After winter, every Upris girl’s dream – the royal debutante ball, accessible only to those connected to the imperial family, would begin.
It was the stage Regina had dreamed of from her days living unrecognized and treated as non-noble outside the estate. A stage that could change her life.
To shine the brightest on that stage, she needed to bring along a suitable partner, like a man from the wealthy Traloni earldom with vast estates.
Regina quickly hid a letter bearing the emblem of the Traloni earldom, which she spotted among the pile brought by a maid.
Pacing the drawing room with an anxious face, Regina glared at the wall of the drawing room, where the portraits of former Peliesse earls were prominently displayed. They had been bothering her eyes for a while.
‘Damned ravens.’
Whenever she planned to invite girls of her age, they alternated glances between her and those portraits with black hair and black eyes.
Regina, with red hair and green eyes, felt alienated simply for not sharing their color. She fled from the judging faces of her ancestors, clutching the letter to her chest, and ran to her room.
Crawling under her bed, she pulled out a box. Inside the box were piles of letters of various sizes.
The letters, filled with inquiries about Yuan, were sent diligently to this estate over the past year by Louise Peliesse.
Regina randomly picked a letter and examined it under the chandelier light. Louise’s letters, apart from detailed inquiries, showed no signs of suspicion.
For the past year, while secretly intercepting these letters, Yuan seemed no different from usual.
Over the past year, even though Regina secretly intercepted the letters, Yuan appeared no different than usual.
She seemed to be waiting for her sister’s letters occasionally, but if she had been truly desperate for them, she would have searched the servants’ quarters, no matter what it took.
‘In the end, she didn’t care about what happened to Louise either.’
How else could she have so eagerly followed Earl Compani right away?
Pretending to be a victim, she had only blamed the family that took her in. If you think about it, Yuan must have been a heartless kind who never shed a tear over her sister’s death.
Regina carelessly folded the letter and put it back in the box, then stealthily opened the letter from the Traloni Earl’s House that she had secretly brought with her.
The letter was densely written by Dreikub Traloni, the third son of the Traloni Earl.
It was a persuasive letter, urging her to reconsider his proposal to marry him, expressing that his feelings were genuine and that his family was willing to split even a small domain if he truly desired.
‘A proposal? That could have been a disaster!’
The fact that Dreikub Traloni had sent a proposal, not just because he liked Yuan, but also a letter of proposal?
Had Yuan not left the mansion, it would have been a suggestion that would have utterly dismayed Prisilla, not to mention her father Garett Peliesse’s longing for a domain.
A girl receiving proposals before her debutante ball naturally attracts attention.
Especially if the news spread that the Countess of Peliesse, not even a high noble, was receiving proposals even before her debutante ball?
If Regina were the protagonist of that rumor, it was natural for her to be the most noticed at the debutante ball!
Regina’s green eyes lingered over the words ‘Countess of Peliesse.’
A young noble, just knighted.
The recklessness of wanting to marry someone he hadn’t even spoken to, bringing a domain if necessary.
Dreikub Traloni must have fallen for her face without even knowing Yuan’s name.
Choosing a partner for the debutante ball at the royal palace was a headache.
Having her overweight father beside her wouldn’t look good, and being with her equally ‘half-noble’ brother, Frederic, wouldn’t bring any honor.
Moreover, Regina, who grew up as a commoner in her childhood, had no noble friends to ask for such a favor.
‘Dreikub Traloni is perfect.’
In terms of beauty, she was far superior to the gloomy raven, Yuan Peliesse.
Regina was confident that Dreikub Traloni would fall in love with her at first sight and began writing a response to his letter.
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
