Rhonda’s eyes widened in surprise at the sound she heard.
“Uh, huh? Why did you come so quickly?”
“Didn’t I tell you I would deliver the note?”
Mercedes asked gently.
“I went to the knights’ quarters to deliver the note just an hour ago. Moreover, I heard the knights were busy with capital maintenance, so Sir Gregory wasn’t even there, and they said he would only see the note in the evening…”
Her tone suggested she hadn’t expected him to come so quickly. Mercedes wrapped Patricia’s exposed back with a soft cloth robe.
Somehow, the person outside the door seemed so urgently worried that she had no choice but to allow entry.
“Come in.”
“Y-Your Highness! You shouldn’t. At least wait until the treatment is finished-”
“It must be quite enjoyable to witness someone’s turning point.”
“Pardon?”
Love becomes truth, reality, when facing the most painful moment of the other person.
Mercedes swallowed the words she was about to say, briefly recalling herself and Carlos.
Then the door swung open, and Gregory entered with his hair streaked with sweat.
“Patricia!”
He deserved punishment for not showing proper etiquette before the Empress, but seeing him call out to Patricia loudly and rush over, Mercedes could only smile slightly.
“You, I heard you were injured. Why didn’t you tell me!”
“Sir Gregory. This is before Her Highness the Empress. Please restrain-”
“That’s not the issue here. How bad is it? You were whipped, they say? I’ll kill that bastard Adolf-”
“Rhonda.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I’d like to take a walk.”
“Ah, Your Highness, I should-”
“Patricia, you rest for a moment. I also have things to discuss with Rhonda.”
“But Your Highness.”
“Shh. Do as I say.”
Mercedes gently stroked Patricia’s head, then stood up and took Rhonda’s hand as she headed towards the garden.
Gregory’s angry voice flew in from behind once more.
“Damn it, let me see your wounds!”
“Suddenly rushing in like this is disrespectful to Her Highness the Empress! Besides, it’s almost fully healed.”
“I’ll apologize to Her Highness separately. Damn it. Whipped? Why did you hide it from me too? Quickly, show me your wounds!”
“Hey! No matter how close we are as childhood friends, we’re grown adults now. You want to see my body?”
“We used to bathe together as kids, what’s the big deal!”
“That’s different from this!”
“Why do you always hide when you’re hurt? Does it solve anything if you endure it?”
“I don’t like people worrying, that’s why!”
“Don’t you know it’s more upsetting to find out later?”
“Then just pretend you don’t know at all.”
“Is that possible? Damn it, I thought I was going crazy rushing all the way here-”
The content of their argument was so intriguing that Mercedes and Rhonda slowly prepared and headed towards the garden. And they walked slowly too.
“I’m so happy Your Highness suggested a walk… But is it alright to give your room to Patricia and Sir Gregory?”
Rhonda carefully asked in the meantime. After all, it was quite exceptional for someone of such high status as the Empress to give up her room for a maid and a knight captain’s quarrel.
“Can I not spare one of my rooms for you all? It’s fine.”
Mercedes smiled.
Eventually, Rhonda smiled back. Clear as always.
“Well. Actually, I feel like I’m watching a scene from a romance novel right now.”
Rhonda whispered with a strangely flushed face.
“Actually… I feel the same. I’d like to walk more slowly and listen more, but would it be too obvious?”
“Yes, Your Highness. And with Patricia’s personality, if we remain in sight, she’ll end up being conscious of us again, so it’s better if we go for our walk soon.”
“How regrettable.”
“Hehe. Me too.”
Rhonda looked at Mercedes, who held her hand, and smiled brightly. The two began to walk into the garden.
They laughed and chatted a lot while talking.
Throughout that time, Mercedes never let go of Rhonda’s hand.
Ordinarily, it would have been improper behavior. For a member of the royal family to hold a maid’s hand and laugh loudly like innocent maidens was not fitting behavior.
Nevertheless, Mercedes did so, and Rhonda was glad for it.
Because her mistress, who had gradually become stronger, warmer, and more expressive of emotions, now seemed to be in full bloom.
She expresses herself honestly and cherishes her time with them.
Recalling the time when Mercedes first came to the room, locked the door, and lived with a desperate look on her face, Rhonda’s chest felt tight for no reason.
Rhonda smiled. Although her nose stung a little, she didn’t want to ruin this sunny day’s walk with tears.
* * *
“What on earth happened!”
“Mel!”
Mercedes had never met Lady Fisher and Nadia at the same time before.
But it seemed the two had gathered to talk, having nowhere else to go after hearing the news of Mercedes’ abduction.
The proactive and lively Nadia, and Lady Fisher, who was full of consideration and good at leading conversations, seemed to get along quite well, as they had even made an appointment together to visit Mercedes.
“How worried we were!”
Lady Fisher, with her neck reddened from excitement, tightly grasped Mercedes’ hands. She wanted to embrace her, but after all, this was before the Empress, so she gathered all her patience to restrain herself.
She was a noblewoman faithful to etiquette, after all.
“That’s right! I don’t even believe in God, but I prayed!”
