Outwardly, he seemed to be seeking permission, but his lips were already inches from Laila’s hand. Of course, if Laila withdrew her hand or clearly refused, Milley wouldn’t dare proceed.
However, Laila found herself unable to pull away.
Especially if Milley’s words were true, he might be the only one who could help her.
With her eyes tightly shut, pondering her next move, Laila slowly spoke.
“Then, without asking further about your identity, please answer just one thing.”
“Anything, if it’s a question I can answer.”
Laila lifted her eyelids, filling her gaze with Milley. He waited patiently for her to continue with a serious look.
“If I hold your hand and leave the engagement ceremony, do you think I can return to Wessex and resolve this issue?”
“…….”
“Can I thwart Princess Isabella’s plot?”
“That is…”
Seeing Milley’s hesitation, Laila’s expression fell with disappointment.
“If abandoning this engagement could save my kingdom, I thought it would be worth it.”
But could she really stop what Princess Isabella had planned? It would be fortunate if she wasn’t beaten for breaking off the engagement upon returning.
“No one will believe me. Even if I take this report you’ve shown me.”
“…….”
“And you don’t know exactly when this will happen, do you?”
If he did, the report would have mentioned a specific date.
Milley soon conceded, “That’s right. It wouldn’t be surprising if it happens tomorrow. Such matters require swiftness.”
“If it happens tomorrow, your help becomes irrelevant.”
As Laila offered a bitter smile, Milley frowned in sympathy and grasped her hand tightly.
“But Princess.”
Laila looked at him calmly, expecting him to give up, but he didn’t.
“Why don’t you consider your own feelings?”
“…Do you know what my feelings are?”
“I believe you’re not self-destructive and probably love your family like any ordinary girl. You wouldn’t willingly be the fiancée of someone who insults you. Am I wrong?”
Why does he speak as if he knows her so well?
Laila gazed intently at him instead of countering. Milley, too, looked straight back with clear eyes, a posture unmarred by pretense, earnest and genuine.
Yet, he was a man harboring lies.
Laila was bewildered, unsure of what to believe or how far to trust him. What was truth and what was deception in his words?
Should she return to the palace as Reynard Fillmer’s fiancée, or should she flee from the engagement ceremony with him tomorrow as he suggested?
Neither path was easy. Whichever way she chose promised thorns.
But if she had to make a choice…
Laila finally made up her mind.
“Milley… you may think you’re doing me a favor, but I’m the one who has to stake my life on someone else’s words. And you won’t even tell me why you’re helping me, a very elusive person.”
As she spoke, Laila thought of Mev, whom she had met after arriving at this mansion.
Despite only meeting her briefly, Mev seemed genuinely kind and sincere, which Laila sensed almost immediately.
The empathy in a few words, the cautious behavior not to inconvenience others. Thanks to Mev, the discomfort in Laila’s heart had dissolved in an instant.
There’s a saying that to know a person, one should look at those around them. If Mev serves someone, perhaps it’s okay to trust them a little.
That thought suddenly crossed her mind.
So, she decided to follow the solution proposed by the man before her.
“I’ll put aside my immediate doubts for now.”
“If you’re going to postpone them…”
Laila extended her hand, which had been clumsily resting on Milley’s hand, towards his face. Feeling his grip tighten more firmly than before, Milley seemed to understand its meaning. Laila voiced her permission.
“If you can truly send me back to Wessex, then please do so.”
“Of course,” he assured.
Before he could finish, Laila quickly added another request.
“And after everything is over, promise to reveal your identity to me.”
Milley’s lips curled into a sleek arc, revealing his interest in Laila.
“It seems you’re convinced I’m hiding something.”
Without hesitation, Laila nodded.
“You’re not an ordinary duke. Maybe someone who knew me before.”
“…….”
Milley continued to smile, but Laila noticed the intensity in his gaze beneath his long lashes.
She felt she had hit the mark accurately.
“Whatever it is, I want to know who’s trying to change my life. Whether you’re just a kind passerby.”
“Or some rogue who’s been after me.”
Milley’s choice of words might have been too coarse for a noble, but Laila agreed without pointing that out.
“Essentially, yes,” she affirmed.
Milley readily agreed.
“Alright. If that’s the only condition, I swear it.”
After finishing his words, he stepped back while still holding her outstretched hand. Laila was taken aback by his next action.
Milley knelt on one knee, as if making a knight’s vow.
Laila hadn’t expected this; she thought he would just give a light kiss on the back of her hand as a token of affection. His prideful demeanor, confident speech, and upright posture had always indicated a man unlikely to succumb to failure.
Watching him, Laila hesitated, wondering if this was appropriate. It somehow didn’t seem fitting for him. Yet contrary to her expectation, Milley confidently looked up at her.
“I swear, whatever happens, I’ll safely return you to Wessex.”
After reciting his vow, he pressed his lips deeply onto her hand, imprinting a faint warmth.
That warmth seemed to travel up her arm, heating her face.
It was fortunate that it was deep night. With only the candlelight, her blushing cheeks and ears wouldn’t be noticed.
But so tense was her heart that she didn’t even realize her hand was trembling slightly.
Milley felt this pleasant tremor through their touching hands, tightening his heart.
After lifting his lips, he softly added, “Laila Wessex, Princess.”
But the words Adrian muttered in his heart were entirely different.
“My Laila.”
My first love from childhood.
From the first time I saw her, she looked so lovable, and I wanted to protect her with my own hands.
So, in those impetuous younger days, without a second thought, I confessed.
“Laila, would you… marry me?”
To be together forever.
I wanted to be with you for eternity.
Unaware that my feelings could be exploited by someone.
But now, Adrian is no longer the naive, powerless child, swayed by others as I was back then. I won’t repeat such foolishness.
To ensure neither she nor I get hurt.
If needed, I am prepared to play the villain in this process.
Even if it means being pointed at as a tyrant by the world.
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.
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