“Lady Isabella……”
“No, it’s Alesia. Isabella returned to the Kingdom of Rubelin. She had a dinner appointment with Her Majesty the Empress before leaving, but something came up.”
Patricia recalled what Anna had told her the morning she was going to meet Julia. Also, when she returned from the Hunchback hunter village, there was a letter from Isabella on her office desk.
The neat and tidy handwriting that began with formal greetings revealing the season and weather became slanted from the part expressing hopes that Patricia had made some mistake in missing the dinner appointment and that her memory would return.
The last paragraph, where she wrote about not wanting to go to Rubelin and wanting to divorce her husband, was so scribbled that it was barely legible, making it hard to believe it was written by the same person.
Even in the brief moment of writing the letter, she had been in a state where it was difficult to control her intense emotions.
It was too personal to show the Emperor, so she put it in the desk drawer and asked Annie how close she was with Princess Isabella.
She said they had tea a few times before the royal marriage and that she had joined in when the imperial ladies had an audience.
“Alesia, don’t run, come slowly.”
But why was Princess Alesia running over crying?
“Besides, Isabella would never run like that, what’s wrong? Alesia!”
Alesia wiped her face with the back of her hand and ran into Carolina’s arms.
“Mother is looking for Rina. Come with me.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Rina, an envoy sent by Prince Henry from Rubelin has arrived, and Bella, elder sister Isabella, attempted suicide.”
“What? Attempted suicide, so how is her condition now?”
“I don’t know, hurry.”
They followed Alesia, who was almost running, walking quickly down the corridor to the Empress Dowager’s quarters.
The Empress Dowager’s maids were bustling back and forth between the restroom and reception room, and the Emperor sat across from the Empress Dowager, who was lying face down on the sofa crying, with a gloomy expression.
As they entered the reception room, Diana glanced sharply at Patricia, then grabbed Carolina’s hand and pulled her. With Carolina standing in front of her, she buried her face in her waist and wailed.
“Rina, Isabella, that child……”
“I heard from Alesia, Mother. What do they say about her current condition?”
“Fortunately, it seems a maid discovered her quickly.”
Carolina awkwardly stood, lowering her arms to embrace her mother’s shoulders and head.
“Rina, pack lightly. Let’s go to Rubelin together.”
What? With me?
Carolina was flustered.
The knights sent by Patrick from Tane would arrive tomorrow. The heat on her cheeks that had risen while reading his letter hadn’t even faded yet. She turned to Patricia, who knew the background, with a troubled expression.
Patricia placed her hand on the Empress Dowager’s arm and spoke in a low, gentle voice.
“Mother, I can imagine how shocked and heartbroken you must be… My heart aches too, I wish I could comfort you……”
“Enough, your heart aches? Who are you trying to comfort now? I don’t want to hear your voice.”
Diana snapped, slapping away the Empress’s hand on her arm.
“Mother! What are you saying?”
The Emperor straightened up, looking serious as he took Patricia’s hand.
“Yes, Harchen. I am your mother. If you had listened to me and married Lady Julia, Emperor Kazan wouldn’t have come here, and there would have been no assassination attempt. The incident with the Empress or Pamila wouldn’t have happened either, so you shouldn’t carelessly let just anyone in.”
“Mother! You’re speaking out of turn. Apologize to the Empress.”
Harchen abruptly stood up from the sofa, and at the same time, Patricia grabbed his arm.
“You’re right, Mother.”
Patricia took a slow breath in and out before speaking calmly.
“Your Majesty would not have experienced various incidents if he had married Lady Julia. However, this incident with Princess Isabella is unrelated to me. It’s unfair to connect that incident to me as the cause. I don’t remember if I was close enough with Lady Isabella to share inner thoughts, but she left a letter saying she didn’t want to return to Rubelin and wanted a divorce. If she left such a letter to me, she should have shown her inner feelings to you more often, Mother.”
“Are you saying that I sent that child back to Rubelin knowing her inner circumstances? It’s hard to believe that she left a letter for you. I don’t want to see your face, so just leave.”
Patricia gently grasped her dress skirt and bowed her upper body, giving a polite greeting.
“I’d like to see you off, but it seems it would be better if I’m not here. I hope you have a good trip to the Kingdom of Rubelin.”
Patricia left, holding the hand of Harchen, who was gritting his teeth. Alesia also stood up.
“Mother, why did you do that? I should at least follow and try to improve the Sun Warrior’s mood. Have a good trip.”
As Alesia followed the imperial couple out, Carolina ordered the maids to leave. After all the maids had left, Carolina sat the Empress Dowager on the sofa and sat beside her, holding both her hands.
“Rina, you heard what Harchen said? It’s not like he’s bewitched, telling me to apologize to her.”
“Mother, why didn’t you maintain dignity and courtesy in front of the Empress?”
“Do I need to show courtesy to that little thing I don’t like? Carolina, quickly go and prepare.”
“No, Mother. I can’t go with you.”
“No, why?”
“The royal marriage proposal from Tane will arrive tomorrow. I’m going to Tane.”
