My Discarded Fiancé Returned (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 6
Having ridden his horse nonstop all day, Dalrija, the Astel territory was now right before his eyes. Lucas halted on a hill overlooking the entire estate.
“Hmm.”
Even though twilight was dimly falling, the whole territory shone as brightly as the imperial capital itself.
“How strange.”
Cedric tied their two horses to a nearby tree and stood beside Lucas, who was gazing down at the valley below.
“Why do you say that, Your Highness?”
“Didn’t I tell you to call me ‘my lord’!”
Lucas jabbed Cedric lightly in the ribs. Though born of noble blood and naturally gifted, Lucas—despite being only twenty—possessed remarkable insight and exceptional experience, yet still retained a boyish stubbornness.
“I… No, my lord. Hitting me like that actually hurts now.”
Just a few years ago, Lucas’s playful taps had carried no real strength, but now his robust frame delivered careless blows that made poor Cedric wince.
“Just consider it training.”
Lucas shamelessly declared, then swiftly turned his head to look back down at the estate.
“Look. Doesn’t something seem off?”
At his words, Cedric followed Lucas’s gaze. True to Astel’s famed fertility, vast farmlands stretched out below, and smoke curled from the chimney of every house.
“To my eyes, it looks like an ordinary agricultural estate.”
Cedric’s reply made Lucas click his tongue in annoyance.
“Then all those years traveling across the empire were wasted on you.”
The past six years of wandering the empire had hardened more than just his body. The insights gained by this mere twenty-year-old Crown Prince were unmatched by anyone.
“The farmland is overwhelmingly extensive, yet something feels out of place.”
Lucas raised his hand to point at an unfamiliar building.
“Have we ever seen structures like that while traveling the empire?”
Indeed, upon closer inspection, Cedric noticed several buildings with unfamiliar shapes.
“And it’s far too bright.”
Lucas narrowed his eyes, widening his view.
“This isn’t even a district where capital nobles reside—how can it possibly be so brightly lit at night?”
Normally, when observing other territories, he could immediately spot the lord’s residence—the only house glowing brightly in the darkness.
But here in Astel, the entire village was bathed in a warm, luminous glow.
“Wasn’t it said that Astel, already a fertile territory, recently earned great profits by distributing specialty goods?”
They’d heard rumors about Astel berries—even without actively seeking information, the fame had reached them naturally.
“Do you really believe that merely selling handmade goods branded with the estate’s name could make all its commoners this prosperous?”
Through his six years of wandering, Lucas had come to understand many truths—beyond the sheltered life of the imperial palace or the capital’s elite streets, he’d witnessed the real lives of ordinary people.
“There’s something here in Astel.”
What Lucas saw now was more than just a prosperous estate.
Most peasants, no matter how hard they worked, still worried about surviving winter, and the farther one traveled from the capital, the more even local lords often lived in poverty.
“That must be the Duke’s manor.”
In the direction Lucas was looking stood an exceptionally large mansion. Judging by its antique architectural style, it appeared quite old, and above all, a banner bearing the Duke’s crest fluttered proudly from its roof.
“Let’s go there first.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Hearing Cedric’s loyal reply, Lucas shot him a displeased glare.
“How many times must I tell you? Call me ‘my lord.’ I’m a knight, and you’re my squire.”
“Yes, my lord…”
Lucas never changed his mind once decided—it meant they were stuck with this foolish charade.
“First, as usual, pack the items bearing the imperial crest and anything that looks valuable into a sack. Just in case, cover them with some worthless things on top.”
“Hmm. That’s not a bad idea—for you.”
Cedric hurriedly sorted a few items into a large leather sack, placing shabby clothes on top—a trick they’d learned from Lucas’s fondness for incognito travels.
“Uh, Your Highness.”
Normally, they wouldn’t seek lodging directly at a lord’s residence like this, but nothing revealed the truth of a territory better than entering it without revealing the Crown Prince’s identity.
“How many times must I tell you to call me ‘my lord’ before it sinks in?”
“Sigh… Yes, my lord. If the Lord of Astel is at fault, will you handle it as you usually do?”
Many corrupt lords had lost their heads due to the Crown Prince’s eccentric hobby—making him a curse to some and a blessing to others. Cedric was subtly asking whether the Crown Prince’s own fiancée might also fall under his scrutiny.
“Don’t ask questions I didn’t ask—it’s noisy.”
For once, Lucas avoided answering directly, pulling an old hood from his pack and pulling it over his head. Cedric could only silently follow. He could only hope the Crown Prince’s fiancée wouldn’t coldly turn away his incognito visit.
[This is the timeline separator]Serena had just finished preparing for bed when, unusually, Peter requested an audience. Even Anna, who was checking on her mistress’s sleeping arrangements, tilted her head in curiosity.
“My Lady, forgive the intrusion at this late hour.”
Peter bowed immediately. Since Peter always adhered strictly to etiquette, his presence in her chambers at this hour surely meant something important.
“It’s fine. What is it?”
“A servant on watch reported that a wandering knight arrived just now, requesting lodging.”
“A wandering knight? Do those really exist?”
Serena looked puzzled at the unfamiliar term. Though she’d lived in Astel territory for six years, this was her first encounter with such a case.
