In Lord Lev’s eyes, which had been filled with anticipation, a very subtle sense of disappointment spread. But this much was expected. If it weren’t for the excuse related to Yuan, he wouldn’t even have dared to mention such things to his nephew.
The phrase “I will consider it” itself carried significant meaning. It was a sign that Claude might finally be envisioning a better future.
Lord Lev, pushing away distracting thoughts, watched Claude briskly handle the piled-up tasks in front of him. Perhaps the blueprint of Roxenhart, the commercial city that would be realized much earlier than Claude initially expected, was filling up there.
No matter how hard one tried to deny it, there were things that could never be hidden.
“My happiness is like that too.”
Lord Lev lowered his face, overwhelmed with emotion.
“Feeding, clothing, and showing good things to my wife and children… and with Empress Eleanor’s blessings, my happiness solely revolves around such things. The kind that Your Highness used to scoff at not long ago.”
Claude’s quill, moving rapidly, momentarily paused and then resumed its pace.
“In retrospect, that kind of happiness isn’t bad at all.”
“Starting again. Now I can memorize the lines too. There are times when my brother-in-law says such things as if he’s making me look happy.”
“At least you don’t seem unhappy.”
“…….”
“The fact that you are thinking about the future is touching to me.”
Claude, who had been swiftly moving the quill, put it down roughly.
Whether Lord Lev looked at him with a vague gaze or not.
He, with clenched fists, stared at the painkillers in front of him for a while, then tore open one packaged with cool water and swallowed it.
“…I can’t love you, so this is all I can do.”
Claude showed Lev a twisted and dark smile of courtesy.
Even after swallowing it, he tightly gripped the insufficient painkiller package in his large hand, as if he could crush it.
The news of Lord Lev’s departure with the words “Debutante in Lordship” left for the young maids who envied it as if it only existed in dreams was as explosive as a cannonball.
“Madam. Do you have to believe me entirely?”
“Monica, you always only take care of that shitty appearance. How can you adorn a madam without even being able to tie your hair properly?”
“Such chores are for you, Henna! High-class staff like me only give orders. Right, Canary?”
“Don’t talk about shitty hands. You were about to miss the curfew time because you were gossiping at the tailor’s shop. Madam, the housekeeper knows all about your attempt to laze around using madam as an excuse.”
In the drawing-room, where she hastily summoned the tailor Michelle, the maids were quarreling. Yuan sat blankly among the chattering maids.
Even during the serious discussion between Michelle and Monica about reviewing the dress they had recently sewn, discussing how the hair ornament should be or how the neckline should be, he seemed to be dreaming.
“I’m already married… Is there any meaning to a debutante? Rather than that, did Your Highness permit such a noisy event?”
“Lord Lev personally mentioned it, so don’t worry, Madam. You are just going as an invited guest, so you can mingle with the girls and enjoy yourself. He emphasized not to feel pressured,” replied Butler Gustaf gently.
Claude was draped in pure white organza, apricot, and pale pink silk consecutively, suitable for a debutante. The girls were more excited than Yuan, who looked somewhat flustered. Henna approached quickly and whispered.
“Madam, His Highness will treat you well, just say thank you and accept it. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You even skipped the wedding; this should be okay!”
Yuan managed a slight smile, lifting the corners of his mouth, but as Henna’s gaze shifted to the fabric, her face became blurry again.
‘I wonder if His Highness really thinks of Princess Apolline when he looks at me.’
If not, she couldn’t understand why he continued to treat her well despite not having much interest in her.
There was no man to hold a debutante for a married lady. No, he didn’t know for sure, but there probably wasn’t.
Princess Apolline, who was the same age as Yuan and is now deceased, would have been in full preparation as the protagonist of the palace debutante ball at this time.
‘Maybe Madam is reminiscent of Princess Apolline.’
The face of Henna choosing pearls to decorate the dress looked like that day.
Well, whatever the reason.
Living with him and his family in this house was more important.
‘If I think of him as my brother… then it works.’
The heart that had suppressed Claude’s pain throbbed painfully.
Yuan, with a pale face, managed a faint smile and blended in with the maids who were fiddling with the fabrics.
-Tok.
“M-Madam!”
“Madam! This handkerchief-.”
A few drops of bright red blood fell on the white organza.
“Huh?”
Yuan quickly wiped the blood with his hand.
It was an unexpected nosebleed.
“You’ve been pushing yourself lately! I can’t live like this!”
Henna, looking upset, quickly brought more things to wipe.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
