My Discarded Fiancé Returned (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 4
Serena flung open the window as soon as she got up and, out of habit, looked at the clouds hanging over the distant mountains.
“The weather is lovely again today.”
Leaving the stifling capital and coming down to Duke Astel’s domain had been an excellent choice. She could escape the social circles’ relentless attention toward Serena, who had just become Crown Princess, and, more importantly, live a fulfilling life.
“…It’ll soon be six years.”
Almost six years had passed since that sparse engagement ceremony. By now, all she remembered of him was a brat with sharp eyes, but the time had finally come for her to meet him in person.
“After all, breaking off an engagement is easier than divorce.”
For the past six years, Serena had roamed the domain more freely than anyone else, meeting many people and doing exactly as she pleased.
Rumors circulated in imperial high society that Serena, having missed her prime marriageable age, had given up—but she already knew well enough that others’ opinions didn’t matter.
“But it’s unfair to hear people say the Crown Prince refuses to return to the empire just because he doesn’t want to marry me!”
Serena clenched her fist firmly.
They both disliked the arrangement equally, so why did no one ever ask Serena’s opinion and only pity the Crown Prince? It was a forced engagement for both of them, after all.
“Well… that’ll be over soon enough.”
Serena, who had become engaged to the Crown Prince at eighteen, was now already twenty-four. By noble standards of this era, she was far past her marriageable age—hopelessly so.
But that also meant her plan was progressing smoothly. If the Crown Prince showed such little interest in his fiancée, annulment would surely be effortless.
“Oh my, you’re already awake?”
Anna entered the bedroom, her appearance unchanged from before, and smiled at Serena.
“You’ve always been diligent, but lately you’ve been waking up especially early. Aren’t you tired?”
“There’s so much to do. Sometimes, right before bed, I even wish morning would come faster.”
Anna shook her head with an exasperated sigh and set down the washbasin. Serena quickly splashed water on her face and vigorously rubbed it dry with a towel.
“My lady is full of energy again today!”
Ever since arriving at the ducal estate, Serena had transformed as if she were a completely different person—lively and cheerful.
She’d begun taking a keen interest in managing the domain actively, preferring to spend her time on meaningful tasks rather than fussing over elaborate grooming or braiding her hair.
“Is that so?”
“Yes, truly—you look wonderful.”
Having finished brushing her teeth alone, Serena changed into a simple set of work clothes. Ever since coming to the estate, all her shimmering gowns had been shoved into the wardrobe, and this outfit was the compromise after much persuasion to dissuade her from wearing trousers.
“Wait, let me tie your hair for you.”
“I can do it myself.”
“Don’t rob me of my most basic duty.”
At Anna’s stubborn insistence, Serena pouted but silently surrendered her hair. Even though Serena insisted a simple high ponytail would suffice for ease of movement, Anna always made sure to add a pretty hairpin to fulfill her duty properly.
“What about Peter?”
“He’ll be here shortly.”
Life at Duke Astel’s estate followed a familiar routine. Serena rose early regardless of the day, and each morning began with the chief steward’s report.
“My lady, good morning.”
As usual, Chief Steward Peter arrived and offered Serena a brief, formal bow—his address more ceremonious than Anna’s.
“Right on time again. Any news?”
Her blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. Though her face looked as innocent and pure as a child’s, it also radiated a shrewdness surpassing any lord.
“Has the report on the Astel berry harvest come in yet?”
“The harvest is complete, and the yield report is being prepared…”
“Everyone must be busy making jam. Send the idle maids from the manor to help.”
With her platinum hair tied high in a single ponytail and adorned with a cute pin, Serena couldn’t hide her beauty—even in a plain dress without any embellishments.
“As you instructed last year, I’ve already sent them.”
“Well done. I’ll entrust you with inspecting the aging cellars again this year. Now that we’ve harvested, we can’t afford to ruin such hard-earned success.”
Serena grinned broadly, and in that natural, unadorned state, she was far more beautiful than when dressed extravagantly according to imperial customs. Her effortless charm was enough to make anyone on the street turn and look.
At twenty-four—long past the typical marriageable age in the empire—she should have been dismissed as a spinster, yet her very presence proved how meaningless others’ judgments truly were.
