“Princess, you still need to rest as you are not well.”
Roxiana’s doll-like frozen eyes turned to Petria. Only then did Petria realize she hadn’t introduced herself.
“I am the maid… no, the lady-in-waiting Petria who will serve you from now on, Princess.”
Petria was worried about how to answer if Roxiana asked which family she was from, since she came from a woodcutter’s family and had no surname. But Roxiana didn’t ask anything and quietly sat on the bed.
Moving as instructed, she seemed like an empty shell with her soul gone. Her fragile appearance, as if she would crumble and scatter away with the wind, was pitiful.
“Princess, I will tell the kitchen to bring your meal. Is there anything you would like to eat?”
“I am not a princess.”
Roxiana’s lips, which seemed like they would never move, parted.
“Pardon?”
“I am not a princess. Can’t you see this?”
Roxiana pulled at the neckline of her dress. The dress that already revealed her collarbone slipped down, exposing more of her pale skin.
Petria stared at the sunflower mark engraved on Roxiana’s collarbone. The slave’s brand appeared even more vivid against Roxiana’s white skin.
The person who branded her is truly cruel. To put a brand in such a visible place.
Feeling anger towards someone she didn’t even know, Petria said:
“His Highness called you Princess, so you are a princess to me.”
Petria sincerely thought so. It didn’t matter how other employees thought of Roxiana. Petria decided to treat this princess, whom His Grace the Grand Duke worried about, as a princess herself.
Hoping that this fragile princess would someday become stronger.
But that wasn’t what Roxiana wanted. Her expressionless face contorted, revealing unfiltered pain.
“No, no, no no. No, Petria. I am no longer a princess. My country is ruined and my family is all dead. The Franche royal family failed to protect its people and Kanta has fallen to become a colony of Gania. So how can I be a princess? How can someone who couldn’t protect her family or people be a princess?”
“Princess…”
“Please, please. Please don’t call me princess. I beg you. I am not a princess.”
Petria realized that the title of princess was actually becoming a blade that stabbed at Roxiana. While she couldn’t understand the despair of failing to protect one’s country and people, she could somewhat understand the sorrow of losing family.
If she was called princess when she was with her family, now that her family was gone, that title must be incredibly painful.
“Then what should I call you?”
“Slave girl, you, that thing. Anything is fine. You can call me whatever you want, just please don’t call me princess.”
“Then I’ll call you… Lady Roxiana.”
“No, I am…”
“Please, Lady Roxiana. If I don’t serve you wholeheartedly, His Highness will be angry. You don’t know how scary he is when he’s angry.”
Fortunately, Roxiana was someone who could be reasoned with. Realizing that she had been pushing Petria, she lowered her gaze. Her long eyelashes cast a deep shadow under her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
Roxiana said.
“I only thought of myself. I was too rude. I’m sorry.”
Deep sorrow often robbed people of their reason. Petria felt fondness for Roxiana, who sincerely apologized while considering the feelings of someone beneath her, even in such circumstances.
Even without Floyd’s orders, she wanted to be good to Roxiana. So that someday Roxiana could regain her light and smile again.
“Lady Roxiana, please lie down a bit more. I’ll bring your meal soon.”
Roxiana did not stop Petria as she left.
She didn’t want to eat anything. It felt like she would throw up whatever she ate. Even the breath she was taking now was nauseating.
But she didn’t want to trouble Petria any further. Petria was not at fault. If anyone was at fault, it was herself for praying at the temple, not knowing her family was dying.
So she had to bear all this guilt and sorrow by herself.
Roxiana lay down on the bed as Petria wished and pulled the blanket up to the edge of her face.
‘If only I could die in my sleep and they would throw my corpse anywhere, I would be truly grateful…’
+++
Grand Duke Floyd Ratean’s office was made entirely of steel. Everything from the desk and chairs to the cabinets was made of steel. Nothing flammable was allowed in, making it a bleak space without even a single carpet, tapestry, or curtain.
The reason was to prepare for moments like this.
Sitting at the head of the long table for meetings, Floyd’s body was emitting wavering heat haze.
