Blackening the Affectionate Male Lead (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
“She’s gone.”
“…Gone?”
Chester opened his eyes, gripping his throbbing head. At Aaron’s words, Chester wore an expression of utter confusion.
“She wouldn’t have anywhere to go. It seems the Intelligence Office is hiding something.”
“I’ll go check it out.”
“No need. The Intelligence Office won’t give us any information, and we can’t reveal our identities either—just leave it.”
Chester gazed at the garden of the secondary palace. Ever since their first meeting, she’d been a woman who’d caught his attention, and now she—who rarely even left her home—had vanished?
It was indeed strange. But if Aaron started moving, things would escalate, so Chester couldn’t act rashly.
‘Honestly, this is really bothering me.’
He pressed firmly on his furrowed brow and shook his head.
“What about the whereabouts of the herb?”
“We’re investigating. It might even be possible to cultivate it.”
“Then we won’t need the princess anymore.”
Obtaining the Bellonia herb alone would be enough. Since Aaron was already searching for the herb’s whereabouts, Chester no longer needed to maintain contact with her. Yet, why did her image keep flickering before his eyes?
“By the way, I heard the butler at Duke Orleans’ mansion was dismissed. A new butler was hired, and the one who employed him was none other than Whitney Orleans.”
“How intriguing.”
Chester grew curious about Whitney’s next move. Yet even that no longer mattered to him now. He’d see her at the debutante event—any questions could wait until then.
[This is the timeline separator]Seeing the elaborate dress before her, Whitney finally felt it was truly happening—she would be going to the palace. The Intelligence Office had reported that a butler had been sent to the ducal mansion.
‘I arranged to receive updates on Duke Orleans’ household every week on the same day, so the messenger should arrive the day after tomorrow.’
The moment she entered the palace, the news would spread through high society. Perhaps rumors would even circulate that the debutante’s star had been decided.
This too might well have been influenced by her aunt. Perhaps the queen was trying to gain something through House Rubernus.
Whitney wanted to get to the palace quickly—only then could she meet His Highness Prince Chester. Her sole reason for going to the palace was to see Chester.
Unable to use House Rubernus’ carriage, she boarded a public one. Though the palace held no particularly fond memories for her, meeting the queen might reveal what she was truly thinking.
‘Since Prince Karl’s incident occurred right after the royal banquet, she must have been plotting this long before then.’
To push her own son to such a cliff’s edge meant she herself must have been driven to desperation. What could have happened to make the queen act so hastily?
During the ride to the palace, Whitney stared blankly out the window. She might even run into Prince Karl himself.
[This is the timeline separator]Standing before the castle of the Kingdom of Lewen, Whitney stepped carefully down from the carriage. She’d spent the entire ride wondering what expression to wear when meeting the queen, yet she still lacked the confidence to make it look natural.
‘Just act naturally.’
Following her guide, Whitney cautiously entered the castle. Inside the Lewen palace, she headed toward the Diamond Palace—a residence gifted by the king to the queen.
As she stepped gently inside, crimson roses bloomed vibrantly throughout the garden. Despite the overpowering fragrance—enough to make one frown—Whitney kept her expression composed. Deeper within, a garden far more opulent than any she’d seen before came into view.
It looked strikingly different from the main palace courtyard she’d seen before her death.
Yet one thing remained the same—the palace still carried an air of profound loneliness.
A fountain crafted from gemstones sparkled in the sunlight, and fish swam in waters that resembled a tranquil lake. Life seemed to pulse everywhere, yet the palace remained merely dazzling.
Whitney walked carefully forward, heading toward where the queen waited.
Behind a table stood a servant holding a large parasol. The queen, sipping tea with graceful elegance, watched Whitney approach.
“Welcome, Whitney Orleans.”
“Thank you for inviting me, Your Majesty the Queen.”
Whitney lifted her dress slightly as she curtsied. Thanks to her etiquette tutor, her bow was both graceful and captivating.
‘Hmm. It seems Lady Rubernus has been mentoring quite a promising young lady.’
Queen Adelaide’s crimson eyes curved prettily as she welcomed Whitney. Whitney took a seat carefully across from the queen, clasped her hands together, and lowered her eyes slightly.
This was utterly unlike the queen’s despicable expression when seated beside the king. How could she forget the queen’s face from that moment when she’d been forced into confession?
