After Linking the Villainess and Male Lead (5 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 8
At my words, Kaern stared at me in silence with a strange look in his eyes.
I couldn’t tell what it meant, but I was just glad he didn’t think poorly of me.
Feeling embarrassed under his piercing gaze, I subtly averted my eyes.
The inside of the carriage instantly fell quiet.
Thus, the sound of my heartbeat—previously drowned out by our conversation—now pounded louder than ever, amplified by my shame.
‘Please.’
How much longer?
When would we arrive at the Imperial Palace?
I fervently hoped, again and again, that he wouldn’t hear this sound before I could step out of the carriage.
Because of it, though I would normally have been happy to chat with him, I now found myself wishing Kaern wouldn’t speak to me anymore.
But ever since Adelia’s wedding, Kaern had kept acting in ways I never expected.
“If you ever need hair ornaments, I’ll get them for you anytime.”
His pleasant, low voice resonated once more through the carriage.
“From now on, feel free to use the ornaments I give you as you please.”
“…Huh?”
It wasn’t that I didn’t understand his words.
I’d asked only because I still couldn’t decipher his intention behind offering to procure hair ornaments just for me.
But as always, Kaern’s words ended there.
He fell silent as if unwilling to say anything more, and I ultimately heard nothing further from him.
After what felt like an eternity, the carriage finally stopped—apparently, we’d reached the Imperial Palace.
“Let’s get out.”
“Yes.”
Kaern stepped down from the carriage first and then extended his hand to me.
We’d finally arrived.
I lightly clenched my fist, then uncurled my fingers to take his hand.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
At my words of gratitude, Kaern merely glanced at me briefly and offered no reply.
Since I hadn’t expected him to say anything anyway, I didn’t particularly mind.
Right now, avoiding any unnecessary contact with him was my top priority.
‘Surely he doesn’t intend to walk into the banquet hall with me like this.’
Thinking that, I tightened my grip on his hand to give my final farewell.
But his firm hold prevented my hand from slipping away easily.
After a brief moment of panic over what to do, I gathered my strength to pull free again, carefully managed my expression, and spoke.
“Your Grace, thank you for escorting me all the way here. I’ll manage on my own from now on, so please don’t worry about me. Well then, I’ll just…”
“What are you talking about? Let’s go in.”
“Huh? Yes?”
“Are you planning to go in after resting a bit?”
“Huh? No—I mean, I will go in now, it’s just…”
Not only did I fail to pull my hand away, but Kaern’s unexpected words threw me into utter confusion, leaving my gaze drifting helplessly into empty air.
Then, suddenly, I sensed the nobles arriving at the banquet hall staring intently at us.
Everyone was whispering among themselves, eyes filled with curiosity as they watched the two of us.
‘Ah…’
Being the center of attention like this was already more than enough when I was with Adelia.
Of course, this time it was probably because Kaern rarely attended banquets.
“Your Grace…”
I called out to Kaern once more and hastily organized my thoughts.
Then, desperate to escape the current situation, I blurted out everything I wanted to say.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you entered the banquet hall first? I’ll follow shortly after…”
“Could it be that you dislike being with me?”
“Huh? No, not at all! It’s just… I worry it might cause you discomfort to enter with me.”
I was certain Kaern felt the same way I did.
After all, he was someone who notoriously disliked drawing unnecessary attention.
Though admittedly, his very presence naturally drew people’s interest—he surely wouldn’t want to become an even bigger subject of gossip just because he was with me.
“Discomfort? I don’t see what’s wrong with entering alongside my fiancée. Or perhaps you’ve grown used to entering with Adelia, so being with me feels awkward?”
“Oh… right. We’re engaged. That’s exactly why it might seem odd to separate.”
Unable to speak truthfully, I lied to him once again.
Yet the real reason for my discomfort wasn’t him—it was entirely my own feelings toward him.
My heart was still racing so violently from nervousness that cold sweat trickled down my back.
Perhaps noticing my distress, Kaern cautiously reached out and placed the back of his hand against my forehead.
“You don’t seem to have a fever. Did I force you to come even though you weren’t feeling well? If you’re struggling right now, just say so. We’ll turn back immediately.”
“Huh? No, I’m fine. I haven’t overexerted myself these past few days.”
