Princess Rillen paused at the doorway, a cryptic smile playing on her lips.In an instant, she returned to a serious expression and faced Rose.
“There’s no need to deliberate further, is there? You still have time.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m accepting your proposal outright. I’ll hear your plans first and then decide.”
Princess Rillen gazed at Rose with an unreadable expression for a moment before stepping back into the reception room.Aster, who followed her in, reached behind to quietly close the door.
Even Rose, who wasn’t particularly perceptive, could sense from the atmosphere that an unusual conversation was about to unfold.
“There’s only one thing Her Majesty the Queen needs to do for us. You’re aware, aren’t you, that there are certain items in the Kan royal family granted solely to the king and queen?”
“Yes.”
“Among them, I would like you to hand over the key to the royal archive.”
[This is the timeline separator]Today, the imperial conference hall of the Rennel Empire was attended by the largest number of nobles this year.The atmosphere was markedly different from the usual meetings where mundane agendas were discussed.
As voices buzzed, exchanging opinions and arguments, filling the hall, the massive golden doors at the end of the red carpet swung wide open.
Since only two people in the Rennel Empire could pass through those doors, the nobles instinctively rose from their seats and bowed their heads.
“We greet His Majesty the Emperor.”
Duke Ludwig, who had arrived earlier to hold his place, cautiously observed Parnes’s face as he entered the conference hall.
Unless he was with Kasallin, Parnes rarely appeared in good spirits, and today his gaze was particularly somber.
He ascended the low steps and took his seat on the throne. The nobles also sat down in unison, and without delay, one noble spoke first.
“Your Majesty, at dawn today, the Kan royal family claimed territorial rights over the neutral region of Ardenya.”
Having already been briefed by Duke Ludwig, Parnes’s expression remained unchanged. The noble continued.
“They claim that recently discovered documents from about 370 years ago indicate that some tribes settled in the Ardenya region were of Kan kingdom descent…”
The noble, continuing his report, glanced upward to gauge Parnes’s reaction.
Parnes, as if plagued by a headache, tilted his head and closed his eyes, remaining silent. It was unclear whether he was even listening to the noble.
Unable to stand by, Duke Ludwig signaled with his eyes for the noble to continue speaking. He knew that Parnes closing his eyes and staying silent meant he was listening intently.
“In my opinion, it seems the Kan kingdom is fabricating a pretext for declaring war.”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
Another noble, seated to the right, stood and began to speak.
“The Rennel Empire and the Kan kingdom both stem from the ancient Hisbaria continent, splitting into two factions. How could an obscure tribe farming in a remote region 400 years ago be Kan kingdom natives, claiming Ardenya as theirs with such absurd assertions?”
“Exactly, Your Majesty.”
This time, a bearded noble from the opposite row interjected with a heated tone.
“This is a foolish provocation by the Kan kingdom against our Rennel Empire, a clear declaration of war. We must not let this pass lightly.”
The nobles began murmuring again, each voicing their opinions.
At that moment, Parnes, who had been silently resting his hand on the armrest, slightly raised it, and the heated conference hall fell silent as if nothing had happened.
Parnes slowly lifted his eyelids, which had been closed all this time.
Duke Ludwig, standing below the dais, realized his lord was simultaneously entertaining two thoughts.
While listening to the nobles, Parnes was also unable to rest his mind for a moment, worried about Kasallin, left behind in Hisberi.
After a long silence, Parnes finally parted his lips.
“It seems Princess Rillen has decided to use me this time. I thought she’d back off whimpering after a single kick, but she’s surprising.”
Duke Ludwig, immediately understanding his lord’s muttered words, nodded silently.
In short, Princess Rillen was deliberately trying to stir conflict between the Kan kingdom and the Rennel Empire.
If neither side yielded and negotiations broke down, the only remaining option would be to use force to crush one side.
In the ensuing conflict, Princess Rillen likely planned to send King Shallen to the battlefield. Naturally, this would deepen the conflict, and she would scrape together justifications from every corner.
Moreover, like the Rennel Empire, the Kan kingdom also placed great importance on the king’s personal leadership in battle.