Floyd was extremely angry, but even he couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause of his anger.
‘That damned princess!’
He saved her when she was about to be sold as a slave. If she had been sold as is, she would have suffered under some brute who treats female slaves cruelly and died after a lifetime of pain.
After saving her from such a fate and giving her the best Lily Palace in the Grand Duke’s mansion, shouldn’t she be preparing to live a new life with gratitude? Isn’t that normal?
Even if she lost her country and family, she should resolve to endure the sorrow and live on. What was with that attitude?
Alright, let’s say we understand her desire to die with boundless generosity. But asking to discard her corpse? What nonsense is that?
What? She’ll become my sword, shield, and even a seductress in bed for that?
What an absolutely infuriating princess. It must be so infuriating that I’m this angry.
While Floyd glared at the table, ruminating on his conversation with Roxiana, the knight commanders were watching his mood.
Hexten yawned thoughtlessly and put his elbow on the table, then quickly removed it saying, “Ouch, it’s hot!”
The steel table was turning red from the heat emanating from Floyd’s body. Cain blinked his one remaining eye and carefully opened his mouth.
“Um, my lord. It’s too hot.”
The ashen eyes that were fixed on the table swiftly turned to Cain. As Cain flinched and leaned back, Floyd said plainly.
“Sorry.”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The heat that was hot enough to cook everyone slowly subsided.
Seizing the opportunity, Arsen quickly reported.
“My lord. The shipowner says he didn’t know slaves were on board. It seems the captain he hired recently might have taken bribes to do this. We’re investigating further and plan to compensate for the ship repair costs once we’re certain.”
Floyd nodded with his eyes still closed. Adrian continued after him.
“There are a total of 17 slaves, excluding the… princess of Kanta. Ten want to stay in Torkan, and the rest want to return to their hometowns. I told the person in charge to handle that. And…”
Adrian gestured with his eyes for Cain to continue, but Cain avoided his gaze. Adrian extended his foot under the table and kicked Cain’s shin. Cain gritted his teeth and glared at Adrian with his one remaining eye.
Despite having his eyes closed, Floyd sensed all this movement and exclaimed, opening his eyes wide:
“If you have something to say, say it properly!”
Adrian turned to Cain again, but Cain was staring intently at a blank wall as if he had made some great discovery there. Finally, Adrian sighed and said:
“My lord, what are you going to do with that woman?”
“That woman?”
“The… princess of Kanta.”
“The princess I saved, what does it matter what I do with her?”
Heat haze began to rise from Floyd’s body again, but Adrian persisted:
“It does matter. The princess of Kanta, thought to be dead, is alive and branded as a slave. She wouldn’t have branded herself, and it doesn’t seem like she was caught while escaping. Then it must be that Lucas Pelur handled it that way and announced the princess of Kanta was dead. If we take her in under these circumstances, it will surely cause friction with Gania.”
“So what if there’s friction? Am I supposed to be afraid of Gania and not do what I want? Should I live cowering in fear of that bastard Lucas?”
“No, it’s not that we’re afraid of Gania. It’s just that we’re already short on manpower dealing with the monsters here. If Gania sends troops saying they need to deal with the last survivor of the Franche royal family, things will get complicated for us too. Since Gania has made Kanta a colony, Kanta’s knights have likely been absorbed into Gania, so they have plenty of troops to spare.”
Floyd glared at Adrian.
“So what are you trying to say?”
“I think it would be best to give her some money and send her out of Torkan as soon as she recovers.”
BANG-!
Floyd slammed both fists on the table. The long, heavy table couldn’t withstand his strength and tilted. Hexten tried to grab the end but shouted “Ah, hot!” and let go.
Kirshan, standing next to Floyd, used his scabbard to press down and stabilize the wobbling table as he spoke:
“My lord, please calm down.”
“Calm down? Do I look calm to you? The men I personally selected and placed as commanders are trembling in fear of Gania, and you’re telling me to calm down? You’re telling me to drive out a pitiful woman who lost her country and family after being betrayed by her fiancé, and you want me to calm down? Or is this a joke? Should I laugh now and end this absurd joke?”
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
_____
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