The aide was startled and asked,
“The capital? Really?”
“Yes.”
The aide doubted his own ears.
However, Casus spoke decisively as if there were no lies.
“This time, I’ll clearly convey my opinions to the nobles in the capital. And there’s something else I need to find out.”
“Your Highness, won’t it be dangerous?”
The capital was not just the home of the royal family but also of various feuding nobles.
Especially after the recent poison arrow attack, the Duke’s estate was already in turmoil.
Going to the capital without an invitation from the royal family seemed incomprehensible.
But Casus seemed to have made up his mind.
“Weren’t arrows flying at me just recently?”
“Yes, they were.”
“Going to the capital now is madness.”
Casus stroked his chin.
Madness is effective against madmen.
“The Crown Prince came to my territory himself. It’s only polite to return the greeting. Thoroughly.”
A twisted smile formed on his lips.
The aide wondered if Casus was joking.
But Casus was not the kind of person to summon someone in the middle of the night to make a joke.
The only time Casus had visited the capital was for the Crown Prince’s investiture.
Though nothing happened that day.
Still, the aide remembered clearly.
The unwelcoming atmosphere of that day.
No one among the nobles aligned with the royal family had welcomed Casus.
It was easy to infer their feelings just by looking at their expressions.
Several invitations had come from the royal family after the investiture, but Casus had declined them all.
With plausible excuses.
And now, not long after the attack, suddenly he wanted to go to the capital.
The aide wanted to ask if he was serious but closed his mouth when he saw that Casus’s expression was quite bad.
His face looked as if he might kill someone at any moment.
Casus was a person of strong convictions who never wavered once he had made up his mind.
Because of this personality trait, the aide concluded that trying to persuade him would be pointless.
Though it was difficult to hide his puzzlement, he bowed his head.
“Understood, Your Highness.”
(Time separator.)
The next day.
Upon hearing that Atia had woken up, Casus went to find her.
Atia, who was sitting on a mat on the floor meditating, opened her eyes at the sound of footsteps.
“Ah, you’re here?”
“You never sit still, do you?”
“Meditation? It’s a rather quiet activity.”
Casus shook his head as if he couldn’t stop her.
Atia looked up at him with sleepfilled eyes.
The tall man was dressed as if he were going somewhere important.
At the moment when Atia was about to ask him where he was going, Casus spoke first.
“You really seem at ease. I’m dying of worry here.”
“I’m doing my best in my own way. It seems like the cause of my illness isn’t external but internal.”
“Internal?”
“Yes.”
Atia closed her eyes again to focus on her inner world.
She straightened her back and gathered her consciousness into the depths of her inner world.
Casus approached her, bent his knees, and lowered his posture.
“How can you be so sure about dying?”
“Huh?”
Atia answered with her eyes still closed.
“I heard you clearly. Didn’t you say you were going to die? It seems like you know something.”
“Ah…”
Atia hesitated for a moment and trailed off.
“It’s just…”
“Just?”
“People say you know when you’re going to die. That’s what I meant.”
Atia opened her previously closed eyes with a troubled expression.
Casus was right in front of her.
“I just feel like I’ll die soon…”
Thinking about it, Atia realized that she didn’t have much time left according to the original story.
It would be fortunate if she could extend her lifespan by exercising, but she still hadn’t found the cause of her illness, so it was like a candle in the wind.
“Even if you look healthy, there’s no order to these things.”
What Atia meant was not to think too long about who would die first.
However, contrary to expectations, Casus reacted sensitively.
“Take back what you just said.”
“Huh?”
“I said cancel that unfortunate statement.”
It seemed that Casus was significantly disturbed by her comment, as he suddenly furrowed his brows.
Scratching her head, Atia looked at his sharp reaction.
“Ah, yes, yes. I’ll take it back. Cancelled.”
“I’ll find out the cause, so stop talking about dying.”
“I only said it once.”
“You’ll live longer than me. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Really? That would be nice.”
Upon responding, Atia started to worry about Casus.
He would be abandoned by the original heroine he was to meet later, even though his attitude and the way he looked at her had completely changed.
All these emotions would be futile once the original heroine appeared.
Right now, it was just youthful, energetic Casus momentarily showing affection for her.
‘I should start building immunity to farewells then.’
Atia looked into her husband’s face.
Those deep blue eyes filled with intelligence, the sharp nose, and tightly closed lips.
He was very handsome, and the thought of him becoming sad broke her heart.
‘No, I can’t let this happen.’
Atia felt a tingling sensation in her chest.
‘Jei was obsessed with the original heroine because of the deaths of Father and Leo… If I solidify the family foundation, he won’t be lonely. I need to strengthen the Duke’s domain as well.’
The festival was a success, and the approval rating from the citizens was very solid.
So even if he made mistakes later or rumors were spread by the royal side, the citizens’ trust in the Duke would not easily collapse.
The problem was that her days were numbered.
‘If only my lifespan was longer, I could do anything.’
Atia touched her feverish forehead.
“What’s the matter? Do you have a fever?”
Casus asked, furrowing his dark eyebrows.
Circumventing the issue, Atia dodged Casus’s excessive concern.
“No, this is also part of meditation.”
Atia gave a slight smile, as if to say not to worry.
Casus looked at Atia, who was bathed in sunlight, with a honeydripped gaze.
His gaze was so sweet that Atia couldn’t maintain eye contact for long.
‘What, why? Do I look pitiable…?’
Given Casus’s tendency to sympathize with those weaker than him, perhaps sympathy had arisen.
There was no way he could easily believe what had happened in the Harad household.
He must have found her struggling with her frail body pitiable.
“You’re not going to exercise with me?”
“I told you, when you get better, we’ll do it.”
“No, my condition is fine. We can go on as usual.”
“Are you saying I should put you through rigorous training even after seeing you bleed?”
“Phew… Fine, I need to meditate quickly to find the root cause. Then I can do something about it.”
Atia sighed, feeling disappointed that she couldn’t continue the joint training session with Casus, who was remarkably supportive.
“By the way, your tamed Cerberus did something remarkable.”
“My black dog?”
“His sense of smell played a crucial role. Thanks to you, we were able to handle things much more smoothly.”
“Wow… what a cute little guy!”
“If it weren’t for you, that black dog would have died on the first day he was captured.”
“What on earth did our adorable black dog do?”
“He found the old man’s daughter. She was almost sold in the illegal slave market.”
“Really?”
Atia’s eyes sparkled as she stood up from the mat.
Her high ponytail swayed.
“Wow, that’s really great! No one was hurt?”
“Fortunately, no one was hurt.”
“Amazing! Duke, you and everyone else really worked hard. Ah, it’s so touching…”
Atia clapped and jumped around with a bright expression.
However, Casus did not look pleased.
“But…”
“But?”
“He can’t remember.”
“He can’t remember? What does that…”
Atia’s eyes widened.
“It’s really strange. It’s like the soul has been drained from the person.”
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.]