“What are you saying? Are you in your right mind? You want to get married twice, in duplicate?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Stop talking nonsense and let’s go to Rubelin. Your elder sister is at death’s door. They say she cut her wrist with Prince Henry’s sword the day after arriving there. Surely that bastard with ambitions for the throne must have done something terrible. He drove my daughter to the brink of death.”
“No, Mother. The person who drove Isabella to that point is you. Rina is right. She told us dozens of times what she wrote in that letter. You forced the royal marriage in the first place, using her love affair with the guard knight as an excuse.”
“Carolina, are you stabbing your mother’s heart in this situation?”
“Even if Isabella’s condition is good, come back together as she wishes.”
“Isabella is the princess consort of the Kingdom of Rubelin. The crown prince is bedridden with an incurable disease.”
“Do you want Isabella to become an unfortunate queen?”
“Why unfortunate, as a queen? Do you feel pleased wanting to make your elder sister a divorcee?”
“No, I want Isabella to be happy. Even if she’s the poor wife of a knight without a title, I want to see her smiling.”
“How long do you think Isabella, who has lived her whole life as a princess in the palace, can smile wearing ragged dresses?”
“Yes, you’re right. I couldn’t actively express my opinion because I was also concerned about that aspect of Isabella. Now she can even live alone in a townhouse in the capital, can’t she?”
“Is it your joy to have her swept up in vulgar rumors in the capital’s social circles?”
“It’s better than being with Prince Henry in that hell of Rubelin, isn’t it? Above all, if she was determined to die, what do those kinds of rumors matter? Mother, take this opportunity to have some time to face the truth as you come and go.”
“So in the end, you won’t accompany me to Rubelin?”
“No. And I’m past the age where I need your permission to marry. I’m going to Tane tomorrow.”
“Go ahead, I won’t be going to Tane to see your wedding.”
“Is that so, I’ll come here to Notos Palace for our honeymoon after the wedding.”
“Who says you can come to this palace?”
“I’ll get permission from His Majesty Emperor Harchen, have a safe trip to Rubelin, Mother.”
Carolina grasped her dress skirt and bowed her upper body in greeting. Though she spoke sharply until the end with all her might, thick tears flowed down her pale cheeks.
After Carolina left, a maid announced in a low voice.
“Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, preparations for departure are complete.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
Diana boarded the carriage with one maid, two servant girls, and guard knights standing on all sides.
She looked out from inside the carriage. She departed for Rubelin desolately, receiving a send-off from only the royal household staff, without a single blood relative.
*
“First, I’ll apologize to the Sun Warrior. I really liked the Sun Warrior very much. Of course, at Tane Academy……”
Alesia sat on the sofa in the Emperor’s office, giving a lengthy explanation to Patricia about the circumstances of the Diarum wolfsbane incident and the antidote she had researched and developed.
Harchen was about to cut off Alesia’s long-winded speech but stopped. Thanks to that, he was also excited that Patricia was sitting in his office for a long time.
He unclasped his interlocked hands, touching his brow bone with his right hand while signing documents with his left. Philip stood close by, on edge in case the Emperor might write the Empress’s name every time he signed.
“There are no side effects. I also brewed the medicine for my maid and servant girl, and neither of them had any problems. Moreover, the servant girl’s grandmother was old and her memory was declining, unable to remember family names. After taking the medicine I brewed, she became very sharp.”
“Patricia.”
As the Emperor who was signing stopped his hand, Philip checked the document in panic. Fortunately, he had only called out with his mouth.
“If you’re uneasy, you don’t have to take it. You’re very lovable as you are now.”
“Why? Are you worried? I trust Lady Alesia’s antidote. If it weren’t for the Diarum banquet incident, I might have been exposed to poison before Panaho’s poisoned arrow.”
“Thank you, then I’ll brew the medicine and bring it to White Palace tomorrow morning.”
As Alesia rose from her seat, Harchen ordered Philip and Calip to see her off.
“Harchen, what kind of send-off is this within the same palace?”
“I’m telling you both to leave.”
As the three left simultaneously at the order to leave, Harchen pulled his desk chair back slightly and gazed at Patricia sitting on the sofa with seductive eyes.
“Why? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“My office, you’ve been here before but don’t remember? Come here for a bit.”
Patricia went to him, gazing at him as if bewitched as he tilted his head, making his facial contours look different. One side of the desk was damaged, revealing broken wood.
“Why is this desk…?”
“I tried to seduce someone, but they didn’t fall for it, so I got angry and did this.”
“Then why didn’t you replace it and left it as is?”
Harchen stood up from his chair, came around the desk and sat on it, pulling her between his legs. He wrapped one arm around her waist and caressed her back with the other hand.
“That day, you confessed to me. I wanted to commemorate it.”
“I can’t believe it, you’re saying I confessed first?”
“Yes, you even gave me a lilac flower. How’s your back? Does it still hurt?”
“It’s fine. I put stars on the ceiling at the poorhouse and it didn’t even pull.”
“That’s good, today you try seducing me.”
Male lead is a clingy little husband
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]