“Your Majesty, where are you headed?”
Sir Antonio, the captain of the guard, followed and asked, but no answer came.
The fact that Parnes Escalo’s strides were hastier than usual meant his mood was twisted beyond recovery.
His steps came to a halt at none other than the headquarters of the imperial knights.
The apprentice knights, leisurely tidying up after finishing their daily duties, were utterly shocked by the unexpected arrival.
“We greet Your Most Dignified Emperor!”“Why have you graced this humble place with your presence?”
“Bring me the four knights who escorted Kasallin during the hunting competition, immediately.”
“What? What do you mean…?”
Since their main tasks were menial, the innocent apprentice knights, rarely having the chance to face the Emperor alone, were so flustered they asked again, causing Sir Antonio, standing behind, to tightly shut his eyes.
Parnes despised those who failed to understand his words at once and hesitated.
Thus, when standing before him, one had to keep ears open wide, ready to catch every word as though life depended on it.
But today, those knights were somewhat fortunate.
Just earlier, Kasallin had regained consciousness in a much-improved state, and Parnes had just seen her laughing brightly.
Had Kasallin not opened her eyes by today, those knights would have lost their heads the moment they said, “What?” without further question.
“I’ll show mercy and repeat myself once, so listen well with those pathetic ears. Bring the four knights who escorted Kasallin during the hunting competition, now.”
“Understood, Your Majesty!”
The apprentice knights stumbled and tripped over themselves as they rushed upstairs, and soon after, four other knights came running out in a frenzy.
Unlike the apprentices, these knights, who knew Parnes’s temperament all too well, immediately threw themselves at his feet, pleading to preserve their lives.
“We greet Your Most Dignified Emperor!”
“I’ll ask simply. Why did you fail to escort Kasallin to the end that day?”
“Well, Lady Kasallin said it was fine for us to go ahead when we were almost at the lodge.”
“I clearly ordered you to escort her all the way to the lodge. Are you saying Kasallin nearly died that day because of her own fault?”
“That could never be!”
The knights, prostrating so low their foreheads touched the floor, exchanged glances, and one of them cautiously crawled forward.
“Your Majesty, there’s something that’s been weighing on my mind.”
“Speak.”
“Before Lady Kasallin disappeared, I saw her with the Queen of Kan Kingdom.”
“…With whom?”
“I’m not certain, but I saw her heading toward a path behind the lodge with the Queen, talking about something. The atmosphere didn’t seem pleasant.”
As the sunlight that brightly illuminated the deep green foliage hid behind clouds, a dark shadow fell over Parnes’s face.
“…I see. So that’s how it was.”
Muttering softly, he calmly walked out of the knights’ headquarters.
The knights, unexpectedly spared, sighed in relief, discreetly clutching their chests.
At that moment, Parnes’s steps halted at the doorway.
“Sir Antonio.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Your command?”
“Confine them for a week and ensure they’re ready to answer my call when needed. You understand what I mean.”
“Yes, of course.”
Sir Antonio quietly bowed toward Parnes’s retreating figure.
Arriving at his study, Parnes saw Ludwig pacing restlessly, unlike his usual composed self.
Spotting Parnes, Ludwig crossed the spacious room with hurried steps, as if he’d been waiting.
Parnes cast a curious glance at him and sat at his desk.
“What’s the matter?”
“Your Majesty, regarding your order to investigate Queen Rose Riche and King Shallen Riche in detail…”
“Yes, did you find something?”
“I found nothing particularly notable about King Shallen Riche, but the issue lies with Queen Rose Riche. While looking into her, I stumbled upon a shocking discovery.”
Parnes, who had been reviewing reports from various regions that morning, shifted his attention to Ludwig.
“Why the suspense? Out with it.”
“Well… it turns out Queen Rose has a different biological father.”
Parnes’s eyes narrowed silently.
“He was a lowborn mercenary with a criminal record, no less.”
The air in the study sank into a cold silence.
Parnes revealed a hint of disbelief through his narrowing eyes.
“My common sense struggles to comprehend this. If Queen Rose Riche has a different father, does that mean she and Kasallin share no blood?”
“Yes, astonishingly.”
A faint, incredulous chuckle escaped Parnes’s lips.
