Whitney narrowed her brows as she looked at the disheveled room.

“I should have suspected something when they said they were cleaning.”

The already sparse clothes in the room were dirtied further. At that moment, Whitney remembered the dress of her mother she had kept in the wardrobe.

She hurriedly checked inside the wardrobe, but the dress was nowhere to be found. Her eyes then fell on the clothes scattered on the floor, barely recognizable as a dress.

‘No, not my mother’s keepsake…’

Whitney sat on the floor, clutching the torn fabric that was hardly identifiable as a dress. She had forgotten how cruel those two could be.

She had let her guard down, feeling relieved to have survived, forgetting what kind of people they were.

She was supposed to send the dress to the salon, but all she had now was a tattered garment. Whitney wiped her tears with the back of her hand and gathered the clothes into one corner. The jewelry hidden inside the bed seemed fortunately undiscovered.

Whitney thought even this might eventually be found by the maids rummaging through her room.

‘Don’t cry. Let’s not cry.’

Crying wouldn’t change anything. She needed to first clear her mind while cleaning the room. As she tidied up, her thoughts also became clearer.

In the now clean attic, Whitney wiped off her sweat and then carefully unfolded the ruined dress.

‘At least there seems to be some salvageable parts.’

She would have to somehow find the money for the missing parts. This debutante ball was important for her. It was her only chance to change her reputation and status.

I’m sending a letter as I thought you’d be surprised opening the box.

The dress I promised you has been ruined.

It’s my fault for not taking care of it.

Is it possible to make it with just the usable fabric?

Please use this jewelry for the missing parts. It should fetch a good price.

Whitney Orléans.

P.S. I won’t forget your help.]

Whitney sent the box with the letter, hoping the world could be a bit more beautiful. Even if he couldn’t do it, she couldn’t blame him.

Fortunately, Monsieur Leberom responded that he would try to make her dress.

Don’t worry. Although it’s in pieces, it’s excellent fabric. Trust me.

Also, I will keep the jewelry. It will match the dress perfectly, so it would be better to wear them together.

You won’t regret choosing me.

It would be better if you come to pick up the dress in person. I have a feeling that if I send it, it might not arrive intact.

I will send a letter once it’s complete.

Monsieur Leberom.]

It seemed better to pick it up herself, as he suggested. She didn’t know what they might do if they saw the dress restored. Whitney stored his letter under her bed.

“What a relief. I feel more at ease.”

Leaning back on her bed, Whitney sighed. She was under house arrest for a week. The knight who had shamed her was nowhere to be seen. Her stepmother valued appearances. A tarnished reputation of the Orléans Ducal House would devalue both Melissa and her stepmother.
Whitney thought that since it would be problematic for fundraising, the knight who had embarrassed the Orléans Ducal House in public would likely be dismissed. And it turned out just as she had thought.

Her stepmother, having sprained her back, was advised by the doctor to refrain from moving. Frustrated, she threw objects at Whitney. Eventually, Whitney ended up with a wound on her forehead, but she covered it with her bangs.

Whitney had taught herself about herbs. It was an instinct for survival, as she had been injured since childhood. The medicine given as if a favor by her stepmother never worked properly. If Whitney hadn’t known her herbs, her body would have been too wounded to bear.

Luckily, there were dried herbs in the attic. She carefully applied them to her forehead and looked in the mirror.

‘This wound will heal quickly.’

With the wound treated, all that was left was to read the books she had moved to her room during her house arrest. There were more books about the Orléans Ducal House than she thought, so it was a good opportunity to read them.

While flipping through the pages, Whitney was surprised to see a name written next to her father’s.

Victorian?

“Father had a sister.”

She thought her father had no siblings as no one appeared at the funeral.

Lady Rubenness. Not a noble of the capital, but married to the well-known border count Rubenness. From the lack of records, it seemed they had lost contact.

‘…Maybe I should send a letter?’

Starting with a letter asking how they were would be appropriate. Perhaps they could be a strong ally for her.

The Rubenness family, considering their emphasis on trade, would surely be tempted by an irresistible offer. Whitney pondered what they might need.

Rubenness had fallen out of the king’s favor and ended up on the border. Though they had connections and a reputable family name, falling out of favor was a significant blow.

Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away

This is also on my reread list!

This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.

Definitely worth a read, y’all!

The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.

But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.

Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.

I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.

The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.

As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.

Intro

As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.

But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…

Do you dare?

Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.

Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.

The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.

Link to read 

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