“It’s already the fourth year of the Astel berries.”
Anna spoke with renewed wonder.
“The craze for them continues even in the capital, doesn’t it?”
Six years ago, when Serena impulsively came down to the ducal estate, she ignored the steward’s suggestion to renovate the manor first and instead set out to explore the domain.
The peaceful tranquility of Astel—nestled beside towering mountain ranges and long riverbanks—shattered the moment Serena arrived.
—What’s this?
Serena roamed the estate, never ceasing to ask questions.
—Where exactly does the domain end?
Dressed in a simple gown, comfortable shoes, and carrying only a parasol, Serena soon became a local celebrity as she inspected every corner of the land.
—Hmm… Does this region have any specialty products? How do people make their living?
No matter how much they pleaded, she wouldn’t listen, so both Anna and Chief Steward Peter eventually gave up and simply followed in her wake.
—We work hard… to survive…
An old man, half-asleep, suddenly appeared and answered the young lady’s question.
—Astel grows lots of fruit!
On the day a farmer’s child, still ignorant of proper etiquette, said those words, Serena declared she would survey every type of crop grown across the entire domain.
—I want to know how the people of this domain live.
And that was only the beginning.
—How many households live here?
Each new question from Serena meant more busy people in the domain. Fortunately, the true lord—the Duke himself—remained absent, wandering elsewhere, leaving no one to curb Serena’s solo reign.
—Finally… I think I’m starting to understand Astel.
On the day she compiled all the answers gathered over a full month of relentless questioning, Serena smiled with satisfaction.
—It’s inefficient, but it has potential!
Her eyes shone brighter than ever as she muttered to herself, and a revolution unlike any the Astel duchy had ever seen began.
Serena issued a decree: she would personally hire capable individuals for necessary tasks, regardless of their social standing.
—I beg your pardon, but everyone in this duchy is a subject who bears and serves under the Astel ducal name.
—So?
—You need only give the order.
Though Chief Steward Peter offered this eminently sensible advice, Serena refused to relent.
—What I want isn’t servitude but a rational employment relationship. I need people who can think and act for themselves—not just blindly obey orders.
Back then, Serena was merely seen as an eccentric young lady. Neither the steward nor any of the domain’s residents understood what a “rational employment relationship” even meant.
—First, we must find Astel’s unique strengths.
Serena changed ceaselessly, as if she’d suddenly grown wings.
—Alright! Let’s hold a harvest festival and organize competitions!
At first, no one paid serious attention to the young lady’s seemingly odd suggestion.
Village elders whispered among themselves, wondering if this could really be the same lady now engaged to the Crown Prince, while adults merely worried about not offending their superiors.
“The Astel berries were the first thing I truly contributed to the domain.”
Serena returned to the present, smiling wistfully.
“When I first suggested holding a harvest festival upon arriving here, only the children genuinely joined in.”
“Yes, that’s right. Back then, no one understood what you were trying to do.”
Anna couldn’t forget her own bewilderment at the time. The Duke’s daughter, engaged to the Crown Prince, had not only abandoned high society but also proposed a harvest festival!
“What’s the situation this year, Peter?”
“As for the harvest festival, excitement is tremendous across all categories. The whole domain is buzzing.”
Serena lifted one corner of her lips in a satisfied smile. Considering that the first festival’s champion had been a mere twelve-year-old peasant boy named Mark, this was remarkable progress indeed.
—You…
—Yes! I’ve gathered five types of berries! They’re the most common in Astel—but also the tastiest!
The very first harvest festival had been little more than children’s play. Yet Serena neither scolded nor showed disappointment; instead, she carefully examined the crops and listened to the four participating children.
—What’s your name?
—I-I’m… Mark!
Seeing the boy’s nervousness, Serena reached out with her bare hand and ruffled his tousled hair.
—Good. This year’s first place goes to you, Mark.
—Me…?
—Of course, you deserve a prize. By the authority of the Duke’s deputy, I grant young Mark, winner of the harvest festival, three times the amount of taxes he paid this year.
Those words ignited a flame in every subject’s heart. That spark blazed fiercely, bearing fruit at the next year’s festival.
