Arranged Marriage To Another Juliet (GxG)—[ENGLISH VERSION]

Chapter 10

Day 1

Veronica forced me to wake up early, but I didn’t listen and only woke up around eleven a.m. Last night had completely drained me, my body ached, my head throbbed, and my thoughts were still tangled in yesterday’s chaos. We were sharing a room, but don’t get me wrong, we had separate beds. Thankfully, there was a sofa, so she had claimed that instead. I didn’t care if her body got sore; let her sleep in comfort.

Still… where was that woman? I scanned the room instinctively, half-expecting her to be lingering somewhere, watching, waiting. My chest tightened at the thought. I hadn’t even processed yesterday’s events properly, but her presence, her words, the tension and now, just the idea of her reminded me that this marriage, arranged or not, wasn’t going to be simple.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. The morning light streamed through the window, casting a soft glow across the room, but instead of feeling peaceful, it only reminded me of how trapped I felt. Everything around me was too quiet, too still, almost mocking.

I could hear the faint creak of the floorboards, someone was moving. I held my breath, heart kicking up in my chest. Could it be her? Or… maybe it was just Veronica finally stirring?

I padded softly toward the kitchen, curiosity pushing me ahead of fatigue. That’s when I saw her—or rather, the one I’d been thinking about. She was sitting quietly, absorbed in a book, Ashes. Her posture was relaxed, completely unaware of me at first, until she sensed my presence and looked up.

“Good morning,” she said softly, almost whispering, her voice cutting through the fog in my head. I froze. Her tone was… different. Gentler somehow, softer than I remembered.

For a moment, I just stared, trying to reconcile the image in front of me with the whirlwind of feelings I’d buried the night before. Exhaustion, frustration, and something else I couldn’t quite name swirled inside me. I had no idea how I was supposed to navigate this morning, or this day.

And then I realized: no matter how tired, how confused, or how angry I was, the fact that she existed in this space here, at this moment, meant I couldn’t ignore her. Not entirely.

“You slept well?” she asked, tilting her head slightly, her eyes curious but gentle.

“Yeah… I guess,” I replied, shrugging. “You?”

“I’m fine,” she said softly, closing her book. There was a pause, a quiet tension in the air.

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. “I think… I’ll take a shower too,” I said, trying to shake off the lingering fatigue.

She looked up from her book and smirked. “Oh? Going to hog all the warm water by yourself again? Careful, the shower might get lonely without me,” she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes, half annoyed, half flustered. “Very funny. I’m serious this time.”

She nodded briefly, still grinning. “Okay. I’ll wait here… but don’t take too long, or I might start thinking you’re avoiding me.”

As I stepped toward the bathroom, I felt the morning sunlight brushing across the room, highlighting how strange it all felt us, sharing this space, separated by so much more than just beds.

I took my time in the shower, letting the warm water wash away the heaviness of yesterday. Steam filled the room, and for a moment, I let myself forget everything—Dad’s arranged marriage, the awkwardness with Veronica. It was just me, the water, and the brief illusion of peace.

When I finally stepped out, wrapping a towel around myself, I noticed Veronica sitting on the sofa, still in her pajamas, her damp hair pulled back loosely. She looked up and smirked.

“Feeling lighter now? Careful… you might make the shower jealous with how long you stayed in there,” she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes, trying to hide my flustered expression. “Very funny. I was washing off… everything,” I said, gesturing vaguely at the world outside the bathroom.

“Everything, huh?” she said, leaning back with that knowing smile that made my stomach twist. “Well… if you want company next time, I won’t complain. The shower gets lonely without you.”

I groaned, half annoyed, half amused, and quickly moved past her toward the wardrobe. I needed to get dressed before she teased me into turning red completely.

While I was picking out clothes, she got up and stretched, glancing at me over her shoulder. “You know,” she said casually, “we’re supposed to have breakfast soon. Don’t make me eat alone. Or worse—eat without me noticing your sneaky snack raids again.”

I laughed quietly to myself, shaking my head. “Sneaky snack raids? You mean the one cookie yesterday?”

Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “Exactly. And I have a long memory.”

Dressed and finally feeling a little more awake, I grabbed my phone and checked messages. Abcde, of course, had sent a string of texts, but I ignored them for now. Veronica, meanwhile, had already started preparing some coffee, humming softly as she worked. The sound was oddly comforting, and for the first time that morning, I felt… not entirely on edge.

I made my way to the kitchen, and she handed me a small cup of tea. “Careful,” she said, “Don’t burn yourself again. I’ve seen your cooking disasters—you might set the resort on fire.”

I laughed outright this time, taking a sip. “I’ll try not to. But if it happens… you’re helping clean it up.” Her laughter filled the room, warm and teasing, and suddenly the morning didn’t feel quite so strange.

“I… I made sinigang,” she said hesitantly, pushing the steaming pot toward Veronica. “Well… I mean, I tried. I don’t really know how to cook it properly,” she added, scratching the back of her neck, a nervous smile tugging at her lips. “But… maybe you could try it? If it’s… edible?”

Veronica smiled softly, handing me a spoon. “Go ahead, taste it. Don’t worry, I’m sure you did fine.”

I hesitated for a moment, then took a cautious bite. The flavors hit me—warm, savory, comforting. I blinked, surprised. “Hey… this is actually good,” I admitted, a small smile tugging at my lips.

I helped her set the table, careful not to knock over the steaming pot of sinigang she had so nervously offered. I realized she hadn’t eaten, she was waiting for me. A pang of guilt hit me.

“You should’ve eaten first,” I said, picking up my spoon.

She shrugged, eyes down, a small smile tugging at her lips. “It’s okay… I’m still full from earlier. Here—taste the soup. I tried my best.” I tried to stop her from serving me, but she had already placed the bowl in front of me, insisting. I took a tentative sip, and for a moment, I almost laughed. Somehow, despite all her nervous fumbling, it actually tasted… good.

“You didn’t have to do this. Yes, we’re married, but only on paper,” I blurted out, almost before I realized it, watching her fidget on the edge of her napkin.

I didn’t mean to say it—it just slipped out. It wasn’t like I didn’t appreciate her effort; it caught me off guard that she’d made breakfast for me, taking the time and care to cook something, even when our marriage was supposed to be meaningless, just a formality. Part of me felt guilty for thinking of her so differently than the situation demanded, and part of me… felt something unfamiliar stir in my chest.

I looked away quickly, pretending to focus on the steaming bowl in front of me, embarrassed by my own honesty.

She remained quiet, cheeks warming, head lowered as she ate. She didn’t bother me anymore, and I felt a strange mix of relief and curiosity. I could sneak glances at her now without her noticing, and even capture the view outside the window. Might as well post on i********:, but every time I looked back, she was there, quietly trying, nervously offering me a taste of something she barely knew how to cook. And somehow… that made my heart beat a little faster.