In the midst of rising dust, two blades clashed, creating a flash of light. The sharp metallic sound quickly crossed the training ground, and the sword held by Antonio cracked and eventually shattered.
Even the honorable title of the Captain of the Imperial Guard was no match for Parnes in front of him.
“Ah, I lost. There seems no way to win against you.”
The Guard Captain, Antonio, looked down at his sword, now in pieces, with a chill of cold sweat running down his spine. If this had been a real battle, it would undoubtedly have been not the sword, but his own neck that was torn to shreds.
“With all due respect, Your Majesty, your movements today are unusually rough. It’s as if your mind is preoccupied with something else.”
“…….”
Parnes, as usual, responded with silence, accepting a towel offered by Duke Ludwick to wipe his face.
A cool breeze blew through.
After the intense training, his heaving shoulders gradually calmed down, like a sea quiet after a storm.
Ludwick tilted his head in thought. Never in his 20 years of service to the royal family had it been so difficult to understand the Emperor’s mood. What could he be pondering all day since the ball ended?
Just as Ludwick thought Parnes’s breathing had stilled too much, he couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke up.
“Your Majesty, you seem to be burdened with heavy concerns.”
The towel in Parnes’s hand slowly fell from his face down to his waist.
His sweat-dried face, not looking at the nearby void or gazing at distant mountains, seemed to be directed at someone elsewhere.
“Ludwick.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Your command?”
“Find out everything you can about Challen Liche and Rose Liche, particularly in relation to that girl, Kasalyn.”
Ludwick skillfully hid his surprise and bowed his head again.
“If I may, Your Majesty, why such a command?”
“……Kasalyn.”
“Yes?”
“The shadows cast on that girl’s face, where they come from… it wouldn’t hurt to know.”
If she wasn’t suffering from delusions, the atmosphere in her room had been subtly different in the mornings recently.
The chemise she had neatly folded the night before was slightly disheveled, and there was warmth left on the sofa.
As if someone had visited while she was asleep.
The uncomfortable feeling led her to ask the palace guards, but they only replied, “We haven’t seen anyone suspicious.”
“Could it be someone harboring ill intentions towards Miss Kasalyn?”
When she shared her unease about the unseen surveillance with her maid Logia, the timid girl immediately began to imagine the worst.
At first, she couldn’t even make eye contact with Kasalyn, filled with guilt, but as Kasalyn reached out to her with generosity, Logia began to open up.
They weren’t entirely comfortable with each other in a few days, but at least they had progressed to having tea together without much awkwardness.
“If that were the case, I wouldn’t be safe by now. The strangest thing is, they never disturb my sleep.”
“I’ll report it to the public safety office. Please be careful in the meantime.”
“Thank you for your concern. I’m considering requesting a bodyguard.”
Kasalyn sighed heavily, stroking her increasingly irritable face, her nerves sharpened from lack of restful sleep.
At this rate, she would break down before even returning to the Khan Kingdom.
“How about learning some basic self-defense?”
“Martial arts, with a woman’s body?”
“In this day and age, why not? Look around for someone who can teach you.”
Kasalyn’s mind raced through numerous faces, but not one she could call a friend.
All were relationships formed on pretense and benefit.
Despite being in the social circles for over a decade, the fact that she had no one to comfortably confide in hit her anew.
In the past, she would have run straight to Challen in such situations, but…
“Regrettably, no. There is no such person.”
“Why not? His Majesty the Emperor is there.”
“Are you serious?”
Kasalyn asked incredulously, and Logia timidly tilted her head in confusion.
“Haven’t you heard the rumors circulating in the palace lately? Everyone’s been talking since the ball…”
“What rumors?”
“That His Majesty the Emperor has set his sights on Miss Kasalyn as a potential bride. But is that rumor… true?”
Walking across the garden after tea time, Kasalyn struggled to ignore the whispers intruding her ears.
Until now, she hadn’t paid attention, but most nobles were indeed talking about her.
Rumors of her playing politics, using love potions, uttering absurdities.
‘His Majesty showed me nothing more than human kindness.’
With plenty of healthy and excellent ladies around, why would he choose her as a bride?
Shaking her head in disbelief, Kasalyn turned around.
Her steps, hastening somewhere, slowly halted at the fencing training ground at the outskirts of the Imperial Palace.
「His Majesty the Emperor practices swordsmanship every morning at the training ground. Why don’t you take a look?」
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.]