“Such individuals do occasionally appear.”
“Then why report it to me instead of handling it yourself? You’re perfectly capable.”
Peter was cautious and competent—Serena valued these qualities highly and entrusted him, as Chief Steward, with managing the manor’s affairs.
“Something about them felt suspicious.”
“How so?”
“Their hood and luggage looked shabby, but their boots were remarkably clean and made of fine leather.”
It certainly seemed suspicious, yet not enough to jump to conclusions.
“I only caught a glimpse, but the face beneath the hood was also strikingly refined—almost like a noble from the capital.”
As Chief Steward of the promising House of Astel, Peter had naturally met many people in the capital and developed a sharp eye.
“What exactly did they say?”
“A tall man claimed to be a wandering knight, and his companion identified himself as a squire. They said their journey was delayed due to rough roads and asked to stay at the Duke’s manor for one night. They also wished to pay respects to the local lord at dawn.”
Serena fell silent for a moment, then looked at Peter.
“Indeed suspicious. Astel already has many fine inns, and everyone knows our lord is constantly traveling the continent.”
“That’s precisely what I wanted to mention. The servant who received them clearly stated they were speaking to the acting lord. They must have known beforehand that you represent the Duke.”
Moreover, Peter quickly added,
“The one claiming to be a wandering knight showed an imperial travel pass. I’ve seen such items a few times before—I’m certain it was genuine.”
Now Serena understood why Peter had felt compelled to report this. An imperial travel pass wasn’t something an ordinary wandering knight could possess.
How could someone like a mere wandering knight carry the same pass used by someone of Duke Astel’s standing to travel freely across the continent?
“If the pass is genuine, they’re certainly no common vagrants. Besides, lately, how many people have shown interest in our Astel?”
Though she didn’t know their identity or intentions, it was clear they wanted to meet Serena herself—the one who had brought Astel its current prosperity.
“Could they be spies seeking Astel’s internal secrets?”
“No. If they were spies, they wouldn’t openly pose as suspicious wandering knights and produce a continental travel pass.”
Peter nodded in agreement with Serena’s logical reasoning.
“My Lady is right. Shall I make an excuse and refuse them?”
Serena paused briefly, then shook her head. The other party was an unknown individual carrying an imperial travel pass—and in a way, this felt like a direct challenge to her.
“I’ll accept them. But since they’re hiding their status, they’ll have to tolerate somewhat inadequate hospitality.”
Serena’s blue eyes sparkled mischievously as one corner of her mouth curled upward.
“Anna, weren’t you recently preparing that unused guest wing?”
“Yes, but the furniture is still covered in cloth—it’s not suitable for receiving guests.”
The suspicious visitors had requested lodging, and Serena had no intention of giving them proper guest treatment—making it the perfect place.
“It doesn’t matter. They’re not guests—they’re scouts with hidden motives.”
Astel’s reputation grew by the day. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone finally sent scouts to uncover its secrets.
“As acting Duke of Astel, I’ll accept this challenge.”
Serena’s blue eyes gleamed with confidence.
Astel was her dream and her achievement. She had nothing to fear or hide from any spy—in fact, she almost wanted to show it off proudly.
When yandere male lead believes she loves him — but she never did
“How dare you!”
“How dare you make me love you, only to cast me aside as nothing more than a friend?!?
“I will never accept that.”
“I will never let you return to him.”
“Even if I have to burn myself to ashes.”
“Even if I must shatter my purity, my dignity, my very soul.”
“I will never let you escape me!”
This was the first novel that introduced me to the matriarchal genre. I’ve read it three times already!
At first, the male lead despised the female lead. Later, he misunderstood that she liked him, so he condescendingly and reluctantly reciprocated her feelings.
Then, he suddenly discovered that she was kind to everyone in the same way, and there was already someone she cherished in her heart, and that person was not him.
The male lead couldn’t believe it, he became angry and crazy. He was determined to capture her body and heart by any means necessary.
Synopsis:
Want to see how a green tea bitch male lead falls in love with the female lead?
Want to see how he flirtatiously pursues the female lead?
Want to see how he gets slapped in the face repeatedly?
The male lead is a green tea bitch, a poisonous lotus, jealous, ruthless, unscrupulous, with a venomous heart, and he’s also a delusional maniac.
The female lead is righteous, positive energy-filled, kind, a holy mother.
Let’s see how two people with extreme personalities come together~
_____
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MANGA DISCUSSION
4 Comments
Chapter Comments (41)
Why should Serena care about you? You were the one who behaved badly at the engagement party.
It wasn’t me. I’m just a reader.Being successful and beautiful can sometimes cause problems.
You handled the Grand Duke’s tactics well, Serena.As I predicted, he became obsessed with Serena when she rejected him.
That’s how much men’s brains work.
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? 😏😏😏
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agustus_orchid
Lucas, you’ve started acting a bit smarter. I’m surprised.
It’s the emperor’s job to watch over and protect his people.
well done lucas
agustus_orchid
Serena is a fair lord.
She is someone who cares about the people of the region and develops the area.
agustus_orchid
Make Serena regret coming to spy on Lucas for you.
Serena, you can do it.
agustus_orchid
Lucas, don’t make it so obvious that you desperately want to see Serena.