“If Your Highness needs, I can provide servants or maids.”
“Yes.”
Serena glanced at Lucas. Her eyes asked if he was satisfied now.
“Then, Your Highness the Crown Prince. It may be humble Astel Duchy, but I wish you a comfortable rest. I’m busy, so I must go.”
Without a moment for Lucas to hold her, Serena gave a bow and vanished like the wind.
“Hmm.”
Left alone, Lucas was conscious of his stillsmarting cheek and coughed.
“Are you the steward of this Duchy?”
“Yes. My name is Peter.”
“Are you from Astel?”
“I originally served the Duke of Astel and now follow Her Grace.”
With his calm, courteous answers and careful posture, he was certainly the steward of the esteemed Astel.
“Really, does Her Grace the Duchess manage the territory?”
“She does.”
His head tilted quizzically.
“Directly, like other lords?”
“Yes.”
Lucas furrowed one brow. It was a habit when he was thinking.
“Exactly what does she do?”
“On behalf of the Duke of Astel, she takes care of anything related to the territory.”
Another lord might have scoffed, but he looked at Serena, still sturdy, with both eyes. She might indeed rule Astel directly.
“Is she doing it now?”
His words were tinged with disappointment, considering Serena’s tooquick departure.
“Yes. The Astel harvest festival is soon, so she is very busy.”
“Harvest festival?”
“After the harvest season, Her Grace holds a harvest festival.”
The steward bowed deeply without additional explanation.
“I see.”
It seemed he’d have to see and hear for himself to understand.
“Unnecessary commotion is annoying, so tell the territory that a highranking knight and his entourage have arrived.”
“Yes.”
He wanted to explore Astel himself today, even though the rumors would spread in a few days anyway.
“Have two horses brought immediately, and don’t worry about our return.”
“Yes.”
“Ah, I almost forgot.”
As Lucas was about to leave the reception room, he sat back on the sofa.
“I need to send a letter, so prepare writing tools and carrier pigeons.”
“Yes. How many pigeons should I prepare?”
“Two, no, three will do.”
“Yes.”
Peter made his courteous exit, leaving Lucas to brood over the whirlwind reunion, still furrowing his brow.
(This is a time separator.)
The rumor that a noble wandering knight had arrived in the Astel territories spread quickly. Serena heard the news and smirked but didn’t bother to correct it.
“Your Grace, what will you do?”
“What can I do? It’s an honor that His Highness the Crown Prince is staying in our Astel.”
Serena gazed at the distant sky as she spoke. She hadn’t expected her betrothed to return this way, but it was good that she had taken precautions. She had petitioned the Papacy and the Royal Court for six years, so the evidence was solid.
“Besides, he sent three carrier pigeons?”
“Yes. He said he would send them personally, so I didn’t even have a chance to see.”
“Whatever it is, it won’t be good news for me.”
Peter wore a troubled smile.
“Don’t worry. We have nothing to hide or be ashamed of in Astel.”
That was the pride of Serena, who had cultivated this territory for the past six years.
“It would be the same even if it were the Emperor Himself, not just the Crown Prince.”
There was nothing to hide or conceal in Astel. It was natural since Serena had cherished and nurtured the territory with pride from the beginning.
“But Your Highness, the purpose of His Highness’s visit to find you is clear, isn’t it?”
“It’s fine.”
Serena waved off Peter’s worried words with her hand. As always, her expression was calm and composed.
“I abandoned my betrothed when I came to Astel.”
It was a simple decision. Serena had no intention of marrying and had chosen a path to prove her existence instead.
“Nothing will change.”
Serena stared straight ahead. A life better than her vain death in her previous life was now before her eyes.
“My heart will not change.”
Even as she spoke, the image of Lucas, so different from her memories, flickered before her eyes. The mature scent that seemed to emanate only from him still seemed to tickle her nose.
“Yes, never.”
How much her betrothed, who had been a mere child at the time, had grown and become manly, was something Serena no longer knew.
And she hoped it would stay that way.
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
