“So, you have to perform?”
“Yes……”
“In the middle of the banquet hall?”
“Yes……”
Delrina, who had to head straight to Belrion’s office right after her visit to the imperial palace, recounted everything that had happened there. Of course, she also mentioned the sudden requirement for her to perform as a clown. Felik, listening to Delrina’s story, spoke as if flabbergasted.
“Performing in the middle of a banquet hall, even if you’re a clown, is no simple street act. This is a birthday celebration, so it’s on a much larger scale, isn’t it?”
“Exactly. But I have to do it!”
“Moreover, you’re already the best clown even without doing that!”
“I don’t need such praise!”
While Felik and Delrina were engaged in a noisy conversation, Belrion maintained his silence. Then, Felik asked,
“It seems they intend to bring you in and even invite His Highness to the birthday celebration… What will you do?”
“……”
After a moment of quiet, Belrion cast his gaze towards Delrina.
“Clown.”
“Yes.”
“What do you want to do?”
“……”
Delrina knew. If Belrion said she didn’t have to do it if she didn’t want to, she wouldn’t. But could she really just do what she wanted? Moreover, Delrina had to somehow prevent conflict between the imperial family and the ducal house.
“The good thing is, they haven’t specified what kind of performance I should do. I’ll try to do what I can within my abilities.”
“……”
“I’ll also wear a mask.”
Reluctant as she was to perform with her identity revealed, Delrina accepted her circumstances and offered a compromise. There was no other choice.
“Then do it that way.”
Upon hearing Delrina’s words, Belrion immediately responded, then turned to Felik and said,
“I’ll also go to the birthday celebration.”
“Yes, I’ll send that reply then.”
There wasn’t much time left until the birthday celebration. Delrina, quietly calculating the remaining time, turned around.
“I’ll go now. I should start preparing for the performance.”
“Go ahead.”
Delrina hurriedly left the office. Felik, who had been watching her leave, asked,
“Your Highness.”
“……”
“You seem to be quietly looking forward to her performance, is that correct?”
It wasn’t for nothing that Felik was Belrion’s closest confidant. He had noticed the hint of anticipation in Belrion’s eyes when he said he would attend the birthday celebration.
“We’ll see since she said she’ll do it.”
“Yes, of course it’s good that you’re supporting her, but it would be best if only you knew your inner feelings. If she finds out you’re looking forward to it, she, who is already nervous, will become even more so.”
Naturally, it wasn’t just Belrion who was looking forward to Delrina’s performance. Felik, who had also resolved to faithfully follow Belrion to the birthday celebration, was also bright-eyed and smiling.
“Now, Zen. You understood what I said, right?”
“Yes.”
“So I’m going to practice my clown techniques on you. It’s not harmful to the human body or anything like that, okay?”
“Yes.”
“Actually, I don’t know for sure if it’s harmful or not, but if it turns out to be, I’ll stop immediately. Is that okay?”
“Yes.”
“……Will you give me a million gold?”
“Yes.”
Whether he understood or not, Zen simply smiled pleasantly. Delrina sighed. She had asked Zen to be her practice partner for abilities she could use in the performance, but Zen was smiling as if anything was fine.
“Can you really do it? Be my performance assistant?”
“Yes, yes.”
Zen nodded his head. Then he added,
“I know what an assistant is.”
“What is it?”
“Helping Delrina.”
“You’ve learned well.”
“Did I do well?”
“Yes, you did well.”
At Delrina’s words, Zen seemed to ask for praise, sticking out his head, and Delrina happily patted him repeatedly. Just then, a voice interrupted their conversation.
“He’s only an assistant in name, more like a puppy tailing its owner.”
The voice that came from beyond the garden bushes was from Bansent. At his words, Delrina retorted,
“I told you, I’m not the owner!”
“Fine, I should sometimes let you stroll in the garden too.”
Delina, whether she acknowledged it or not, Vansent placed the small box he was holding on the floor. Delina tilted her head at the sight of the box.
“What’s that?”
“A gun.”
“A gun?”
Delina, of course, knew well what a gun was. However, it was a weapon that spread rapidly only several years from now. It was the most widely distributed item during the war, capable of long-range attacks and instant kills if aimed properly.
‘But the size…’
“Ever seen one?”
“I think I read about its invention in a book before. Why is it so small, though?”
But contrary to her words, the gun Vansent had brought was much smaller than any Delina had known. Holding the gun, small enough to grip with one hand, Vansent responded.
“It’s a recent development. Easier to hide and shoot if it’s small.”
“Oh, really?”
Delina, impressed by Vansent’s ingenuity—especially when guns had yet to be widely circulated—gave him an appreciative look. Meanwhile, Vansent loaded the gun and handed it to her.
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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