“What did you say?”
What’s going on?
Jacqueline kindly informed me of the detailed information.
“The Duke of Whitewood’s name is Ashton Clitter. Before he was demoted to a duke in the wilderness, he was known as Ashton Hainsworth.”
“……Wow.”
Hainsworth was the surname of the current royal family.
It was proof that he was of royal blood, unable to deny it.
“So, you’re saying that he’s Prince Louis’s…”
“He’s his half-brother. The Prince is two years older.”
‘Not his full brother…’
It turns out he was the hidden original male protagonist’s brother.
‘And to think he was the unfortunate second prince whose existence was completely erased even though he was alive…’
If you just looked at his character, it would be enough for an entire romance fantasy.
With a hint of doubt, I asked Jacqueline.
“Uh… Which direction is the fief that Duke Whitewood governs located in?”
“……Why?”
“No reason. I’m just asking out of personal curiosity. Don’t think it’s strange.”
Jacqueline dutifully answered.
“It’s in the north. It’s a harsh area where it snows for three-quarters of the year, and the land is incredibly barren.”
“Could it be a place frequently invaded by beasts, or perhaps bandits?”
“My, how did you know? It’s adjacent to the border with Miolawa, so there are many gangs of thieves crossing over. I also heard that hungry beasts attack the villages, causing trouble.”
“……”
What the… he really is a Northern Duke, isn’t he?
Jacqueline gave me more TMI.
“The name ‘Whitewood’ refers to the land the Duke governs. Because of the cold weather and frequent snowstorms, the area surprisingly has trees that are white in color. That’s why the fief was simply named Whitewood.”
“I see……”
“We came to the Duchy of Celeste because His Majesty the Emperor abruptly ordered us to escort foreign ambassadors. So we went to Tricala with them and came back… looking like this.”
Jacqueline’s sighing words barely entered my ears.
My focus was completely on that man, Ashton Clitter.
The qualifications to become my favorite character were right in front of me in 3D.
‘This is too stimulating.’
I staggered and searched for Zero on my shoulder.
‘Zero… do you think that Duke Whitewood is some fantasy creature created by you to motivate me? Would he disappear if I defeat zombies, like a mirage?’
If I had known you’d like this, yes, correct.
‘Is this the welfare for transmigrators?’
「What are you talking about? Get ready to cross the bridge. Your team is already the fourth to move.」
About ten people were moving at once, and more than half had already crossed the bridge.
Since Jacqueline and I had volunteered to be the last team, it meant my turn was coming up.
「Even if he wasn’t mentioned much in the original work, creating a new human out of thin air wouldn’t be easy, right? That man, Duke Whitewood, existed in this world from the beginning.」
‘Ah, I see.’
Damn it. If he had been the male protagonist, I would’ve been more immersed…
Regretfully, my eyes kept drifting towards Duke Whitewood, Ashton Clitter, and our eyes met.
The moment I met his cold, indifferent red eyes, I unknowingly looked away.
‘…Why did I look away? I didn’t do anything wrong.’
Just then, Michael, who was assisting with the guidance, called me out loudly.
“Elizabeth Keaton, Duchess! Please move this way.”
“I’m coming!”
Half in haste and half in embarrassment from the eye contact with Ashton, I grabbed Jacqueline’s hand and ran toward the bridge.
“My Lady, you can run without holding this, you know…”
“I just need to hold onto something right now… Please understand.”
Talking nonsense, I used all my strength to climb onto the bridge.
Trying hard not to be aware of Duke Whitewood, who was on the same team as me.
‘…What’s up with that guy’s look?’
Would loneliness make a person’s eyes look so empty and parched?
Ashton stood like a doll, his eyes appearing as if they had been burned black without a trace of human warmth.
In his expressionless face, one couldn’t discern any emotion, evoking a feeling beyond pity, almost creepy.
Having lived like a ghost, he seemed utterly engulfed in a gloomy atmosphere.
Even Zero, who floated around me as I ran out of breath, seemed to share my impression of Ashton.
“Is that even a person? No common human emotional ripples are visible. As if he can’t feel emotions innately. But how can he look like that…?”
Zero was disgusted.
I too was initially intrigued but grew tired of Ashton’s empty gaze and impulsively grabbed Jaclin and ran across the bridge.
Clip-clop clip-clop.
Regardless of what I did, Ashton Cliter, the Duke of Whitewood, calmly walked across the bridge.
Finally, a total of sixty-six people had safely crossed the bridge.
“Is everyone across?”
“Yes, mage.”
“I have the spirits on standby. The stairs connecting the bridge and ground can be detonated anytime.”
Rus, Michael, and Benedict exchanged opinions.
As Ashton moved a certain distance away from the stairs, Rus shouted loudly.
“Detonate the stairs, Ben!”
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.
Link to read
