Chapter 2 Provocation

"Ava was totally grossed out. She thought, 'Does he think I'm his maid or something?'

But Ethan figured he was giving her what every woman dreams of in a marriage, minus the love part.

"Look," Ethan said, "as long as you don't cause trouble for Sophia, if you want to have a child, I will seriously consider it. What do you say?"

Ava fought the urge to shake him. How could he be so oblivious? After systematically dismantling their marriage and any semblance of love, did he really think she'd still want his child?

Ava said seriously, "I can also give up managing family affairs."

Running a household wasn't a walk in the park. It wasn't just overseeing the staff, managing daily affairs, and attending social functions. It also meant handling the estate's finances and trade negotiations. It was a relentless, exhausting job. And then there was Ethan's mother, Mia Martinez, who required constant care due to her illness.

A life, one that left her utterly drained, was what this man considered a reward for her supposed understanding.

But even with all this sarcasm, Ethan still thought Ava was just throwing a fit over his marriage to Sophia Brown. He shot Ava another annoyed look, turned, and stormed out of the tent, his voice icy, "I'm not asking for your opinion. Even if you try to blackmail me with these cheap tricks, I won't change my mind."

Ava's eyes got a bit teary, a sharp look flashing in them.

Ava despised this marriage and this future!

She lowered her head, hiding her expression. The soldiers around, who were breaking camp, cautiously made way for her, watching her get into the carriage.

Only when she was out of sight did they gather to gossip about whether they'd ever seen a more beautiful woman.

Eliza had been waiting for Ava in the carriage for a while, looking worried. "What did Ethan say, Ava? Is it just a rumor?"

Facing the maid who had grown up with her, Ava shook her head helplessly. She cracked open the carriage window. The camp outside was almost packed up, ready to move. Ava simply told the coachman to bypass the big group and head back. But things didn't go as planned. Apparently, people had heard that the victorious knights from the southern campaign would pass through today and were eagerly waiting outside the city gates to welcome the empire's heroes.

Since this was the Martinez Family's territory, and the leader of the Dawn Knights was a son of the Martinez Family, even more people had crowded the road, which could originally fit three carriages side by side.

Ava's carriage was stuck behind the crowd. The surrounding noise was like a tidal wave, blocking her path completely. Ava had no choice but to wait for the commotion to die down.

When the knights rolled in, the crowd went wild, almost knocking them over. Most folks were celebrating the heroes' return, but a few had these sneaky looks and were whispering among themselves.

"Is that Knight Captain Sophia next to Ethan?"

"So, is it true? Is Sophia really gonna be with Ethan?"

"But I thought Ethan was married."

Those in the know were whispering, remembering that Ethan had tied the knot before heading south, marrying a noble lady, the daughter of the empire's hero, Duke Davis. They were wondering if the Martinez Family had lost their minds.

"Yeah, and while Ethan was away for three years, his wife ran the territory. If it weren't for her, my family would still be paying double the taxes!"

"Regardless of her status, only an idiot would ditch such a good wife. And sending her to a sanatorium is out of the question. Surely Sophia wouldn't settle for being a mistress?"

"This has nothing to do with us. I've only heard whispers, mind you, that it started back when they were on campaign... a battlefield romance gone sour, or so the rumors go..."

A scream cut through the chatter, followed by the heavy thud of armor hitting the ground.

Ava quickly lifted the carriage curtain and saw a commoner in plain clothes, kicked to the ground, clutching his stomach in pain.

Standing over him was Ethan.

Ethan's intense eyes scanned the crowd. To him, these were just commoners on his family's land, who should be grateful for the Martinez Family's protection and had no right to gossip about his family affairs.

But when he locked eyes with Ava from the distant carriage, Ethan paused, then frowned.

He thought, 'Did Ava spread these rumors on purpose? If so, I'll definitely talk to Mother about setting her straight. Such a beautiful but petty woman is hardly fit to be my wife.'

"Ethan?" The woman beside him noticed his distraction and followed his gaze, meeting Ava's eyes. Her expression froze for a moment, then she sneered.

Ava saw this reaction and knew she was probably Sophia.

Amid the puzzled looks from the crowd, Sophia drew her sword from her waist, pointing the cold blade in Ava's direction, then made a slashing gesture with a grin.

Ava thought, 'Sophia is declaring war on me, but with a sword meant for the battlefield…does she consider me her enemy?'

Ava's eyes darkened, and she couldn't help but clench her fists under her sleeves.

Meanwhile, Ethan raised his voice, "While Sophia and I were fighting side by side on the battlefield, you were enjoying safety and comfort at home! My wife lived a life of decadent luxury while we risked our lives. What right does she have to demand that a decorated knight be relegated to the status of a mistress? Furthermore…"

As if thinking of something, he turned to Sophia, his face instantly lighting up with happiness. He continued, "I have earned the King's approval with the glory of this southern campaign! I am about to marry Sophia. She will be my wife and the only love of my life!""