I Became the Regretful Male Lead's Sister (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 13
“Aaaah!”
I jolted awake from a deep sleep at the thunderous scream.
“What—what’s going on!”
I snapped my eyes open and looked toward the source of the sound.
Father’s face was bright red, trembling as if he might collapse at any moment.
“Father, you’ll faint if you keep that up….”
Something felt off.
Haven’t you had that feeling before?
A chilling sensation down your spine, as though something were terribly wrong.
The nagging sense that I’d forgotten something crucial—something that could turn disastrous.
‘Where is Nathaniel?’
Why was that?
It felt as if something heavy loomed behind me.
I turned my body.
Jet-black hair with a rich sheen that remained dark even in sunlight, tightly curled yet long lashes.
Even his slightly parted crimson lips.
He was so strikingly handsome I nearly forgot the situation for a moment.
My gaze drifted from his eyes to his lips, then down to his firm chest.
I’d been staring blankly at his half-covered torso—when had he slipped under the covers?—until Father’s shout snapped me back to my senses.
“How… how dare you!!”
No, why are you even here!
Nathaniel, awakened from a sound sleep by this sudden commotion, looked utterly dazed.
Thankfully, he still retained a shred of decency and kept his mouth shut quietly.
It was a bit comical how his arms and legs stuck out awkwardly from Maximilian’s borrowed clothes, whose sleeves and hems were too short for him.
Though the situation itself was anything but funny.
“I will report this matter to His Majesty today.”
“Nothing happened.”
At Nathaniel’s indifferent reply, Father’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“Is that really what a man who just shared a bed should say!”
Maximilian, standing nearby, shouted out.
He looked so much like an older brother stepping in that I almost wanted to snap back—but the circumstances weren’t right.
“I—I really didn’t do anything!”
“Then why was Your Highness in your room?”
I couldn’t think of a plausible excuse.
What should I even say?
That I was worried about Princess Anais’s safety? That I came to consult about House Winters’ future?
All of it sounded utterly ridiculous.
It wasn’t as if we’d been discussing anything important enough to stay up all night.
“Speak up, then!”
At Father’s sharp command, Nathaniel quietly opened his mouth.
“I merely came because the young lady once promised to treat me to delicious dessert.”
Do you really think that’ll work?
Besides, it clearly looked like I’d been flirting with him!
You absolute fool, you useless dragon!
I just gaped for a moment before finally nodding along with his words.
“Yes, yes. We met at Her Highness the Princess’s birthday banquet, and I bragged a bit about my chef.”
“Do I look like a fool to you?”
At Father’s icy response, I fell silent.
Nathaniel spoke as if annoyed.
“Truly, nothing happened. I was simply exhausted from yesterday afternoon’s events and dozed off unintentionally. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t misunderstand.”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Maximilian frowned deeply and glared at him.
For the first time, I had no idea how to handle this situation.
This was an accident that fell entirely outside the original plot.
Was this all karmic retribution for twisting the original story?
“You’ve dishonored my daughter—you must take responsibility, Your Highness.”
“Father! I told you, nothing happened!”
“Stay quiet for once!”
Treated almost like a traitor, I clamped my mouth shut.
Father shot up from his seat, pointing a finger at Nathaniel as he yelled.
“Your Highness must accompany me to the imperial palace!”
“I shall do so.”
Nathaniel’s behavior—acting as if he were a mere bystander—was deeply suspicious.
Was it really safe to send him off alone like this?
If anything, he’d probably make things worse, not fix them.
“I’m coming too!”
“You’re grounded, Jaina.”
“Father!”
“Don’t let her take a single step outside her room!”
Furious beyond measure, Father ordered the maids to haul me up.
Escorted back to my room like a criminal, I was left alone inside.
“Ugh, what on earth is going on?”
I rushed to the window and peered outside.
I saw Father stomping toward the carriage, fuming, while Nathaniel climbed in calmly, as carefree as ever.
“I hope that man didn’t say anything strange.”
Nathaniel, having lived his whole life as if he alone ruled heaven and earth, seemed oddly lacking in common sense in certain areas.
A wave of unease washed over me.
Somehow, I felt tangled up in something bizarre.
“Jaina, are you in there?”
“Uh, y-yeah.”
Maximilian opened the door and entered, carrying a tray of food.
Having skipped breakfast amid the morning chaos, my stomach growled at the savory aroma.
Why was he suddenly acting so nice?
Honestly, given that my brother and I hadn’t been on good terms for the past few weeks, this felt strangely awkward.
“Just eat breakfast first.”
“Okay.”
Bowls of soup, bread, cheese, and ham were set on the table.
As I ate slowly, my tension eased a little.
“What exactly is your relationship with His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Well… just friends?”
Maximilian gave me a suspicious look at my answer. Truthfully, even I couldn’t believe the situation myself.
But what could I do—it was the truth.
I was frustrated and unfairly blamed, yet helpless.
“We’re really not anything. We just occasionally chat and joke around, that’s all.”
At my reply, Maximilian looked genuinely surprised.
“Jeni, do you even know who Nathaniel is? Having normal conversations and joking with him is an extraordinary thing.”
“…”
He had a point.
In the original story, Nathaniel had been quite unhinged.
He only seemed sane when he was with Teresa.
“It seems His Highness quite fancies you.”
“No, it’s not like that….”
Even if he didn’t fancy me, he’d have no choice now.
After all, I’d discovered his secret!
In the original plot, Nathaniel had ultimately transformed into a massive dragon, abandoned the empire after Teresa’s death, and flown away.
Yet now he appeared as that small, adorable creature.
“Maybe this turned out for the better after all—since you two get along so well.”
