Blackening the Affectionate Male Lead (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
Whitney, who had come down from the attic to the lower floor, headed toward the study where Lady Orleans, her stepmother, would be.
“Please tell Mother I need to speak with her.”
“…What is it? Her Ladyship is busy overseeing the affairs of the Ducal Mansion.”
The butler Gabriel blocked Whitney’s path.
“Just for a moment. You know very well that Mother dislikes disturbances even more.”
“Are you going to cause a commotion if I don’t let you in?”
Gabriel let out a dry chuckle, clearly knowing that was impossible. Since the Duke’s death, Whitney hadn’t caused a single problem and had obediently followed everything the Lady and Melissa told her to do.
She believed every tragedy that had happened was her fault.
“Yes, if you won’t inform her, I’ll wait right here until she’s ready to see me.”
“Sigh… Just wait a moment. If Her Ladyship gets angry, I won’t be held responsible.”
Everything had changed after her father’s death. The maids in the Ducal Mansion and even the butler who had served House Orleans for years were all dismissed.
Though all authority rightfully belonged to her, her stepmother had seized control under the pretext of being her mother-in-law. Now, Whitney needed to reclaim her rights properly.
After all, she had been the heir to House of Duke Orleans; everything her stepmother held should rightfully be handed over to her when she came of age.
But she still had time before reaching adulthood. If she demanded the authority of the ducal house now, she’d be at a disadvantage. Therefore, Whitney had to think and act wisely.
“You may go in.”
At the butler’s words, she carefully entered the study. Her stepmother, Cecilia Western—perhaps becoming Duchess of Orleans was the greatest stroke of luck in the life of a woman who had once been merely the wife of the fallen Marquis Western.
Yet for Whitney, it was the worst misfortune that should never have occurred in her life.
“Did you forget I told you to stay out of sight in the attic? Whitney, just seeing you reminds me of the late Duke, and it pains my heart.”
As Whitney entered the study, her mother tucked the documents on the desk into a drawer.
‘You’re still such a skilled liar. No wonder Melissa is too.’
Whitney recalled her stepmother’s dry, tearless face at the funeral.
“I understand well. But I thought I should do my part too. I need a dress for my debutante presentation.”
“…A dress? What use is such extravagance for you? You won’t be entering society anyway.”
As she said this, her mother wore a dress dripping with jewels. Even her satin gloves were studded with pearls. Using the excuse that everyone would criticize her for wearing dull colors while mourning her husband, she indulged in every luxury.
“I was thinking of you, Mother. If I appear in a shabby dress, people might speak ill of your reputation… They might even say you treat me this way because I’m not your blood daughter, now that the Duke is gone.”
“Look at you—now you’re speaking strangely. After I’ve fed you, raised you, and given you a place to sleep, are you really going to fabricate stories just because I don’t give you a dress?”
Her mother scowled and stood up abruptly, her sharp nails raised as if ready to tear the paper.
‘She only ever pinched or scratched me where no one could see.’
Whitney slowly shook her head.
“I only wish not to bring shame to House of Duke Orleans. I heard Melissa is at the center of high society. I want to help her. Please, I’ll quietly attend and leave right after—so don’t worry about that part.”
“Fine, I suppose you should have at least one dress. Let me tell you this—what do you think about me continuing to manage the ducal affairs even after you come of age?”
“…Please do. What would I know anyway?”
Her stepmother Western smiled, lifting the corners of her mouth.
“Good. I’ll have the dress made. If you keep being this obedient and well-behaved, maybe I can even bring myself to embrace you without thinking of the late Duke.”
She kept spouting words she clearly didn’t mean until the very end. Whitney left the study with a smile.
The second drawer—apparently that’s where the documents detailing the Ducal Mansion’s finances were kept.
[This is the timeline separator]A few days later, Whitney didn’t know whether it was her mother or the butler whose tongue was loose, but Rael approached her.
“The weather’s lovely—how about going out for a stroll? It’d be easier for me to clean if you’d step out for a bit.”
“…You’re cleaning now? You never even cleaned my room before. That’s odd.”
Whitney sneered at Rael’s unusual behavior. Cleaning the attic had always been her own duty; her mother had ordered her to tidy her own sleeping area since she did nothing else in the Ducal Mansion but eat and sleep.
“I’ll clean my own room, so you don’t need to touch it.”
