Could it really be said that the child’s memory had completely disappeared? A child who couldn’t even remember his own name.
But selectively, the child’s memories returned, guiding Lurdello on the fastest path to meet the Emperor.
It was strange to not remember anything about his own mother, yet remember the words she had said.
“It’s definitely… not normal.”
Lurdello doesn’t think the child is lying. After all, Lurdello was an honest child who couldn’t hide his emotions.
So there had to be something inexplicable that couldn’t be put into words.
“Maybe it’s magic. Should I ask the mage?”
Somehow, a connection to Sehelus formed, which felt a bit strange.
It was then. The Emperor, who had been obediently answering my questions, chuckled and locked eyes with me.
“The only one who would dare speak to me, the Emperor, in such a tone would be Bella.”
“I’m not speaking in a tone. I never did.”
No, maybe I did. It was just that I had spoken quickly.
“I felt I had to respond to Bella’s words out of momentary confusion.”
“But you agreed with what I was saying, didn’t you?”
“Yes, and that’s what’s so unbelievable. To think I would be so swayed by someone’s words, making foolish replies as an Emperor.”
Stuttering, unlike his usual self, I realized that was the case. Looking at Lian, who was still blaming himself, I smiled brightly.
“A good thing is a good thing, isn’t it?”
Lian, staring at me intently, spoke.
“You really do resemble my sister, Bella. It feels like she’s come back to life.”
The expression on his face as he said “come back to life” seemed rather sad.
“Your sister?”
Just as Noah was a sorrow to me, the princess must have been a sorrow to Liandro. I looked at him as if I didn’t understand what he was saying.
“It’s not the time to discuss that now. Later… we will talk.”
“Yes.”
“But talking to you revealed some oddities.”
“Oddities?”
Didn’t the conversation almost come to an end? I thought it ended with him investigating the orphanage, but Liandro shook his head again.
“It seems you know something about that orphanage, Bella.”
“Me?”
“You don’t seem curious about the item from the orphanage at all.”
Ah, he had brought up the topic just to probe me.
“That is…”
“What do you know? Did Lurdello tell you something?”
“I didn’t think it was special. Just that he had been handed an item.”
I tried hard to maintain my composure. I felt that he would instantly notice my awkwardness, but there was nothing else I could do.
“Hmm.”
Was I caught? Beyond my heart pounding, it felt like my heart had leapt out to greet him.
A moment that felt like an hour passed, and Liandro slowly nodded.
“Seems like you won’t be swayed by that. Bella.”
“Yes?”
“You’re strange. It feels like you know something yet you don’t.”
Fortunately, it seems I wasn’t caught this time.
“Or perhaps Liandro is pretending not to notice.”
In any case, I was relieved that I got through it. I was a little annoyed that he had tested me, but since I also had things to hide… I forced a smile.
“Either way… it would be right to meet him personally for a conversation now.”
“The orphanage director?”
“Yes, but not now. After the announcement that you will become the Empress.”
I felt a momentary hesitation. Should I chime in here or just keep quiet? In my dilemma, I kept my mouth shut.
There would be nothing good to come out of meeting them after becoming the Empress.
I had the feeling that the orphanage director and Lurdello’s mother were related somehow, and if so, meeting the orphanage director after becoming the Empress would likely lead to unfavorable outcomes.
“But perhaps Liandro would prefer it that way.”
He couldn’t possibly be unaware of what I was thinking.
He was an emperor who had long ruled over others; he must have encountered such situations before.
“Rudelo,”
“Yes.”
“Are you doing well with your letter studies?”
“What do you mean…”
“Doesn’t the child not know the letters?”
When I pretended not to know, his expression seemed even more puzzled.
“You don’t know? Really?”
“You don’t have to hide it. I had some idea.”
“Ah.”
I had tried to hide it, but the emperor nodded as if he already knew everything.
It would be stranger if he didn’t know. Rudelo may claim to know his letters, but it was obvious that he didn’t.
“Are you guessing?”
“No. What do you think is the reason why I haven’t been educating the child to be my successor?”
“Ah.”
I see. He must have caught on. Rudelo, I tried to protect your secret until the end. There’s nothing I can do now that the emperor already knows.
“Um, please don’t tell Rudelo.”
“There’s no need to tell him explicitly. He’ll tell me once he’s learned everything. One can’t postpone the successor’s education forever.”
“What if, just what if…”
I suddenly became curious. What would it have been like in the original, untwisted story where I didn’t exist?
“Hmm?”
“What would you have done if I weren’t here? Rudelo has been lying about knowing his letters. In truth, he knows nothing, and you’ve postponed his education…”
“I would have forced it. Hired a tutor.”
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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