“What are you talking about?”
I asked, puzzled by Maximilian’s cryptic muttering, which sounded like he was talking to himself.
He bit his lip as if he’d made a mistake.
“What is it? Spit it out before I get angry.”
“Well… His Majesty actually expressed a wish for you and His Highness Nathaniel to marry.”
What absurd nonsense is this?
“Father heard it yesterday when he visited the palace. His Majesty wanted either the Sorche Mine or your hand in marriage.”
“Is he insane? That mine is the lifeblood of our domain—how could he ask for it?”
“So that’s why you should go with the marriage option…”
My head spun.
The Emperor probably never truly wanted the Sorche Mine from the start.
No matter how grave Maximilian’s offense, that mine wasn’t just private property.
Countless villagers in our domain depended on it for their livelihood.
This was simply the Emperor’s forceful way of showing how strongly he desired my marriage to Nathaniel.
“This is ridiculous.”
“But still, since you and His Highness are already like this… I feel a bit less guilty.”
“No, no! We’re really not like that!”
Maximilian looked at me with a wistful gaze.
“Sure.”
“No, seriously, we’re not!”
Maximilian patted my shoulder lightly and left the room.
Only my hollow protest—“We’re not!”—echoed through the empty room.
In just one night, the situation had completely reversed.
The Emperor sat with his head bowed, sweating coldly, while the Duke sat cross-legged.
“I trusted Your Majesty.”
“No, I had no idea they were like that either…”
Meeting the Duke’s glare, the Emperor fell silent.
“How could a man be in the bed of an unmarried maiden who’s of marriageable age…!”
The Duke, about to continue, recalled that absurd scene from this morning.
For a moment, he thought his own eyes must be deceiving him.
His daughter, who’d never caused even the slightest trouble, had now landed in an enormous scandal.
And of all people, it involved the cunning imperial family.
“You didn’t know about this when you spoke to me, did you?”
“No, why would I say such a thing? And if I’d known they were seeing each other, I wouldn’t have pushed for the marriage between Anais and Max.”
The Emperor’s words made sense.
Yet the Duke still felt deeply uneasy.
It felt as if they were merely actors on a meticulously staged set.
“In any case, since they’re already involved, you’ll agree to proceed with what we discussed yesterday, won’t you?”
“But… won’t Her Majesty the Empress be uncomfortable?”
After all, she wasn’t even the Crown Prince’s real mother.
Moreover, Princess Anais had suffered tremendous humiliation because of Maximilian.
The scandal must have spread across the entire empire by now.
And now innocent Jaina would be entering the imperial palace, where everyone watched with sharp, suspicious eyes.
To anyone, this marriage looked like a one-way ticket to hell.
As a duke, he stood to gain from her marriage—but as a father, he simply couldn’t approve.
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect her.”
“It’s precisely because you’re His Majesty that I’m more worried.”
He couldn’t trust that man.
But could he trust Nathaniel either…?
The Duke glanced at the Crown Prince, who stood silently beside him.
His detached, aloof expression—as if this weren’t his affair at all—was deeply unsettling.
“Please give me more time to think. If they’re already seeing each other, there’s no need to rush the marriage, is there?”
“Think of Anais too. She’s being torn apart everywhere—since it’s going to happen anyway, why not make a grand announcement to bury the rumors?”
Thinking of Princess Anais, the Duke felt a pang of conscience.
Though his own son had caused this, he wasn’t entirely blameless either.
“Anais had a rather difficult childhood. That’s why I wanted her to marry Max, whom she liked. I thought you, as a father yourself, might understand my feelings…”
The Emperor even feigned wiping away tears as he muttered.
“What sudden, absurd turn of events is this.”
Moved by the shared sentiment of fatherhood, the Duke began to waver.
“Could you both please stop? Isn’t this marriage mine to decide? I can’t understand why you’re making such a fuss around me.”
Nathaniel found their behavior utterly ridiculous.
Here they were, putting on a show—completely ignoring the actual parties involved.
“So you climbed into my daughter’s bed and now refuse to take responsibility?”
But Nathaniel’s indifferent attitude only poured fuel on the Duke’s fury.
“This—this…!”
“Oh dear, Duke! You’ll collapse at this rate.”
“Are you saying you won’t take responsibility for my daughter!”
The Emperor swiftly stepped on Nathaniel’s foot—like sprinkling ashes on a finished meal—and patted the Duke’s shoulder soothingly.
“Marriage is ultimately a union of houses. If you, Duke, agree, I’ll support it wholeheartedly.”
The Emperor spewed every sweet word he could muster to win the Duke over.
“You must take responsibility for my daughter, Your Highness.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll make sure he takes responsibility—don’t worry, just go home.”
The Emperor gently soothed the Duke, who was shouting in outrage, and sent him off.
The Duke, whose stress over the marriage issue had finally boiled over these past few days, stormed out cursing.
‘So Jaina’s talent for cursing comes entirely from her father.’
Nathaniel thought to himself as he remained seated.
After seeing the Duke off and returning to his office, the Emperor was now beaming—completely unlike his earlier demeanor.
“You’ve got a good eye for women. Well done, very well done indeed.”
Nathaniel stayed silent, unsure what exactly he’d done so well.
Thus, each lost in their own thoughts, the day passed.
A few days later, a formal marriage proposal arrived for Jaina, accompanied by gifts and flowers from the Crown Prince.
“Why is everything turning out like this!”
Jaina wailed.
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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The Empress is truly vile and disgusting; she doesn’t think about what her children want, but rather controls their lives and imposes her will upon them.
Hahaha, Nathaniel looks cute, he’s funny, he looks like a kid on a picnic