“…….”
Kardiel, who received the box containing the ointment, had a complex look in his eyes.
‘I can’t believe he actually bought this.’
And for an absurd amount of 50 million lats…….
“Hahaha. I’m so grateful that I was somehow able to afford it within my means.”
Prince Raphael showed a proud smile, revealing his white teeth.
“…….”
Nevertheless, it still felt unreal. Kardiel decided to recall what had happened just moments ago.
So…….
When the auction price for the ointment jumped from 20 million to 50 million in an instant.
Everyone in the auction house forgot to breathe and turned to look at Prince Raphael.
Not just their group, but also Mistress Dorothea and the auctioneer were the same.
The auctioneer was the first to come to his senses. Prince Raphael called out the same amount once again, as if to confirm.
Kardiel just stared blankly at his eccentric behavior.
Glancing around, he saw Dorothea trembling her chin, swallowing her anger. It seemed she couldn’t bid any higher.
And so, the ointment finally ended up in Prince Raphael’s hands.
Prince Raphael checked the ointment in the box brought by men with vicious faces once more, and immediately paid 50 million lats.
It was indeed five prepaid guaranteed checks of 10 million lats each, issued by the Kalant Bank.
“……Can you really dispose of such a large sum?”
Kardiel, who had finally come to his senses, asked. Prince Raphael blushed as if embarrassed.
“Didn’t I tell you? That I learned a lot from Lady Lieselotte. Seeing how she runs her trading company, I tried to follow a little……”
Trading company?
“I got lucky and it went well.”
A prince?
“It’s all thanks to Lady Lieselotte. I’m so grateful that I could get what I wanted……”
“…….”
At that point, Kardiel realized it would be wise to stop thinking any further.
Instead, he decided to focus on the fact that he had obtained the item he wanted.
“Thank you. When we arrive at the main house, I’ll speak to my stepmother and arrange for the payment.”
“Wouldn’t it be better not to tell Lady Lieselotte?”
When Kardiel expressed his doubt, he scratched his cheek.
“I’m afraid we might get scolded if she finds out I brought Kardiel to a place like this.”
“…….”
“Both me and Sir Sergei. Additionally, I might be summoned back to the… main house.”
There was no room for argument there.
It was obvious that Lieselotte would give them a cold scolding regardless of their intentions.
Especially since she had repeatedly urged Kardiel to be mindful of his safety and health, and not to engage in dangerous behavior.
The decision to send only the siblings back to the duchy was made because she was reassured by Sergei’s accompaniment.
If she were to find out that Sergei, and even Prince Raphael, had taken Kardiel to the black market…….
“So if you really want to repay me, please do so slowly after three years.”
“Then I’ll at least write you an IOU.”
“No, that’s fine too. It would be troublesome if there were any records.”
And so, an enormous amount equivalent to five years’ budget of a small territory was loaned with just a verbal promise.
There wasn’t even any mention of interest.
“Your trading company doesn’t seem to be doing well.”
“Yes, eh?”
“If you do business like that, you’ll soon go bankrupt.”
It was a merciless curse.
The flustered Prince Raphael flapped his lips to come up with an excuse.
Kardiel’s voice quietly subsided right after.
“Thank you, both of you.”
“Uh……”
“……I truly won’t forget this.”
“…….”
Because his nose bridge was stinging uncharacteristically, Kardiel’s voice was lower and thinner than usual.
It was barely audible even if one strained their ears in the noisy black market.
However, both Sergei and Prince Raphael saw Kardiel’s lips moving under the hood, and his reddened nape.
A warmth quietly bloomed on the corners of their mouths as well.
“Wait, stop right there.”
……Or so it almost happened.
That is, until a sharp and irritable female voice tore through the warm atmosphere and barged in.
Sergei immediately moved to shield Kardiel.
“What’s the matter?”
“Ha, are you asking because you don’t know?”
Mistress Dorothea, who was exhaling roughly, roughly pulled back her hood.
