However, the Emperor walked alone, talking to himself.
“Thanks to extorting war indemnities from those thorny Baden guys as much as possible, the storage of funds in the baggage compartment will be very abundant for a while. With talents like yours, the North will be robust.”
The last words were a blatant order to listen, and Valentin’s knights all nodded in unison.
“Indeed, you are the light of Ansgar.”
The Emperor smiled with satisfaction, extending his hand.
“You must have worked hard coming all this way. It was unnecessary to detain someone exhausted. Go and rest now. We’ll see each other at the evening banquet.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As Valentin bowed according to etiquette, the Emperor gestured as if to say that he had received enough greetings, clapping his hands.
Then, swiftly turning around, he led the nobles back up the stairs.
As Adele straightened her slightly bowed waist, the Emperor’s chamberlain approached her.
“Please board the carriage. His Majesty has given specific instructions to provide separate accommodations.”
“Separate accommodations?”
“Yes. Although it’s not far in terms of location, it would be somewhat challenging to walk.”
People hastily boarded the carriages again, although the chamberlain’s statement that it was ‘not far’ turned out to be quite an understatement, and they traveled for quite some time.
“All right, we have arrived.”
The carriage finally stopped at a place that seemed like a smaller version of the main palace.
In Pragma, there were twelve additional palaces apart from the main one, and among them, the building assigned to Ansgar was the one closest to the main palace.
Adele admired the luxurious garden, training ground, and the spacious accommodation for the knights, which could comfortably accommodate fifteen people.
“This way.”
As she got off the carriage, the chamberlain, who was closely attached to her, led the way and guided her along the path. Adele observed Valentin being escorted to a nearby room and then entered the door that the chamberlain opened.
The room was spacious and comfortable. The furnishings were all splendid, and sunlight poured gently through the large eastern windows.
“Greetings,
Quick-witted, Adele promptly nodded in agreement with the maid’s suggestion. She was already feeling uncomfortable with the sweat clinging to her.
She wanted to get out of these dirty clothes as soon as possible.
“Please.”
The maid immediately left the room and soon returned with servants carrying a basin of boiling water.
The maids skillfully mixed the hot water from the basin with cold water from a jug, filling the bathtub and adding dried flower petals and fragrant oils.
A pleasant, refreshing scent wafted through the air.
“Everything is ready.”
Adele declined the maids’ offer to assist her in undressing and quickly removed her clothes, slipping into the water.
As she immersed herself in the warm water, the nerves that had been on edge from the long journey gradually settled.
“How is the water temperature? Shall I add more flower petals?”
“Please extend your arm for a moment. I will use a cloth to gently wash you.”
The maids, arranged specifically for her bath, made polite requests one after another.
The culture in the South, where people from one to ten relied on the hands of servants, now felt unfamiliar. Of course, back in Rayhana, Greta was the only maid who volunteered for such tasks.
‘Greta.’
Thinking of the old nursemaid brought a twinge to one side of Adele’s chest.
During her stay in the capital, Adele planned to do her best to find out about Greta’s whereabouts.
The capital had a mercenary group with a dense information network covering Denburg as a whole. Through that channel, she might somehow hear news.
If she were lucky, even locating Greta might be possible.
‘She wouldn’t have returned to Rayhana… Then the problem is how to contact the mercenary group. How can I briefly escape from the palace?’
If there were the impertinent Yannick, he would have been a great help in such matters, but unfortunately, he had chosen to stay at the castle to receive education as the next steward.
It was hard to believe that the whining brat was the strict Herman’s nephew.
While anxiously pondering her options, the maids gently kneaded her tense shoulders with hands coated in fragrant oils.
Adele let out a satisfied sigh as she sank bit by bit into the water.
“Your hair is so lovely.”
“And the color, too. Perhaps it’s as golden as silk.”
“It perfectly matches the Duke’s eye color.”
The maids generously created foam from the soap and meticulously massaged every corner of her hair, rinsing it thoroughly until no soap suds remained. The discomfort from not having properly bathed for several days was washed away, leaving her feeling refreshed.
As her body soaked in the warm water, relaxed under the skillful attention, drowsiness gently crept in.
“Are you awake?”
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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