“It seems the Archduke has taken a liking to Miss Elysia, ma’am. Don’t you know, ma’am? The behavior of a man trying to win a woman’s heart is obvious.”
She was a special person requested to teach Elysia, who lacked manners, and the mistress of a large jewelry store frequented by nobles. She was also the most influential and reliable matchmaker in the capital.
“The Archduke is so enchanted by Miss Elysia. I feel like I should give up my seat.”
Lady Oje discreetly looked at Mariella as she mentioned this.
The role of a chaperone was to protect the honor of unmarried ladies, but if the adult of the house allowed it, they would also step aside tacitly to promote certain progress.
If it’s Archduke Clement, isn’t he the best groom in the empire?
Wasn’t it natural for a chaperone who is monitoring a young lady to feel privileged when such a person is courting right before her eyes?
However, Mariella shook her head.
“No, it can’t be. Absolutely not.”
“I understand your concern since Miss Elysia has been a priestess for a long time, but the trend among young people in the capital these days is…….”
“Elysia is still young, Lady Oje. Didn’t I clearly tell you when I asked you to be a chaperone?”
At Mariella’s firm attitude, Lady Oje quickly bowed her head.
“Yes, ma’am. I will follow whatever you command.”
Yet Lady Oje’s face looked regretful.
Nobles even traded in love.
Shouldn’t she have allowed a bare hand, a hug, or a light kiss to secure a certain engagement with a woman he comes to see every day?
Archduke Clement was a big catch not to be missed. Wouldn’t she regret it if he suddenly proposed to another young lady after spending time as ‘just friends’? It actually happened quite often. It was almost the same as having a chaperone to monitor and advise a naive young lady.
It wasn’t that it was completely forbidden, but timing was crucial in playing hard to get. In Lady Oje’s opinion, she should have allowed a kiss to the Archduke a while ago. Especially if he came to see her every day like this.
Apart from the Emperor and Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Empress who gave birth to him, there was no nobleman in the empire with a higher status than Elleon.
그런 그가 자신보다 신분이 낮은 공작저 문턱을 닳도록 드나들고 있지 않았나.
심지어 클레벤트 대공은 그 나이에 후계자, 소가주 신분이 아니라 어엿한 대공가의 주인이었다. 이미 작위를 물려받은 이가 대리인도 세우지 않고 직접 이렇게 공작저를 찾아오는 것만 해도 엄청난 일이었다. 그만큼 자신의 의중을 확실히 공작 부부에게 전하고 있는 셈이었다.
“Our Elishia is still not entirely well. Marriage… We’re not even thinking about it yet.”
As her advice was not heeded, Lady Oje became sharp.
“During the debutante year, the most marriage proposals come in. There is no debutante event at twenty, Madam. Normally it’s at sixteen, or at the latest seventeen.”
That was true. Among the nobles, marriage was often arranged at a very young age. Then, after a long engagement period, they would have the wedding as soon as they became adults.
Not having the debutante event at her age meant that there were unavoidable circumstances, and that those circumstances themselves were likely to become flaws. Whether it was health or financial situation. Therefore, introducing oneself to society after the proper age was generally treated as a problematic marriage arrangement.
“Madam, you also got engaged at sixteen and married at eighteen, and then gave birth to Miss Elishia right away, didn’t you?”
“But… But the situations are different. It absolutely cannot happen.”
“Take your time and think about it. Miss Elishia has not received a single marriage proposal since her debutante. I’m advising this so that you don’t regret it later. That’s my role, too.”
Lady Oje looked disappointedly at her and threw a gaze that seemed to ask for permission, then withdrew. As soon as Lady Oje disappeared from the room, Mariella let out a sigh she had been holding back.
“Sigh.”
Even breathing didn’t feel like breathing. It felt as if a fire was ignited at the end of her heart, her chest burning hot.
“I thought it wouldn’t happen.”
That Illeone, the Grand Duke of Clevent, had set his heart on Elishia of all people.
The thought had disturbed Mariella for days.
“It’s impossible.”
It felt like she was getting angry. Something was stuck in the center of her chest, inexplicably hot and throbbing and painful.
“The Grand Duke, for my daughter… For our Elishia?”
It was something that couldn’t happen.
It absolutely shouldn’t happen.
“Could it be that he’s noticed Lona instead of Elishia?”
Either way, it was a headache.
“I should not have sent her to the debutante.”
Mariella murmured in regret.
The joy of finding Elishia was brief, and Mariella became confused about her whereabouts.
She should have kept the child under the shadow of the five gods and Oder.
Making her young daughter a priestess in the temple had been Mariella’s lifelong wish.
But she had no way to prevent Elishia from causing a stir in Hadyunsha, even though she didn’t remember her faith, family, or even herself.
Since the Empress recommended the debutante, she had to accept it reluctantly.
It was just a momentary delay to try to live without going against nature.
Seeing the Grand Duke of Clevent take Elishia almost by force to the floor on the ball day, Mariella felt chills. Shall we say she saw an obsession in the powerful and determined way he pulled my daughter into his arms?
It felt as if Illeone Clevent, once he set his mind on something, became a beast that would never let go, biting even us.
“Elishia just not that man.”
Of all the men in the empire, the only one who could not be Elishia’s mate was the Grand Duke of Oder.
“It’s still okay. It still is.”
Mariella took a deep breath and beat her chest.
She had to be the one to keep her head straight.
(This is a time divider.)
The next day, as expected, Illeone visited the Duke’s house again.
“Welcome, Your Highness the Grand Duke.”
Elishia was able to smile at him for the first time.
“Today, I have someone to introduce to you.”
Illeone seemed somewhat flustered.
Ah, why does Illeon’s face look like that? Is he so flustered to meet Carina all of a sudden?
He had a somewhat dumbfounded expression.
Of course, since Illeon was a very handsome man, even that look had its own unique charm.
“Hello, Your Highness the Grand Duke. I am Carina from the House of Harrington.”
Carina was wearing a thin skyblue chiffon dress, and today, perhaps because the sky was blue and clear, she looked as lovely as an angel that had descended from above.
“Nice to meet you.”
When Illeon greeted her briefly, Carina’s cheeks flushed.
‘They are having fun. No, I should get out of their way so they can enjoy themselves.’
Actually, this was the first time she had ever played such a role. Elysia served tea brought by the maids, made some small talk about the weather, and complimented the golden buttons on Carina’s dress and Illeon’s clothes, feeling a little nervous.
“Miss Elysia.”
When Lorie, whom she had prepared in advance, called, Elysia jumped to her feet.
“Ah, my mother is calling for me. You two continue your conversation.”
That went well. It was natural, wasn’t it?
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