“You say that even though I’m offering to clean for you? It seems the habits of a maid are ingrained in you. As a princess, you should maintain your dignity.”
Rael practically pushed her out of the room as if shooing her away.
Rael, who never showed her any interest before, must have had a reason for acting this way. Whitney had no choice but to head downstairs.
Whitney had always known Melissa’s schedule well enough to avoid running into her. Melissa probably expected they’d meet sooner or later and had been waiting—after all, she’d think it beneath her dignity to seek Whitney out of mere curiosity.
“Oh my, it’s so rare to see your face?”
Whitney had never asked her mother for anything. Melissa must have heard about the dress request and grown curious about her intentions.
So it was unnatural for Melissa to be sitting on the sofa at this hour and greet Whitney first.
That she, who usually treated Whitney like an invisible person, had initiated conversation meant she was truly anxious.
Whitney held her breath for a moment before exhaling.
Melissa’s beaming smile made her want to retch. Her luscious rose-gold hair swayed elegantly, and her violet eyes sparkled with curiosity as she looked at Whitney.
“…You seem to be the one looking for me.”
“Me? Why would I?”
Melissa widened her eyes and shrugged her shoulders, yet couldn’t tear her gaze away from Whitney.
“I suppose you wouldn’t have a reason. You dislike me, after all.”
“Whitney, I think you’re misunderstanding something, so let me clarify.”
She approached Whitney with a light step and spoke in a tone loud enough for anyone to hear.
“It’s not just me who dislikes you. Everyone in the Ducal Mansion hates you.”
Of course they did. Everyone here was her mother’s people. Hadn’t they all been purged precisely to isolate her completely?
“…I’ll be going first.”
“Off for a walk? Didn’t you ask for a dress for your debutante presentation? Well, marriage is your only hope, isn’t it? But who would marry you?”
“You’d be happy if I left the Ducal Mansion, wouldn’t you?”
“Not at all. I like having you by my side. Just standing next to you makes me shine—your pitiful brown hair makes me stand out even more.”
Melissa flicked Whitney’s hair with her finger and laughed gleefully. Her pink, layered lace dress fluttered like a blooming flower—her waist slender, her chest lifted to accentuate feminine curves.
A teardrop-shaped diamond nestled between her collarbones sparkled, drawing all eyes.
“With your thin, lifeless body, dry hair, and scars all over—why would anyone love you? Wake up. Do you really think men will look your way just because you wear a nice dress to your debutante ball? You still know nothing of the world.”
Melissa scolded Whitney with a look of feigned concern. Indeed, Whitney was thinner than Melissa from not eating well.
“You’re right. You’ll capture everyone’s attention anyway. I only wished not to burden you and Mother. That’s all.”
“Your very existence is already a burden. You should have died back then.”
Again, it was about her father. Whitney clenched her fists tightly. If her father hadn’t saved her, would the three of them have been happy, as Melissa claimed?
‘He probably wanted to get rid of someone like me too.’
Melissa had even tried to kill her despite her doing nothing at all. In her past life, Whitney knew exactly what destination Melissa sought.
It wasn’t enough to merely become the ducal princess—Melissa was aiming for the throne itself.
“So don’t cause trouble. Just stay quiet. Everything you do irritates me.”
Melissa glared at Whitney, then sharply turned her head and walked toward her room. Whitney watched her sister’s graceful retreating figure before heading to the study.
Upon arriving at the study, Whitney opened the door and stepped in carefully.
Thick dust covered everything, clearly showing no one had cleaned it. Whitney left the study and borrowed simple cleaning tools from the maids’ quarters.
She opened the study windows and began cleaning, brushing away layers of grime and meticulously organizing everything.
After a long while of focused cleaning, Whitney finally straightened her back once the study was in order.
“Now I can actually see what’s what.”
She had cleaned the study to find books concerning the lineage and records of House of Duke Orleans.
‘I’ll need help to reclaim my rights.’
Whitney had no power. Even if she managed to assert her inheritance rights, there was a high chance her mother would seize them again. First, she needed to identify who could become her ally.
After surveying the now-tidy study, Whitney set down the cleaning tools and looked around.
“I should head into town today.”
To get her dress made properly, she needed to understand current fashions. If she stayed idle, she’d only end up humiliated again.
Whitney had no intention of becoming the laughingstock of others ever again.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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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.