Leah decided to wait for Terran in front of the bookstore. It was better to stay put rather than miss each other by moving around.
However, being a woman standing alone in front of a bookstore in the evening drew uncomfortably scrutinizing glances from passersby.
Moreover, standing empty-handed made her look even more out of place.
Just then, a gentleman lingering near the adjacent building approached Leah.
“Miss, can I help you with something?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
‘He must be mistaking me for a prostitute.’
Leah started to move away from the strange man, but he followed and persisted.
“You wouldn’t be standing here alone at this hour without a reason.”
“It’s not what you think.”
She felt almost on the verge of tears. If only Polin was here, they wouldn’t dare approach her so brazenly.
As she tried to distance herself from the man, he grabbed her shoulder.
“Let go of me!”
Leah struggled and screamed. Suddenly, a fist flew out of nowhere and struck the man.
“Terran, the Duke!”
His hair disheveled, his tie loosened, and his fist clenched; above all, his face was filled with anger.
Terran, still not fully pacified, approached the fallen man, but Leah ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Stop, please!”
She clung to him and burst into tears. Leah Hamilton, always strong and never seen shedding a tear, found herself crying more often since she became Grace.
But it wasn’t Grace’s fault. It was because of the storm of misfortune that had brought her here.
“Let’s go.”
Terran signaled for a carriage waiting on the road.
As Leah tried to clumsily climb in, Terran picked her up as easily as one would lift a bouquet of flowers and placed her inside the carriage.
Leah quickly wiped her tears with the back of her hand, not wanting to appear like a woman who cries at the drop of a hat.
“I’m sorry, I was late,” Terran apologized as he got into the carriage.
“It’s okay.”
“This era, it’s still not generous to women.”
Terran handed Leah her handbag and the book. Suddenly, she noticed his hand was red and swollen.
“Your hand…?”
Leah instinctively grabbed his hand, but he quickly withdrew it.
“It’s nothing.”
“Were you angry because I wasn’t at the café?”
It seemed the only plausible reason for his annoyance.
“No, it’s not that.”
Terran turned his gaze out the window, avoiding eye contact.
‘Where did it all go wrong?’
He wondered how he could have changed so easily. All the things he had struggled with had completely transformed because of one woman.
Days that were once bleak now had color, and the scars of war no longer seemed only painful.
‘Is it because of you?’
Terran looked back at Leah.
The walk back to the café, with the book exchanged, was unexpectedly delightful, thinking of the white dove waiting for him. But upon returning, the dove was gone, only a pack of wolves trying to hunt her.
After turning into a fierce beast to ward them off, he searched for Leah again. Luckily, his guess that she might have headed to the bookstore was correct.
His heart raced upon spotting her in the distance. But then, those vermin appeared again, pestering him.
‘Am I changing because of you?’
A life once seemingly insufferable had dramatically turned around. While this was a welcome change, it also brought a sense of unease. The peace and relief she felt now could be snatched away at any moment.
But why had she disliked Grace so much before? Was it because she was always seeking attention and assurance, acting like a child?
‘What about now?’
She was the same person, yet entirely different. The current Grace possessed a tenacious spirit.
Sometimes she looked at the world with a sorrowful expression, but it was clear she had a definite purpose in life.
Of course, she couldn’t pinpoint what that purpose was exactly. Did that mean she had… developed feelings for this new Grace?
She wasn’t sure yet. Was it simply curiosity about the changed person or a growing fondness?
‘I can’t even gauge my own feelings.’
Terran felt frustrated. Since he couldn’t draw any conclusions yet, he had to let things flow as they may.
But one thing was certain.
‘It irritates me when other men look at or touch you.’
Some emotions are instinctual and undeniable.
Leah had ruined several drafts before finally writing a letter that satisfied her.
“I’ve finished the letter.”
She handed it to Terran, while Luke and James, who were nearby, looked on curiously.
“Your handwriting is excellent,” James complimented.
“Even though I don’t understand the language, it looks good,” Luke remarked, observing Grace with curiosity. Leah, however, was solely focused on Terran’s reaction, worrying he might not like it. But a gentle smile appeared on his face.
“James, stamp my seal on it and send it to Turkiye,” Terran instructed.
“Understood, Duke.”
He seemed very satisfied, and Leah felt overwhelmed with happiness.
“You did well, Grace.”
“I’m glad I could be of help.”
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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