Carlos was dressed in a dark suit with a green tinge today.
“As always, you are truly…… beautiful, my lady.”
“Thank you. Nadia will be pleased. Thanks to my information, she got her fair share in the capital.”
“I can hear the friendship with the merchant guild leader deepening.”
Mercedes laughed at his usual joke.
Soon, the two arrived at the Somerset Marquis’s mansion and danced the first dance in the center of the banquet hall with a modest and elegant atmosphere, conversing with the surrounding nobles.
Everyone praised the beauty of the Emperor and Empress.
After spending time like that, Mercedes said to Carlos.
“I’ll talk with the maids for a bit and socialize with people. Your Majesty, please take care of your business as well.”
Her attitude was somewhat cold, as if drawing a line. Carlos nodded with a gentle face.
He knew her heart well enough, so there was no need to be impatient. Still, it stung.
“It should be like that. You must be the star of the social world, after all.”
With that, the two parted ways.
You could call it a time of negligence when they separated and acted individually, but Mercedes was grateful to be able to get away from him for now.
As the Emperor left, Mercedes’ three new maids approached.
“You are so beautiful, Your Majesty.”
“How…… You are like a fairy. I’m at a loss for words.”
“Truly!”
The new maids were kind and complimented her chattily. Mercedes smiled gratefully and sipped her champagne. While doing so, she rolled her eyes and scanned the surroundings.
‘…… Oh. Who are they?’
At that moment, she saw a group of people approaching. The group of men and women seemed lively and cheerful.
Mercedes signaled to her maids. She had to check if any suspicious person had mixed in.
The maids, well-versed in high society, quickly scanned the group and whispered to her.
“They are all people with good reputations. It’s fine.”
So she smiled and accepted the group coming to greet her.
“Nice to meet you, Your Majesty the Empress.”
“Nice to meet you too, everyone. I know so little, what should I do? I think I need an introduction!”
Mercedes raised her voice and laughed brightly.
People continued introducing themselves to her, and finally, the man standing at the center of the group stepped forward.
The man was tall with broad shoulders, auburn hair, and soft eyes that gave a kind impression. And he was incredibly handsome. Enough to catch the eye for a moment.
“I am Lucas, the second son of the Marquez Count family. Since I was knighted and it’s difficult to distinguish me from my elder brother, everyone calls me by name. Please treat me comfortably.”
“Hmm. I will do that. Nice to meet you, Sir Lucas.”
Today’s banquet wasn’t as dangerously atmospheric as last time. It was bright everywhere, and the entire scenery could be taken in at a glance.
It would be the partner’s loss to do something strange while dancing.
Mercedes smiled and took his outstretched hand. The man followed etiquette and kissed the air above her bare hand instead of directly kissing it. It was the protocol when a lady wasn’t wearing gloves.
With this level of etiquette, nothing troublesome should happen.
After all, she couldn’t reject everyone’s dances for the rest of her life. It should be fine to start breaking that custom to this extent.
“Yes, Sir Lucas. I’ll see you later.”
With that, Mercedes made an appointment with Lucas, and Lucas stepped back with a smile.
Yes, a modest banquet. A man who seemed to have no issues.
That was the problem.
In fact, the banquet flowed smoothly. Everyone laughed, chattered, and quietly shared gossip.
Everyone glanced at Mercedes. The always beautiful Empress, having held her coronation ceremony, now overflowed with nobility as well.
It wasn’t nonexistent before. But previously, she seemed to have a more innocent feel.
With her straight posture and attentive listening to the conversations around her, she seemed to show the aspect of an Empress rather than a Crown Princess.
The rumors that she was framed as a murderer must have surfaced, and she even had maids from prestigious families. People approached Mercedes without hesitation to greet her.
She received several invitations, befriended cute young ladies and a few already married noble men, which seemed like quite good choices.
‘Now I can feel at ease……’
To have this level of influence in high society. She seemed to have built up enough reputation.
As her fame grew, the anxious Count sent more letters. He was so desperate that he even found unfamiliar and strange stationery, seemingly bought from anywhere with money.
She ignored all those letters and was in the process of cutting off Cromwell’s last lifeline. She had already informed the King about the existence of his illegitimate child, so he would do something. The King was quite a cruel one.
Once things progressed like that, Count Cromwell would become so miserable that he would have to sell off the title and all the honors he so cherished.
In that state, she wanted him to continuously hear her story.
Carlos collected and read newspapers not only from the Empire but from all sorts of countries, and she used to read the newspapers he had finished. Previously, they did this together in the office, but now she read them alone in her room.
Most of the front pages had stories about Mercedes. It seemed that even other countries in their social season found nothing as interesting as Mercedes’ stories.
