Marchioness Elizabeth Robepon had been bedridden for the past few days, lying unconscious.
As soon as she heard the news that Rose had nearly died at the hands of Kasallin, she collapsed from shock and became unable to move.
Marchioness Robepon was confident that while she hadn’t particularly favored Kasallin, she hadn’t tormented her like other stepmothers did.
Although not her biological daughter, Kasallin had been pretty and clever since childhood, so she had placed high expectations on her in many ways.
She had paid expensive tuition to send her to the Royal Academy and provided full support so she could secure a position in high society.
Even if she couldn’t give affection to a child with whom she shared no blood, she thought she had done enough as a parent.
“But that insolent child repaid the kindness of being raised with enmity instead of gratitude…”
Poor Rose, how much mental anguish must she be suffering right now?
Marchioness Robepon pressed her throbbing forehead and sobbed.
“Sophie, what time did you say the execution would be held?”
Marchioness Robepon said weakly as she turned over.
The maid Sophie poured warm water and answered with a troubled expression.
“It must have started quite some time ago, my lady. Please stop thinking about it and get some rest.”
“How can I sleep peacefully? In my heart, I want to rush to the square right now and watch that girl Kasallin die. But on the other hand, I feel sorry for her. No, when I really think about it, the one who’s truly pitiful is my daughter Rose! She deserves to be punished. There’s no need for sympathy.”
Marchioness Robepon rambled half-deliriously before burying her face deep in the pillow again.
This incident would greatly damage the family’s honor, but if there was one fortunate thing, it was that Rose was carrying the king’s child.
For now, that was the only hope she could take comfort in.
‘That’s right. Kasallin was never my daughter to begin with.’
On the other hand, Rose would continue to enjoy glory as the queen of the Kan Kingdom, and the child in her womb would soon be appointed crown prince.
Time would heal everything, so there would be no problems – she was trying to comfort herself with these thoughts when it happened.
“My lady! My lady!”
Sophie, who had gone downstairs to fetch medicine, came running up screaming as if she had seen something horrible.
Marchioness Robepon covered her face with both hands and let out an irritated sigh.
“Child, don’t you know my head is pounding? Please be quiet…”
“Oh my. You don’t look well, Mother.”
Marchioness Robepon’s breathing stopped abruptly.
If she hadn’t misheard, this was definitely Kasallin’s voice.
Marchioness Robepon slowly lowered her hands that had been covering her face, and as soon as she turned her gaze to the side, she had no choice but to scream in terror.
“Calm down, Mother.”
Kasallin, whose body should have become black ash blown away by the wind and whose soul should have fallen to the underworld by now, was standing there.
And with a very peaceful expression.
“You, how are you…”
“I wanted to leave right away if possible, but I guess that won’t do. I need to shower and pack a few things I left at home. My room is still the same, right?”
“So what I’m saying is… Kasallin, how are you here?”
“Oh, you don’t know yet. What should I do? You probably won’t believe me even if I tell you suddenly.”
Kasallin looked somewhat troubled as she gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Fortunately, my innocence has been proven.”
“Innocence? Child, explain so I can understand…”
“Before that, we have a very distinguished guest at our house. Please come downstairs.”
Kasallin led Marchioness Robepon to the first-floor reception room with leisurely steps.
Unable to grasp how things were unfolding and feeling confused, what came into her view was an unknown man.
That wasn’t all.
A luxury carriage with the familiar twin lion emblem prominently carved on it was standing in the garden in front of the mansion.
Sturdy knights armed with gleaming plate armor surrounded the house as if guarding it.
The mysterious man standing obliquely by the window slowly approached when Marchioness Robepon entered the reception room.
Kasallin gestured with her hand as if introducing him.
“Mother. Please greet him. This is His Imperial Majesty Emperor Parnes Escalo of the Renel Empire.”
“What?”
She could give no other response than to ask back like that.
Before she could even wonder why the Emperor of the Renel Empire was there, Marchioness Robepon found herself already kneeling in courtesy without realizing it.
The man who ascended to the imperial throne before even coming of age and elevated the Renel Empire to the greatest hegemonic power in the Western Continent.
She had heard several chilling rumors about him being a cold-blooded person with no compassion, or that he had ousted his father to seize the imperial throne.
And now, Marchioness Robepon thought those rumors might actually be true.
Emperor Parnes, seen up close, was larger than she had imagined, his eyes were more like those of a beast than a human, and he was wrapped in an overwhelming presence that dominated his surroundings.
