He felt relieved at the same moment, for an unknown reason. Yet, the thirst that had been intermittently gnawing at him felt completely quenched. As if he had finally found eternal peace.
Shaken out of his brief reverie, Christoph slowly took a step. Ascending two steps, he reached out his hand to Marianne, just like before.
“…….”
After a moment’s hesitation, she grasped Christoph’s hand. Christoph clenched his jaw, swallowing something that had been surging up as his throat slowly moved.
“Let’s go.”
They walked side by side toward the carriage. Neither spoke. A precarious silence settled over their shoulders.
“?”
Marianne, who had climbed into the carriage first, looked at Christoph, who was still holding her hand. He couldn’t bring himself to let go, as if deeply attached.
During their wedding, he thought he had tightly held onto her. Finally, she was his. Forever. Hence the relief.
Yet, Christoph realized that she could slip away from his hand at any moment. If he didn’t grip her tightly, Marianne would quickly move out of his reach.
“…….”
“…….”
“……Christoph?”
Marianne broke the silence first. Silently inhaling, Christoph slowly let go of her hand, taking an agonizingly long time to do so.
As they sat facing each other, the door closed with a thud. Louis sprinted to the coachman’s seat. Mrs. List shouted at her son.
“Louis, be careful driving the carriage! Make sure Marianne’s dress doesn’t get wrinkled.”
“……Alright, Mom.”
Responding grumpily to his mother, who still nagged him as if he were a seven-year-old, Louis cracked the whip. The horse began to move.
Christoph stared at her fiercely. Marianne couldn’t muster the courage to lift her head and simply fiddled with her dress. At that moment.
“!”
Christoph inhaled sharply, as if surprised. His gaze was fixed on Marianne’s hand. More precisely, on her ring finger.
A diamond ring sparkled. It was their wedding ring. Sensing his gaze, Marianne discreetly hid her hand behind her back.
“There are many eyes watching… I don’t mean anything else by it. I just don’t want to ruin the Count’s birthday party.”
Marianne muttered as if making an excuse. Christoph swallowed his heated emotions, slowly clearing his throat. Then he clenched his fist.
The fact that she still had her wedding ring gave him hope. It seemed like there might be a gap to force his way into.
If so, he wouldn’t miss that chance. No matter how small or narrow the gap was, he would definitely squeeze through.
Regaining his composure, he handed a velvet box to Marianne. It was a lukewarm box, carrying his body heat.
“What is this?”
“On the way here, I thought it would suit you.”
His low voice was coarse and parched like burlap. Her fingers flinched. It was ridiculous how she still trembled at the sound of his voice.
Marianne shifted her focus, lowering her gaze to the box. Casually opening it, her eyes widened.
“Ah…!”
A soft gasp slipped through her teeth. She looked up at Christoph and immediately met his ink-black eyes, as if he had been watching her all along.
“Did you pick this out yourself?”
“I thought it would go well with the color of your eyes. Do you like it? If you don’t, on the way back…”
“I like it.”
She interrupted Christoph’s anxious explanation even before he could finish. He, who had been nervously stroking his chin with dry hands, finally sighed in relief.
After hesitating for a moment, Marianne took out a hairpin and inserted it into the left side of her hair. A soft light graced Christoph’s lips.
“It suits you far better than I had imagined, Marianne.”
“Thank…you, Christoph.”
“You’re welcome.”
A gentle silence descended. Unlike moments before, it was quite an intimate silence. Christoph watched her, while Marianne looked out of the window.
A cart carrying milk passed by. A child who was polishing shoes absentmindedly lifted his head, locking eyes with her. His brown eyes gleamed with curiosity.
“I didn’t realize.”
“What?”
Her eyes, which had been directed outside, returned to him. Christoph looked into her clear blue eyes and softly added,
“I didn’t realize how nerve-wracking it could be to give a gift.”
“…”
“And how joyful as well.”
Suddenly, his lips curled. It was sincere. When she inserted the hairpin, it felt as though he had received a gift, his chest filling with a sense of fullness. It was a sensation he had never experienced before.
Marianne couldn’t find the words to reply and lowered her gaze. Christoph casually asked,
“Do you have plans for tomorrow?”
Marianne hesitated to speak. It had been a long time since she had a day off.
However, she was afraid of what Christoph might say. The steadily narrowing distance between them left her feeling woefully unstable. It seemed like she might allow herself to feel for him once again.
“Tomorrow…”
Before she could decline, Christoph cut her off.
“I was thinking of going to the capital.”
“The capital?”
Marianne slowly lifted her head. Christoph met her eyes squarely and continued.
“I’ve set up a meeting with the detective in charge of Veronica’s case. …Would you like to come with me?”
“!”
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
