Blackening the Affectionate Male Lead (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 11
Ding—
Chester carefully stepped into the salon. Seeing its shabby appearance, he scratched his chin.
‘Is she really planning to have a dress made here?’
He couldn’t understand why of all places, it had to be this one. Any noble from the capital’s center would normally entrust their gowns to the famous salons on Poltori Street.
Especially with the upcoming social season approaching, going to a renowned establishment would have made far more sense.
‘Besides, isn’t Whitney Orleans about to make her debutante appearance soon?’
Aaron, finding Whitney’s whereabouts suspicious, had even hired an information broker. Once, he solemnly handed me a sheet of paper and said,
“It’s strange. There’s very little information available.”
All he could say after slumping his shoulders was that there was no information. After all that searching, it turned out he was just trying to uncover facts. Sometimes he was unnecessarily enthusiastic—this seemed like one of those times.
Aaron had uncovered very little.
[Whitney Orleans.The only child of Duke Orleans; her mother died of illness. At age seven, the Duke remarried Cecilia Western, Duchess Western.
The Duke died in a carriage accident when Whitney Orleans was eight. Afterward, the staff at the Ducal Mansion changed repeatedly. She rarely appears in social circles or official events.
Recently, she has been seen visiting a bookstore and the Lecea salon. Otherwise, she seldom leaves home.]
That essentially meant she had no allies left within the Ducal Mansion. Given that, he could now understand why she’d chosen this place for her dress.
From her perspective, this was likely the best option available.
Melissa, who wore dresses so exquisite they were hard to find even in the capital, was being contrasted with Whitney’s current gown—shorter in length than before but looking neat and tidy.
Chester found himself concerned about Whitney.
“What brings you here, sir? We’re currently not handling men’s attire.”
“Oh, it’s nothing else—I just wondered whether the young lady who just left had her dress made here.”
Leberom quickly sized Chester up.
‘He clearly belongs to a central noble house—but which one, I can’t quite tell.’
Thanks to his cloak, Chester’s face remained hidden. Moreover, Aaron, who accompanied him, was even wearing a mask.
Seeing this, Leberom stepped back warily.
“W-why do you ask that? I can’t show you the dress!”
He raised his voice, fearing Chester might be another person coming to ruin the dress. Chester sighed and reluctantly reached into his coat to retrieve something.
“Eek! Please spare my life! But I promised her I’d protect that dress. Please consider my position—I can’t abandon my pride!”
Monsieur Leberom dropped to his knees, pleading desperately. Chester pulled out an envelope, looking utterly bewildered.
“I only meant to hand you this. Why act as if I’m about to kill you? Just who else has come looking?”
Apparently, Chester wasn’t the only one who’d heard Whitney was having a dress made here. Leberom lifted his head and stared at the envelope offered to him.
“What’s this?”
“Open it. Whatever Lady Orleans entrusted to you, do your absolute best to craft the dress. If you’re lacking anything, just say so. It seems someone’s been trying to sabotage it… but you likely won’t have to worry about that anymore.”
“…Huh?”
Leberom accepted the envelope but couldn’t shake his dazed expression.
“What is your relationship with her? Am I even allowed to accept this…?”
“Well… let’s just call it an investment. Don’t mention it to anyone. You can consider the rest as hush money.”
At Chester’s words, Leberom carefully opened the envelope. His eyes bulged wide as he glanced at the amount inside, then alternated his gaze between the envelope and Chester.
“Y-you’re really giving me this…?”
“I’d prefer if you took no other commissions besides Lady Orleans’s until the social season begins.”
“You needn’t worry about that. I have no other clients, so I’ll pour everything into this one piece! But… I still can’t show you the dress.”
Chester nodded at that.
“Fair enough. I’m not curious anyway.”
With that, he left the salon as if his business were concluded. Aaron, trailing behind, still wore a look of utter confusion.
“Your Highness, are you really going this far?”
“You saw it yourself—the herb’s effects are undeniable. Since they don’t even seem to know who’s consuming it, the first step is figuring out their intentions.”
“I truly don’t understand.”
“You don’t have to. I just need to.”
If there was any chance to save his mother, Chester would willingly offer his own neck—even to someone who came to kill him.
[This is the timeline separator]Whitney’s day began with checking her mail. As expected, the letter she’d been waiting for still hadn’t arrived.
