“What? Where on Earth does such a disease exist?”
From Pellio’s perspective, he had merely stated facts, but the sudden accusation of arrogance overwhelmed him with injustice beyond disbelief.
“Aren’t you the arrogant one for making up things that don’t exist to elevate yourself? I simply told the truth!”
“Ah, see, that’s the problem, sir. Even a talented person diminishes in value when they themselves mention it. It’s better to wait for others to speak on it…”
“If I don’t state my worth, who will recognize it? On the contrary, I find people who pretend not to acknowledge their own merits sinister!”
‘Hmph. Does the word ‘humility’ not exist here?’
Ermedillin clicked her tongue internally a couple of times and glared at Pellio with a twisted gaze.
“Consider this, sir. What would people think if I went around saying, ‘I am the most beautiful woman in the Trivian Empire!’ Would they not consider me a boastful arrogant?”
Ermedillin cited herself in a strenuous effort to teach humility.
However, Pellio, increasingly disapproving of Ermedillin’s explanation, finally retorted in a truetoform manner.
“No! If the empire’s most beautiful is called the empire’s most beautiful, what’s wrong with that? Isn’t it strange for people to say otherwise?”
“……”
Pellio disliked being called arrogant or boastful more than he wanted to justify his logic.
So much so that he failed to realize what he had blurted out moments ago.
Observing Ermedillin’s dumbfounded expression, Pellio, confident that he had won, was brought back to reality by Luny’s timely remark.
“So, it seems, sir, you consider Her Majesty the Empress as the empire’s most beautiful.”
At Luny’s insinuation, Pellio’s face, frozen like a block of ice, began to rapidly melt as he finally comprehended the implications of his words.
After the first assassination attempt using the maid Helen failed, Count François had set up camp near the capital.
He wanted to forgive neither his daughter nor his soninlaw who had led to his downfall.
However, his imperial soninlaw was still too big of a mountain to tackle.
He began plotting seriously to bring down his daughter and recover his assets.
‘How dare she build an orphanage with my money? That damned X is mocking me.’
In the count’s hand, clutching a blueprint for the orphanage passed to him by Ballier, his disdain for his daughter burned.
‘This X is really stupid. Does he think I really wouldn’t know where this came from? Well, the more foolish, the better. I’ll collect weaknesses and claim my share once that X becomes the empress.’
Count François had instantly known it was Ballier who had informed him of Ermedillin’s location when he sent the curse via Helen.
Even before, Ballier had occasionally sought him out to bring down Ermedillin, but he had never asked for illegitimate actions like assassination or plotting.
Recently, however, he was acting much more hastily.
‘Getting desperate reveals true colors. Well, should I make good use of this blueprint first? Maybe in preparation for the Founding Day?’
Luny seemed to think he had scored a point, constantly mentioning it.
“Indeed, our Empress, the most beautiful in the empire, has an extraordinary love for the people.”
“Yes, our most beautiful Empress makes no mistakes!”
Each time, Pellio would press his lips tightly and pretend not to hear.
But the deep furrow on his chin and the protruding lips made it clear to anyone that Pellio was in a sulky mood.
Ermedillin, sensing the need to smooth things over, discreetly chastised Luny.
“Stop it now. Don’t you feel embarrassed in front of everyone?”
“What’s there to be embarrassed about? I’m not making things up, I’m just telling the truth!”
‘Sigh.’
Pellio couldn’t directly scold Loony for feeling genuinely embarrassed due to what he had said earlier.
‘Is this what it feels like to have such a weak and ugly emotion?’
There had been a time when a friend had fallen in love for the first time and sought advice.
Pellio had bluntly shot down the friend who spoke with dreamy eyes and a euphoric expression, claiming they were born for this moment.
Looking at his friend, who couldn’t make rational judgments due to emotions, Pellio sometimes berated him openly and internally.
‘Ah… I should have not criticized him back then. Maybe I could have opened up…’
Roberto Bianstro, Pellio’s closest friend, had married his first love last year and was still enjoying a happy newlywed life.
There had been much gossip before the marriage, as the heir of a marquis was marrying a girl from a newlytitled baron’s family. But after overcoming all obstacles and getting married, they were living a visibly happy life.
Of course, they were stripped of the marquisate inheritance, but both said they were happy just being together.
And Pellio, seeing such a scene, had judged Roberto as having lost his rationality and making an irrational decision.
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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