Early morning.
The spot beside me on the bed was empty.
Hertian must have thought I was still asleep, so he carefully left the room. But I watched him as he opened the door and left.
“It seems yesterday’s matter is still bothering him.”
Our conversation had noticeably reduced since he came back from the closet. I felt like a line had been significantly crossed. I suddenly realized how sensitive Hertian was about such things.
“Have I grown accustomed to sleeping beside Hertian?”
Suddenly, the idea of sleeping alone felt lonely.
I swept my hand over his empty spot on the bed. The lack of warmth left a bitter taste in my mouth for a moment.
Knock, knock.
The sound of knocking made me look up.
Hertian?
“Your Grace, the Duchess, I’ve come to attend to you.”
A middleaged palace maid cautiously entered the room. I was relieved that I hadn’t called out for Hertian. Who knows what she might gossip about outside?
“Greetings, I’m the palace maid who will attend to you during your stay.”
The maid placed a bowl of cleansing water before me and bowed her head.
“Thank you. Please take good care of me while I’m here.”
“Yes, Your Grace. But may I ask where the Duke has gone?”
The maid cautiously inquired.
“He left for training early in the morning. I don’t know when he will return, so please prepare breakfast separately.”
“Yes.”
“I must hurry and get ready. I have an audience with the Emperor this morning.”
“Shall we start with washing your face?”
Within the disorganized palace, she skillfully guided me. I stared intently at her as I sat before the table with the cleansing water. She seemed proficient in managing her expressions. There was nothing particularly suspicious.
Except for one thing.
“The scent of this cleansing water is unique.”
Except for the familiar herbal scent coming from the cleansing water.
“Where have I smelled this before?”
It was almost on the tip of my tongue.
One thing was certain; this scent could harm people. I mainly dealt with herbs for healing, so it was impossible not to remember.
“It’s an herb that improves the skin, used by the royal family.”
“Is that so? Thank you.”
The herbs used in cleansing water were limited.
Herbs for treating skin conditions were few and far between, especially for those without skin diseases. There was no way I wouldn’t know; my father had brought back rare herbs from all over.
Ah, thinking of my father reminded me.
“It causes skin inflammation.”
The specific name was complicated, but I remembered the unique, sour smell. If it touches human skin, it causes swelling and redness for a week.
So one must be armed with waterproof gloves when handling this herb. I recalled my father always wore black gloves.
It became clear.
Someone wanted to prevent my audience with the Emperor. They aimed to get Hertian caught in a mess and obstruct his participation in the war.
“Did they plan to give me this cleansing water and poison Hertian’s food?”
Such a sloppy method. They didn’t even know how many years I spent studying herbs at the academy.
I looked at the yellowtinted cleansing water, then feigned ignorance and asked the maid.
“Do you know the name of this herb?”
“I don’t know. If you’re curious, I can find out after you’ve finished washing your face.”
The maid answered as if she had been waiting for this. I couldn’t tell whether she knew what was in the water.
“Alright. However, my skin is sensitive, so I can’t use this water.”
“Then I’ll replace it with another.”
“Good. But it’s a valuable herb, so instead of wasting it, you should use it.”
Huh?
For the first time, her expression crumbled.
“So you knew what herb was in here.”
In that case, I couldn’t just let it go.
“Your face looks rough. I’m fine, so go ahead and wash your face.”
“Ah, no. A lowly maid like me can’t use something as precious as this.”
“Even palace maids come from noble families, so what? Here, don’t refuse, just wipe.”
I snatched the wet cloth she was holding and pressed it to her face. The moment the cloth approached her nose, the maid stepped back, her face turning pale.
“Why? Will something bad happen if you put this on your face?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Exactly. If it’s not you, then it won’t be.”
When I put down the cloth, the maid audibly sighed in relief and swallowed hard. I picked up a mug from the table and filled it with water for washing.
“Now I remember the name of the herb in this. Belladonna. Normally used as… poison, perhaps?”
At my words, the maid held her breath.
“Don’t be scared. You won’t get punished for giving me this water to wash my face with. You’re just following orders.”
“Your…Your Highness, the Duchess.”
Of course. That’s why she boldly handed me the water.
It’s fortunate that Hertian left early. His already poor mood would have worsened had he known this.
“What happens if you put this herbal water on your skin? You’d be sick for a few days and then recover. But what if you drink it?”
“You would drink it?”
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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