The unspoken announcement of their engagement was clear as day when the two kissed in the royal ballroom.
What Walter had wanted was the fourth princess, and it was apparent that they were to be wed soon, without a word needing to be said.
And that was exactly what Odette had wanted.
Odette was considerably encouraged by how smoothly her plans had proceeded without a hitch.
As soon as she returned to the fourth princess’s palace escorted by Walter, she couldn’t help but exclaim in excitement.
“Duke, we really did it!”
Certainly, dealing with the aftermath would likely be a headache, but there was an odd sense of satisfaction.
Perhaps it was because she had acted as she pleased, without considering anyone else’s opinion.
Or maybe she simply enjoyed being the center of attention.
“You seem pleased.”
“Of course. There’s nothing more satisfying than when a plan falls into place. Aren’t you pleased, Duke?”
“I am pleased. Now, there’s no one left who doesn’t know that you are mine.”
“…Ah, yes.”
Odette was shocked once again by Walter’s words.
What shocked her most was Walter’s ability to say such things without a change in facial expression.
‘When will I get used to this way of speaking?’
There wasn’t any hidden meaning, most likely.
Yet, somehow, it was a way of speaking that had the knack for making one feel embarrassed.
“Is there a problem?”
“…No. I need to freshen up my makeup.”
Don’t overthink it, Odette decided, turning her head and wiping her lips with a handkerchief.
“Do you feel better now?”
Walter’s gaze met hers, indifferent and probing.
And for some reason, his brow furrowed slightly.
“…You missed a spot, right here.”
Was it that big of a deal?
‘Just how much makeup did I ruin?’
Odette felt somewhat embarrassed. Unlike others who wore thick makeup to last through a long event, she preferred a lighter touch.
She wasn’t the type to enjoy long parties, nor did she have the luxury of bringing along a line of makeup and maids to touch up her appearance constantly.
So there shouldn’t be much damage.
‘Is this what it’s like to kiss?’
That it messes up your face, is that it?
Yet so many lovers share secret trysts at balls. Truly admirable.
Odette meticulously wiped her lips with the handkerchief, entertaining naive misconceptions.
“Is it alright now?”
But yet again, his brow did not unfurrow.
“No, a bit lower.”
“Here?”
When Odette touched near the corner of her mouth with her index finger, this time he plainly grimaced.
Then, as if he couldn’t stand it anymore, he reached out his hand.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Their eyes met at a much closer distance, and Walter’s hand, decidedly larger than hers, touched her cheek.
Odette felt the deliberate warmth glide over her skin and slowly closed her eyes.
‘He seems to have a slightly lower body temperature.’
In retrospect, the warmth she felt during their kiss was also…lower, maybe.
As her thoughts ventured there, the events from earlier flashed in her mind and her cheeks blazed.
Until a moment ago, she had not felt anything when Walter’s hand had been touching her cheek and lips.
But now, it was unbearably embarrassing.
Caught in the emotion, Odette inadvertently opened her eyes wide.
“Is, is it alright now, Duke?”
Their eyes met again.
Walter’s eyes, which had been staring at her intensely.
“Ah…”
She lost her words for a moment.
It was because Walter’s face was exceedingly close.
‘It’s my first time seeing someone’s face this close.’
And that person was the man she had just kissed.
Walter’s eyes, which had fallen into a strange calm, stared at Odette without a flicker.
As if confirming her existence, again and again.
While Odette was at a loss for how to react, Walter’s lips parted.
“Walter.”
“…Yes?”
“Call me Walter. We’re soon to be married, aren’t we? We’ve already kissed.”
“But isn’t it too soon?”
“It seems I know more about your lips than you do, Princess.”
The talk of a kiss turned Odette’s cheeks an acute shade of red.
Even if she couldn’t see her face in the mirror, she could tell it was hotter than before.
It must be, or else why would Walter’s mouth curl in such a playful manner?
“Judging by how much you enjoyed it, it seems I’m not lacking in the skills for a kiss.”
“What are you talking about! I never enjoyed it.”
“Oh, so you didn’t like it?”
Could she call it ‘liking it’?
Wouldn’t ‘strange’ be more appropriate?
After all, it was Odette’s first kiss. How could she have a point of comparison?
Yet, fearing she’d seem shallow, Odette took her time and found an appropriate response.
“…It wasn’t the worst.”
“Not the worst, you say.”
And then Walter looked at her with his unique, languid gaze and raised his eyebrows in seeming disappointment.
“I regret not being able to please you. If that’s the case, I won’t be able to call myself a loving husband… I guess I need more practice.”
Odette’s jaw tightened at his words.
Walter’s thumb lightly pressed against Odette’s lips, where the makeup was half-removed.
“What do you think?”
“……!!”
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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