Though his sudden touch made me dizzy for an entirely different reason, it certainly wasn’t from illness.
After studying me once more, he finally took a step forward.
Behind him walked—presumably—me, my face flushed red from his lingering grip on my hand.
At first, I hurried after him to match his pace.
Fortunately, before long, his steps abruptly slowed, allowing me to walk beside him rather than trailing behind.
It was all thanks to Kaern deliberately slowing his pace to match mine.
Throughout our walk toward the banquet hall, gazes continued to follow us.
Kaern, however, paid them no mind and walked silently, eyes fixed straight ahead.
I tried hard to conceal my embarrassment and awkwardness, alternating my gaze between the ground and the distant sky, occasionally stealing glances at Kaern’s composed profile as I quietly followed him.
Soon enough, we reached the grand doors of the banquet hall.
“Wait a moment!”
Just as the doorkeeper moved to open the doors for us, my words burst out before I could stop them, driven by sudden urgency.
My exclamation froze the doorkeeper’s hand mid-motion, leaving him momentarily lost.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s… I’m just a little nervous.”
With that, I took a deep breath inward and slowly exhaled.
“Are you unwell after all?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Hearing the hint of concern in his voice, I shook my head vigorously in reply.
“If you insist on staying, how about returning briefly to the carriage to rest instead?”
“I’ll be fine after just a very short rest.”
At my assurance, I stopped Kaern once more just as he was about to step inside and stared at him blankly.
Was I the only one this nervous?
Because once we stepped in there, countless eyes would surely fixate on us—far more intensely than during our walk here.
This was genuinely overwhelming, exceeding my limits to the point where I couldn’t even decide what to do.
Honestly, I wanted to flee this place right now.
But…
I turned my head to look at Kaern.
My heart was still pounding fiercely.
Because of him.
And yet, precisely because I was with him.
I closed my eyes briefly and exhaled deeply.
Right.
I’m with Kaern now.
There’s no reason to fear when I’m with the person I like—certainly no reason to be afraid instead of happy.
An opportunity like this doesn’t come often.
So I shouldn’t be anxious.
Besides, in the chaos of the banquet hall, my feelings toward him probably wouldn’t be easily noticed.
Finally composing myself, I looked up at Kaern with determined eyes.
“I’m ready now. Let’s go.”
Kaern nodded and signaled to the doorkeeper, who immediately swung the banquet hall doors wide open.
“His Grace Duke Kaern Lavellion and Lady Helena Rosentia of the Viscount Rosentia household.”
As we entered to the doorkeeper’s booming announcement, I immediately felt every eye in the banquet hall turn toward us.
Though today’s circumstances were slightly different, I still assumed—as I had when entering with Adelia—that most people would be looking at Kaern, not me.
But my assumption proved spectacularly wrong.
I could feel people’s gazes shifting repeatedly—first to Kaern, then to me, then back to Kaern and returning to me again.
Among them, the young noble ladies’ stares felt the sharpest of all.
Gradually, however, their gazes began to shift in a strange direction.
Just as I was about to wonder why, a sudden, jarring realization struck me like a blow to the head.
I’d completely forgotten to let go of Kaern’s hand before entering the banquet hall—and now, the crowd was staring at our joined hands with expressions just as startled as my own.
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
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If there is a person checking these comments. Can you please add a word/letter count to the bottom. Also sometimes the comments don’t stay within the chapter you read but throughout the whole book, please fix that glitch. Another, per book- hour limited to how many comments can earn cookies – it’s better you write that somewhere or give a notification to the commenter about that. The notification about the 3/3 free reads glitch too, sometimes it says 3/1,1/3,1/1 or not work. The cookies glitch sometimes too, id have 10 but when I try to unlock chapter it keeps saying I have none. Love yalls work!
If there is a person checking these comments. Can you please add a word/letter count to the bottom. Also sometimes the comments don’t stay within the chapter you read but throughout the whole book, please fix that glitch. Another, per book- hour limited to how many comments can earn cookies – it’s better you write that somewhere or give a notification to the commenter about that. The notification about the 3/3 free reads glitch too, sometimes it says 3/1,1/3,1/1 or not work. The cookies glitch sometimes too, id have 10 but when I try to unlock chapter it keeps saying I have none. Love yalls work!
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