Having gathered the necessities from her family home and bid farewell to everyone,Kasallin finally let the tension drain from her stiffened body as everything came to an end.
As a soft sigh escaped between her lips,Parnes’s cautious gaze seemed to touch her face.
His expression darkened silently, like the sun obscured by clouds,as he looked at her gaunt cheeks and frail shoulders in turn.
“I want to ask if you’re alright, but I know you’re not,so I’m at a loss for what to say.”
His fingertips slowly traced across Kasallin’s face,reaching her dry lips.
“I should have come for you sooner.To bring you safely and surely to Renel, some preparations were necessary.”
Of course, there were other ways, not entirely absent.
Leading a knightly order to break through the gates of the Kan palace,and at the end, slowly and painfully severing the necks of Shallen Riche and Rose Riche, who would be cowering there.
Those who dared to torment the woman destined to be Parnes’s bridecould have been gathered, burned all at once, and Kasallin taken away.
At least for Parnes, such methods were familiar,and he had nearly acted on them several times.
‘But Kasallin would never be happy wearing an empress’s crown soaked in someone’s blood.’
So he desperately restrained himself, waited, and prepared for this day,though seeing Kasallin’s withered appearance now stirred a hint of regret.
Sensing the cause of the shadow over Parnes’s face to some extent,Kasallin tilted her head slightly and smiled.
“I already knew Your Majesty had other plans.I realized it when we parted unwillingly at the cabin, seeing the sword you broke.”
“……”
“I’m the one who should apologize.Because of me, things escalated, and I worried it might trouble Your Majesty and the Renel Empire.”
“Kasallin, I told you.”
Parnes’s fingertips brushed ever so lightly near her eyes.
“You are to be my wife.You never need to apologize, no matter the circumstance.”
His endlessly tender gaze, which might one day fade or turn to another,Kasallin resolved not to give too much affection to, lest she become a foolish moth rushing into a flame, knowing it would burn her.
She had learned too painfully through Shallen that oaths or eternity did not exist.
“So don’t apologize to me again. Understood?”
His gruff words, filled not with reprimand but warm concern,had a strange power to put people at ease.
That must be why the people of the Renel Empire could live in unprecedented peace and prosperity.
Kasallin found herself smiling softly without realizing it.
“Yes. Since I’m to be Your Majesty’s wife, I’ll try my best.”
As she spoke, her eyes gently curving, heavy with fatigue,Parnes’s breath subtly faltered.
His ears, faintly visible through his snow-like silver hair,were noticeably flushed.
“We’ll cross the border soon.”
He changed the subject with an awkward cough.
The scenery outside, passing by in a blur,shifted from barren wastelands to lush, verdant forests.
The rich, earthy scent of Renel’s fertile soil seemed to tickle her nose already.
Having lived her entire life in her familiar hometown,she couldn’t help but worry if she could blend into this foreign land as its empress.
Moreover, she would inevitably have to face Shallen or Rose someday,whether she liked it or not, as monarchs in official settings.
“You don’t need to worry about anything.”
As if reading the chain of worries beginning to spiral in Kasallin’s mind,Parnes spoke with his characteristic impassive expression.
“No one will dare lay a hand on you, let alone point a finger.That’s the position of the Empress of Renel.”
His sharp profile, carved as if with an ice pick, glowed red in the setting sunlight.
His words, calmly laying out his thoughts,sounded to Kasallin like a soothing lullaby.
“Thank you.”
Perhaps because her tension suddenly eased, Kasallin, who had been blinking slowly,soon fell into a shallow slumber.
The occasional jolt of the carriage wheels on uneven ground didn’t bother her,so exhausted was she.
Parnes, arms crossed and gazing out the window for a while,hesitated as if unsure, then turned his head toward her.
Leaning against the backrest, breathing evenly,she seemed like a wounded animal, wandering the snowy plains for centuries, finally returning to a warm southern land.
Parnes could do nothing but watch her.
For someone who had just calmly declared she would be his companion,he seemed overly cautious.
When her nodding head, searching for a place to rest, naturally settled on his shoulder,Parnes carefully pulled her closer to let her lean comfortably.
“…Kasallin.”
Rolling her enchanting, irresistible name slowly in his mouth,Parnes kissed her forehead.
Already deep in sleep, she was unaware of the deep, vibrant glint in the eyes of the man holding her.
[This is the timeline separator]She dreamed a strange dream.
In the dream, she had a more delicate frame, with small feet and hands.
In a quiet old castle overlooking a blue sea,she was spending a leisurely afternoon facing Parnes.
