The moment the King received the two contracts, Reynald’s hands trembled uncontrollably.
Reynald had realized upon reviewing the contracts in his room, but couldn’t understand why they were so unfavorably skewed against Miley. The terms of the ship sale were set at a third of the intended price, and the interest rate was nearly half the average.
Honestly, even if he had been in his right mind, Reynald might have signed such an advantageous deal.
But the question lingered: why did he offer such terms after being beaten up?
‘It was a trap…’
Reynald couldn’t discern the extent of Miley’s scheming.
If it was indeed a plot, it must have started the moment Prince Adrian Rains assumed the identity of Duke Miley.
But Reynald found the entire situation too chaotic to comprehend. Currently, Thakin Empire and Wessex Kingdom were almost enemies, barely avoiding war. Wessex had openly condemned Thakin as tyrannical.
And now, the Prince of Thakin was rescuing the Princess of Wessex? It seemed like the greatest contradiction.
As Reynald looked at Miley with unsteady eyes, the King, after scanning the contracts, demanded coldly:
“Reynald? Is everything that’s been said true?”
“Of course not, Your Majesty! Absolutely not!”
“Are you saying the First Prince and Princess Laila are lying? And Miley and your lifelong servant, too? Why would they lie?”
Reynald was at a loss for words.
Miley’s clever mix of truth and deceit made it nearly impossible to escape his trap. In reality, among the four people involved, only Miley was lying.
Accusing the others would be self-defeating, especially labeling the First Prince as a liar would be short-sighted.
Envisioning his future as a beheaded corpse, Reynald stood dumbfounded.
The King sighed softly at the seventh son’s foolishness. He returned the contracts to the First Prince and continued pressing Reynald.
“Do you have any evidence of your innocence? Miley has provided his basis, so you should as well.”
Reynald bit his lip, deciding to reveal Miley’s true identity.
Kneeling before the King, Reynald placed his hand over his heart.
“Your Majesty, I am truly wronged! You’re being deceived.”
With tearful eyes, he turned to Miley and pointed at him.
“Miley is actually…”
Before he could finish, Miley’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“…”
Reynald was forced to swallow his words as dizziness overwhelmed him. A brief tremor shook the building, causing Laila to stagger and a candelabra on the platform nearly fell.
Someone caught it just in time, but the guests began murmuring again.
“Is it another earthquake?”
“The building is shaking…”
Luckily, the tremor was brief.
Reynald realized the shaking was a warning from Miley and clenched his jaw in fear.
Amid the unsettled crowd, the King raised his voice again.
“Silence! The tremor has stopped; there should be no cause for concern.”
Turning his gaze, the King looked at Laila. Laila sensed that the King of Filmer would make a fair judgment on this matter and faced him.
“Princess of Wessex, I sincerely apologize for the disrespectful actions my unworthy son has committed against you.”
“…I accept your sincere apology, Your Majesty.”
Laila offered a polite response with a smile. However, seizing the moment to add, she made it clear that she had no intention of withdrawing her complaint without due course.
“However, as this matter also involves the honor of Wessex, I will return to my country and send a formal letter of protest regarding the behavior of Reynald Filmer, the seventh prince of your kingdom.”
The King of Filmer displayed a troubled expression. Laila’s words implied not only a dissolution of the engagement but also hinted at future complications in the relations between the two countries.
“Your Majesty, do you find my actions too excessive?”
The King, choosing his words carefully to avoid offending Laila, responded cautiously.
“…It might be appropriate. However, I believe you wouldn’t want to see the cessation of relations between Filmer and Wessex.”
“And?”
“If there is a strict punishment for the one who caused this trouble, would that appease you?”
At the King’s words, everyone’s attention turned to Reynald, who, realizing his predicament, looked up in panic.
His face was a mess of tears, a natural response to his public fall from grace.
He couldn’t believe that within mere 30 minutes, he had been reduced to such a state. Speechless, he stared blankly at his father.
Laila, observing Reynald’s state, felt neither gratification nor pity.
Acknowledging the King’s offer, she nodded.
“If Your Majesty goes to such lengths, I believe I can return to Wessex with a lighter heart.”
The King’s expression darkened at Laila’s confirmation of the engagement’s dissolution but accepted it as a reasonable compromise.
He then declared his final decision regarding Reynald.
“For starters, the ship acquired by Reynald Filmer, the seventh prince, in this incident, shall be confiscated and become the property of the royal family. Furthermore, as a sign of repentance, he is to be confined to his room for a month.”
The thought of being confined in his already burnt and ruined room felt like being sent to prison. Reynald’s future seemed bleak, with the debts from the ship likely falling onto his shoulders.
As Reynald hung his head in defeat, the King made one last remark.
“This engagement ceremony can no longer proceed. I apologize to our esteemed guests for the disgrace caused by my son.”
The King then stepped down from the platform, signaling the servants to remove Reynald. Suffering from a fever due to his broken ribs since morning, Reynald was escorted out, his face flushed.
Following this, the royal family and the guests began to disperse, talking animatedly about the day’s events.
Standing in the middle of the banquet hall, the first prince turned to Laila, his smile brimming with satisfaction.
“Well done, Princess of Wessex. And you too, Marquis Milley.”
Concluding his words, the prince turned to Milley and offered a handshake. Milley, responding a beat later, grasped his hand and replied in a dry voice, “I’m just thankful for your help.”
“It’s mutual interest, isn’t it?” the prince remarked, to which Milley nodded several times in agreement. The prince then leaned in closer to whisper in Milley’s ear.
“About the considerable loan Reynald took from you… I’m curious about your financial capacity.”
Laila, who overheard part of the conversation, discreetly stepped back. She deemed this part of the discussion not her concern.
“I shall take my leave now, Your Highness,” she said.
“Wait, Princess. You should rest. I’ll have a place prepared for you to catch your breath,” the prince offered.
“Thank you for your kindness,” Laila responded, and turned to leave with her maid. As she was leaving, she noticed Lilburn, Milley’s aide, still standing guard. He seemed rigid, intently watching his lord. Before exiting, Laila cast one last glance at Milley.
Despite his relaxed posture, hands tucked in his trousers, his face appeared significantly paler than it had been in front of the hall.
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.]
