“Aesong… I mean, Marianne. I’m going inside to report to Constable Nicholas that I’ve safely escorted Young Master Daniel back home. So, you can have a comfortable conversation with the princess. If you call her by her first name, it seems like you’re very close. Well, I’ll be off…”
Jan, who had awkwardly bobbed his head towards Nadia, hurriedly dashed into the police station. He looked back several times, nearly tripping over the stairs before regaining his composure.
Marianne stared at Nadia. With her noble lineage evident in every expression and gesture, Nadia was the epitome of grace.
Calling her by her first name…
Yes, everyone thought that. However, Marianne knew it wasn’t meant in that way. Nadia had never once called her Mrs. Schneider, as if she didn’t want to acknowledge that fact.
The lavender dress was so exquisite and beautiful that its price couldn’t even be guessed. The veil hat perched on her silver hair, and the silk gloves extending to her wrists, further accentuated her elegance.
It was understandable that Jan, and not just him, would be captivated by her beauty. No, it wasn’t just Jan; anyone would disarm themselves in her presence.
Perhaps… even Christoph.
Marianne felt embarrassed by her attire. Unconsciously, she hid her hands behind her back, although there was nothing she could hide.
“You were really here. It seems the rumors were true… The police station, huh?”
The last words sounded like a half-whisper. After Nadia gave a playful smile, she glanced over Marianne’s shoulder.
Christoph and her eyes met. Nadia’s smile at the corner of her lips deepened even more.
“I dropped by. You were so busy yesterday, we couldn’t even have a proper chat over tea. So, I thought I’d say hello to Marianne too.”
It was a casual tone. Every time Marianne heard that tone, she unintentionally clenched her fists. The fact that they had been childhood friends since they were very young suddenly came to mind.
Marianne possessed memories that only the two of them could share.
At such times, she felt as if she had become a third party. Not that Christoph had treated Nadia more affectionately. His indifference was impartial to everyone.
But Nadia’s pretense of intimacy with Marianne lingered uncomfortably in Marianne’s heart. Perhaps she didn’t even realize it was her own insecurity.
Noble lineage, the respect of the aristocratic ladies that came effortlessly, and Christoph’s childhood friend. Nadia had everything that Marianne couldn’t have.
So Marianne couldn’t confide her feelings to anyone. She couldn’t reveal that sticky, odorous sentiment to anyone.
But now, more than that…
“…Yesterday.”
A faint murmur slipped through slightly parted lips. Marianne slowly turned her head to look behind her.
I mentioned yesterday. It was the night when Marianne burst into tears in his arms, and Christoph comforted her with affectionate gestures. On that night when discreet fingers traced her lips, Christoph returned to the mansion and met Nadia.
Marianne’s heart sank. A cold, prickling pain coursed through her like icy water. There was a twisting lump in her stomach.
So, this is Marianne’s insecurity.
“…”
Christoph silently gazed at Marianne’s face. Then, he faintly furrowed his brows. In a tone that sounded nonchalant, he spoke.
“Yesterday, after you fell asleep and I returned, I found Nadia talking to the Duke. We exchanged a few words, that’s all.”
“Is that so?”
Christoph didn’t know why he felt the need to justify himself. His words were sarcastic and mocking, something that had never come out of his mouth before.
But Marianne’s expression softened. It was only now that he realized there was a moment when saying something sarcastic and mocking might actually be better.
Marianne turned her gaze quietly to Nadia. Vibrant turquoise eyes looked back and forth between the two.
“After you came back after I fell asleep… It wasn’t just a casual conversation, was it?”
“I told you, there’s no issue between us.”
Christoph replied casually. Marianne widened her eyes slightly, and Nadia kept her skeptical gaze fixed. Then, she eventually offered a tender smile to Christoph.
“Would you have time for a cup of tea? Since I’ve come all this way, I don’t believe you plan to just send me back, Christoph.”
Marianne unwittingly clenched her fist. If she let her guard down for a moment, her ugly emotions would rear their heads, and her head would snap out like a poisoned dart. She would jut out as sharply as a dagger from her pocket.
She quietly cleared her throat and looked at Christoph. She tugged the corner of her mouth into a smile. Christoph, with an inscrutable look in his eyes, stared intently at her face once more.
“Well, I’ll head inside first, so take your time talking, Christoph. Excuse me for now, Your Highness.”
“Of course. See you in a few days at the Duke’s birthday celebration, Marianne. That’s why I came down to Blauberg.”
Rather than reply, Marianne exchanged a casual nod and took careful steps away. Her steps felt heavy, as though someone below was pulling at her legs.
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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