“Ding-dong”
Cheston cautiously entered the salon. Looking rather shabby, he scratched his chin in thought.
‘Are they really getting a dress made here?’
He couldn’t understand why this place was chosen. Nobles in the capital usually commissioned dresses from the famous salons on Poltory Street, especially in preparation for the upcoming social season.
‘Moreover, isn’t Whitney Orleans about to have her debutante ball?’
Aron had found Whitney’s choice of location odd and had even commissioned an information broker for details. Once, he handed Cheston a document, saying earnestly,
“It’s strange. There’s hardly any information.”
Dropping his shoulders in disappointment, his only revelation was a lack of information. That explained why she had been hard to find. Sometimes Aron could be overly enthusiastic, and this seemed to be one of those times.
The information Aron could gather was limited:
[Whitney Orleans.
The only daughter of the Duke of Orleans, her mother died due to illness. The Duke remarried Cecilia Weston, a former Countess of Weston, when Whitney was seven.
The Duke died in a carriage accident when Whitney was eight, after which the staff at the ducal mansion were replaced. She rarely appears in social circles and official functions.
Recently, she has been spotted visiting a bookstore and the Lusia Salon. Otherwise, she doesn’t leave the house much.]
This implied that she had no allies left in the ducal mansion. Considering this, it made sense why she would choose this place to get her dress made. It was probably the best she could do under the circumstances.
The difference between the dresses worn by Melissa, who appeared in an elaborately tailored dress, and Whitney, whose dress looked simpler but neater, struck Cheston.
He found himself concerned about Whitney.
“What brings you here? We’re not currently making men’s clothing.”
“Oh, I was just wondering if the woman who just left had her dress made here.”
Leberom quickly sized Cheston up.
‘He looks like he belongs to a central noble family. I can’t tell which one.’
Cheston had his face hidden under a cloak, and Aron wore a mask.
Leberom stepped back, appearing cautious.
“Why do you ask? I can’t show you the dress!”
Worried that someone had come to ruin the dress, Leberom raised his voice. Cheston reluctantly reached into his pocket for something.
“Ah! Please spare me! But I’ve promised to protect that lady’s dress. I can’t betray my pride. Please consider my position.”
Leberom prostrated on the floor, pleading desperately. Cheston pulled an envelope from his pocket, looking puzzled.
“I just wanted to hand this over. You’re acting as if I’m here to kill. Who else has been here asking about this?”
It seemed he wasn’t the only one who had come looking after hearing Whitney had commissioned a dress. Leberom looked at the envelope extended to him.
“What is this?”
“Open it. Whatever Lady Orleans has commissioned, make the best dress you can. If you need anything, let me know. It seems someone is trying to ruin the dress… but that won’t be a concern anymore.”
“Uh?”
Leberom took the envelope, still looking bewildered.
“What’s your relation to her? I’m not sure if I should accept this…”
“Think of it as an investment. Don’t mention it to anyone. And consider the rest as hush money.”
At Cheston’s words, Leberom cautiously opened the envelope. His eyes widened in disbelief at the amount, and he looked back and forth between the envelope and Cheston.
“Are you really giving this to me…”
“I’d prefer if you didn’t take any other orders besides Lady Orleans’s until the social season.”
Leberom was left speechless, staring at the generous amount in the envelope, indicating Cheston’s serious intention.
“Don’t worry about that. There are no other commissions, so I’ll pour everything into this one! But… I still can’t show you the dress.”
At this, Cheston nodded his head.
“Do that. I’m not curious anyway.”
He left the salon, having finished his business. Following him, Aron still wore a puzzled expression.
“Your Highness, are you really going to such lengths?”
“You saw it too. The efficacy of that herb is certain. It seems no one knows who’s taking it, and finding out what they’re thinking is the priority, isn’t it?”
“I really don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to. As long as I know.”
Cheston was willing to offer his neck to anyone who could save his mother, even if they came to kill him.
Whitney’s day started with checking her correspondence. Again, the letter she was waiting for had not arrived.
‘Should I send another letter?’
No, that would be bowing down first. Maybe her aunt was watching from afar. Despite being in a remote area, she must have heard stories from the capital. If something attention-grabbing happened, there might be a response.
So far, the lack of news meant either disinterest or inability to respond. If it was disinterest, Whitney would need to create a situation that garnered attention.
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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