After Adrian left.
Charlotte, who remained in the reception room observing Lorencia, spoke to her with sparkling eyes.
“Lady Lorencia. If you need anything, please tell me. I’ll support you with anything.”
Charlotte liked Lorencia. She didn’t hide it and showed it on her face like Teishar.
“If so, while I stay at the imperial palace, I would like to study… that is, to properly learn letters, Princess Charlotte.”
Lorencia had learned letters and numbers from her mother when she was young, but after her mother passed away, she couldn’t learn properly. Communicating with people wasn’t a problem. However, Lorencia didn’t know many letters. She felt ashamed, but pushing aside her embarrassment to seize the opportunity to learn what she didn’t know, she spoke honestly.
“I learned basic letters from my mother. But after she passed away, I couldn’t learn properly.”
“Lady Lorencia. I will teach you.”
Teishar, who was beside her, said to Lorencia. Lorencia’s gaze turned to Teishar.
“You will teach me, Duke Spencer?”
“Yes.”
“Aren’t you busy?”
Lorencia tilted her head. From the beginning, she felt that Teishar was like Leo, desperate to be by her side no matter what.
“Lady Lorencia!”
Charlotte hurriedly called out to Lorencia.
“Yes, Princess Charlotte.”
“I will teach you letters.”
“Aren’t you busy with the Crown Princess education, Princess Charlotte? I hope you won’t take away my task.”
“I will teach Lady Lorencia’s writing.”
“No, I will do it.”
Lorencia felt an unidentifiable emotion in the depths of her heart for the first time as she watched Charlotte and Teishar bicker over her. It was a new feeling she had never experienced before.
It was a different kind of embarrassment from when she confessed to wanting to learn because she didn’t know the letters.
She couldn’t exactly define what emotion it was, but her heart felt strangely ticklish. It wasn’t bad.
“Since Princess Charlotte is busy with Crown Princess lessons, I will teach her.”
Teishar, having decided this himself, substituted his fierce expression for telling Charlotte to back down. But Charlotte was no pushover either.
“Then let’s have Lorencia choose who she wants to learn from.”
Charlotte and Teishar looked at Lorencia at the same time. Lorencia made a slightly troubled face.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door from outside. The voice of the attendant outside was heard.
“What is it?”
“Yes, Princess. Lady Illina of the Pol Heredian family has arrived.”
Charlotte said it was okay to open the door. Illina entered following the opening door.
[This is the timeline separator]When Illina hurriedly returned to the mansion after finishing the tea party hosted by Her Majesty the Empress, Teishar had already left with Lorencia. Ruans, who rushed over upon hearing the news, naturally got angry.
Illina, who didn’t want to be disliked by Ruans, headed to the imperial palace without hesitation.
Normally, she should have sent a letter first to make an appointment, but when she said she came without warning because she was so worried about Lorencia, everyone kindly explained that she was with Teishar in Charlotte’s private reception room, and she was guided there.
“Hello, Princess Charlotte. I am Illina of the Pol Heredian family.”
After greeting with proper etiquette, Illina looked at Lorencia. Seeing her sitting on the reception room sofa, wearing a pretty lavender dress, eating delicious snacks and smiling, she felt inexplicably irritated.
Especially when Teishar was leaning towards Lorencia, wiping her mouth with a handkerchief, or cutting cake and serving it on a plate for her!
“Illina, who takes good care of her poor sister. I thought you would come because you were worried about your sister.”
“Yes. I came because I have an urgent matter to discuss with my sister alone.”
“An urgent conversation just between the two of you…”
Charlotte recalled what Lorencia had said. That Illina would surely come to find her.
So she asked to let them be alone then. With a doubtful thought, she had already ordered the imperial palace attendants to guide Illina directly to the reception room where she was if she came. But she didn’t expect Illina to actually come. The same was true for Teishar.
Charlotte became even more curious about Lorencia.
“Yes, it’s about family matters…”
Illina had to persuade Lorencia somehow to take her to the Count’s residence. At Illina’s words, Charlotte looked at Lorencia once. Then she nodded and rang the bell to call the maid outside the door.
“Guide them to a reception room where the two can talk.”
Illina and Lorencia stood in front of the reception room guided by the maid. As the maid opened the reception room door, Lorencia entered first and leisurely looked around the room.
The cream-colored wallpaper and furniture that excluded decorations, and the dark brown table were delicately decorated. The dark burgundy blackout curtains covering the large windows matched the interior decoration of the room very well.
