“Still, it almost succeeded.”

After my mother died in place of Hubert, and when the compensation for her sacrifice was being discussed, I moved faster than ever.

I gathered all sorts of books and newspapers related to ‘marriage,’ placed them around, and hired unknown actors to casually mention marriage as if they were passersby.

It was all to implant the idea of ‘marriage’ into their subconscious.

My efforts bore fruit, and there was talk of accepting me as the countess as compensation.

In truth, this was also the result of my manipulating the count’s household with money and words. Nonetheless, it was discussed.

“If only the king hadn’t interfered.”

I used to think that way. If it hadn’t been for the king’s opposition, who knows what could have happened.

“But thinking about it now, that was also a show. After the newspaper article about the proposal, I was scorned, and Hubert was praised.”

No matter what I did, I would never have become Hubert’s wife. Just as I could never become part of this family’s bloodline, no matter how much I ground my bones in devotion.

I flicked my nose while taking out a nicely browned white bread from the oven. The enticing scent of butter lifted my spirits.

“Is it okay to adapt this quickly?”

It was all too familiar – the space, the actions.

“It’s okay, miss. I think I can handle it from here.”

A kitchen maid in a white apron stained with egg wash spoke.

“Miss?”

I carelessly tossed the bread from the oven onto a plate.

“The food has already been served. You can take your time.”

“But we might need to serve more because the quantity is small.”

Ignoring the maid’s worried words, I pulled out a cool bottle of water from the cold storage and handed it to her.

“Oh, thank you.”

Despite being familiar with the heat, the maid’s face reddened like a heated stone as she drank the water.

She looked at me with anxious eyes, as if urging me to leave quickly.

Feeling pushed, I couldn’t help but move.

When my neck was cut at the guillotine and I woke up in my bed, I returned to my normal routine even before soaking in the reality of being alive or back in the past.

While intricately plating the food in the kitchen, I realized I had returned to the past.

Carrying the tray to the dining room, I felt strange. My steps slowed like a lumbering bear; I saw no need to hurry.

Entering the dining room, unlike the kitchen, I was greeted with a pleasant floral scent.

On the round dining table, there were plates with leftover food. Apparently, the waiting maids had already cleared the eaten ones.

Their conversation, as affectionate as lovers, buzzed annoyingly in my ears.

“Hubert, try this. It’s delicious.”

“You should eat more than me. How will you study and move around the temple if you’re so thin? I worry because you’re like this, and that’s why I can’t send you to the temple academy.”

His soft, caring voice was filled with concern.

‘Didn’t she run away from the temple academy because it was boring?’

I thought this as I placed the newly brought dish on the table.

Aris might be slim, but she’s healthy enough for the whole house to fuss over her as if she’s a patient.

If I had to label it, perhaps selective migraines? Suffering from migraines that flare up depending on the environment and mood.

‘That’s quite an accurate diagnosis, isn’t it?’

Meaning she’s feigning illness.

I placed the oven-baked bread on the table. A man’s hand, pale but with thick knuckles, reached out and took the bread.

He then cut it in half, spread fig jam on one side, and brought it to Aris’ mouth.

“You like this jam. No more excuses now. Come on, eat.”

“Oh dear, how can I eat all this?”

“You can have it with milk. If you don’t eat, you’ll get scolded.”

“Cheese, how will you scold me?”

“Want me to show you? Are you prepared?”

“No! Alright, I’ll eat, I’ll eat.”

As I watched the scene, a sense of resignation filled me.
Listening to their playful banter filled with laughter made me feel odd.

Glancing around, the maids serving the meal seemed indifferent. It was too familiar a scene for them to react anew.

Soon, my gaze settled on Aris.

Aris Dorensia.

Beautiful but ignorant, blessed yet selfish – a noble lady of high birth.

She is the ward of Emmern, the wife of the current Count and former Countess, and a collateral relative of the Lorents.

I vividly remember the day they set foot in this Count Lorent estate.

At the time, I was assigned to ensure the new family of the count did not feel discomfort.

The splendid carriage they arrived in, the white stone-paved path, the flower-filled garden – I had prepared it all.

Had I not been registered in the count’s family, I might now be working as a steward in this house.

A senseless laugh escaped me. It was a ridiculous thought.

‘Does it make any difference?’

The nature of my work remained largely unchanged, despite my changed status.

‘A thief almost climbed the social ladder.’

I lowered my gaze to my hands carrying the food. The dishes I meticulously prepared to feed Hubert and Aris, yet I hadn’t eaten anything myself.

When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem

This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Synopsis:

“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”

Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.

Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.

While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the  Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…

Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.

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