Until a few years ago, when wars large and small were frequent, it was not uncommon for the king himself to lead as commander-in-chief on the battlefield.
But King Shallen had never once experienced war.
Of course, as crown prince, he would have studied theory thoroughly, but merely memorizing words was worlds apart from clashing swords drenched in blood.
If Parnes, who had roamed battlefields like his own home since childhood with his father, faced Shallen, who had been raised like a delicate flower in a greenhouse, it was obvious whose knees would hit the ground.
“What shall we do, Your Majesty?”
“Inform them that their claim is unacceptable, and order all knights to stand by immediately.”
As Parnes issued his command, the scribe hurriedly began writing it down. He continued.
“Observe how they respond, and if they send a proclamation, find out who they appoint as commander-in-chief.”
“You mean…?”
Rising from his throne, Parnes declared,
“If King Shallen himself steps forward as commander-in-chief, I will also take to the field.”
[This is the timeline separator]Strictly speaking, Sir Vincent, a member of the imperial guard, was an escort knight assigned to follow Parnes.
But since Kasallin arrived in Hisberi, Vincent had remained there as well.
It seemed Parnes trusted Vincent greatly, as he had instructed him to stay by the empress’s side for the time being.
Vincent respected Kasallin and diligently performed his duties, checking on her well-being several times a day to ensure she lacked nothing.
But Kasallin was now realizing anew that he was, after all, Parnes’s man.
“You really won’t tell me anything?”
Kasallin said, narrowing her eyes as she looked up at him. Vincent, standing rigidly by her side, had a slight flicker in his gaze.
“I was only ordered to protect Your Majesty the Empress. I know nothing beyond that.”
“As a close friend of Sir Antonio, the captain of the guard, I’d think you’d know something about why His Majesty is so busy lately and what’s happening outside Hisberi.”
“I cannot speak about matters I haven’t been ordered to discuss. I’m sorry.”
Surprisingly, this circular conversation had been going on for days.
Kasallin thought talking to a wall might yield more progress and gave up trying to extract information from him.
Unlike Nigel or Sir Antonio, Vincent was a knight who showed no cracks. Others described him kindly as meticulous, or less kindly as inflexible.
If Parnes ordered him to drown in a river, he would likely do so without hesitation.
When Kasallin let out a faint sigh and stopped speaking, Vincent glanced at her with a slightly anxious expression. It seemed even he knew how to read the room.
Kasallin let out a light chuckle and softened her expression.
“You’re right. As an escort knight, it’s only natural for you to speak and act only as ordered. I’m not blaming you, so don’t misunderstand.”
Relief flashed across Vincent’s upright and pristine face. Kasallin, rolling her stiff shoulders, stood up from the sofa.
Sitting and worrying solved nothing. It was better to move her body to build strength or read a book to gain knowledge.
As she grabbed a book to head to the study, Nigel, who had been guarding the door, rushed into the living room after spotting something.
“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived.”
“Already?”
Kasallin turned to check the clock. It was just past noon. For Parnes, who had been returning late these past few days, coming back this early was rare.
Kasallin hurriedly went to the entrance. Against the backdrop of the beautiful village scenery, a familiar figure rode up on horseback.
As usual, Parnes dismounted as if tossing the reins aside and strode straight toward her.
Before she could even offer a greeting, his arms wrapped around her waist without hesitation.
Kasallin quietly flushed, feeling enveloped in his embrace. A familiar scent tickled her nose.
He always returned with the crisp scent of the breeze on his clothes, holding her tightly. Kasallin cherished this intense embrace, received once a day like a solemn ritual.
The warmth from his hands and the faint pulse she felt always calmed her heart. In his arms, no stray thoughts entered her mind.
She briefly considered asking to stay like this a bit longer, but Parnes gently released her as their skin began to warm.
“I left without greeting you this morning. Did you have a peaceful day?”
“Too peaceful, if anything. And you, Your Majesty, why have you returned so early?”
At Kasallin’s question, Parnes fixed her with a strangely intense golden gaze. He seemed to have something important to say.
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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