The queen’s piercing gaze and chilling aura remained vivid in her memory, making Whitney’s fingertips tremble.
“I called you here because it’s lonely drinking tea alone—don’t feel burdened. It’s not easy to find someone to share a relaxed cup of tea with.”
“On the contrary, I’m honored to share tea with Your Majesty the Queen in the palace.”
Whitney sat at the table. Adelaide’s eyes slowly appraised her. Whitney smiled as calmly as possible and engaged in conversation with the queen.
“I heard you’ll be making your debutante presentation soon. I’m quite looking forward to it. You had an older sister, didn’t you?… Since she wasn’t the legitimate heir of Orleans, she seemed somewhat lacking. I noticed certain habits likely picked up while living in the provinces.”
“Is that so? We grew up together since childhood, so I never really noticed any difference.”
She hadn’t expected anyone to speak poorly of Melissa. Everyone had adored her—Whitney had assumed the queen would favor her too.
‘But from Her Majesty’s perspective, Melissa probably doesn’t meet her standards.’
Whitney herself felt as though Melissa had stolen the position that rightfully belonged to her. Seeing the queen now, it seemed unlikely Melissa would ever become a prince’s consort.
“This is precisely why bloodline matters. You’re the only daughter of House of Duke Orleans, after all. Try this cake—I had it specially made, and it’s quite delicious.”
Whitney nodded. The queen took a satisfied sip of tea, smiling. Whitney delicately lifted a piece of Victorian cake with her fork and placed it in her mouth.
‘Wow! It’s so delicious.’
The rich, smooth buttercream and the dense yet fluffy sponge delighted her palate. Whitney dabbed her lips with a napkin and smiled brightly.
“Thank you for the kind words. I’ll do my best not to disappoint Your Majesty’s expectations.”
“Good. I have high hopes for you.”
The queen smiled contentedly as she gazed at Whitney. Just as she seemed about to say something more, a lady-in-waiting approached.
“Your Majesty.”
Whitney sighed inwardly in relief—it seemed this uncomfortable moment would finally end.
“Oh dear—something important has come up, and I wanted to introduce you to someone, but it’ll have to wait for another time.”
“That’s perfectly fine. I’d be happy to return whenever you summon me next.”
Whitney rose from her seat, lifted the hem of her dress, and curtsied. She then carefully took her leave.
Even on her way out, she kept glancing around. Of course, the chance of encountering Chester by chance in the queen’s palace was slim—but she still searched the surroundings diligently, just in case.
“The garden is truly beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Oh, yes. It must reflect Your Majesty the Queen’s exceptional taste. I’ve never seen such a stunning garden before.”
“It’s a garden especially cherished by Her Majesty.”
Whitney nodded and looked around. She’d briefly hoped to meet him by chance, but as expected, he wasn’t there.
Suddenly, a woman who resembled Prince Chester passed by her. The queen’s lady-in-waiting bowed slightly in greeting.
‘Could she be Prince Chester’s mother?’
Whitney turned to take in the woman’s features. Her blue eyes shimmered faintly.
“Don’t dwell on it. Her Majesty wouldn’t appreciate your curiosity.”
At the maid’s words, Whitney understood—it was Elenia, Prince Chester’s mother. The appointment the queen mentioned must have been with her.
‘But… this scent.’
Whitney’s head turned sharply back toward Elenia.
In that instant, her eyes widened in realization. She now knew who had been taking the Rivenia herb.
Only then did she grasp how to win Prince Chester’s heart—he would never want to lose his only mother.
‘I need to hurry back and start cultivating the herb right away.’
Bellonia was difficult to cultivate and grew slowly. Impatience stirred within Whitney. She’d need to carry the antidote with her at all times, just in case she met Prince Chester again.
Could it be… that Her Majesty the Queen was giving Rivenia to Elenia?
Whitney clenched her fist. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what was going through Chester’s mind as he awaited the debutante event.
She couldn’t bring herself to speculate. Even as she stepped into the carriage, she still hoped Chester might suddenly appear.
If only he would—she’d speak to him first.
“May I take a stroll through the garden before leaving? Just follow this path straight ahead—you’ll find the carriage. Please don’t worry about me.”
“Then I look forward to seeing you again, Princess Orleans.”
With the maid’s escort, Whitney gave a light nod and walked out, scanning the garden as she went. Just as she headed toward the carriage, someone suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her aside.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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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.