Die If I Can't Marry Off My Favorite (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
“Well, um… the situation isn’t that bad.”
I deliberately spun my thoughts in a positive loop.
But upon reflection, it really wasn’t such a terrible situation after all.
Although I’d just added another shocking black mark to my history, hadn’t I still achieved my goal of stopping Asperan?
Now it was time to rack my brains and find a way to stick firmly by Asperan’s side.
‘How should I do it?’
The best way to stay near Asperan would be to become his retainer, but if I suddenly begged him outright to take me on as one, he’d almost certainly find it suspicious.
Besides, my current impression on Asperan was at its absolute worst. So the first thing I needed to do was…
‘I need to raise his favor toward me.’
Fortunately, although I didn’t know Asperan’s ideal type, I was absolutely certain about the kind of retainer he preferred.
Our workaholic sovereign liked people who thought for themselves, handled things competently without being told, and never gave up no matter the circumstances.
I’d target that trait. And conveniently, I already had the perfect material.
I lowered my head slightly, relaxed my facial muscles, and then spoke.
“I deeply apologize for my outburst, Your Majesty of Loakin. I was overly eager because I had something urgent to convey.”
I carefully lowered my voice and mimicked the archaic speech patterns I’d read in books, aiming to create a serious atmosphere.
My efforts seemed effective—as Asperan raised his left eyebrow, showing interest.
“Something you absolutely must say.”
Good. Now it was time to subtly reveal the card I held.
“Your Majesty, wouldn’t you happen to need evidence that human sacrifices were offered in Gransia?”
“Hmm.”
A faint trace of interest appeared on Asperan’s face.
“Why do you think that?”
“I recently heard that His Imperial Majesty of Gransia has been troubled by human sacrifices. Some audacious villains, grown bold with arrogance, are still secretly offering them, yet solid evidence remains elusive.”
My tension was slowly easing. My words flowed smoothly now.
“And just a moment ago, I heard Your Majesty address His Imperial Majesty of Gransia in a very familiar manner. That’s how I realized the two of you share an exceptionally close relationship.”
In truth, I knew this from , but I couldn’t say that, so I wrapped it in a plausible excuse.
“So I thought perhaps Your Majesty might wish to assist His Imperial Majesty—and indeed, you tried to extract testimony from me yourself.”
Ulysses was Asperan’s only remaining precious family. Thus, Ulysses’ worries were practically Asperan’s own.
Therefore, Asperan would certainly need proof of the human sacrifices.
To confirm, I asked once more.
“So, Your Majesty—you do need evidence of those human sacrifices, don’t you?”
Just as I’d anticipated, Asperan slowly nodded.
“Let’s see it, then. What kind of evidence is this?”
Got it!
I immediately reached for my waist to present the evidence—but… it wasn’t there. My hands found nothing.
‘Huh!’
Panicked, I looked down and saw I wasn’t wearing the red dress anymore, but a simple white one-piece. Someone must have changed my clothes.
Frantically, I asked Lumel,
“Um, didn’t the clothes I was wearing earlier have little pouches filled with dried herbs?”
“…Ah! They did! Just a moment.”
Lumel quickly brought me six pomanders. Thankfully, all were intact.
I held them out to Asperan.
“This is the evidence I spoke of.”
“This?”
“Yes. Right before I was to be sacrificed, I made several pouches identical to these and distributed them.”
I grinned.
“Inside each is an accusation stating, ‘The youngest son of Viscount Buren offered human sacrifices.’”
“!”
That’s right—I’d actually had another reason for making those pomanders.
The hidden accusation inside was bait I’d prepared to utterly destroy Vixir Buren and the villagers.
“The gate opened in Sosori Village, within Viscount Buren’s domain. I gave the pomander to a girl named Milla, the granddaughter of the village headman. She’s greedy, so she’s surely sold it by now. It’s probably spread widely in the area by this point.”
“Hmm. An accusation letter.”
Asperan listened with interest, stroking his chin with a finger.
“That alone might not qualify as solid evidence.”
Ah, why pretend not to understand?
“But it would give you grounds to search Viscount Buren’s territory.”
According to Vixir Buren’s own boasts, Ulysses had strong suspicions about the sacrifices but lacked physical proof, so he hadn’t been able to conduct a proper investigation.
If a lord locked his gates and refused entry, you couldn’t force your way in without a valid reason—doing so would likely provoke resentment from other nobles.
But with an accusation letter? The Emperor could personally intervene under the pretense of listening to the people’s voices.
After that, clever Asperan and Ulysses would handle the rest—perhaps extracting evidence from nearby villagers through skillful questioning.
Asperan seemed to share similar thoughts, as the icy rigidity in his expression softened ever so slightly.
He spoke in a voice gentler than before.
“You managed to devise such a scheme even when facing imminent death.”
“I only hoped no one else would have to suffer that horror after me.”
Truthfully, my main motive was to punish the incompetent and criminal Buren family, but this wasn’t a lie either, so I answered confidently.
At that, Asperan lifted one corner of his mouth in a smile.