‘Should I send another letter?’
No. That would be the same as bowing my head first. My aunt might be watching. Even though she’s a margravine, she’d surely hear news from the capital. If something noteworthy happens, she might finally respond.
The lack of communication so far meant either she had no interest—or circumstances prevented her from reaching out. If it was the former, then I needed to create something worthy of her attention.
‘News significant enough to draw interest even from the frontier… causing a scandal or stirring up controversy.’
Whitney leaned back against the wall and let out a deep sigh.
Neither option was easy. She needed to find another way, but nothing came to mind. For now, she’d already placed a request with an information broker—seeking a butler with verified background credentials.
Until she reclaimed the Ducal Mansion, she needed someone who could stand beside her.
Knock knock knock.
Startled, Whitney hastily stuffed her book under the covers. She never expected someone in the Ducal Mansion to knock before opening the door.
“Princess, it’s Rael. A letter has arrived—I’ve come to deliver it.”
“…A letter?”
She sprang from her chair and flung the door open. Rael, taken aback, stepped back and handed her the letter.
‘Ribenia petals!’
His Royal Highness Prince Chester has sent me a letter?
Whitney’s eyes widened in disbelief. Quickly composing herself, she ushered Rael out and shut the door. If word got out that she had ties to Prince Chester—unlike her previous connection with a royal knight—her life would become extremely complicated.
If the Queen got wind of this, Whitney’s life could be in danger before she’d even prepared anything. She lightly touched her throat and swallowed hard.
Sending petals was his way of confirming he’d tested the herb. Though he hadn’t identified who was consuming it, he was clearly certain of its close connection to her.
Whitney carefully opened the letter and read:
[Lady Orleans,It seems you’ve been facing considerable difficulties at the Ducal Mansion. Since I can’t yet determine who among them is trustworthy, I’ll make you a proposal.
You’ll soon make your debutante appearance in high society. Become its brightest star and earn the Queen’s recognition.
Then, we shall resume our conversation.
P.S. If you need a guardian, just say the word.]
Earn the Queen’s recognition? And offering to arrange a guardian—did that mean he was willing to help?
Whitney lit a candle and burned the letter. Though unspoken, she knew it couldn’t be left behind.
Opening the window to let in fresh air, she pondered the meaning behind Prince Chester’s words.
To gain the Queen’s approval, she needed to shine brightest at her debutante ball. Reflecting on past years’ stars, they’d all been backed by well-connected nobles—mostly the Queen’s own people, or at the very least, nobles with significant influence in the kingdom.
The Orleans Ducal House, under her late father, might have held such standing—but under Cecilia’s control, its prestige had clearly diminished.
‘Even if I attend every social event, I’d be lucky if they don’t just call me graceless.’
Melissa’s situation already made that clear. Though she received invitations, none came from truly powerful houses. Even if her stepmother Cecilia offered assistance, Whitney had no intention of accepting it.
She might even end up causing more harm than help.
Prince Chester’s postscript echoed in Whitney’s mind. Without a guardian, this goal was impossible… Should she ask him for help? But how exactly could he provide a guardian? That part made no sense.
Besides, there was no way Prince Chester himself could become her guardian.
As Whitney gazed out the window, sorting through her tangled thoughts, her eyes suddenly widened.
A carriage had stopped right in front of the Ducal Mansion. Instinctively, she knew someone had come for her. Whitney hurried downstairs immediately.
Her stepmother’s face was twisted in displeasure, and Melissa anxiously bit her lip. An elegantly poised woman looked up toward Whitney, who had just descended the stairs, and spoke.
“I’ve been sent by Lady Rubernus. She instructed me to bring Whitney Orleans.”
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
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Chapter Comments (1)
Inline Comments (9)
Cecilia hosted parties every two weeks, inviting guests to the Ducal Mansion—lik
What if it was Prince Carl? Or the man who brought them from the countryside and helped them?
“Meeting someone privately?”
I think she dyes her hair, or that she’s an illegitimate daughter of another man.
Mother would surely be furious, so it remained to be seen how she’d react. Judgi
I hope Cecile gets a very gentle punishment that cuts her down 🙂🔪
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This is the first time I’ve seen a good aunt help the heroine; I think this novel is different.