The face revealed was that of a breathtakingly beautiful woman, even upon second glance.
Her light brown hair flowing down her shoulders and waist looked rather plain in comparison.
“How dare you…… outbid the item that I, Mistress Dorothea, was aiming for?”
This was nonsense. Did this mean one had to ask for permission when winning an auction for a needed item?
“I’ll give you 2,500.”
She extended her hand brazenly.
“I’ll give you the remaining 2,000 within a month. How about it? It would be better if you handed over that ointment to me now.”
Asking to hand over an item that was just won at auction, it was absurd. Not to mention the calculation was wrong.
“500 is the penalty fee. For provoking my temper, you’re getting off easy with that much.”
It was a miraculous calculation that even Satan would admire.
As expected of someone renowned in the criminal world, it wasn’t just empty talk.
She just wiggled her outstretched hand with a proud attitude.
Faced with such an insolent attitude that made his blood pressure rise, Kardiel almost threw down his gloves and drew the sword at his waist.
However, having obtained the item he wanted, Kardiel had regained quite a bit of composure.
Soon, after calming his breath, he turned around.
“It seems best to ignore a woman not worth dealing with.”
“That sounds good.”
“Then let’s go back.”
Sergei and Prince Raphael seemed to agree with that opinion.
Even the servant who had been watching carefully quickly followed the three.
“Ha, so that’s how you’re going to be?”
Behind the four of them, a vicious killing intent began to erupt wildly.
Grinding her teeth with a crunch, Dorothea spoke as if spewing curses.
“Fine. I’ll let you go today. But from tomorrow, you’ll regret this decision.”
Of course, the three had no interest in whatever she was rambling about.
[This is the timeline separator]The problem was that Mistress Dorothea’s warning wasn’t entirely nonsense.
From early dawn the day after returning from the black market, the group received visits from unknown assailants.
No, at this point, it would be more appropriate to call it an attack rather than a visit.
Over a dozen men with threatening builds were banging on the guest room door, causing a ruckus demanding they hand over the item.
Thanks to this, the people who gathered in the dining room of the guest suite with their dawn sleep disturbed, twisted their faces in annoyance.
“You sent them away?”
“Yes, I told them this is where the children of the Daiern ducal family are staying, and if they don’t want to escalate the problem, they should leave.”
Apparently, they left as if there had been some misunderstanding.
“Hmm……”
Kardiel let out a sigh at the butler’s report.
If they left after their identities were revealed, it means they didn’t know they were nobles.
Well, they had removed all the emblems from the carriage and hidden their noble status when entering the black market, so there was no way they could have known.
Nevertheless, the fact that they came this far means…….
“It seems they must have followed us.”
As Prince Raphael clicked his tongue, the servant next to him shouted with a pale face.
“That’s why I warned you several times not to mess with Mistress Dorothea, Your Highness!”
“I didn’t mess with her. We just wanted the same item, that’s all.”
“But you picked a fight with her!”
“She picked the fight first. She insulted the young duke.”
“Oh my goodness, Your Highness. Don’t you know what kind of woman she is……”
As it turned out, Prince Raphael’s servant was also the managing director of the trading company he ran.
I had wondered how a prince’s servant could know so much about the black market, but there was a reason.
“You said Mistress Dorothea. Is that woman so famous?”
Sergei asked while lightly tying up his hair that he had let loose overnight.
Kardiel was also curious about this topic, so he listened closely.
The servant sighed and said.
“I don’t know much either, but… she’s very famous among the underworld, or should I say, criminals. Although she doesn’t look it, she’s well over fifty.”
Simply put, she was a boss-level figure in the criminal underworld.
The underworld here referred to criminal organizations centered around the slums.
A place where the poorest of the poor gather and commit subhuman acts.
A hellish place where they commit every imaginable act and sell everything that can be priced.
“That woman is a big shot in the black market. A certain percentage of items that come up for auction are also ones she puts up for sale.”
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]