Whether this was real or just my illusion, Louis had information through his marital life with Odette.
Louis, this place is secluded, isn’t it? It’s a good place to sneak out to when going for a walk. The path is dark so others rarely come. It’s my secret place.
Following the voice of Odette, who was his wife in the illusion, Louis headed here.
Following a voice from a dream seemed foolish at a glance.
‘But if Odette really comes here.’
Then… this ‘nightmare’ wouldn’t be an illusion.
Since it wouldn’t be possible for Louis to know about this place, and for Odette to frequent this place, if not for the words from dream Odette.
‘She’ll likely sneak out since the marriage announcement drew a crowd.’
If it’s the Odette he knew, the one he experienced in his dreams, she definitely would.
Odette was a person who shied away from attention.
The possibility of meeting Odette and the memory of seeing her standing affectionately with Valter at the Emperor’s marriage announcement swirled in his mind.
Every time he turned around in circles, joy and sorrow intersected multiple times.
He felt a presence behind him.
And then.
“…Count Clovis?”
The moment he heard Odette’s voice, Louis realized what he had lost.
And why seeing Odette kissing Valter had struck him as so wrong.
“Odette.”
From the moment he experienced the ‘nightmare,’ he wanted to turn back time for the first time.
To correct the mistakes he made during his marriage with Odette.
So that Odette could keep her smile. So she would have no more regrets.
From Louis’s cracked lips, a newly desperate question flowed out.
“…Don’t you remember me?”
When she first recognized that it was Louis who was here.
‘Does Count Clovis also know about this place?’
Odette felt a bit embarrassed, naturally assuming the other person to be Valter and calling his name.
It wasn’t as if this place was such a secret, when she thought about it.
“I’m sorry, Count Clovis. I was supposed to meet someone here, and I got confused.”
Odette apologized awkwardly with a smile.
However, the reaction of the person who received the apology was a bit odd.
Odette mistaking someone wasn’t such a significant error, yet Louis had a surprisingly startled expression.
No, it wasn’t simply a startled expression.
It was a mix of doubt and expectation, resignation and hope, and even despair.
“Odette.”
As the abnormal silence stretched on, Louis’s lips parted.
“…Don’t you remember me?”
For some reason, his question even seemed somewhat desperate. At that, Odette tilted her head.
Is he asking me that because I called him by the wrong name?
“I couldn’t possibly forget. I received your letter. As for what happened at Xavier’s banquet, you needn’t concern yourself.”
The Louis that Odette remembered was quite a warm-hearted person.
And since he knew how to be courteous, Odette thought he might be concerned about what had transpired at Xavier’s banquet, so she said so.
However, Louis’s reaction became even more bizarre.
His face turned to an expression of agony at Odette’s words.
“…You received the letter but didn’t reply?”
“I felt there was no need for a reply.”
“My request to meet… you considered that unnecessary?”
“Request to meet? I thought it was just about Xavier’s banquet?”
“Are you pretending not to know? I clearly asked several times…!”
Louis was about to raise his voice but then paused, as if suddenly recalling something.
“…Could it be that you didn’t receive my letter?”
“I received the one sent right after Xavier’s banquet.”
“I sent others after that, asking if we could meet. Did you not receive any?”
Only then did Odette realize the source of the misunderstanding.
After Odette and Walter had caused a high-profile scandal at the palace banquet.
Wow, the invitations are really pouring in. I expected it, but still.
It’s so transparent. They didn’t care before, but now? Will you go?
No, whatever the intention, responding to these invitations will only create gossip. Better to ignore them.
Then I’ll discard everything except what absolutely needs a reply!
Alright, thanks.
Odette had delegated the handling of the letters to Elly, and Elly probably sorted them with other maids or servants. It was too much for her to handle alone.
‘And… it seems the letters got mixed up in that process.’
In any case, there was hardly anything that absolutely needed a reply, so some letters seemed to have been discarded in the shuffle.
Realizing her oversight, Odette touched her forehead.
“…I apologize. We’ve been getting a lot of mail lately, and it seems the staff made a mistake in sorting. Was there something that necessitated our meeting?”
Louis’s letter had made it clear that he wanted to keep his distance from Odette.
To send multiple letters asking to meet?
“Wasn’t it His Majesty who had something to discuss with you?”
And the following statement shocked Odette.
“His Majesty… intended to marry me, didn’t he?”
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
