muttered, arms crossed. "This isn't my problem."

"It is now," Theodore said, lazily leaning back. "We're married, remember?"

"Temporarily married," she corrected. "Let's not forget the divorce target."

Theodore's smirk deepened. "I haven't forgotten. But accidents happen."

As if on cue, the carriage hit a particularly large bump, sending Verbena flying directly into Theodore's lap.

"See? Like that," he said smugly.

Verbena bolted upright, face redder than a cursed tomato. "That was your fault!"

"Did I control the road with my dark magic?"

"You would if you could!"

By the time they reached the villa, Verbena's dignity was in shambles and her heart was having a mid-life crisis.

The villa, to her surprise, looked... perfectly fine. Not a single crack in sight.

"Where's the damage?" she asked the too-innocent head maid, who had mysteriously appeared to greet them.

"Oh, it was a misunderstanding, Your Grace. But since you came all this way, why not enjoy the villa for the evening?"

Theodore raised an eyebrow at Verbena. "A date, perhaps?"

"Over my dead body."

Fate, however, had other plans.

The carriage wheel mysteriously broke, stranding them at the villa overnight. The servants (who totally didn't plan this, no no) prepared a romantic candlelit dinner for two.

Verbena sat stiffly at the table, glaring at the roses, soft music, and heart-shaped napkins.

"This is a setup," she hissed at Theodore.

"Clearly." He sipped his wine, looking entirely too pleased. "But since we're here…"

He disappeared into the kitchen. A few minutes later, the scent of something unexpectedly delicious wafted through the air.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Cooking."

"You can cook?!"

He set down a plate of herb-roasted chicken with a side of creamy mashed potatoes.

"A certain person taught me," he said vaguely. "I'm a villain, not an idiot."

Suspicious, Verbena took a bite—and nearly cried.

"It's good," she muttered.

Theodore leaned closer, voice low. "See? I have some redeeming qualities."

"Still divorcing you," she grumbled, even as her heart fluttered traitorously.

Later, they ended up sitting on the villa's balcony, watching the stars.

"You know," Verbena said quietly, "in my first life, I was just a broke college student running a failing bakery."

Theodore glanced at her, surprised. "That's… oddly normal."

"It was. I wasn't some tragic heroine, just a girl trying to survive. And now I'm here, stuck with you, in a world where everyone thinks my life is a fairy tale."

He didn't laugh. Instead, he took her hand, just for a moment, and squeezed it gently.

"Fairy tales usually end badly for villains like me."

"Maybe this time will be different," she said without thinking.

Their eyes met, and for a second, it felt like the world shrank until it was just the two of them.

And outside the window, the butler and head maid were watching, fists pumped in victory.

"We are geniuses," the head maid whispered.

"Absolutely," the butler whispered back.

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End of Chapter 19

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