Even for half-sisters, he had thought they resembled each other too little in appearance and personality.
“Perhaps she wasn’t deliberately deceiving anyone and might not even know the truth herself.”
“Indeed, she could have lived believing she’s the daughter of a renowned, scholarly marquess.”
“If this gets out, it’ll cause a massive uproar in Kan Kingdom. She’ll certainly be deposed from her position as queen. King Shallen won’t stand for it.”
“Indeed.”
Parnes muttered with a voice tinged with amusement, holding a coffee cup as he stood by the window.
His gaze fell on a distant annex palace standing alone beyond the vast garden.
As dusk settled, her balcony remained dark, curtains closed.
“Ludwig, tell me your thoughts. What should I do with this information?”
Before Ludwig could finish pondering, Parnes continued.
“If Queen Rose Riche’s lowborn origins are revealed, the Robepon family will take a significant hit.”
“Indeed. If Marchioness Robepon knew and hid this, deceiving the royal family is a grave crime.”
“Where is this so-called father now, and what’s he doing?”
“He’s based in Saintfield, working as a mercenary. He squanders his earnings on liquor, gambles frequently, and recently divorced. He doesn’t even provide for his ex-wife.”
“What a pathetic life.”
How shocked would Queen Rose be to learn that a man living such a wretched life is her father?
It would probably feel like her world was crumbling.
And it likely would.
“Ludwig.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Your command?”
“Find that father discreetly and bring him here.”
Kasallin achieved a record-breaking twelve hours of sleep for the first time in her life.
Waking up feeling so light she could almost fly, Kasallin glanced around the dimly lit room as dawn had yet to break.
The ticking of the clock was unusually loud.
“Your Majesty.”
She called out softly, just in case, but as expected, the room was empty.
What am I even doing?
Shaking her head, Kasallin diligently got out of bed to resume her duties as a maid.
Then, her eyes caught a small box and a note on the table.
“What’s this? It wasn’t here before I fell asleep.”
Opening the luxurious velvet box, she found a butterfly-shaped hairpiece, clearly valuable, shimmering brilliantly.
It was so intricately and delicately crafted, especially the wings carved from deep blue lapis lazuli, that it seemed ready to flutter at any moment.
“It’s beautiful.”
Who could have left such a precious item?
Puzzled, Kasallin picked up the note beside it.
[You asked what punishment I’d give you. If you want to know, wear this to the next ball. I have something important to tell you.]The ball next week would be the final event of this year’s grand festival season.
Meant for casual farewells, it was a time when busy envoys from various countries began returning home.
Judging by their silence, Shallen and Rose likely planned to stay until the final ball, but once it ended, they would truly have to leave the Renel Empire for Kan Kingdom.
That would mean no more meetings with Parnes.
This lapis lazuli hairpiece, carefully wrapped in soft velvet, must be Parnes’s way of saying goodbye.
At the ball, he’d probably say, with his usual impassive face:
“It was a short but enjoyable time. Farewell.”
A light farewell, as if parting with a casual acquaintance, and with time, they’d gradually forget each other without much interaction.
Amid busy lives, occasional joyful news might reach her.
That he’d taken an empress, held a grand wedding, and fathered a healthy prince or princess.
Hearing from across the border that he’d become a happy family man didn’t seem so bad.
“Still… I don’t want to leave.”
Even though it was her homeland, where she’d lived her whole life and would continue to, the thought of it without Parnes felt strangely lonely.
“What are you thinking about so deeply that you don’t hear me calling?”
Shallen’s voice sharply pulled Kasallin from her reverie.
Unnoticed, he was crossing the room toward her.
Kasallin quickly closed the box, but it didn’t take long for his gaze to land on the hairpiece.
“What’s this? Something I haven’t seen before.”
“It’s a personal item. Don’t worry about it.”
“Wait a moment. Isn’t that lapis lazuli?”
In an instant, a sharp glint flashed in Shallen’s eyes.
Examining the wing embedded with lapis lazuli under the chandelier’s light, Shallen clenched his jaw for some reason.
“Who gave this to you?”
“None of Your Highness’s concern, and I see no reason to tell you.”
“Don’t you know what lapis lazuli means in the Renel Empire?”
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
