Grete turned to look at the door and was seen trudging over. She still had a small knife in her hand. Bainty looked for a place to run in surprise, but there was nowhere to go in the spacious living room.
The door swung open. Their eyes met—Grete’s headscarf askew, her hair disheveled. Bainty couldn’t help but look at the knife in Grete’s hand. The normally spiteful, sneering Grete now looked like a horrific demon risen from the underworld.
At that moment, Grete’s expression flipped like the back of a hand.
“Ba, Bainty…”
His voice trembling, Bainty became even more alarmed.
A moment ago, she was ransacking Ariante’s room like a madwoman. Where had that gone? Staring at Grete’s woeful face, about to drop tears any second, he was at a loss for words.
“Ha, have you seen it? Can you… help me?”
Bainty’s face paled. Licking his bluish lips, he spoke.
“What? What… are you asking for, exactly?”
Then Grete stomped her feet and pointed to the room with the small knife she was holding.
“While cleaning the princess’s room, a huge bug appeared. I almost fainted… And while I was distracted, it disappeared! What should I do? Bugs are poisonous. If it bites the princess… Bainty, can you help me find it? I don’t know where the others are…”
Bainty blinked a few times, his expression vacant. Grete’s voice and look were too perfect. Had he not peeked through the crack in the door earlier, he might have been fooled by Grete.
Grete continued.
“An, and you… told me earlier. The princess… prepared a gift for Count Heidern and Meiana.”
“So?”
Bainty sharply retorted. Grete twitched her shoulders as usual, her freckled cheeks reddening as she hesitated.
“We, well, the gift might… I don’t know where it is, but if it’s in a box… Bugs could crawl into it, right? So please… help me.”
“I don’t want to. Why should I? And you messed up the room for that reason? How will you deal with this?”
“I’ll, I’ll clean it up! But…”
“Figure it out yourself. Why should I care if it’s a bug or a snake? The princess plays with such toys all the time. It might have been a toy you saw.”
Disdainfully, Bainty turned his back. He felt Grete still standing behind him, staring at him… But he heard no crying, no pleas to stop him. That was what sent shivers down Bainty’s spine.
‘What on earth is happening? That girl must be completely mad!’
Without looking back, Bainty left the room with a cold demeanor. Grete’s eyes followed him.
“Arrogant fool… We’ll see how long you can keep that up.”
Her dark voice flowed out like a ghost, blending with the disheveled room.
When the carriage arrived in the village, Ariante asked Meiana for shoes and a cane. But Meiana hesitated to open the box and then spoke.
“Upon consideration, Your Highness, I think it would be too much for you to walk on that ankle.”
“What? Then what?”
Grinning mischievously, Meiana looked at Sediloi.
“Count, could you carry Her Highness?”
Sedilroy’s blue eyes gazed intently at Meiana. Meiana knew he had seen through her intentions but decided to brazenly continue. What could go wrong? Was it such a big deal for a father to carry his daughter? Especially when she had hurt her ankle; it was only natural.
Ariante was the one who was restless.
“I can walk, Father. It’s hard for you.”
But Meiana continued to look only at Sedilroy. She crossed her arms, waiting for a response, and didn’t even touch the box.
Ariante hesitated between the two, looking to escape from Sedilroy’s arms at any moment.
“Of course. If Ariante… is not uncomfortable.”
And then Sedilroy pulled Ariante’s small body into his arms and looked down at her.
“Do you want to walk yourself, Ariante? Or would you prefer your father to carry you?”
Ariante mumbled in a hushed tone, her ears turning red.
“It’s hard for you, Father…”
Meiana spoke.
“Your Highness, it’s okay. Haven’t you always said that His Grace is the strongest? Why worry so much?”
Ariante glanced at Meiana. The look meant to stop unnecessary words, but Meiana, unlike usual, deliberately ignored the child’s expression. She then flung open the carriage door and stepped out.
“Both of you, come down.”
Silently, Sedilroy stepped out of the carriage, tightly holding Ariante. Ariante clung to Sedilroy’s coat as if she would never let go, her eyes still searching for a place to rest.
Sedilroy reassured Ariante.
“There are many people, so hold on tight to your father.”
Ariante nodded her small head. The three of them moved toward the back of the marketplace, where windmills were visible.
Even though it was the back, there were plenty of stalls and shops, bustling with people. Ariante looked around in wonder, turning her head and eyes, her lips slightly trembling as if she wanted to ask something. If she had been alone with Meiana, her lips wouldn’t have stopped moving.
“Your Highness, do you know what that is?”
Meiana pointed to a stall, causing Sedilroy and Ariante to simultaneously react. At that moment, Meiana thought that the two strangely resembled each other.
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
