However, seeing the woman come out fluffy after her bath, wearing his oversized gown, Cassard realized that he had to struggle not to be taken in.
The woman standing before his eyes was the one who had tormented him without end since her sixteenth autumn, appearing constantly in his thoughts.
Her hair, which looked ashcolored in the prison, bore the light brown hue mixed with bright ash, exactly as he had seen in her childhood.
That too was tinged with gold in the light of the bedroom’s candle, just like her eyes.
Whether she felt fear looking at him, who was calmly sitting and reading documents just after shooting at a person without hesitation, or whether the vague anxiety given by the male’s bedroom and her attire made her uneasy, she stood hesitantly a little distance away even after the servants had left.
Her large eyes were full of anxiety. Yet she never averted her gaze. So he kept meeting her eyes. Cassard sighed, rose from his seat, and approached the woman.
She flinched, her small body retreating quite easily.
As he took one more step toward her, she looked up at him with a scrunched expression.
As the distance closed, an artificial rose scent wafted.
Even if she had been imprisoned, the Duke had called her into his bedroom, and she was undeniably beautiful, so it seemed they had thought her purpose would be that.
The artificial scent that stimulated his nose was quite annoying. And he couldn’t just not breathe.
Moist, pumpkincolored eyes met his gaze once more. Without forgetting his original intention, he met her gaze and opened his mouth.
“Undress.”
The woman shook her head. Naturally so.
“I won’t touch you.”
She raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Cassard extended the revolver to her, still smelling of gunpowder from its recent use in the dungeon.
“If I touch you, shoot.”
“Even so…”
Was that her original voice? The sound that flowed from her apricotcolored lips was more pleasing to hear than the melody of the piano in music class.
Gently prying her hand, which was tightly holding the collar of the nightgown as if he might forcibly undress her, Cassard laid the revolver in her small palm.
“….”
“I’m serious.”
Judging that the woman wouldn’t drop the revolver, Cassard’s hand went to the loose belt around his waist.
As his slow fingers began to undo the belt, another dizzying scent came to him. This time it was a sweet smell, a subtle blend of artificial scent and the woman’s body odor.
Perhaps it was because he had graduated from an officer’s academy filled only with males not long ago. It was hard to adapt to such a scent.
As the oversized gown began to reveal her pale white skin, Cassard’s brow furrowed a little more.
Unexpectedly, the woman did not resist much as Cassard undressed her gown. She simply held onto the handle of the revolver as if it were her lifeline, trembling a little until he loosened the belt and let the gown fall to the floor.
Thump.
Over the large gown that fell to the floor, beautiful curves were revealed. Although concealed by a white chemise, the transparency stimulated more lascivious imagination than if it were not covered at all.
Damn.
Cassard’s red eyes, diverted consciously from the voluptuous curves, lingered on a small scar across her collarbone. The woman flinched, shrinking back as if she sensed the slowly moving direction of his gaze.
“Scars are less than I thought.”
“……?”
Her big eyes look up at him as if asking what he’s talking about, as if she doesn’t recognize him at all.
“You…….”
Enough. It’s not time to play with memories.
Moreover, isn’t she the woman who ran away without even telling her name as soon as she recovered?
Cassard dropped his gaze from the scar and stepped back a few paces, gazing at her body with indifferent eyes.
No, it would be more correct to say that he tried to appear indifferent. Upon rethinking, it was a body that he could never be indifferent to.
Over her white body, numerous bruises were raised, so much that they could not be covered by the thin chemise.
Yet, still,
Beautiful.
He seemed to understand why the guard had molested her, even though it was forbidden to touch the prisoners personally. So beautiful that any man would want to touch it.
He should have found it funny, but strangely he was angry. He wanted to drag the already fired guard and put a bullet in his head.
Again, his gaze turned downward to see the bruise that had risen grotesquely over her thigh. Along with the traces of flogging, etched horizontally.
Cassard picked up the ointment he had left on the table and slowly approached her again.
“It must have hurt.”
As he knelt on one knee in front of her and carefully applied ointment to her thigh, her slender body trembled. Along with a sob that kept leaking out despite swallowing inside her throat.
He said nothing and quietly applied medicine to her wounds. A little more effort was needed to maintain composure when he saw the tenderness of his fingertips, not yet fully healed.
Until he dressed her again, she followed his touch like a good child, sobbing.
Maybe because she hadn’t slept, looking at her, who occasionally spaced out, he wondered what he was doing.
“Get some sleep first, then we’ll talk.”
The woman followed Cassard’s guidance, staggered, and then stood still.
“……necklace.”
“Necklace?”
The woman looked at him blankly and nodded.
She said she hadn’t slept for three days, so she must be out of her mind, but it was fascinating that her pumpkincolored eyes did not take their eyes off him.
Perhaps because of the tears from a moment ago, her moist eyes looked just… like processed amber.
Upon closer look, the smooth curve of her nose and toylike lips made him want to touch them once.
When the woman staggered greatly, Cassard woke from his contemplation and reached out to grab her. Her waist, small enough to fit in one hand, seemed like it might break at any moment.
“Be careful.”
“Necklace…… please return……. ”
“I’ll find it for you, now go to sleep.”
Cassard, with a slightly wrinkled expression, lightly lifted the woman who still could not find her balance.
She obediently nodded her head, offering no resistance, and leaned her head against his chest.
It would be more accurate to say she simply fell asleep. There was no movement until he laid her on the bed. However, perhaps it was the aftereffect of sleep deprivation, but her large eyes refused to close.
“Close your eyes.”
She nodded again and closed her eyes obediently as Cassard brushed over her eyelids.
Didn’t they say they were the same age? Her youthful face and behavior seemed much younger than him. Maybe it’s because she’s out of her mind.
Cassard sighed and covered her with a blanket after laying her down.
I’m doing all sorts of things just to get a statement, he thought, with a touch of selfmockery.
Cassard’s red eyes were directed at the necklace placed on a silver tray.
The necklace brought by the jailer seemed too expensive for a nurse working in a small hospital near Lindcoem forest to possess. A small wingshaped pendant was hanging over a spherical ornament with intricate patterns.
“It’s a confiscated item at the time of imprisonment. I heard it’s a mother’s heirloom.”
Should he be grateful for the fact that it was not a gift from his father to his mistress but a mother’s heirloom? Cassard mused to himself and put the woman’s necklace into his pocket.
“You may go.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The jailer, bending his waist nearly at a right angle, could not even meet eyes and backed out of the study. Considering what a single gunshot had summoned, it was quite an efficient loyalty.
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.]
