Cain sat on the edge of the castle wall, brushing back his disheveled black hair as he looked down.
The north wind blowing at this time was quite fearsome, but it couldn’t cool the festive heat spreading through the capital. Despite the late hour, the streets were bright and occasionally laughter carried on the wind.
‘Everyone’s excited.’
An entire forest that many people had called home was gone. For the next few years, not a single blade of grass would grow in that forest.
‘It may not be noticeable now, but once the displaced people come in, various problems will arise. We’ll need to strengthen security.’
It wasn’t the first time refugees who had lost their villages to monsters came to the capital.
When refugees who have lost their homes come in, a rather beautiful scene unfolds at first. The original residents of the capital treat those who have lost their homes kindly, patting their shoulders and offering comfort. They provide various things, help find jobs, and offer support both materially and emotionally.
But as time passes, conflicts and discrimination arise between locals and outsiders, and sometimes outsiders throw punches in response to the locals’ territorial behavior.
As his left eye throbbed, Cain placed his hand over the black eye patch covering his left eye.
Even though it had been a long time since he lost his left eye to a monster, he still felt pain in his left eye whenever troublesome matters arose. Kirshan said it was a ‘phantom pain’ created by the mind. Adrian added the words ‘weak mind’ to that.
Cain pressed firmly on his non-existent left eye and turned his gaze towards the Lily Palace.
It was quite late, so the Lily Palace was dark, and no suspicious shadows could be seen moving around nearby.
‘Are you sleeping well?’
When Cain lost his left eye, he suffered from nightmares for months. Nightmares of killing monsters over and over, only for them to revive and gouge out his left eye.
‘And that was just for losing one eyeball…’
Roxiana had lost her entire family.
‘That princess must think she’d give up her eyes, arms, anything if it meant she could save her family.’
She must be feeling pain incomparable to losing just one eye. That’s why she looks so fragile, as if she might crumble or fade away at any moment.
His twin brother Adrian disapproved of Roxiana, who might bring trouble to Torkan. Adrian cared for Torkan and Floyd more than anyone, so he was likely uneasy about Roxiana, who could become a source of conflict with Gania.
Cain also loved this Torkan, but being Cain who always had a soft spot for small and weak things, he couldn’t shake off the feeling of pity for the princess of the Lily Palace.
Just then, hearing a sound in the air, he looked up to see a crow flying in the dark night sky. When Cain extended his arm forward, the crow swooped down and landed on his forearm.
Cain tapped the crow’s head gently with his index finger, then untied the message from its leg and read it. Deep wrinkles formed between his brows as he read the note.
+++
The sheer cliff met the sea. The wind blowing off the sea was fierce, cold, and carried a salty scent.
It was an exceptionally bright moonlit night, and the night sea shimmered with a blue light. Grayish-blue clouds stretched along the horizon at the edge of the sea.
Floyd and Kirshan sat at the edge of the cliff, drinking beer. The only snack was dried fish. Chewing on the salty, tough snack, Floyd pondered how to handle the problems that would arise in the future.
The wind that blew frequently messed up his hair, but he was so deep in thought that he didn’t even notice the hair poking his eyes.
Just then, Cain, who had walked through the darkness with long strides, snatched the wooden cup from Kirshan’s hand and gulped down the beer.
“Cain, don’t you see the extra cups on top of that beer barrel?”
At Kirshan’s pointed remark, Cain grinned.
“Too bothersome.”
Cain tossed the empty cup back to Kirshan and plopped down next to Floyd.
“My lord. I received a report from the guy we sent to Kanta.”
“What did he say?”
“It’s true that a new rift has appeared on the outskirts of Kanta and monsters have started to rampage.”
A rift had appeared in the Kingdom of Kanta, causing great damage, which led King Victian IV of Kanta to personally request help from the Kingdom of Gania. Crown Prince Lucas Pelur, who was soon to marry the princess of Kanta, personally led troops to subjugate the monsters.
Lucas fought to subdue the monsters for the Kingdom of Kanta, even at the risk of his life, but King Victian IV tried to take credit for it instead of praising his efforts. This led to a conflict, and in the end, Lucas had no choice but to eliminate the Franche royal family, which was to become his in-laws, with tears of blood.
This was the story known to the public regarding the fall of the Kingdom of Kanta.
But Floyd couldn’t bring himself to believe this story.