But Nadia was someone who didn’t consider such things important, so she immediately embraced Mercedes.
“I’m fine, really.”
“Haa. And to think it was treason. How brutal it’s been these past days!”
“I was surprised, as I was about to return to the East.”
Nadia and Lady Fisher poured out their stories frantically.
Mercedes no longer felt tired from the affection they showed or their endless chatter as she had before. She was just glad and willing.
How could her heart become so light like this?
Have people always lived so comfortably like this?
Having never been at ease in her past life, she now felt a bit envious of those who might have enjoyed their emotions and lives so ordinarily.
And she was glad and pleased that she had become such a person.
Whether it was thanks to Carlos, or because she recognized her abilities and her view of the world had broadened, she wasn’t sure, but she was certainly feeling that she had become incomparably stronger than before.
“So… what about the marriage?”
“Pardon?”
After having tea for a while, Nadia suddenly looked at Mercedes seriously and asked.
“The… marriage?”
Mercedes barely managed to swallow the tea she almost spit out and calmly asked back. Lady Fisher smiled slightly.
“Surely His Majesty won’t take another woman as Empress? Now is the perfect time. The nobles are being cautious because of the treason, and there’s no Empress Dowager to interfere. Isn’t it time for you, the Imperial Consort, to stand beside His Majesty?”
Recently, Carlos had been moderately busy. Thanks to that, she often took walks with him, talked, playfully kissed, and slept together.
If there was a problem, it was that her stamina was slightly lacking due to the nights growing increasingly longer, but aside from that, she was happy without any thoughts.
“But I’m already married. I’ve ascended to the position of Imperial Consort…”
“Marriage! That was just an enthronement ceremony. Who else but you, Mel, could ascend to the position of Empress? If someone else does, I might even hate His Majesty the Emperor.”
Nadia’s informal speech could be seen as an insult to the royal family if misunderstood. So Mercedes thought Lady Fisher would stop her, but…
“Me too. Hasn’t His Majesty mentioned marriage yet?”
The lady, with a sulky face, rather encouraged Nadia more.
Saying it was just talk among women.
Well, Lady Fisher was also someone who had experienced a passionate love. Mercedes realized she couldn’t twist the flow of this conversation and slowly opened her mouth.
“Well… It’s only been a week since we drove out the Empress Dowager’s forces and started reorganizing the palace. Nadia and Lady Fisher, you were worried about me and met with me, but actually, everything is still in disarray-”
“But you should still say what needs to be said!”
Nadia folded her arms and huffed.
“Hmm… Is that so? I’m satisfied even now.”
“…What did you say?”
Lady Fisher’s eyes widened at Mercedes’ words.
“You’d be satisfied even if another woman stands beside His Majesty as Empress? Your Highness! Is this how I taught you?”
She hadn’t particularly learned anything in that regard, Mercedes thought, but she kept her mouth shut. The two women firmly stated they would watch for when the Emperor’s proposal would come before leaving.
And the things they left behind – marriage, proposal, the case of another woman becoming Empress… remained in Mercedes’ head.
‘I hadn’t even thought about it until now.’
She had just thought about sharing daily life and sleeping together every day as they were now.
But when she thought about another woman by his side, as Lady Fisher had said, she suddenly felt anger rising to the tips of her hair.
“…Marriage, marriage.”
If it were just their marriage, she would ask lightly, thinking as her lady and Nadia had told her.
But this was the position of Empress of the Empire.
She couldn’t demand that.
“No… Wait.”
She couldn’t demand it, but.
‘Still, I don’t like it?’
Mercedes felt the emotion burning inside her and carefully dressed up to match the dinner time.
Recently, they had been dining in comfortable clothes and atmosphere, but somehow today she felt like putting in some effort.
She braided her hair to one side with pearl and lace accessories, then put on a comfortable dress that exposed her shoulders and looked elegant, and moved to have dinner with him.
Soon, she entered the dining room.
Inside was a beautiful man wearing a loosened shirt and black pants.
“Mel. Today…”
Carlos blinked his mouth and then covered his eyes with his large hands, laughing.
“You’re too, beautiful.”
“I wanted to look good for Carl.”
“Oh my. If you look any better here, I might have to lock you up. I don’t want to show you to anyone else.”
“My. That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“What? You really… How am I supposed to concentrate on dinner like this.”
Carlos laughed as he approached her and wrapped his arm around her waist.
“The most precious, and most lovely woman in the world, my woman.”
Carlos whispered to her in a sweet voice.
Mercedes, who had been in a strange mood with Nadia and Lady Fisher’s voices echoing until just before coming, found herself smiling without realizing it.
Marriage, Empress. She didn’t know about all that.
She couldn’t imagine this person, who looked at her with such affectionate eyes, taking another woman. Wasn’t he the one who tried to protect her even at the cost of his life and the fate of the country?
As Carlos kissed her forehead, nose, and lips one by one, Mercedes laughed out loud. She felt ticklish and her heart fluttered.
Yes.
I simply love this person.
Mercedes thought as she looked deeply into his black eyes.
Male lead is a clingy little husband
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
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