She hoped the ruined Count would read them, tremble…… and take his own life if possible. Mercedes swallowed the small pleasure rising inside her. She needed to focus on the banquet now.
Today as well, a few reporters allowed into the banquet hall were observing Mercedes. Their gazes felt a bit tiring.
‘Still better than the Imperial Palace.’
Although she had steeled herself, being by Carlos’ side was still uncomfortable.
The consummation night approaching was the same.
Since the couple’s bedroom was created, Carlos proposed through Franz that they sleep together all the time, which she wanted to refuse.
But if she refused, rumors would surely spread that she had lost his favor. She couldn’t refuse.
That was really difficult. The thought of having to spend the night with a changed person.
If he had remained the same. If he had continued to seek her out even after the first night…… would she have been spared this pain?
She was angry and couldn’t understand Carlos. She thought she could acknowledge her feelings as he seemed to be a truly kind person who was always by her side. After the first night.
Didn’t he turn his back on her?
Mercedes habitually pressed her fingertips with her nails and suddenly faced Lucas, who approached her and politely greeted her.
“Ah, is it time for the waltz?”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress. I have waited a long time.”
Lucas smiled kindly and extended his hand to her. Mercedes clasped his white-gloved hand.
It was lukewarm.
Different from the hot hands that always held her.
‘Is this the first dance with someone other than Carlos?’
She thought she had chosen a decent partner for her first dance. Until now, she had refused at all banquets, but as the Empress, she couldn’t continue to reject dance invitations offered as a sign of friendship.
As Lucas escorted Mercedes to the center of the banquet hall, people parted ways. Everyone smiled upon seeing the Empress’s first dance partner, excluding the Emperor.
He was a good person. Sir Lucas had a good reputation everywhere and was kind and courteous to everyone.
The Empress has good eyes for people too. Everyone watched their friendly dance with satisfaction.
“Your Majesty the Empress always wears a unique dress. It suits you very well. Is it your own eye for fashion?”
“I do get involved in that aspect. When I stayed in Chaim, I definitely received education on such matters…… So I tend to trust my own sense.”
Recalling the harsh bridal lessons from the Countess after deciding to become the Crown Princess made her teeth chatter, but it was helpful. The Cromwell County family members had an excellent eye for art, no matter what anyone said.
“My goodness, then how much diverse knowledge do you possess? I’m envious.”
The dresses she wore had different styles each time. To the point that it was difficult for high society people to keep up.
But they were so beautiful and well-suited that fabric stores, designer shops, and even dressmaking shops were flooded with orders. The store owners screamed with joy and praised the Empress.
It also diversified the types of dresses worn by women. Of course, no one dared to touch the Empress Dowager’s color, red, yet.
“It’s just knowledge about clothes. You don’t need to praise me so much.”
She delivered words of modesty despite knowing that fact. Lucas smiled pleasantly and spun her around in a swift turn.
“You are too humble. Everyone knows that Your Majesty the Empress is leading the fashion trends in high society right now.”
“Please stop talking about it, it’s embarrassing. In my opinion, Sir Lucas, who has been knighted, is more remarkable. Isn’t it a difficult task?”
“……Yes, it was quite a tough job. Your Majesty the Empress seems to have an interest in knighthood.”
The conversation flowed smoothly like that. It was even more comfortable than talking to Carlos.
Recently, whenever she talked to him, it felt like mismatched pieces colliding with each other.
Mercedes laughed readily, and so did Lucas.
By the middle of the waltz piece, those observing the Empress’s dance came out onto the floor. Waltz was danced here and there, and dresses fluttered splendidly.
“By the way…… Your Majesty the Empress.”
“Yes, Sir Lucas.”
“There are truly diverse people in the world, aren’t there?”
“That’s right.”
“Even so, His Majesty the Emperor is the supreme of the nation, and if Your Majesty the Empress has met him, you should only look at him.”
Why is he suddenly giving this long piece of advice? Mercedes frowned.
“That’s not something for you to advise me on. I’m getting along very well with His Majesty. To the point that I’m grateful for his favor and enjoy each day.”
Then she answered unpleasantly. Lucas was still smiling at her.
After a brief silence, Lucas frowned slightly. The moment he brought his body close in the waltz move, he whispered to her.
“I don’t mean anything bad.”
“Pardon?”
And the moment he moved away, Lucas spoke a little louder than before.
“Why is Your Majesty the Empress lusting after other men?”
It wasn’t a very loud voice, but it was loud enough for the people dancing nearby to hear.
“……What did you say?”
The moment the dumbfounded Mercedes tried to swat his hand away, Lucas tilted her body.
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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