Moisture welled up again in the eyes I thought had dried.
I don’t know.
I couldn’t find the words to express my current emotions. I was simply in agony.
Even though the effects of the muscle relaxant had worn off, breathing was still painful. I felt hopeless and empty, as if all meaning and value in life had disappeared.
Even with the person I love right before my eyes…
“My lady…”
Joseph’s pale hand gently cupped my cheek, making me look at him.
“Lieselotte.”
His delicate fingers lightly brushed my eyes, momentarily clearing my blurred vision.
But that too was fleeting. His image in my eyes quickly blurred again.
He spoke.
“I have a way to resolve all your pain at once.”
Ah…!
For a moment, it felt as if every cell in my body had stopped.
My hands and feet turned cold. My dry lips fumbled to ask about this method. But…
In the end, I couldn’t utter a sound. What method he was talking about…
I already knew.
“…That’s.”
But of course.
I couldn’t bring myself to nod. What he would have to sacrifice with one nod from me was far too great.
“Lieselotte. Sometimes, to reach a goal, one must know how to give up something.”
Joseph’s long fingers gently pressed against my voice trying to refuse, blocking it.
“Just as you’re now trying to eat food you wouldn’t normally eat, for your daughter’s sake.”
“This is different, Joseph. I’m that child’s mother. But you…”
“Then are my feelings of love for those children presumptuous?”
“…Pardon?”
“When you think about it, am I not in the position of those children’s father?”
The fingers that had been brushing my eyes now tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
Only then was I able to look directly at Joseph’s face for the first time in three days.
There was no trace of a smile in his hollow, lifeless eyes.
The red irises that I had sometimes found eerie were dark and empty, as if no light could penetrate them.
“To be honest, I don’t need to feel a sense of loss over someone’s death.”
For someone saying such things, his usually smiling lips were now stiffly set.
“As you know, if something goes wrong, I can always turn it back anyway.”
Like an expressionless bisque doll…
“…Joseph. You promised me.”
Not to use chronomancy.
“Yes, that’s why I’ve been holding back until now.”
I desperately grabbed his hand, but Joseph’s expression hardly changed.
“But thinking about it, it seems rather unreasonable that I need permission to save my children. And…”
Rather, his words, spoken without hesitation, seemed almost relieved.
“Lieselotte, you’ve already given your permission, haven’t you?”
The question of when I had done so didn’t leave my lips.
There was an incident that suddenly came to mind. A lie Joseph had told me.
On the way back to Landgritz, he had said he turned back time because the children were in danger. And at that time, I had respected his choice.
“…”
I bit my lip. Only then did a faint smile form on Joseph’s haggard face.
“…You’ll lose your precious memories, Joseph.”
At that point, there was only one reason left to object.
“Your most precious memories. You said you even lost the memory of when we first met.”
It wasn’t that there was no sense of unfairness.
After inheriting chronomancy, Joseph spent thousands of years of suffering with the terrible headaches that always followed him like a shadow.
That harsh pain overlaid like a shell on every moment Joseph breathed.
Pleasant and happy experiences became memories of torture enduring the pain.
In moments of sadness and anger, he had to clutch his head from the searing pain that took precedence over intense emotions.
It was natural. How could a patient fighting extreme pain every moment focus on anything but the pain?
So for Joseph, moments of an intact life were limited only to times when the pain was removed.
‘The time caused by Lieselotte, the time spent with Lieselotte.’
Losing such memories was clearly a loss.
No, it even felt frustrating, as if being robbed. Even if one couldn’t remember what had been stolen.
But…
“I suppose I’ll have to repeat what I said before.”
Joseph’s smile deepened.
“I believe it’s right to strive for a happy future for you and ‘my children’, even if I lose all the memories I have.”
So…
“Lieselotte.”
The violet eyes widened at once.
Joseph lightly caressed Lieselotte’s cheek once more as she gaped blankly, then slowly withdrew his hand.
“Don’t remember.”
Joseph said in a firm voice.
“Losing the young lord and young master Chelsea, Lady Euphemina’s suffering, the pain of losing precious people, all those events that troubled you…”
Just.
“Forget them.”
The last words were woven with a magical knot.
Chronomancy.
A magic of oblivion that erases even the time of the world that has already passed.
It was a power closer to divine authority rather than magic.
To deploy it with a human body required paying an enormous price befitting it, which is why even the Magic Emperor had set it as a taboo.
And that power.
Was now being meticulously calculated and unfolded in Joseph’s mind.
“Wait, just a moment, Joseph!”
Lieselotte hurriedly grabbed Joseph’s withdrawn hand.
“I haven’t given an answer yet…!”
She entwined her fingers as if trying to stop the chronomancy. But Joseph had already made up his mind.
He would turn back time.
And he would save the children.
‘No matter what memories I have to pay as the price.’
It was quite a strange feeling.
In the thousands of years Joseph had lived until now, he had never once thought of sacrificing himself for someone else.
No, he had to correct that information now. ‘As far as he could remember,’ that is.
But it didn’t seem bad. Even if he suffered a small loss, if the people he loved could be happy…
‘I wonder when it became like this.’
Clearly, Joseph’s purpose and goal had been Lieselotte, one person. Even when he first met the siblings, he felt little emotion.
At that time, the young lord was just an annoying little brat who was overly suspicious.
The young lady was cute-faced but an explosive that could cause problems if mishandled, and the youngest was a coward with only sharp instincts.
In other words, all three were troublesome nuisances.
Now it was completely different. He felt sorry for the young lord who was mature beyond his years.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the young lady who thought and acted outside common sense, and he wanted to make the battered young master happy.
‘It’s strange. Surely I’ve made acquaintances with the Daiern siblings before…’
At that moment, a sharp pain struck Joseph’s mind.
“Joseph…!”
“Kugh!”
It was such excruciating pain that he couldn’t even scream. Joseph’s body convulsed and twisted.
His head felt like it was about to split open.
He knew the reason. It was due to a cold.
Last night, Joseph had to endure the pouring rain. It was an unexpected spring shower.
Because of that, it was difficult to get out of bed in the morning. So he returned to the hotel room with Lieselotte’s support…
‘But is this headache really warranted?’
The cold medicine prescribed by the doctor was said to contain pain-relieving components.
If so, he thought, it shouldn’t hurt this much.
“Joseph, come to your senses!”
It was then that a cold palm touched his cheek. Surprisingly quickly, the pain subsided.
Like a light in the darkness, no…
It had the effect of a salvation reaching out from the abyss.
Joseph desperately clung to that cold hand. And with his lips and nose buried in that hand, he breathed. Finally, reason began to take hold.
But then…
‘Joseph?’
He suddenly came to his senses. The pronunciation of his name without honorifics felt unfamiliar. Had there been some change in sentiment?
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.]
