That evening, the entire Knights’ Order gathered together, enjoying a meal under the mild evening breeze on the plain.
Seated at the long table set up outdoors, this was my first experience of dining with everyone. I sat at the end, helping Yora with his meal. After his tongue was cut, he struggled with chewing, so I brought him the tenderest pieces of meat.
Yora, once a sparring partner, now struggled to eat, stirring a mix of sadness and anger within me.
‘Medea, you’re unforgivable.’
Yora, noticing my expression, reassured me, “It’s okay, Esdel.”
“Yeah. Let’s eat a lot, Yora. This is our first time enjoying such delicious food, right?”
Then, the sound of horse hooves approached in the distance.
The keen-eared knights abruptly stopped eating.
The Grand Duke, who was sitting at the head of the table, slowly stood up. He gazed into the distance and softly spoke, “Lucella. The Emperor’s messenger.”
Soon, a golden flag adorned with a sword shimmered on the horizon.
‘The Grand Duke has incredible eyesight.’
At that moment, I remembered the day of the victory celebration, the tower where jasmine flowers fell.
I thought I had caught the Grand Duke’s gaze from the top of that tower.
Could he have actually seen me back then?
I watched the profile of Sion Belphegor, who was focused on the distance.
Soon, the Emperor’s messenger and his aide arrived in front of the Grand Duke. The messenger bowed in respect.
“Greetings, Grand Duke Belphegor, the shield that the North needs.”
‘The shield that the North needs.’
The phrase sounded odd, as if implying he shouldn’t be here.
However, the Grand Duke replied as if it was nothing unusual.
“What brings you here?”
“The Emperor requests your presence in the capital immediately, asking you to visit the palace.”
“Can you tell me why?”
The messenger hesitated, looking apologetic.
“Well… you’ll understand once you’re there. Perhaps your approval is needed for something…”
His words trailed off.
“Grand Dukes? Does that mean Grand Duke Rahert is also required at the palace?”
“Yes, he’s already there.”
The Grand Duke fell silent for a moment.
“Anything else to convey?”
“No, Your Grace.”
There was no concern for the Grand Duke’s well-being or praise for defeating the barbarians in the Emperor’s message.
I felt a pang of sorrow and emptiness.
The messenger departed shortly after.
In the lingering silence, the Grand Duke called for Arcadia.
“Prepare the fastest horse immediately and send it to the capital, through a different route than the Emperor’s messenger.”
“Are you looking to find out what’s happening at the palace?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll go myself.”
“Thank you, Knight Nuggent.”
As the sun set, Arcadia rode off on his white horse, swift as a bird.
That night, sleep eluded me.
The Emperor.
In my previous life, I had briefly seen him from afar – a lonely old man with strikingly white hair.
It’s a month’s journey from here to the North. I thought I wouldn’t have the chance to visit the capital, let alone the palace.
But now, I was heading there.
‘Why does my heart feel so heavy?’
A constricting feeling around my heart.
In the heart of the capital lies the palace, and in its center, my only kin – an Emperor who was swayed by ‘the tongue of the serpent’ to doom the Grand Duke to death.
This time, I won’t let history repeat.
But Rahert is already there, steps ahead of the Grand Duke. In this life, he’s already by the Emperor’s side.
I won’t let the same tragedy befall the Grand Duke again. But Rahert has already gained a significant advantage.
‘What could be the reason for summoning the Grand Duke of the North?’
It’s evident that it’s not just to commend him. The messenger spoke of a matter requiring the ‘Grand Dukes’’ approval.
What could that matter be?
Could it be related to the assassination attempt on the Grand Duke orchestrated by the South?
With an uneasy premonition, I ended up wandering out of my tent and into the night.
Unlike the evening, the night breeze felt chilly on my cheeks.
‘What might the Grand Duke be doing?’
Having sent his confidant, Sir Nugent, ahead to his residence in the capital, who is he sharing his concerns with now?
Without realizing, I found myself walking towards the Grand Duke’s tent.
“Miss Esdel, where are you headed?”
Startled, I looked up to see Marshal Mobi holding a pristine white teapot, cups, and herbs for brewing tea on a tray.
“Oh, Marshal. Just taking a walk.”
“Aren’t you tired? After all the fighting today.”
“Yes. Well, a bit, but I’m alright.”
“The new mask suits you very well; I feel quite proud of it.”
The Marshal smiled warmly at me and glanced up at the moon.
“Thank you. But where are you going, Marshal?”
“I’m bringing this to His Grace. The lights in his tent are still on.”
A chance to talk with the Grand Duke.
“May I take it to him instead?”
At my words, Marshal Mobi hesitated.
“I wanted to express my gratitude for various reasons but haven’t yet. I am still his attendant after all.”
“Hmm.”
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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