Yesterday was Bella's wedding day with Lincoln. From the moment the emperor decreed the marriage until today, Bella had no idea what her husband looked like.

She had only heard that Lincoln was tall and strong, with a commanding presence. He was nicknamed the King of Hell. That was all she knew about her husband.

Everyone envied her for marrying such a world-renowned hero. But what life was like inside the Marquis Manor, only those within knew.

She never admired lords or heroes. All she wanted was a peaceful and stable life. Even if her husband was a common man, as long as he treated her well, that would be enough.

But with one imperial decree, she married Lincoln.

While helping her arrange her clothes, Clara said, "Ms. Jenkins, the Marquis has treated you like this right after your arrival. Life won't be easy for you."

Bella knew that whether she was a concubine or a wife, to live well in a manor depended on her status and the favor she received.

For someone like her, whose husband didn't enter the room on their wedding night, even the slightly favored maids might dare to trample over her in the future.

Bella said, "Clara, if we don't have the ability to help the world, then it's good enough to just protect ourselves. As for the honor or disgrace others give you, if you accept it, it's yours. If you don't, it has nothing to do with you."

Clara thought that what Bella said made sense. She replied, "Yes, Ms. Jenkins, I understand."

Bella smiled faintly and corrected her, "Clara, remember to call me Madam from now on. I don't want people saying you lack manners."

"Yes, Madam," Clara corrected herself.

After arranging Bella's clothes, Clara prepared food for the kitchen. The two of them ate a simple meal.

After the meal, Bella was about to pick up some needlework to pass the time when a servant came in. He bowed and said, "Madam, Marquis Miller says he wants to take you out for a while."

Bella had to put down her needlework and followed the servant out.

Bella followed the servant all the way to the main gate. The gate was open. From a distance, Bella saw a tall figure standing there.

The servant stepped forward and said, "Marquis Miller, Madam is here."

Lincoln turned around at the sound. Bella saw a distinguished, handsome face. This was the first time Bella saw Lincoln. Knowing he was the Marquis, she greeted him, "Marquis Miller, I pay my respects to you."

Lincoln looked her up and down, then suddenly picked her up and leaped onto the nearby horse. He whipped the reins and rode off.

Bella was startled by the sudden action. She only stiffened slightly and had no other reaction. This surprised Lincoln. He hadn't expected that Bella would have such courage.

When the horse finally stopped, Bella realized they were standing at the gate of Barnes Manor.

She didn't understand why Lincoln had brought her here.

Lincoln didn't say anything. He simply jumped off the horse and went to knock on the door.

Soon, someone opened the door and invited them in.

Lincoln helped Bella off the horse. She took her hand and followed the servant into the main hall.

In the hall, Charles was already waiting for them. For some reason, he didn't seem to be in good spirits.

Lincoln casually found a chair and sat down. He got straight to the point and said, "The woman you love is now my wife. If you want her life to be good, ask the emperor to marry Lydia. If you treat Lydia well, Bella's life in the manor will naturally be good. But if you don't treat Lydia well, Bella's life will be even worse than hers."

At this, both Bella and Charles understood Lincoln's meaning. Bella didn't show any emotion, but Charles was furious and wanted to kill the bastard in front of him. "Lincoln, you bastard! I'll kill you!"

As Charles spoke, he directly attacked Lincoln. But Lincoln was a renowned warrior. Even Nathan Ross, the undefeated general of Beau, couldn't fend off his attacks. Let alone a noble prince.

With just one move, Lincoln pinned Charles down on the table. "I advise you to think carefully. You are not my match. If you act rashly again, it won't be good if you get hurt."

Lincoln released Charles, then sat back in his original seat. He dusted off his clothes and said, "Your Highness, you can think about it slowly. Starting tomorrow, I will take a concubine every other day. I've heard that many women in Gonzales are jealous of my wife's talents. As a man, I don't know how to torment women. So, I'll just bring all those jealous women into the Marquis Manor. My manor is big enough. There's plenty of time for you to think."

"Lincoln, you bastard!" Charles clenched his fists tightly. He hated that he didn't have the strength to kill the bastard in front of him.

"Bastard? I never said I wasn't. Your Highness, we'll be taking our leave," Lincoln said as he stood up.

He walked up to Bella and said, "Ms. Jenkins, you should advise His Highness. Otherwise, your future days won't be easy!"

Bella looked up at the man in front of her. No matter how she looked at him, he didn't seem like such a shameless scoundrel. But he was!

Bella then turned her gaze to Charles. "Your Highness, I know you've always stayed out of worldly affairs. So just follow your heart. I will take care of myself."

After speaking, Bella didn't care about Lincoln's expression and turned to leave.

Bella now understood Charles' feelings for her. But she was already Lincoln's wife. She couldn't give him anything and didn't want him to lose anything because of her.

Lincoln watched Bella's stubborn figure and then looked at Charles. "Your Highness, how about we make a bet? Let's see how long she can hold out."

Charles was so furious at the man in front of him that he couldn't speak. He glared at him, wishing he could take him down with him.

"Your Highness, getting angry is bad for your health. Hahaha..." Lincoln left with those words, laughing loudly as he went.

