“Who’s there?”
As I pushed through the densely overgrown bushes, I suddenly stopped in my tracks. I had come here, drawn by the sound of water, and discovered a clear spring.
Not all the water in the ‘Abandoned Mountain’ had a red hue. There was a sinister red spring located only halfway up the mountain.
Whenever Rosebelia was out on a subjugation mission and found a stream or spring with clear water, she and Vanessa would take the opportunity to wash up briefly.
Speaking of which, I thought I heard the sound of water splashing. Was I mistaken?
I calmly surveyed the area around the spring. The edges of the spring had shallow water, so it was transparent, but the middle seemed quite deep.
Just as I was about to turn around, feeling that there was nothing amiss,
“Lady Rosebelia?”
Ah, what a surprise.
Startled, I swiftly turned around.
“Deputy Commander?”
Emerging from the bushes was Linart.
“Why are you out here alone at this hour?”
“Well, the dead beast I saw earlier today… When we found it, it looked like it had been dead for quite a few hours.”
“And so?”
“I thought that if someone else is on this mountain, they’d likely be active at night or dawn, so…”
I trailed off, gauging Linart’s reaction. He looked at me with what seemed to be a puzzled expression.
“You should have told someone before going out alone.”
“I was just planning to go quietly since I couldn’t sleep… I guess I didn’t think this through.”
It was true that I hadn’t been sleeping well. Ever since Ian mysteriously disappeared, I’d been suffering from insomnia, and it hadn’t improved since arriving for the subjugation.
Adding to that was the speculation that Ian might be on this mountain, which made sleep all the more elusive.
I had slipped out quietly, never expecting to be caught by Linart.
“Lady Rosebelia, I know you’re strong, but it’s dangerous to act alone.”
“You’re right, Deputy Commander. I apologize.”
“Given what happened earlier today, shouldn’t you rely on your comrades a bit more?”
His unexpected words left me briefly stunned.
Did Linart think I wasn’t relying on my comrades?
Was the displeasure I sensed when we took down the Mantrap due to that reason?
“I thought my approach with the Mantrap was more efficient, but I see how it could be perceived otherwise.”
I had absorbed Rosebelia’s memories, but I wasn’t as adept as she was.
“I… I’m sorry.”
Linart, who had been exhaling a soft sigh, suddenly apologized.
“What? Why are you apologizing all of a sudden?”
“I was taking out my frustrations on you when I should be frustrated with myself for not being more helpful in the subjugation…”
“That’s not true. You’ve been a great help to the subjugation team. Everyone in the Guardian Knights who came with us has some knowledge of magical beasts, so it’s been smoother.”
Linart slowly lifted his gaze to meet mine but said nothing for a moment.
Feeling a bit awkward, I pointed toward the distant subjugation camp.
“Shall we head back then?”
Only after sensing that everyone had left did Ian reveal his face above the water. Whether it was due to some damn curse, he didn’t find it difficult to hold his breath underwater.
Exiting the spring, he approached a cluster of bushes that looked as if someone had trampled through them.
Just a short while ago, Rosebelia had been in this spot. And the person with her was…
“It must be Linart.”
His heart sank, the beat coming to a near halt. The thought of them being together sent a pang through his chest.
“Your Highness!”
‘It would be easier just to kill him. Simpler than I thought.’
Ignoring the hallucinated voice calling out to him, Ian responded.
“What.”
“Did Your Highness actually bathe?”
“Did you actually take a bath, Your Highness?”
Nathan’s mouth slightly opened as he looked up and down at Ian, soaked to the tips of his hair.
“Hiding in a hurry got me like this.”
“Oh, speaking of which, someone was here, right? I heard voices.”
“Yes, luckily I wasn’t discovered.”
“Why do you look like that?”
“……It was Rosebelia.”
Nathan quickly covered his mouth with both hands.
“Rosebelia came here? All the way from the punitive force’s camp? Why?”
‘Why is my heart racing? It would have been better if the two of them had met.’
Misinterpreting it as shock, Ian laughed ruefully upon hearing Nathan’s inner thoughts.
“I don’t know either.”
If it was Rosebelia, at least he knew someone had a reason to be on this mountain.
‘She wouldn’t suspect it’s me.’
That was enough. For the time being, as long as he didn’t run into her, he was content to ease Rosebelia’s burden a little.
He would do whatever he could to help her.
“Isn’t it dangerous for you to go back alone?”
“Probably be fine.”
At least Linart would be with him on the way back.
His heart ached. Someone else was standing beside her, a place where I couldn’t be.
Could I not be there?
Following Nathan, Ian paused for a moment.
Wait.
He had been close enough to hear her inner thoughts, so why hadn’t he heard anything?
My Ex-Girlfriend Is The Regent In The Female-dominant World (Male lead transmigrates to the matriarchal world)
Two years ago, Gu Sui picked up a homeless woman in ancient costume from the street.
Apart from occasionally claiming to be a princess from a female-dominant country due to illness, her figure, appearance, intelligence, and martial arts skills were impeccable.
Naturally evolving from roommates to girlfriends, as time went on, Gu Sui found it increasingly difficult to tolerate her queen syndrome.
“Mu Jiulu, can you stop controlling me inside and out? Let’s break up.”
Gu Sui made a breakup call, and since then, he couldn’t find any trace of her.
A year later, Gu Sui, who was planning to move, woke up the next day and found himself in a different place.
“Young Master, today is the day you choose your Wife-master through martial arts competition at Jade Dew Pavilion. Please get up quickly.”
Gu Sui: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
As the only son of a general’s mansion in a female-dominant dynasty, the young empress personally issued a decree allowing Gu Sui to select his Wife-master through martial arts competition. Whoever could defeat him could marry him.
Gu Sui: “……”
He didn’t inherit the original owner’s martial prowess, so anyone could defeat him! And what the hell is a Wife-master?
Forced to come to Jade Dew Pavilion, the densely packed women below made Gu Sui’s agoraphobia act up, and his face was full of resistance.
Until he saw the Regent sitting on the second floor, with a smile on the corner of her lips, her eyes wicked and nonchalant.
Hmm… she looked a little familiar.
It turned out that the Regent also found him a little familiar.
Mu Jiulu fiddled with her bone clasp, her deep gaze locked on the man who was out of place in this world.
“Finally, I found you.”
Male transmigrates into female-dominant world
One-sentence summary: What goes around comes around, taking turns in the crematorium
