Startled by the unexpected turn of events, Orlentia swayed a bit in the carriage before finally sitting opposite the man, catching her breath.

“Haah… Sorry. That must have startled you?”

“Yes, quite a bit. I thought a wild buffalo had barged in.”

His manner of speaking was still rather unpleasant.

‘Just a moment ago, he said rabbit, and now a buffalo!’

Orlentia slightly furrowed her brow before forcing a smile. It seemed right to at least pretend to be grateful for his help. And now, he seemed somewhat milder than before.

“Phew! I ran into some thugs on the street, ran like a buffalo. Anyway, thank you so much for helping.”

She widened her eyes like crescents and animatedly gestured about how she charged into the carriage. To him, she might just be another forgettable face in the crowd, a buffalo rampaging through the streets. Nonetheless, she was relieved to be away from those thugs.

But she couldn’t keep riding in this carriage, not knowing where he was headed.

“I should get off here,” Orlentia said, looking round-eyed at the man, who ignored her request, still with his arms crossed.

“Excuse me?”

She tried to ask politely, not wanting to upset her rescuer.

Then, the man uncrossed his arms, drew the curtain, and gazed outside.

“Why are you unaccompanied by a guard?”

‘Why ask that now?’

“There are reasons.”

“If you’re such a naive lady, you need a guard even more.”

His sharp comment irked her.

“Why do you talk like that? What does it matter to you?”

“Those guys in satin suits, do you know who they are?”

“No!”

“They’re traffickers, posing as theatre actors. Seemingly decent and sweet-spoken, but truly nauseating inside.”

Traffickers? She had sensed something was off, but they were far more dangerous than she thought.

‘I almost got into big trouble.’

Orlentia bit her lower lip, exhaling roughly. She couldn’t stop trembling despite trying to calm herself.

Still trying to appear nonchalant, she noticed the man draw the curtain again.

“Don’t wander alone in Shine Street again. I don’t want to see a lady ending up in a morgue because of me.”

“Why must you be so harsh!”

It baffled her why he was so blunt. He must be of high standing, considering his large chariot. He didn’t seem like a nobleman ignorant of basic etiquette.

Had there ever been a noble in the capital Geranium with such a grand physique and a chariot like his?

Curiosity piqued, Orlentia stared intently at the man, who had turned his head, revealing a solid jawline and ear.

Come to think of it, her dream husband had a robust jawline, especially appealing with those beautiful red eyes.

Swallowing hard, Orlentia strained to see his eyes through the mask.

She hadn’t paid much attention before, but now she thought the man’s eyes might be red. What a coincidence! Red eyes were rare.

Overwhelmed by a peculiar feeling, she reflected on her dream, feeling almost prophetic.

The Armeniaca family had a history of sacred powers. She had admired how she wielded those powers in her dream.

Then he remarked,

“You might pierce through the mask if you keep staring, Lady.”
As the man playfully teased her, Orlentia, flustered, cleared her throat with a small cough and shifted the topic.

“Where are you headed? We must be far enough from them by now, right?”

“Where is your destination?”

“Are you offering to take me there?”

She didn’t really need him to. With both legs intact, she could find and head to Karunda’s law office herself.

However, his next comment crossed a line.

“Well, if the Lady reflects properly on today’s events, I might consider it.”

“No way!”

Thud!

Just then, the carriage jerked violently.

As Orlentia lurched forward, the man naturally extended his hand to steady her. His reflexes were impressively quick.

“Ah, thank you.”

His hand on her shoulder felt large and firm.

When the carriage shook again, Orlentia, without thinking, grasped his hand. It was large, thick, and warm.

He held her hand for quite a while, firmly enough to feel each texture of his skin.

Realizing this, Orlentia jerked her hand away, exclaiming,

“Don’t joke around.”

Despite his initially cold demeanor, his multiple acts of assistance suggested he wasn’t a cold-hearted person.

Orlentia glanced at him and then spoke softly.

“If you won’t let me off, please take me to my destination. It’s in front of Karunda’s law office.”

She thought he was being overly meddlesome with his talk of reflection, but it didn’t seem right to say that in front of someone who had helped her.

Before getting off the carriage, Orlentia was eager to know the man’s name. Their encounter was not common, and the chances of meeting him in the social circles were high.

Orlentia looked at him with curious eyes. She wondered how he looked beneath the mask.

Would his eyebrows be thick? Was his nose low or mountainously high? And his lips… would they be like layers of a pastry, soft and plump?

Swallowing hard, she asked him,

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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