As Illina also entered the reception room, the maid closed the door. Finally alone with Lorencia, Illina sighed deeply as if she had been waiting.
“Lorencia. Are you crazy?”
“As your sister, I’m worried about that kind of language of yours, Illina.”
“What did you say?”
“I’m saying this because I think it would be better for a cultured noble lady to watch her words.”
Lorencia said, looking at herself reflected in the mirror in the room.
“Tell the Princess right now that you’re going back to the mansion.”
“Illina. I don’t want to go back to the Count’s residence.”
“What did you just say? That you don’t want to go back?”
“Princess Charlotte and Her Majesty the Empress told me to stay at the imperial palace for the time being. I should follow that order.”
“Insist on returning to the mansion right now!”
“No.”
“If you go back now, you won’t be beaten. But if you go back later, you’ll be beaten worse than last time. Is that what you want?”
“Such threats no longer work on me, Illina.”
“Do you want to die so badly that you’re struggling like this?”
Illina glared at Lorencia as if she would kill her.
“Honestly, wouldn’t it be fine if a bastard like me just disappeared?”
Lorencia couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Illina trying to contain her anger.
“If I disappear right after meeting you, wouldn’t that be troublesome for you, Illina?”
“You call that talking? And you’re smiling now?”
Illina grabbed Lorencia’s collar, looking down at her. Perhaps because she was so angry, Illina’s voice started to rise.
“I asked if you find this amusing. Won’t you answer?”
With her collar grabbed, Lorencia looked up at Illina with her lips still curled up, as if finding it entertaining.
“What’s wrong with you?? Do you think you’re something special because you’re staying at the imperial palace?”
Lorencia, smiling broadly, nodded. At that moment, Illina slapped Lorencia’s cheek with all her might. Illina felt her head spinning with anger at the sight of Lorencia, who usually trembled in fear, looking up at her and sneering.
“Disgusting monster. Because of you, our mother had to go to the convent.”
“Since Anne went to the convent because of me, you must hate me, Illina.”
“Yes, I hate you to death. I wish you’d just die!”
“But Illina. I don’t feel any hatred from you saying that. Are you sure you really hate me?”
Towards Lorencia, who spoke as if teasing her, Illina spewed out insulting words in an angry voice.
“Do you think your anger is conveyed by spitting out such curses? Please!”
Illina flinched involuntarily at Lorencia’s suddenly raised voice.
“Please, look at me properly and hate me like you want to kill me.”
“You’ve really gone mad.”
Once again, Illina’s palm struck Lorencia’s cheek hard. With a ‘slap’ sound, Lorencia’s head turned to the other side, tearing the part of the dress where Illina was gripping the collar.
Illina pushed Lorencia down to the floor. Lorencia, who had fallen to the floor, stood up with an indifferent expression.
Seeing Lorencia stand up calmly, Illina felt as if a cold chill was running down her back. It felt like someone was glaring at her from behind.
Illina unconsciously turned to look behind her, then glared fiercely at Lorencia again.
“How did it come to this? My little sister. It seems even the pure malice you had when killing small animals is no longer there.”
Lorencia approached Illina. Illina stepped back as much as Lorencia approached. As Lorencia stepped forward, Illina stepped back, and it kept repeating. In the tension, the two continued this dance of approach and retreat. Soon, Illina’s heels hit the wall.
She could no longer step back.
“I only feel unease from you.”
Lorencia pointed at Illina’s trembling hands.
“I’m so worried about you, Illina.”
Lorencia curled her lips up kindly and reached out to stroke Illina’s luscious golden hair. Illina flinched. She rolled her eyes to look at Lorencia’s outstretched hand.
“You’re not already anxious about being abandoned by Prince Ruans, are you?”
“Me, abandoned? His Highness said I would become his princess consort.”
Lorencia’s lips twitched. And soon she started laughing languidly.
“Seeing Illina, who used to kill small animals while smiling, now purely believing in someone.”
Lorencia stopped laughing and stared straight at Illina.
“It feels quite disconcerting.”
Illina gritted her teeth so hard it made a grinding sound. Because of Lorencia, Julie, who had worked at the Count’s mansion for a long time, left. It didn’t matter. Servants could be found easily enough. But even Anne had to leave.
Now she has to live alone in the Count’s mansion. The loneliness that had already begun brought a suffering she had never experienced before. That suffering made her thoroughly helpless. She had become like a kite with its string cut. Now the only ones she could trust were her father Brant and Ruans.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
