Margaret said, holding up a cloak adorned with fox fur. Adel smiled vaguely and shook her head.
“I already prepared several cloaks, Margaret.”
“But… you didn’t prepare a cloak with fox fur.”
“The temperature in the capital isn’t as cold as it is here.”
“This white fox is a very rare catch only found in the north. If Your Highness wears it, no one in Ansgar will dare to look down on it as the possession of a poor barbarian tribe.”
Margaret generally followed her wishes, but once she started to insist, there was no way she would back down.
Instead of engaging in a dispute, Adel nodded her head.
“I understand. But don’t forget to prepare other things besides my cloak. I’m not the protagonist of this event, it’s not me, but Val…”
“…”
Adel, who was about to mention Valentin unintentionally, quickly bit her lip.
Margaret, with a busy expression on her face that had suddenly become sullen, rummaged through the bags here and there for no apparent reason.
Adel was thankful for this unobtrusive consideration.
“…”
It was no longer a secret that she had been unilaterally ignoring Valentin from one day on.
Anyone in Ansgar Castle knew that.
If they happened to meet in the corridor, a cold wind would blow, and there was no way they wouldn’t notice.
Of course, it was solely Adel’s unilateral disregard. Valentin, with a face full of lingering regret, dared not approach.
He stayed fixed in place, not moving an inch, until the hostess completely disappeared from his sight…
No matter how biased the perspective, the conclusion drawn by the servants was inevitable.
“Perhaps you have committed some dreadful mistake?”
At Margaret’s quiet question, Adel looked up.
It was the first time this quiet and considerate maid had directly or indirectly asked about that day.
Since the moment they decided to bring her in as the mistress, Margaret had always been loyal.
They weren’t a warm and affectionate family like the Gretas, but whenever she needed someone, Margaret was there.
So, Adel could be honest with Margaret.
“To be honest, I don’t know.”
“He must have been deeply disappointed to the point where he didn’t want to think about it again…”
“…”
Well, was he deeply disappointed? Intentionally detaching her thoughts from that day, now, even the emotions she felt at that time were faint.
It remained as a feeling of resentment, stuck like a trace of dried glue, and he still seemed embarrassing to her.
“Forgiveness is probably difficult for you?”
Adel stared out the window in silence, not affirming or denying Margaret’s words.
Perhaps. If he had given a proper explanation from that day, she might have forgiven him long ago.
Even if it was difficult to explain, if he had convinced her several times to make it understandable. If he had been so persistent.
Rather than letting go of everything as if giving up, now she was even angry about that.
“Your Highness.”
Adel woke up from reverie at someone’s call.
Yanik, who came with various account books as an errand from the steward, appeared frozen in place, standing awkwardly under Margaret’s fierce gaze.
It seemed he caught on to some kind of disdainful remark from Adel, a perfect opportunity to probe into the events of that day, but Yanik seemed to have understood some criticism and spoke hesitantly.
“Um… Should I come back another time?”
“No. What’s the matter?”
“The steward has sent information about next month’s budget. We need to forge new weapons, so the iron order is particularly high. Also, with the coming of spring, there’s a request to reinforce the defense of the barrier against monsters, which has increased expenses a bit.”
Yanik spread out thick account books on the table and provided a brief explanation. Adel nodded.
“Ah, thank you. I’ll go through it slowly if you leave it here.”
“And below this is the list of the knights who will escort both of you to the palace. I request that you confirm this by today.”
“…Isn’t the affairs of the knight order under the jurisdiction of His Grace the Grand Duke?”
“Well…”
Yanik hesitated to respond to her remark, looking as if he found it difficult to explain.
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
