It’s not even funny.
Loving someone who loves another person.
‘I shouldn’t confess such feelings.’
Being by his side, becoming the empress, and having no emotional connection with him were all just absurd and bitter, making it even more ironic.
Rian stared at me intently. It was fortunate that the day was fading. In the dimly lit room, with only a few glimpses of light, he seemed unaware of my flushed cheeks.
‘If he knew… he might have noticed.’
If he caught on, it would have made me look ridiculous. After declaring that I wouldn’t love him, I ended up falling for him.
That moment.
As if pressured by something in the conversation, Rian, who had been deep in thought, slowly opened his mouth.
“I, too, had someone I loved.”
“Yes?”
“Like you, it was quite affectionate. But because of that person, I… developed intense hatred.”
The story began abruptly. Perhaps because the word ‘love’ came out of his mouth, I felt my heart tearing into pieces.
“…Is it Rodello’s mother?”
“It could be, or it could not be. No, it’s probably her.”
Whether it could be or not, in the end, his words that it was true felt strangely peculiar. Perhaps because I had never experienced love.
It took me too long to realize this emotion, and I felt a tinge of jealousy at Rian’s words.
But thinking it was a feeling I shouldn’t have, I quickly buried those emotions.
“So… is the reason you didn’t make her the empress because she gave you such deep wounds?”
“Not because of that reason. She has too many flaws to be an empress. Rodello’s existence itself is also her flaw.”
“Flaw… The presence of a child is not a flaw.”
Why is the bitter appearance of the emperor laughing so painfully appealing?
In fear that I might speak ill of the child, that I might deny the child’s existence, I hastily shook my head.
It seemed like it wasn’t something I should be concerned about.
“Yeah, it’s not a flaw. Rodello’s existence is not a fla
“Rodello’s mother… you don’t want her to appear?”
“That’s correct.”
To my surprised question, he responded with a calm voice. I wondered if he was trying to deceive me, but there seemed to be no such intention.
“I… Rian, I thought you wanted her to come back. So, I thought you were making me the empress not because you needed Rodello’s mother, but for such a reason…”
“Absolutely not. I don’t want her to come back at all.”
“You love her.”
“What are you talking about? No.”
“Then… whom do you love?”
It was a sincere question prompted by curiosity.
“…You.”
And those few words he uttered briefly were the words I wanted to hear so desperately. Unknowingly, I had fallen for him. My heart was like that, and I thought he would never love me.
“Yes…?”
“Isabella, who was relentlessly tormented by misogyny… somehow, I found comfort in you. I could speak and breathe comfortably when I was with you. I thought it was comfortable, and that comfortable feeling gradually turned into another emotion.”
“But… weren’t you in love with someone else?”
Had I become intoxicated with those few glasses of alcohol? Or was I hearing what he said the way I wanted to hear it? Or perhaps, he had become intoxicated.
“No. It was you from the beginning. From the moment I met you.”
“Ah…”
“So, I didn’t want to be an insignificant person. I wanted to seem dignified, not showing any flaws. In reality, what’s inside me is an incredibly fragile human. Even so, I wanted to gain a bit of your heart. Honestly, I wanted you to like me even a little. But…”
His trembling voice sounded strangely off.
“I think I’m drunk.”
“Huh?”
“Isabella, there’s no way you could love me.”
“Why do you think that way?”
“I couldn’t give you trust. So, I’ll keep saying it. I don’t love Rodello’s mother.”
“But… Rodello is the fruit of love. If you loved so affectionately…”
Even if it happened a few years ago, could someone love another person so easily, especially when they loved someone so deeply before? It must have crossed his mind when he saw Rodello. I, who had met him not long ago, wouldn’t understand.
Someone who has never loved, someone who has never been loved, doesn’t know love well. Someone who has been abandoned by their family doubts love and continues to doubt it. Just like now.
Even though I told myself not to think that way, doubts kept creeping in.
“The fruition of love… No, Rodello… It was due to a potion. It happened… or maybe it didn’t happen.”
“What are you talking about?”
He slowly swallowed his wine.
“It seems like I’m saying too much for poking at your curiosity about the past.”
“Still, I’m curious.”
“Bella, if you’re curious, I should tell you everything. It’s true that I loved Rodello’s mother. I truly loved her a lot. I, who had no interest in the throne and nothing I desired in the world, wanted only her. I confessed my love to her. I thought she loved me too.”
“Ah…”
“But she got engaged to my brother. Even then, I thought it was okay because they hadn’t married. Still… I foolishly thought I could see her for a lifetime. However, it seems that such thoughts of mine were quite amusing.”
Unconsciously, I had taken a seat next to him. Instinctively, I wanted to hold his hand. It was hard to see due to the dim light, but I could sense sadness from him.
“One day, she brought a strange potion. To be exact, my brother ordered it. If I could overcome it by drinking the poti
“Well, it seems like I wanted to see myself falling apart. I really… completely collapsed. After finding out everything, I developed a strong misogyny and cut off all contact with her. It was only then that she said to me that we had already spent a night together. She said we spent a night together under the influence of the potion. It was truly… horrifying. It gave me chills.”
“No way…”
“Even so, when Rodello appeared, I thought the child’s mother might be her. But honestly, I don’t know if it’s my child.”
Even if it were his own child, if such a thing happened… wouldn’t Rodello have hated him? Wouldn’t loving someone have been too difficult?
“But still… Rodello…”
“At first… I felt repulsed. I didn’t really know if it was my child, and even though she was someone I loved… she was the mother of my child… Still, it wasn’t a child born out of love. But somehow, the child became a significant presence in my life.”
“Really…”
What would I have done in his shoes? If it were the child of someone who created such a situation that led to misogyny. If a child created from a memory-less incident suddenly appeared as my child…
I felt like I wouldn’t have been able to accept it.
But he…
“I came to love Rodello…”
“That’s right. Why couldn’t my father and mother love me? It’s as puzzling and incomprehensible as that. Despite my past… the child hasn’t done anything wrong.”
His hand trembled.
“I didn’t know that your hatred was born like that.”
“I didn’t tell anyone. It’s the first time. It’s my weakness, my flaw. But even so, I told you… because I love you that much, Isabella. I hope you can trust me a little.”
What could I say?
“Rian.”
“Yeah.”
“To be honest… I also have someone I love.”
“Is it Noah?”
“No. It’s Leandro.”
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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