When Adrian entered, he saw his master trembling with anger. He quickly helped him to a chair. "Your Highness, Marquis Miller is just a scoundrel. Please don't harm your health by getting too upset."

Adrian had been standing outside and heard everything that had happened inside. He had been with Charles since childhood and naturally understood his feelings. He knew Charles must be furious. But how could the famous Marquis Miller be such a rogue?

"You can go. I'm fine," Charles didn't want to hear anything or see anyone right now.

"Yes," Adrian responded and retreated to stand guard outside the door.

Charles slammed his fist on the table in frustration. Bella had said he always stayed out of worldly affairs, but she was wrong. His indifference was because of her. He wasn't really indifferent. He had fought against the world for Bella, but he lost.

When Lincoln came out, Bella had already left. He quickly mounted his horse and chased after her. When he reached her, he grabbed her and swiftly rode back to the Marquis Manor.

Bella didn't want to ride the same horse with him. But after witnessing his skills firsthand, she knew any struggle would be useless, so she let him do as he wished.

When they arrived at the manor, Lincoln dismounted. He casually tossed the reins to the guard and walked straight through the gate without a glance at Bella, who was still on the horse.

Bella had never ridden a horse before and didn't know how to dismount. Finally, with the help of the guard, she managed to get down from the horse.

Bella went straight back to the Melody Courtyard. Even though she didn't care about others, her mood was still affected. She wasn't a fool. She clearly understood Lincoln's intentions.

She could accept that Lincoln did not treat her well. She could accept that Lincoln did not love her. But she found it really hard to accept the fact that Lincoln married her just so her sister could marry the man she loved.

But things had already come to this. Even if she didn't accept it, she couldn't change anything. She was a woman, after all. Her fate was destined to be in someone else's.

She didn't have the energy to think about anything else. Lincoln had said that he would start taking concubines tomorrow. She believed he would act on it. Life would surely become more tumultuous.

The next day, Lincoln made a grand show of marrying Eva Flores into the household. Although it was taking a concubine, the ceremony was no less grand than a wedding. Moreover, she even entered through the main gate with great pomp.

Bella knew this was meant to put her in her place. She had already prepared herself mentally, so she just let him do as he wished.

"Madam, are you just going to endure this?" Clara said, clearly upset.

Bella played with the thread in her hands. She said calmly, "What else can I do? Can I beat him? Can the Jenkins family do anything to him?"

Clara shook her head. It was clear that neither of them could beat him or do anything about it.

"So what if I don't endure it? Should I go and fight him to the death? Why waste my energy on that?" she said.

Clara stomped her foot in frustration. "Then what should we do? Just let him openly marry a concubine and humiliate you?"

She thought, "Marquis Miller didn't enter Madam's room last night. Madam had already become the laughingstock. Now, with the concubine openly entering through the main gate with such a grand ceremony, it was like she was being treated as the official wife. Isn't this making Madam a joke to the entire Gonzales?"

Bella smiled and shook her head. She said, "Clara, you're wrong. It's not just one. From now on, it's one every other day."

"One every other day?" Clara could hardly believe her ears. But seeing how Bella was handling it, it was clear she already knew. What on earth was going on?

"Yes, that's right. So, just let him do as he wishes. Otherwise, we'll be driven mad before he fills the manor with concubines." Bella had already finished arranging the threads. She pulled Clara down to sit beside her. "Didn't you want to learn double-sided embroidery from me before? Well, start learning seriously from now on. If you don't focus, I'll be a very strict teacher," she said.

Bella started selecting the satin as she spoke. Clara looked at Bella's expression. There wasn't the slightest trace of displeasure. Clara truly couldn't tell if Bella really didn't care or if she was just too good at hiding her emotions.

Bella had wanted to remain quietly in her corner. But as the official wife, she was soon called to observe the ceremony. She also had to accept the concubine's water offering according to the rules.

Bella put down her embroidery and said helplessly, "The tree wants to remain still, but the wind won't stop."

Then she looked at Clara and said, "You don't need to come with me. Practice the stitching method I just taught you. I'll check it when I get back."

Bella knew Clara's temperament. She also knew Lincoln intended to embarrass her. The scene would definitely not be pleasant. Some things Bella could endure, but Clara might not be able to. If Clara couldn't bear it, the outcome would be even more painful.

Bella followed the servant to the main hall. This ceremony was no different from a proper wedding. Perhaps only Lincoln could pull off such a thing.

When it came time for the water offering, Bella sat calmly in her chair and accepted Eva's drinks. But to her surprise, Eva deliberately pretended her hand shook. The cup tilted, and the hot water spilled onto Bella's hand.

Bella frowned slightly. The water used in the ceremony was usually at a drinkable temperature. But this scalding hot water couldn't have been prepared for her by accident. If she did this right at the start, the days ahead would be even more turbulent.

Bella knew she had no backing. If she didn't want things to get worse, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and endure.

She steadied the cup effortlessly and pulled her sleeve to cover her scalded hand. Then she brought the cup to her lips. But the water was too hot to drink. Bella put the cup back on the tray and said, "I hope you will serve Marquis Miller well in the future and bear many children for him."