“May I ask for your name?”
“…Aris.”
Even with just that, the man smiled as if it were enough. It was a much more refined and handsome smile than when he looked up.
There were many handsome young men in high society, but perhaps it was because of his rough skin.
The man possessed an inexplicable charm, being affectionate and mature yet carrying an unknown wildness.
Caught off guard by the thin lips moving gracefully, Aris found herself unintentionally captivated by his gaze, blushing when their eyes met.
“Um…”
“Call me Jacques. I’ll stay by your side until the tears stop.”
Thump!
Thump thump!
Her heart raced rapidly. Afraid of being caught with a flushed face, Aris covered her face with the cup. She didn’t think she had already been exposed.
Glancing. She looked again, and their eyes met once more. Jacques smiled naturally. Her heart raced again.
Jacques’s smile towards her, avoiding eye contact, became even more pronounced.
Aris didn’t notice that there wasn’t a single waiter around.
Whizz!
The arrow that had been flying lost its momentum and fell. Princess Lalaatu stuck out her tongue slightly at the result, not even hitting the target.
“I guess I’m not talented in archery.”
Ping!
Giovanni’s arrow pierced the bullseye. Wow, Princess Lalaatu, with her mouth agape, clapped her hands and jumped.
“You’re amazing!”
“You need to pull more weight than you think. Pay attention so your elbow doesn’t shake.”
“I’ll try again.”
She pulled the bowstring with all her strength for the demonstration. Despite using strength, her arm trembled, and the arrowhead shook up and down.
“I’ll hold it for you, so don’t shake.”
Giovanni held her elbow. The blushing princess’s cheeks turned even redder.
Observing the scene, Chef seemed to cough as if he might vomit.
“Did you finish what you asked me about earlier?”
Aiming at the target, Princess Lalaatu asked. Giovanni and Chef exchanged glances.
On that day, the death of the priest’s servant was kept a secret.
If an assassin from the Shadow entered the kingdom, it was a significant problem.
If they mishandled it, everything might be overturned on this side.
It was clear that Lord Locky was playing a nasty prank. It was urgent to find out who the assassin was, what their purpose was, and where they were.
“Yeah.”
“Fortunately. If you need help again…”
That’s when it happened.
“Waaaah!”
Chef knelt down and vomited.
“…”
“…Oh my.”
Chef’s condition wasn’t getting better; in fact, it was getting worse with time.
Giovanni turned his darkened eyes to Princess Lalaatu.
“I’d appreciate it if you could introduce a skilled physician. You shouldn’t be happy in a situation like this.” Suppressing the rising corners of her mouth, Princess Lalaatu nodded vigorously.
“I’ll introduce my personal physician.”
The poor. The chased. All kinds of criminals. The natural gathering place for those with a bad reputation in the underground world of Amtein.
Even in Amtein, in particularly secluded corners, small houses clustered together. It was a shelter for the lazy and powerless.
The alleyways echoed with the vulgarities of drunkards. The place where the unprotected poor gathered had no sense of security.
The royal indifference attracted lawless individuals, tempting various criminals, ultimately leading to the Amtein as it is now.
In the streets of such Amtein, a few rogues strolled.
“Yeah! Let’s have another drink next time! Don’t kick Emily, saying he’s small down there. Have a good time!”
“Shut your mouth.”
Squeak.
The cheerful expression of the man who had just exchanged trivial jokes with the rogues turned grim as soon as the door closed.
Wearing a worn-out hat that covered his face, he walked deep into the house.
Like other houses in the alley, this was also a shabby two-story house.
There was nothing special to the eye, but the hidden parts of the house were much more extensive than what was revealed.
Step by step.
The man with cheap suede shoes that scraped the floor entered the dirty kitchen with a creaking sound.
A square door was revealed. Upon opening it, a gloomy staircase appeared. The man didn’t hesitate and descended.
Surprisingly, the basement of this two-story house extended very deep.
After walking down the sturdy stone stairs for a while, a chilling scream echoed.
The man’s steps quickened.
How much farther did he walk?
Finally, it was the floor.
Although torches were lit, two men sat facing each other in the space that emitted the characteristic dark and damp atmosphere of the underground.
One of the men, who had raised his head at the sound of footsteps, straightened the leg he had been squatting on. The scar on his cheek wriggled.
Noticing the man approaching, he lifted his head, revealing the scars on his cheek. They seemed to twitch.
Focused as he was, the man approached him, his stiff muscles loosening.
“Is your mouth open?”
“It was open a long time ago.”
“But?”
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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