The reason she came to Rompfield from another prison was that the crime was committed in Landhill.
When she left Rompfield, she thought she would never see her alive again.
Ines approached her as if bewitched.
“Hello.”
“Ah, yes.”
Charlotte, who had been bending over to watch the rabbits, raised her head at the sound of the voice. Her face was flushed from chasing the rabbit. Up close, she looked like a watercolor painting mixed with a lot of water.
“I am Ines Swelden, the daughter of the Swelden family.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not from this domain, so I didn’t recognize your face. I’m Charlotte. Charlotte Dropfinnua.”
Ines looked at her for a moment. Misunderstanding her gaze, Charlotte added.
“Ah, my surname is a bit unusual, right? My husband is from a foreign country.”
For a moment, she choked up because of the clearsmiling woman. ‘Ah, it’s not just me who came back.’ The realization came anew.
Charlotte’s crime was the same as Ines’s. Homicide, that of killing her husband.
How did a woman who didn’t seem to be able to catch even one rabbit manage to kill her husband?
She had sporadically conversed with her, but the memories were not intact. Those were days when eating, drinking, and maintaining sanity were hard. Everyone came to Rompfield with a great story. So, Charlotte’s story from back then wasn’t so special.
“How did you come to this domain?”
Despite the somewhat direct question for a first meeting, Charlotte did not lose her smile.
“My husband got a job in Lesonia. He was originally the central administrator of the Imperial City, but he suddenly moved.”
“But why are you staying in Landhill?”
Charlotte slightly frowned and tilted her head.
“Did I say I live in Landhill?”
“Ah, I just thought so because the hunt is a festival in Landhill.”
She simply let out an “Ah.” and looked around. She seemed to be looking for a place to rest as if she was somewhat fatigued.
“Shall we sit there?”
Discovering a bench not far away, she invited Ines to go with her. Ines looked where Louie was.
Since there was a maid chasing the child, she sat side by side with Charlotte on the shaded bench.
“I have a child.”
Blushing shyly, Charlotte placed her hand on her belly. It was hard to imagine that a life was growing inside her stillflat belly.
Ines closed her eyes for a moment and searched her memory. But nowhere in her fragmented memories was there any fact that Charlotte had a child.
“I was fine until morning, but it’s a bit hard in the afternoon.”
“…….”
“Ines, have you ever taken a train?”
“No.”
“Neither have I.”
Ines had never ridden a train. She had only laid the tracks beneath it.
“My husband is, so to speak, the person in charge of the railway business. The lord of Lesonia wants a railway that runs through Landhill.”
Ines knew this fact well.
“I don’t know much about what my husband does, but he told me he’s going around various places in Landhill to inspect where to install the railway tracks. So he’s staying in a mansion in Landhill right now.”
Ines nodded her head. Landhill was not conducive to laying tracks, having many mountains. Since the installation cost of the railway depended on its length, it was often better to create a tunnel rather than skirt around a mountain. So choosing a route would not be an easy task.
“Do you know? Once the railway is laid, you can travel from the imperial city to Landhill in just three days? It’s an amazing world. I want to ride it as soon as it’s completed. Right now, the only place you can go by train is Sanskrea, a day away from the imperial city. Sanskrea, you know there’s nothing to see in Sanskrea except the temple, right?”
“Why does Charlotte want to take the train?”
“Something… It’s romantic, isn’t it?”
Ines chuckled at her words and slowly rose from her seat, alternately looking at Charlotte and her belly.
“Since I’m with the princess, I can’t be away from my seat for long. I think I should go now.”
“Oh, I see.”
As Charlotte was about to get up, Ines stopped her.
“Rest a little more. You look a bit pale.”
“Should I, then? It’s not like I’m going to catch and eat a rabbit.”
Ines also smiled a little at the pleasant words.
“You said you were staying in the mansion?”
“Yes.”
“Would you mind inviting me sometime? I was born and raised in Landhill, so I can help you with various things.”
“Really? You’re really kind. I didn’t have any friends, so I was a little bored.”
At the word “friend,” Ines flinched for a moment. Charlotte made friends quite easily. It was the same in Lompfield. She didn’t behave warmly to everyone, but she shared bread with those she thought were friends.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