“People naturally grow greedy when something is called ‘special.’”
That held true in any world. In her past life, people had gone mad over words like “luxury brand” or “limited edition.”
“In truth, ‘Astel berries’ are just jams made from five common berries grown here—I simply gave them a name.”
“Naturally—it carries the noble name of Astel.”
Anna was only half right.
“Yes, and precisely to avoid tarnishing Astel’s name, we must always deliver consistent quality.”
A brand’s power was stronger than one might think. Serena leveraged the famed Astel name while simultaneously building trust that anything bearing it guaranteed quality.
“A merchant is coming this afternoon, actually. He wants to invest not only in Astel berries but also in Astel butter and fruit wine.”
“Next year, our first batch of fruit wine should finally mature.”
“Yes, thanks to your foresight, my lady.”
Peter no longer treated Serena merely as a duke’s daughter or a prospective Crown Princess. Ever since she began governing the duchy, his true master had become Serena—not the Duke.
“They say the children have prepared a play for this year’s harvest festival, just for you.”
“…Oh, they shouldn’t have gone to such trouble.”
In just six short years, the changes Serena brought to Astel had been immense.
Berries that once turned to waste after each season were now processed, sterilized, bottled as jam with pretty labels—and transformed into treasure that brought wealth to the domain, exactly as Serena had envisioned.
Moreover, Serena reinvested part of those profits into building wine cellars and schools, never hesitating to invest in the future.
“Astel has become the most prosperous place of all, thanks to your arrival, my lady. And this prosperity… will surely continue.”
Peter’s words carried deep meaning.
“Of course. I still have so much I want to do. So I’ll need to prepare for a trip to the empire soon.”
“Yes.”
Everyone understood her true intention, even without her saying it outright.
She was determined to sever the greatest chain binding her—once and for all.
When the male lead is punished by carrying the female lead’s child and having periods like a woman
“I’ve given birth to two children for you, yet you still think about him.
Was I nothing but his substitute to you from beginning to end?”
Synopsis:
Meng Huan, a scumbag who has dated countless girlfriends, transmigrates to a female-dominated country.
Day 1: Whether it’s female dominance or not doesn’t matter. The beauties here are passionate and amorous. Isn’t it easier to date them than in modern times?
Day 2: After a night, Meng Huan discovers the differences in the female-dominated world. Men here actually have chastity locks and menstrual cycles. This hinders his ability to perform, damn it!
Day 3: What’s wrong with sleeping around? I don’t want you to marry me. I’m meant to be a playboy. I don’t care about male virtues… What? You want to drown me in a pig cage? Marry, I’ll marry!
Day N: Meng Huan inexplicably vomits and receives the shocking news of his life… He’s pregnant.
_____
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MANGA DISCUSSION
5 Comments
Chapter Comments (52)
Do you have a height complex?
Did you remember for 6 years that Serena called you short?
Are you unemployed? I guess you have a lot of free time.Serena doesn’t want to see you, Lucas.
She wants to break off the engagement with you.
He misunderstood the situation completely.It would have been right not to write a letter.
If you had written, the crown prince might have gotten angry with you.
Inline Comments (14)
Could Lucas’s true aim really be Astel’s management secrets?
Dumb that’s just an excuse to speed time with you duh 🙄😒
That Lucas was the Crown Prince remained a secret within the duke’s household, a
I think it’s too late for you Serena 🤔😂😂 he took care of that
“Exactly. I was receiving a guest as acting Duke, not strolling as a young lady.
Disappointment? 🤔😏 What else was she expecting to? 😏😏😏
YOUR COMMENT
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agustus_orchid
Organizing and finding special events for the duchy requires a lot of time and planning.
Serena, you’re smart, baby.
agustus_orchid
You have turned the duchy into a brand. Creating a brand and making it known to drive high sales is difficult.
agustus_orchid
Serena, you have developed the region well. If you don’t get married, your father may give you the duchy.
agustus_orchid
Serena, you’re so cool.
You earned your own money and you’re a great manager.
agustus_orchid
I hope you break off the engagement.
If you can’t, don’t be too upset.