The Parnes before her seemed different somehow.
He exuded a languid, mature charm, breathtakingly captivating.
“What are you thinking about, my lady?”
His voice, sweet as a dream but muffled as if coming through thick fabric, spoke.
The sound of waves crashing against rocks in the distance mingled with the approach of someone else.
A beautiful boy with familiar dark curly hair and emerald eyescame running with arms outstretched, as if asking to be held.
“Mother.”
He called her that.
.
.
.
“Are you awake?”
When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the carriage,and the faint sound of waves, like in her dream, tickled her ears.
Still caught somewhere between dream and reality, Kasallin was momentarily dazed,then realized she was being carried in Parnes’s arms, moving somewhere.
Before she could discern where they were or when she had left the carriage,her face flushed uncontrollably.
Dozens of stern-faced guards followed closely behind.
To think she, a lady, had slept so soundly in the emperor’s arms without a shred of decorum.
“You should have woken me. Please, put me down.”
“Why?”
“Why? Can’t you see the people around us?”
Parnes looked around with a puzzled expression.
With a sharp glance, he signaled the guards, who halted with a crisp sound of boots.
Among them was Sir Antonio, a familiar face,making Kasallin bury her face in Parnes’s shoulder, her neck burning red.
Seeing her, Parnes let out a short chuckle, as if understanding.
“Embarrassed over something like this? You’ll need to get used to it.”
“Get used to it? What do you mean?”
“You lot, stand down. Tonight, we’ll have time alone.”
At Parnes’s command, the guards immediately stopped and bowed their heads.
While Kasallin was still processing the meaning of his words,he calmly adjusted his hold on her and entered the castle.
The castle was mostly made of smooth, white limestone,with a paved terrace and conical towers that were strikingly beautiful.
“Where is this?”
“The summer palace. It’s yours from today.”
“What?”
“The Kan Kingdom has few places near the sea, so you rarely saw it.I wanted to show you this view first when you entered my country.”
He set her down on a balcony with a clear view outside.
Though it was growing dark and hard to see,a vast sea stretched beyond the horizon, embracing the coast.
The salty scent carried on the night breeze,and the white foam of breaking waves felt like it opened her heart just by looking.
At that moment, Kasallin was struck by a strange sense of déjà vu.
Come to think of it, this place…
“I saw this in my dream.”
Kasallin laughed at the absurdity of her own words.
But Parnes didn’t dismiss or mock her, responding earnestly.
“You saw it in a dream?”
“Yes. Your Majesty and I were sitting over there, looking at the sea.At a gray folding table. It sounds unbelievable, but it’s true.”
Kasallin chattered like an innocent child, pointing here and there.
“And the strangest thing was, there was a child who looked half like Your Majesty and half like me, standing right here.No, on second thought, maybe more like me. How could I have such a dream?”
Recalling the mysterious boy whose memory was already fading, Kasallin spoke.
A strange silence settled between them.
In the awkward, sluggish air,Kasallin realized a beat too late the weight of what she’d said and covered her mouth with one hand.
“Oh… I mean, what I just said…”
“You’re a woman who knows how to drive a man mad.”
Parnes’s large, scarred hand gently grasped Kasallin’s slender wrist.
As he closed the distance in one step,the reality that they were alone in this vast castle hit her fully.
They hadn’t formally announced an engagement,but they were soon to be husband and wife.
It was natural to explore each other,and whatever happened in that process wouldn’t be strange.
“You look tired.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
His cool hand touched her clammy, sweat-dampened forehead.
Perhaps because of his low body temperature, it felt pleasant.
Kasallin, eyes lowered, unconsciously rubbed her cheek against his palm.
Parnes inhaled sharply, as if suppressing pain,then gently rubbed her chapped lips as if to heal them.
Feeling a strange sensation and slight embarrassment,Parnes pulled his hand back firmly, as if waking from a shallow dream.
“It’s late. Let’s head to the bedroom.”
He spoke in a gruff voice and turned away first,and Kasallin followed him upstairs.
Climbing the spiral staircase and passing through winding corridorsfelt interminably long in those few minutes.
When they finally stood before the door,the thought of parting from him, even for a few hours with just a wall between, felt oddly regrettable.
“Then, rest well.”
He opened the door himself, even straightened the blankets with his noble hands,and left the room without lingering.
As he crossed the threshold, Kasallin lightly caught the hem of his clothes with her fingertips.
“Your Majesty.”
Parnes’s hand, clenched so tightly the veins stood out blue, trembled in the air.
“Just for a little while, could you stay by my side?”
Male lead is a clingy little husband
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
_____
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