“Were you waiting for me?”

In the dark room with the candles already extinguished for bed, the man’s deep voice resonated heavily.

‘Wait for him?’

No, she hadn’t.

But Clodel, somewhat bewildered, nodded her head anyway.

“Oh, if I had known you were so eagerly awaiting the night, I would have come earlier.”

Of course, that wasn’t true either.

Her insomnia had started since her father’s passing.

Every night, missing her mother who had gone to heaven first, he used to sing her a lullaby. It was the same song her mother often sang to put her to sleep.

But from the day her father passed away, she couldn’t sleep at all.

Every night, she would stay up with eyes wide open, and when the day broke, Hanna, who had slept in the maid’s room, would come. Clodel could only fall asleep in her warmth and touch.

Rumors spread in Bermont Castle that the daughter of the deceased young lord was suffering from mental illness due to the shock.

When the Duke of Bermont got furious about these rumors, as it was unseemly for a noble’s bloodline to be seen sleeping with a common maid, the blatant gossipers disappeared, but the rumors never completely went away.

In the end, the Duke pretended not to know, and the issue settled with the common maid child sleeping in the lady’s room.

It was very much like the Duke of Bermont, who was obsessed with family honor, to pay a petty baron’s house and have Hanna registered as an adopted child just to prevent this.

A wife always had to be ready to greet her husband.

It was different from when she was a lady.

Kyan entering her room was his right as the head of the household.

There was no need for prior notice or permission, and unexpected visits like just now meant that the lady and maid could not sleep together in the master’s bed.

‘But I managed to sleep yesterday, didn’t I?’

Even Hanna was worried about it, but thinking back, maybe she had fallen asleep relying on his warmth last night.

Even the warmth of an enemy was better than none, at least for Clodel.

Kyan took her to the bed and made her sit.

“No need to wait by the door like that. It’s enough to wait sitting or lying in bed.”

“Yes.”

As Clodel responded, Kyan reached out his hand and gently caressed her cheek, earlobe, under the chin, and down her neck, touching her delicate skin.

She tensed up involuntarily, closing her mouth tightly and shrinking her shoulders.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t really get an answer.”

Was he always this abrupt and unfriendly in conversation? Or was it different for the beautiful ladies he liked, even if he appeared cold and slightly angry in bed?

Clodel wondered internally as Kyan asked again.

“I asked if I was not good enough.”

Clodel’s eyes widened in surprise.

“The gift might not have been to your liking, but what about me?”

“How dare I, to the Duke, how could I…”

As she fumbled with her words, Kyan’s eyebrows raised.

“Drop that kind of talk.”

Surprised by his disregard for propriety, Clodel was startled.

‘What exactly should I say?’

Earlier, the conversation naturally shifted to the gift, and they got past it. But now, he’s bringing it up again, pinpointing it. Did he want a specific answer?

But her tense mind went blank again.

“It, it was good.”

Quickly choosing her words, Clodel hurriedly added.

“I don’t know much, but…”

‘You were good at it, though?’ Should she even say that?

Was he seeking praise?

Confused but nevertheless, Clodel managed to respond.

“Hmm.”

Seemingly close to the right answer, Kyan lay back on the bed and stretched out his hand.

“Come here.”

When Clodel hesitated to move, he sat up again, pulling her into his arms and laying her on the bed.

“Let’s see if you’ve improved since yesterday.”

Apparently, it wasn’t the right answer.
It seems Clodel herself had to strive for praise.

Clodel’s body was honest.

Kyan could instinctively tell when he embraced her that Clodel had approached their first night in a state of purity.

He was well aware that not every man was lucky enough to welcome such a wife.

If everyone in a marital relationship spent nights only with their spouse, then those moths fluttering into his bedroom should not exist.

Despite mocking Clodel with disdain due to his hatred for Bermont, asking if she had any exceptional talents.

She seemed to know little about affairs between men and women.

A naive woman, unfamiliar with coquetry, reacting as his hands touched, was quite intriguing for him, making him anxious after sunset.

‘Should I go to the bedroom now? No, can’t seem too eager, waiting only for nightfall. Surely, the sly Duke of Bermont would report every move.’

He managed to hold off among the drunken vassals until the night truly fell and the darkness deepened. Disappointed to see the lights in the room and corridor extinguished, he wondered, ‘Should I wake a sleeping woman?’

There was no one around to ask such a thing.

Clodel was a quiet wife.

Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she

really disliked him

Short intro:

What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.

Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.

Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!

She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.

*

At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.

This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!

***

Synopsis:

Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…

A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead

vs.

An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead

_____

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