“Your Majesty the Emperor. And Your Majesty the Empress. May the maids be permitted to enter?”
Duke Ludwig, speaking cautiously at the door, had an anxious expression on his face.
The maids, holding washbasins, clothes for changing, warm towels, and the like, were waiting beyond the door for a response.
A few seconds passed in silence.
“Come in.”
Permission was granted by Kasallin.
Duke Ludwig gestured to the maids to hurry in and attend to Their Majesties.
The first night spent together by the Emperor and Empress after their wedding held an unexpectedly profound significance in the imperial court.
But last night.
The moment Parnes entered the bridal chamber, he issued an order for everyone to leave, as if he had been waiting for the chance.
It felt as though a dizzying cliff had opened beneath their feet.
Not being able to bless Their Majesties’ first union was not a particularly grave matter.
For Duke Ludwig, who had served Parnes since he was toddling about, his stubbornness was familiar.
The one thing Duke Ludwig had worried about and fervently hoped for all night was singular.
‘May Her Majesty the Empress awaken safely this morning.’
Treating the great Empress as a delicate young lady was an offense, but with Parnes, it was a different matter.
At times, when Parnes looked at Kasallin, his eyes gleamed as if he might devour her in one bite.
It was likely an unconscious act, one that Parnes himself might not even be aware of.
Though Parnes cherished Kasallin as if she were made of gold and jade, his vigor and stature were extraordinary.
If his reason wavered and restraint faltered, the Empress would bear the full consequences.
Perhaps he should have stayed last night, prepared to face punishment, he thought with a tinge of regret.
“Uh… Duke Ludwig. I think you should come in for a moment.”
The maid who peeked through the door had a strange expression.
Duke Ludwig entered the bridal chamber, asking what was wrong.
Parnes and Kasallin, freshly washed and changed, were lightly bickering.
Listening to their conversation, Duke Ludwig realized that some of his worries from the night before had come true.
“There could be aftereffects later. You must see the court physician immediately.”
“A check-up for something like this? How many times must I say I’m fine? It’s just a slight bruise.”
The details were known only to the two of them, but from the atmosphere, it seemed Kasallin had some minor bruising, and Parnes was taking it seriously, blaming himself.
It was likely because Parnes had failed to control his strength during their union.
But such a thing would typically be laughed off as a mere incident for most couples.
As he had sensed before, Parnes’ overprotectiveness toward Kasallin was clearly growing day by day.
“It won’t happen, but if something does, I’ll make a fuss and call for Your Majesty. Will that reassure you?”
“…”
“Your Majesty.”
“…I promise.”
Parnes, whom one would have expected to stubbornly insist on escorting Kasallin to the physician himself, finally relented after a long sigh.
In the past, he would have ignored Kasallin’s words and pushed forward with his own will.
Duke Ludwig couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something about the two of them felt different, and he looked at them curiously in turn.
It seemed like a positive change for the Emperor and Empress, but somehow…
“Take meticulous care of the Empress for the time being. If even a minor issue arises, report it to the Emperor’s Palace immediately. She often skips meals, so pay special attention to that.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Parnes gave detailed instructions to the maids, then bid Kasallin farewell with a light glance and turned to leave without hesitation.
Duke Ludwig glanced at Kasallin’s quietly settling expression before hurrying after Parnes.
[This is the timeline separator]Kasallin couldn’t understand her own feelings.
She was the one who had said she was fine, that there was no need to see the physician, and that he could return to the Emperor’s Palace to attend to his duties.
Yet, for some reason, she felt downcast the moment he actually left.
Her mind was tangled, but there was no time to linger.
Kasallin crossed over to the main hall of the Empress’s Palace.
Lady Dawson, Loren Logia, and the attendants were waiting for her, neatly prepared.
No longer serving a marquess’s daughter from a neighboring country, they had clearly made thorough preparations to serve the Empress.
“We greet Your Majesty the Empress. Did you rest well last night?”
The title of Empress and the formal greetings felt so unfamiliar they made her skin crawl, but as Parnes had said, she would have to force herself to get used to it.
“Good morning, everyone. Is the new office ready?”
“Yes, it’s complete. Please come inside.”
Becoming Empress meant being granted the authority and duty to oversee state affairs alongside Parnes.
So, she had requested an office be prepared in a room on the second floor with a good view.
The new office was neither too large nor too small, just the right size, and she liked that there was a separate space on the third floor for storing books and documents.
The clean white panel wallpaper and ceiling perfectly matched her request not to decorate too extravagantly.
“What do you think? Does the office suit your taste?”
“It’s perfect. Everyone worked hard to prepare it.”
“That’s a relief. Oh, by the way, the person appointed as Your Majesty’s chief aide is said to arrive this morning. They’ll probably be here soon.”
The new aide had been personally selected by Parnes.
Since Kasallin didn’t know many people in the Renel Empire, he had promised to choose a suitable candidate on her behalf.
Kasallin trusted that he would make the best choice.
“They’re arriving earlier than expected. Have you heard anything about who they are?”
“I don’t know yet. But earlier, I overheard the maids whispering something unsettling.”
“Something unsettling?”
“Well, the servants at the Emperor’s Palace were saying that His Majesty appointed someone from the Rudo family as Your Majesty’s chief aide…”
Loren Logia lowered her voice, continuing with a troubled expression.
