That brat is at it again.
‘No. He’s been less frequent lately, so it’s been a while, hasn’t it?’
Ever since the announcement of the heir to the throne, Jeff had visited less often, claiming that it would distract from his studies. It was better for me as I had more time alone and didn’t have to entertain him, but it seemed like he had reached his limit.
Originally, a maid or servant should notify me of the visitor and get my permission before opening the door. However, when I allowed them to just come in, out of laziness, I realized how eagerly the Emperor himself had waited for this moment when he personally opened the door.
It was almost funny, resembling the behavior my pet dog Happy would show during mealtime when I had reincarnated as a hunter in the past.
But, he was the talent I had chosen as the heir to the throne, so thinking lightly of him would lower the standard of my own judgment. So, I decided to ignore the thought I just had.
‘Well, it’s Jeff, so nobody said anything.’
Somehow, the maid outside the door had been quiet.
Jeff must have jokingly asked her to be quiet before entering. I knew it without even looking.
Moreover, there was no harm to the Emperor’s dignity, and everyone in the castle knew about his special treatment toward me.
Our lord is at it again, they would think to themselves.
It was only natural to let it slide, considering how he had doted on me from infancy until now, as a 10-year-old, to the point where my skin wrinkled like a dried squid.
“Isn’t it work time right now?”
I pushed away the clinging Bobbi and spat out.
Next, I waited for Jeff’s answer while tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear and rubbing my itchy lower eyelids with the back of my hand.
Thump.
Late to shut the door, Jeff approached me with increasing sparkle. He looked like a wilting plant miraculously reviving.
‘Soon my eyes will rot.’
I mentally prepared myself for the impending situation.
Jeff clasped his hands and began to fiddle with his forefinger. Then, puckering his lips like a fish, he blinked.
“I missed our daughter so much~ I couldn’t focus on my official duties~.”
I was relieved he didn’t just plant a kiss on me, but it still gave me the chills. I rubbed my left forearm and looked at him skeptically.
This would have been fine if he had no prior record, but when Jeff acted this way, the burden usually fell on Eshan, tied down in the office to handle the paperwork instead.
So, my tone came out a little rough.
“You’re not goofing off, are you?”
My eyes pierced into him, full of knowing. Jeff shut his mouth for a moment and broke into a cold sweat, looking left and right, proving my suspicion was correct.
“No, no!”
What do you mean no? I folded my arms and shook my head sideways.
‘Do you think I wouldn’t know the Emperor’s schedule when I was the crowned prince?’
You don’t know because I can’t tell you, but I know it all. I sighed and swallowed the words that had reached the tip of my tongue.
“Just sit down. How long are you planning to stand?”
I gestured toward the opposite sofa with a nod. Jeff awkwardly grinned and scratched the back of his head.
“Our daughter is really sharp. But really, I wasn’t goofing off.”
Whether he was stuck on the ‘goofing off,’ Jeff continued to chatter once he sat on the soft cushion.
He had worked tirelessly all morning to visit me and had allocated his breaks to come and see me, he added.
“Yes, yes.”
Even if that’s true, what do you expect me to do? It just sounded like an excuse. I dug into my ear with one finger, finding it unnecessarily verbose. I then ordered the maid.
“My throat is parched. Bring some tea and snacks for my father and me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Miranda and Emily quickly appeared, pushing a cart laden with a plate of cookies and cups of tea.
Clatter—
Soon enough, a cup of red herbal tea was placed in front of Jeff, and in front of me was a cup of lukewarm tea brewed with water.
I would have preferred hot chocolate, but having consumed too many sweets lately, I was slightly put off by chocolate. A maid with good intuition brought me something mild to soothe my stomach.
I took a quick sip of the tea, feeling as if the complexities in my stomach caused by Jeff’s prattling were washed away, leaving me refreshed.
‘What should I say?’
Having nothing specific to discuss, I was lost in thought while munching on a cookie.
‘Ah, that’s right! I need to ask about the envoy. I completely forgot.’
If I don’t ask now, I might forget later. Driven by curiosity about the envoy’s intentions for inviting me under the pretext of talking to Jeff, I decided it was now or never.
“Dad.”
“Hmm?”
Jeff was about to take another sip of his tea.
“Why did the envoy call you to the temple last time?”
I wanted to probe more deeply into why he was friendly with the envoy, how they became close, and if there was any hidden agenda at Ariel Temple. However, to avoid appearing overly obsessive, I framed the question moderately.
Whoosh—
What a disaster.
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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