…That’s a frightening expression.
‘Is… is that a sneer? Did I say something wrong?’
Cold sweat trickled down my back. But my worry was unfounded—because
“What’s your name?”
“!!”
Asperan had just asked me my name.
Good heavens—he asked for my name!
Asperan, who normally wouldn’t remember someone’s existence, let alone their name, had personally! In his own words!
This could only mean he’d developed positive curiosity toward me—no matter how I looked at it!
‘Success!’
My strategy to embody Asperan’s ideal retainer had hit the bullseye!
Inside, I cheered and danced with joy.
‘Yesss, Jin Nuo Ran~ our ultimate Asperan-obsessed otaku~. Goddess Jin Nuo Ran, who knows Asperan better than anyone, hooray!’
Beaming happily, I was about to state my name—
…but then realized I had no name to give. I certainly couldn’t say ‘Jin Nuo Ran’ here—it’d sound wildly out of place.
So instead, I recounted the original owner’s story of this body.
“Um… I don’t have a name.”
“No name?”
“Yes. You see…”
Thus began the pitiful tale of the nameless girl—amnesia, how the village treated her, and how she ended up as a sacrifice.
When I finished the brief story, Asperan nodded.
“I see. Understood. Then, Lumel.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“See that this woman is well cared for. Grant her whatever she needs. She is a valuable witness and deserves proper treatment.”
“I shall obey.”
Lumel bowed respectfully. Then Asperan turned to me.
“For now, remain here. If your words are proven entirely true, I shall reward you then.”
“Yes!”
Asperan gave another of those unsettling, almost mocking smiles and left the room.
I collapsed onto the floor with a deflated sigh.
For the time being, I’d secured my place here.
Four days later, in Loakin’s sovereign’s office.
“A letter from Lord Ulysses has arrived.”
A sharp-featured woman with ash-blond hair streaked with violet, braided to the side, presented a tray bearing a letter to Asperan.
Her name was Kiara Gordo—Asperan’s chief advisor.
Asperan took the letter, and Kiara added,
“Everything the witness said was accurate. Fifty-two pomanders containing accusation letters were discovered in Viscount Buren’s territory and several neighboring domains.”
“Fifty-two?”
“Incredible!”
A man standing behind Asperan—dressed in a knight’s uniform with deep auburn hair—exclaimed loudly in admiration.
He was Canis, captain of Loakin’s royal guard.
“How could she have made all that alone, especially when facing death? Her willpower is truly remarkable.”
“Indeed.”
Asperan gave a light affirmation. His rare reaction made Kiara and Canis exchange wide-eyed glances.
‘It seems His Majesty thinks even more highly of that witness than we assumed!’
That unspoken thought passed swiftly between them.
Unconcerned by his aides’ astonishment, Asperan calmly opened the letter.
Ulysses’ handwritten note briefly described how he’d used the accusation to dismantle the Buren family, along with a simple greeting.
After quickly scanning the first page, Asperan murmured,
“So the accusation proved useful.”
“Yes. Thanks to it, they began the search in time and found proof that the gate had been forcibly closed after opening. They also persuaded villagers from Sosori and nearby settlements—where the sacrifice took place—to give testimony.”
As Kiara provided additional details, Asperan turned to the next page.
“The youngest son of the Buren family, who led the sacrificial rites, and the family head who knowingly allowed it, were both beheaded—their heads displayed on the city gate. Other direct and collateral relatives, along with retainers, had their assets confiscated and noble titles stripped…”
“And the villagers of Sosori received sentences ranging from execution to ten years of hard labor, depending on their level of involvement and whether they testified voluntarily.”
“He acted decisively.”
Asperan lifted one corner of his mouth, refolded the letter neatly, and placed it back on the tray.
By making a strong example of what happens to those who offer human sacrifices, no one would dare provoke Ulysses again.
The case was closed.
“Lord Ulysses must be very pleased.”
“Yes.”
So pleased, in fact, that he was probably clinging desperately to his beloved wife, wagging his tail enthusiastically.
Recalling the ridiculous scenes Ulysses often displayed before him, Asperan frowned.
Kiara then asked him,
“What shall we do with the witness now? Shall we send her back?”
At those words, Asperan’s hand stilled.
Send her back.
He pictured the girl, likely lounging in the infirmary by now.
Small frame, round face, short chestnut hair swaying near her jawline. Pale cheeks flushed pink, with innocent, wide-set eyes.
And those bright hazel eyes that sparkled gold whenever she boldly lifted her chin—that nameless girl.
Ulysses’ letter stated that if she were sent to Gransia, he would personally reward her.
Ulysses wouldn’t skimp on the reward—she’d surely live comfortably for the rest of her life.
Moreover, the girl was originally from Elbas. So once she recovered, sending her back would be the natural course.
Yet for some reason… he didn’t feel like doing it.
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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Oh my, I understand Shuria’s stressed feelings.. I also often do it when doing assignments..
is canis the second male lead? because the aura of the second male lead is very strong…