“Just looking for me. Now that woman is thinking about you.”
If the person Ian referred to as ‘that woman’ is…
“Mother?”
“Yes. The reason she invited me to this banquet was probably to disgrace you.”
“I had suspected that might be the case.”
I replied calmly.
“If people saw us meeting at this banquet, she thought it would naturally spread as a scandal that you were associating with commoners.”
“The things you’re trying to do are really childish.”
Now it wasn’t surprising. With both arms lightly crossed, I burst into a smirk.
Ian believes I’m a commoner, so what would his reaction be if he found out I’m a prince?
“It seems the two have gone down now. I can’t hear their inner thoughts anymore.”
Smiling as if relieved, I couldn’t help but have a sudden thought.
“There’s one thing I’m curious about…”
“Please speak.”
“…Was there a woman in this hall who liked you?”
“What?”
Ian’s cheek twitched as if it was an unexpected question.
Judging by his reaction, there might be someone.
Even with a mask on, Ian couldn’t hide his handsome appearance completely, and his superior physique wasn’t something that could be concealed.
“When we were talking in front of the stairs earlier, it seemed like you made eye contact with a lot of women.”
“That… You don’t have to worry about that. After all, I don’t feel any emotions for women other than you.”
“I feel the same way about other men.”
Ian tilted his head as if asking what that meant.
“I don’t have any feelings for other men, just like you.”
“…”
For a moment, Ian’s eyelashes blinked slowly.
“Hearing someone else’s inner thoughts is something I haven’t experienced, so I can’t say anything hastily… But… Having to hear things I don’t want to hear is inevitable. Just that alone seems annoying and difficult.”
“Rose, your guess is similar to mine. Even if you don’t want to hear it, you still hear it.”
A bitter smile spread across Ian’s face. For some reason, seeing him look tired, a tender feeling rushed in unexpectedly.
“So what I want to say is… You don’t have to worry about how others think of you, at least.”
“…”
A bitter smile appeared on Ian’s face. For some reason, his face looked exhausted. Seeing that, a tender feeling rushed in.
“So, what I want to say is… At least you don’t have to worry about how others think of you.”
“…”
For a moment, Ian’s eyes, which seemed to flicker, slowly became still. Looking at him with a somewhat shaking gaze, he slowly lowered his head and whispered.
“It seems it won’t work out after all.”
“Huh? What won’t?”
Ian reached out to me. In an instant, his face came close. No, it was me who was drawn to him. He embraced my waist tightly, and as our eyes met, he twisted his head slightly.
Breath entangled at the distance where our noses touched. In the midst of the slightly trembling eyelids, his hair touched mine for a moment. It happened while my eyes were slightly squinted from the ticklish sensation.
This time, the kiss felt a little different from before. While our touching lips were still soft, the constantly surging breath was somewhat persistent.
Caught up in the deepening kiss, I involuntarily grabbed his arms. With one eye half-open, Ian gently caressed my cheek as if comforting.
Perhaps swayed by the affectionate touch, this time, I was the one who first embraced his neck. Ian, who had frozen momentarily in surprise, let out a soft laugh.
In that moment when our gazes collided without reservation, without specifying who, we found each other’s lips without hesitation.
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