“So, I checked this morning, and it turns out that after the banquet last night, Duchess Rudo didn’t return home but stayed overnight in the guest palace. About an hour ago, she requested an audience with His Majesty.”
“…”
“No way it’s true, right? The servants at the Emperor’s Palace must have misheard something. It can’t be.”
Just as Duke Ludwig had devoted his life to serving Parnes, a chief aide was practically the shadow of the Emperor and Empress.
They lived and worked in the palace, always ready to be their lord’s hands and feet.
There was even a saying that the welfare of the people depended on who was appointed as an aide.
The thought that someone from the Rudo family might take such a critical role made her vision darken.
For one, Isabella was too young, and she had heard that Duke Rudo was currently in poor health.
Could it really be Duchess Rudo, then?
‘To be fair, His Majesty didn’t make a bad choice.’
The Rudo family, being the Dowager Empress’s natal family, had sufficient external qualifications.
Duchess Rudo, a distant relative of the Ram royal family, had a good reputation in high society and naturally possessed broad insight.
Moreover, she had indirectly supported the imperial family for a long time while the Empress’s seat remained vacant.
There was no reason she couldn’t be appointed as her aide.
In fact, it would be accurate to call her highly suitable.
But why did a corner of her heart feel so uneasy?
“Your Majesty the Empress. The new aide has arrived.”
Lady Dawson spoke from outside.
Kasallin neatly adjusted her skirts, sat naturally at the head seat, and granted permission to enter.
The door opened.
Upon seeing the face of the aide with whom she would share her fate, for better or worse, Kasallin couldn’t help but be shocked.
[This is the timeline separator]“Your Majesty. Do you know how flustered everyone was last night? Telling everyone to leave like that. The poor cardinals and priests could only shuffle their feet and go.”
On the way to the Emperor’s Palace.
Duke Ludwig followed Parnes, grumbling as if complaining.
Parnes silently furrowed his brow.
“Then, should I have let others openly gawk at my bride?”
“How can you say that? It’s about following the imperial traditions and protocols.”
“Absolutely not. She is my consort and my Empress. It will be the same henceforth. No one will lay a finger on her.”
At that moment, a red glint seemed to flash in Parnes’ eyes.
Duke Ludwig, at least, knew all too well what that eerie, murderous glint signified.
“By the way… Duchess Rudo is currently in the audience chamber. She wishes to pay her respects and request an audience.”
“Why is she here?”
“I don’t know the details, but she seemed to have something important to discuss. What shall we do?”
Parnes didn’t reply and immediately headed to the audience chamber.
Duchess Rudo, who had been sitting demurely, rose and gracefully greeted the Emperor as he entered.
“I pay my respects to His Majesty, the sun and sky of the Renel Empire. I sincerely congratulate you on the success of the imperial wedding.”
“Thank you. I’m pleased you took the trouble to come and offer your blessings. Please, sit.”
Parnes and Duchess Rudo sat across from each other at the table.
While sipping tea with both hands, Duchess Rudo discreetly observed Parnes, as if trying to gauge him.
She was checking if there was any hint of disappointment in the Emperor’s expression after his first night with the Empress.
Historical records of past emperors showed that, surprisingly often, a failed wedding night led to strained relations between emperor and empress from the start.
She wondered if there had been any such mishap this time, but as expected, it was Parnes.
His expression, as always, was utterly unreadable.
Having been born and raised in the imperial court, where a moment’s lapse could lead to being devoured, he was a master at concealing his thoughts.
“I heard you stayed overnight in the guest palace. Is there some matter?”
“It’s nothing else, but now that Her Majesty the Empress has officially ascended, doesn’t she need someone to assist her?”
“Indeed.”
“Thus, I humbly request to serve Her Majesty with utmost loyalty. If you permit, I will devote myself to helping Her Majesty fulfill her ambitions.”
Parnes, who had been staring at Duchess Rudo as if deep in thought, suddenly let out a short, mocking laugh.
Duchess Rudo, who had been bowing her head demurely, looked at him with a slightly startled expression.
“You’re too late, Duchess Rudo.”
When yandere male lead believes she loves him — but she never did
“How dare you!”
“How dare you make me love you, only to cast me aside as nothing more than a friend?!?
“I will never accept that.”
“I will never let you return to him.”
“Even if I have to burn myself to ashes.”
“Even if I must shatter my purity, my dignity, my very soul.”
“I will never let you escape me!”
This was the first novel that introduced me to the matriarchal genre. I’ve read it three times already!
At first, the male lead despised the female lead. Later, he misunderstood that she liked him, so he condescendingly and reluctantly reciprocated her feelings.
Then, he suddenly discovered that she was kind to everyone in the same way, and there was already someone she cherished in her heart, and that person was not him.
The male lead couldn’t believe it, he became angry and crazy. He was determined to capture her body and heart by any means necessary.
Synopsis:
Want to see how a green tea bitch male lead falls in love with the female lead?
Want to see how he flirtatiously pursues the female lead?
Want to see how he gets slapped in the face repeatedly?
The male lead is a green tea bitch, a poisonous lotus, jealous, ruthless, unscrupulous, with a venomous heart, and he’s also a delusional maniac.
The female lead is righteous, positive energy-filled, kind, a holy mother.
Let’s see how two people with extreme personalities come together~
_____
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