Inside the Clover Tavern, Alice always appeared as ‘Alan’.
It was unimaginable for her to visit a commoners’ pub dressed for a social gathering. She would be refused entry the moment she stepped in wearing her flamboyant dresses.
Even her casual attire from the mansion would have been better. Alan took a sip from his glass, a hint of regret crossing his face.
But the risk of being recognized by someone she knew was always there. If word got out among the servants of other houses, it would only be a matter of time before her father heard about it.
Sneaking out of the mansion and coming here, then returning, was quite an ordeal. But for the atmosphere and food of this place, it was worth the effort.
“Hey, Alan!”
“Jake, congratulations on finishing work. Let’s have a drink?”
A tired-looking man approached Alan, waving. His face was rough with an unshaven beard.
Jake, the man, slumped next to Alan and scratched his head.
“God, I don’t remember the last time I went home. My wife and daughter must have forgotten my face by now.”
“Being busy is good. It means the newspaper is doing well, right? Better than just dusting off a desk without any stories.”
“Yeah, but we have to face things we’d rather not.”
Soon, a glass of beer and some snacks were placed in front of Jake. Despite wanting to have a proper conversation, the noise of the drunk patrons meant they had to shout just to be heard.
“Should we move somewhere quieter?”
“No. No better place to talk than here.”
The louder, the better for hiding and keeping secrets.
“Anything new lately?”
“Always something. Alan, do you know anyone at the military academy?”
“Why do you ask?”
Alan dismissed Jake’s question nonchalantly, emptying his glass. As the waiter casually cleared the empty glass, Jake lowered his voice.
“There’s talk of grade manipulation and discrimination based on student backgrounds.”
“At the academy? And they advertise it as a fair and equal educational institution.”
“What can we do? Noble influence is strong there. Especially at the military academy, where getting in almost guarantees a spot in the Royal Guard.”
“Even the regular soldiers are discriminated against if they’re not from the academy.”
The soldiers’ dissatisfaction had been a topic among commoners for a while. Yet, Claudius was still waging wars without increasing their wages.
A new glass appeared in front of Alan. She forgot about it, focusing more on Jake’s words.
“Recently, they started admitting female students, right?”
“Yeah, it was all over the news.”
“They’re not integrating them into the curriculum. Whether it’s intentional exclusion or an agreement with the students, I need to find out.”
“That’s pretty underhanded. The problem is, I don’t know anyone at the academy. Can’t just sneak in for undercover journalism. Should we ask around among the students?”
“It’ll be even more difficult. If caught, they might be labeled as internal whistleblowers and struggle to graduate,” sighed both Alan and Jake, seated at the bar. Staring blankly at the lights of Clover Tavern, Alan suddenly stood up.
“Ah, what time is it now?”
“Almost midnight. Why?”
“I’m cutting it close. A man with a curfew needs to leave now.”
“Man, tell your folks. What kind of parents impose a curfew on their adult son!”
Leaving Jake’s grumbling behind, Alan hurried out of the tavern. He hoped the smell of alcohol would dissipate a bit on his way back. Getting caught would only complicate things further.
His brief freedom had to be shelved. It was time to revert from Alan to Alice again.
Alice headed towards a hole in the mansion’s high wall she had noted before. Thankfully she was dressed in trousers like a man; a dress would have been quite a sight squeezing through. She had to crouch low to sneak out, leading directly into the backyard.
She had hidden the wig she wore inside an old, unnoticed jar. Cautiously, she moved towards the small side door leading to the kitchen.
Trying the handle quietly, she found it locked. As expected, the kitchen back door was locked around midnight. But Alice smirked, rummaging in her pocket.
“Good thing I made a copy of the back door key in advance.”
Children, after all, tend to become more cunning when parents impose bans. Just as she was about to insert the key in the lock, a voice sounded.
“Sneaking in like a rat.”
Caught! Alice clenched her eyes shut. If only she hadn’t drunk that last drink, or hurried to hide the wig and open the door!
But regretting the past wouldn’t turn back time. The best strategy now was to smile and speak as meekly as possible.
“Good evening, Father.”
“Good? With you sneaking around like this? Do you even realize the time? It’s twenty past midnight!”
Alice’s father, Viscount Diove, was as precise as a clock. His face was a picture of frustration.
“Follow me inside!”
Alice trudged after her father into the mansion, casting resentful glances at the nearby butler, who seemed just as surprised as she was to be caught.
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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