Especially Jena, as soon as their eyes met, she approached, embraced Alicia’s shoulders, and comforted her.
“It’s okay, Alicia. It’s natural to be worried.”
“Huh?”
“You don’t have to act strong in front of me.”
While Alicia was looking at Jena with a puzzled expression, William spoke to the empress.
“It would be best to let Miss Lancaster go early.”
“……That would be for the best.”
“I will escort her. Then.”
William bid farewell to the empress and approached Alicia.
“Miss Lancaster. Shall we go?”
“But is it really okay to go, Your Highness?”
“Of course. The empress has given her permission.”
Of course, Alicia also wanted to leave this place quickly, but she was taken aback by the sudden departure.
But William, looking at the worried Alicia, nodded to reassure her and moved forward, escorting her.
Beside him, Jena walked, supporting Alicia as if propping her up.
William asked Jena, who was doing so, with a puzzled expression.
“But who is she?”
“I’m Jena Healey, Your Highness. A friend of Alicia’s.”
“Ah, I see.”
“I will make sure Alicia gets home safely, so don’t worry.”
“Jena. That’s not necessary.”
“It’s okay. What’s wrong with having a good friend? Just relax.”
What on earth is happening?
Alicia finally closed her mouth.
Something has gone horribly wrong.
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]“Are you here?”
“Yes, I’m here.”
The Duchess who visited Count Russel’s place entered the reception room with Alicia, who had come to greet her.
“Uh, mother?”
Noticing a seemingly angry expression, Alicia nervously asked.
“You should have told me about such a thing.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“The empress’s tea party.”
“Oh, yes. I came back well. The empress’s palace and the rose garden were really splendid.”
“Not that. Did anything happen?”
“Nothing happened?”
Not understanding what she was talking about, Alicia looked at the Duchess with wide eyes.
At her expression, the Duchess sighed as if frustrated. And got even angrier.
‘How low do they think the Gloucester Ducal House is to treat my daughterinlaw in such a way.’
She did not expect the empress, considering her temperament and the current situation, to be nice to Alicia.
And hadn’t Alicia even cried that day?
How much must she have been hurt to cry there?
Poor thing.
“Oh my, you’re too naive.”
“Huh?”
“You don’t have to do that to me. I know well about the empress’s temperament.”
“Uhhuh.”
Finding it hard to respond, Alicia just closed her mouth.
Her appearance was heartaching, and the Duchess held Alicia’s hand tightly with both her hands.
“?”
“Just don’t worry about anything. If anything like this happens again, tell me.”
“Yes. Mother.”
“Good. Then I have important business to attend to, so I’ll go.”
“You’re leaving already?”
“I’d love to leisurely have tea and chat, but I have something I must do today.”
As she was about to turn around and leave, the Duchess looked at Alicia pityingly.
“Stay strong.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
The duchess hurriedly left after a quick look at Alicia, who responded out of the blue.
‘Why did she even come? She was so dressed up, I thought she’d invite me somewhere. But what do I have to be strong for?’
Finding no such reason in her mind, Alicia stared quizzically at the swiftly departing carriage of the duchess.
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]“The Duchess of Gloucester was here?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The empress put down the fan she had been nervously fluttering on the table.
She was even more annoyed as she guessed why the duchess had come.
But the Duchess of Gloucester was a royal relative and her influence was significant, so she couldn’t be ignored.
Judging by her unannounced visit, she must already know about the empress’s schedule for the day and there was no reasonable excuse to offer.
“Show her to the reception room.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Soon, the two sitting facetoface in the reception room smiled outwardly, lifting their teacups.
“Is this green tea from Arande Mountain?”
“Yes, Duchess.”
“I see. Our Alicia also loves this tea.”
“It seemed so. It was served at the tea party too.”
Hearing this, the Duchess of Gloucester put down her teacup with a slight smile.
Although she was clearly smiling, it didn’t seem so, which made the empress startle unconsciously and quickly raise her teacup to hide her face.
“How did you find her, Your Majesty? Our new child.”
‘New child, my foot. We haven’t even had the engagement ceremony. When did you see her to call her your new child? I just don’t like this family anyway.’
The empress grumbled inwardly.
The duchess, who rushed here just because her future daughterinlaw was slightly offended, that influential Earl Russell who’s close to William, and Alicia Lancaster, that woman’s daughter.
“She is indeed beautiful and courteous. And, um, kind.”
The empress added the last word reluctantly.
‘Kind my foot. Both the mother and the daughter are so alike. Yeah, that woman was always good at pretending to be kind and naive while manipulating people. And her daughter is exactly the same. Even their looks are the same, as if they were stamped out from the same mould.’
Remembering the past made her more irritated, but the empress tried her best to keep a smile on her face.
“Do you see her the same way, Your Majesty? How perfectly she fits into my heart. I wonder what kind of luck I have to see such a girl as my daughterinlaw. It’s really a wonder. This makes life worth living.”
“Is, is that so.”
“Even though, as you said, my only worry is that she is too kind. But what can you do. It’s her natural temperament.”
‘That’s what I’m saying. Kind, my foot. If she’s anything like that woman, she definitely isn’t.’
The empress scoffed inwardly at the duchess, who seemed to have a poor understanding of people.
“So, Your Majesty, aren’t you curious? To what extent the Duke’s house could go for Alicia.”
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