She didn’t know why, but she could tell just by instinct.
“I greet His Imperial Majesty of the Renel Empire.”
But what was truly surprising was something else.
The Emperor, who had been looking down at Marchioness Robepon with cold eyes as if wondering how to kill trapped prey, suddenly softened his expression and readily offered a handshake.
“Pleased to meet you, Marchioness Robepon. Please forgive my sudden visit.”
His voice was not only sociable and kind but even courteous.
Why? What on earth does he want?
Marchioness Robepon was so bewildered and frightened that she didn’t know what to do, forgetting even to respond to the handshake.
Parnes smiled lightly and then conspicuously took Kasallin’s hand firmly.
While doing so, he spoke with an impeccably polite and gentlemanly attitude.
“I have promised marriage to Miss Kasallin Robepon, the precious daughter of the Robepon Marquis family. I thought today would be the only opportunity, so I came to formally pay my respects.”
Marriage?
Did he just say marriage?
Marriage with the Emperor means becoming the Empress, doesn’t it?
“That’s impossible. You must be joking? There must be some misunderstanding.”
“I have no intention of joking, nor is it a misunderstanding.”
“Good heavens. This is so sudden that I don’t know how to respond… Please, sit over here first. I’ll have some simple tea and refreshments brought out.”
Sophie, who had been watching nervously from behind the wall with her mouth covered, hurriedly ran to the kitchen to prepare tea.
Parnes and Marchioness Robepon sat on the sofa in turn.
Kasallin approached Parnes closely and said.
“Your Majesty. I need to shower first. As you can see, I’m a complete mess.”
“It’s fine. Take your time.”
“Thank you. Please have your conversation, you two. I’ll be back quickly.”
Seeing Kasallin’s casual attitude – patting his shoulder familiarly and whispering in his ear rather than being nervous in front of the Emperor – the Marchioness couldn’t help but be amazed.
The Emperor was even giving her consistently warm smiles.
After Kasallin went upstairs and the frightened Sophie set down the teacups with severe rattling of the tray.
An awkward silence fell over the reception room where only the sound of wood crackling in the fire could be heard.
Marchioness Robepon earnestly hoped Kasallin would return soon as she mustered courage to speak.
“Excuse me, is the black tea to your taste…”
“Let me tell you just one thing, nothing more.”
Marchioness Robepon’s eyes widened.
Parnes spoke in a warning tone, completely different from when Kasallin had been beside him just moments before.
“If you’re thinking of playing the pathetic mother role now, you’d better stop. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Why are you saying such things?”
Marchioness Robepon placed her hand on her chest and spoke pleadingly.
“Of course, I’m not Kasallin’s birth mother. But I raised Kasallin with sincere care, truly considering her my own daughter. Yet you speak such harsh words.”
“Yes. I know. I know well enough that you raised that child with great care. Seeing how upright and intelligent she grew up, I can’t say you had no contribution at all.”
Finally, a faint light appeared in Marchioness Robepon’s complexion.
But that hopeful expression was soon mercilessly extinguished by Parnes’s next words.
“But that’s because Kasallin worked hard, not because of you. You planned to raise her as a perfect girl without any flaws, marry her off to royalty, and then live in luxury as the mother of a queen.”
“Is that wrong? Isn’t it natural duty for children to repay their parents’ kindness in raising them when they succeed?”
“You’re wrong. A child’s existence – being born healthy and growing up healthy – already fulfills their duty.”
Parnes lightly swirled the steaming black tea in his hands and sneered with narrowed eyes.
“Well, in a way, you did achieve your dream. You managed to put your biological daughter on the queen’s throne instead of Kasallin…”
Parnes continued while looking around the luxurious reception room that had been decorated extravagantly to intimidate visiting guests.
“For someone who cleaned up their status after living with a lowly criminal and luckily became the mistress of a marquis house, you’ve achieved quite an accomplishment.”
Marchioness Robepon’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.
Her hands on her knees trembled and clenched convulsively, wrinkling her skirt.
She barely managed to squeeze out words in a rough, choked voice.
“I don’t quite understand… what you’re saying.”
“What don’t you understand? That your biological daughter inherited the blood of street rabble and became pregnant while hiding that fact from King Shallen?”
Marchioness Robepon could no longer make any response.
With a despairing expression that everything was over, as she only moved her lips, Parnes spoke to her in a deliberately kind voice.
“Listen. It would be troublesome if you’re already so shocked. You haven’t heard yet what your biological daughter has done.”
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.]