That King Victian IV tried to steal the credit? That kind-hearted king who had accepted me without asking for anything in return had shown such ingratitude after receiving help from others?
“But judging from the surrounding damage and situation, it seems the rift appeared less than two months ago.”
“It’s been more than half a year since Lucas fought monsters in Kanta, so another rift appeared in the meantime?”
“No. After looking around thoroughly, it seems there’s only one rift.”
“I see. As I thought.”
In fact, Floyd had no interest in the fall of the Kingdom of Kanta until he found Roxiana in that box. He had relied on them once, but hadn’t received much help, and his childhood memories had faded as he focused on the present.
Only after reuniting with Roxiana did he reconsider what had happened between Kanta and Gania, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
“Gania claimed that the damage to Kanta from the rift was enormous. Yet it’s suspicious that they only dealt with the monsters using the troops Lucas brought.”
Kirshan, who had been quiet until now, nodded.
“That’s true. If the Grand Temple had sent holy knights to support, they would have made a big announcement about it, but there was no such news. It seems they manipulated the rift.”
Rifts are not easily visible, so manipulation wasn’t difficult. If you inflict damage that appears to be caused by monsters in the same place multiple times, people become reluctant to approach the area and start whispering that a rift must have appeared.
Unless the Grand Temple officially dispatches the Holy Knight Order to investigate, this kind of manipulation is rarely exposed.
Occasionally, there were lords who used this method to drive out people living in a territory and take over the land.
“Even if they manipulated the rift, I don’t think they would have manipulated the monsters… Victian IV wasn’t such a foolish king. He would have surely sent people to thoroughly investigate after receiving reports about monsters. He must have been certain about the monsters and requested help from the Grand Temple.”
“And Lucas intervened at the right time before the Grand Temple could send people.”
“Yes, Shan. What do you think this means?”
“If the monsters were real, it means someone capable of controlling monsters has joined Lucas’s side.”
“That’s right.”
Floyd grinned.
“It seems Lucas has picked up a very interesting toy. If it’s someone who can control monsters, they must be quite strong. I wonder if he can handle them properly?”
“If he can handle them properly, it could be a threat to our side as well.”
“Let them try to threaten us. I’ll catch them and crush them from the tips of their toes to the top of their head, leaving nothing behind.”
Floyd let out a sinister laugh before taking a swig of beer. As Cain received the empty cup and filled it with beer from the barrel’s spout, Floyd asked him,
“Who’s sitting on the throne of Kanta now?”
“We haven’t been able to confirm that yet. It seems they can’t move around easily due to the strict security because of the monsters.”
“I see. Serves them right. They probably did this because they coveted Kanta’s fertile land, but now they can’t properly use that land for a while because of the monsters.”
“Are you going to tell the princess about this?”
At Cain’s question, Floyd let out a pained sound.
“Well…”
“Wouldn’t it be better to tell her? That way she might regain her spirit, burning with desire for revenge.”
“It’d be fortunate if she doesn’t want to die even more. I’ll decide whether to tell her after assessing the situation, so you two keep your mouths shut.”
+++
Roxiana woke up as sunlight peeking through the curtains tickled her eyes. She got out of bed, rubbing her bleary eyes, went to the bathroom to wash up, and when she came out, Petria was waiting for her with an excited expression.
“Good morning, Petria.”
As Roxiana greeted her first, Petria’s cheeks grew even redder.
I wonder if something good happened?
Roxiana headed towards the window, accepting Petria’s greeting.
When she opened the window, a breeze carrying the scent of the sea blew in. That wind served to remind Roxiana once again of the reality she was in.
This is not the Kingdom of Kanta, and you are no longer a princess.
Some might wonder why she deliberately tries to remind herself of reality, but for Roxiana, it was an important matter. Only by accepting this reality could she let go of all the good things she had enjoyed as a princess and the dignity she had to maintain because of her position.
The path to reclaiming her family’s remains, abandoned somewhere in Kanta’s Ider Palace, would not be easy. She might have to roll in the mud, submit to those with evil intentions, or laugh along with those who mock her.
To carry out all those actions without hesitation, she had to accept that she now held the most miserable and lowest status in this continent.
As Roxiana closed her eyes and breathed in the air different from Kanta’s, Petria cautiously spoke up.
“Um, Lady Roxiana… The maids say they have something to tell you. Would it be alright to let them in?”
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
