Latil felt awkward as she took in the stares of the men who would become hers and their respective families. On the day of the coronation, she had felt a thrill looking at those who admired her. However, today, it was a bit… embarrassing.
However, such embarrassment could only become more awkward if shown. Latil alternately looked at the five men with a thickfaced and faintly smiling expression.
“‘Let’s check the seating arrangement.'”
Whether it was intentionally split up like this or not, she wasn’t sure, but Prince Klein was at the center, with the nobles Ranamun and Guesta on his right, and the commoners Tasir and Carlein on his left.
“‘I guess they’re going to split up like that for now…'”
It was not particularly great to see the nobility and the commoners in competition. If this were the case, the struggle within the harem might escalate into a conflict between nobles and commoners, which could be difficult to manage.
“‘Let’s keep an eye on this.'”
Even as she observed, Latil paid most attention to Carlein. She had seen the other men at least once, but Carlein was the one she was meeting for the first time, so she was most interested in him.
The mercenary king, who had endured for several days without eating, drinking, or going to the bathroom, fortunately did not seem about to collapse immediately. However, his skin was unexpectedly pale, which suggested frailty, unlike his usual outdoorsy self.
“‘He’s a mercenary king, but didn’t he retire as soon as he became one?'”
“Your Majesty.”
When Latil continued to watch Carlein, the chief of ceremony, who had approached to assist with the oath, softly called Latil.
“‘Ah, I was staring too much at the mercenary king.'”
Was it her imagination? It seemed like the guests were also gazing at the mercenary king with smirks. Latil nodded to the master of ceremonies to proceed.
The master of ceremonies placed the document he had been holding on the high podium on the stage and called Klein.
“Prince Klein from Karisen.”
As Klein stepped forward, the chief of ceremony held the quill pen in both hands respectfully and explained,
“Please read and sign below.”
Once Klein’s signature was complete, the master of ceremonies called Ranamun’s name, and Ranamun stepped forward and signed.
After the five men had signed, Latil placed the rings she had prepared on each of the men’s fingers.
The men gently kissed the ring Latil put on, swore eternal loyalty and love, and stepped back.
“……”
Latil, her mouth tightly shut, alternately watched the five men who had become her consorts. Really, truly, those men were entering her harem. They would wait for her in the harem, whispering their love for her.
Like Hyacinth had.
“‘But none of these men will truly love me.'”
That was alright. After all, these men came here for strategic reasons. Latil also did not bring them here because she loved them. What Latil wanted was their internal struggle.
Latil wanted them to attract the attention of the nobles and the people by competing in the harem. She wanted their backgrounds to help strengthen her imperial power.
She had no need to apologize. After all, those men must have weighed their options—money, honor, future, and so on—before deciding to come here.
Latil smiled cynically. Really. What was the big deal with sincere love? Didn’t that love hit her in the back first and leave?
“‘At least while I’m on the throne, these people won’t stab me in the back.'”
[This is the time separator]Afterwards, an ordinary banquet took place, albeit with some unusual participants.
However, the atmosphere was quite strange, as those from Anghes Trading Company were looking to conduct business even at this gathering.
The nobles who came as guests of Ranamun and Guesta seemed to dislike sitting with the commoners at the top, yet whenever they gossiped, they were the first to become intrigued and get sucked in.
Some of them, as if they had made reservations, even stopped eating to sign checks and hand them over.
“The guests of the Anghes upper class, they sure know how to chat, don’t they?”
The ones with the exact opposite atmosphere from the Anghes upper class guests weren’t the nobles, but the Black Reapers mercenaries. They had taken off the masks they wore when they came in, but they only ate without uttering a single word, just like when they were seen at the tavern before.
The nobles from Karisen did open their mouths, but the atmosphere was awkward and they only conversed among themselves.
Latil shifted her gaze to Duke Atraxil and Chancellor Lord. Even between them, there was already a mental battle of their own.
On the other hand, Guesta, the son of Chancellor Lord, was completely crestfallen and couldn’t even raise his head, and Ranamun was glaring at Prince Klein, not Guesta.
Tasir almost got his eyeball poked with a fork when he told Carlein that his complexion looked like a corpse’s.
After the meal.
“Your Majesty, how was it? Having seen your harem up close, do you fancy anyone?”
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.
Link to read
