“Marquis Rowe…… How, by what means? How can I, trapped here……”
Jade Rowe.
At the Grand Duke Usith’s words to kill him, Sharlin Winst stiffened, finding it difficult to steady herself.
“You can spread a plague here. With many deaths, it will be hard to check each one, and I’ll find a stand-in for Lady Winst beforehand.”
Grand Duke Usith continued his answer with a light smile, as if saying not to worry.
“So hide secretly at this memorial banquet and stab him to death with a dagger.”
“The memorial banquet……”
The memorial banquet for the late Marquis and Marchioness Rowe was held annually in the Grand Duke Usith’s domain.
It was being conducted under the lead of Grand Duke Usith, who said he wanted to remember them forever, who died so sadly.
Sharlin, who was Jade’s fiancée, had attended a few times. It was never a light atmosphere, but a heavy one.
‘How could he hold an annual memorial banquet after killing them himself……’
To stab and kill Jade, the child, at the place commemorating his parents?
‘When I knew nothing, it was just a boring event, but this is truly insane.’
Sharlin felt chills for a moment at Grand Duke Usith’s scheme that came up with this.
‘After killing the late Marquis and Marchioness Rowe disguised as a carriage accident, now he’s trying to use me to kill the Marquis too……?’
Grand Duke Usith was indeed a terrifying person.
‘Why on earth did Mother go to the Grand Duke!’
When she spent the night with Grand Duke Usith, he was consistently gentle as he was in a drunken state.
Her heart raced madly at his current appearance, completely opposite from that day.
“……Your Grace. I, I can’t, I can’t do it. I’m scared. Even if I succeed in stabbing, what if I’m caught on the spot.”
There was no way Grand Duke Usith would protect her.
It was naturally understood that he intended to use her as a disposable pawn.
Rather, since it would happen in Grand Duke Usith’s domain, it was clear he would pin a non-existent crime on her, claiming to prove his own innocence.
Of course she should refuse…… She had already said she couldn’t do it……
“Isn’t it better than rotting away here? To be of help to your son.”
Son. That word shook Sharlin.
‘Rotting away here or dying after committing the deed is all the same. If I do what Grand Duke Usith wants…… at least my son can become the Grand Duke’s successor.’
She already had many regrets towards her son.
Not long ago, the day her son was first born.
The loud crying of her son irritated her.
It was as if Blanche was crying.
Far from soothing her son, she threw a pillow on the floor and scolded him to be quiet.
‘Waaah!’
‘Shut up! I said be quiet! How can you cry all day without getting tired? I’m going crazy because of you!’
She yelled at her newborn son who couldn’t even understand what she was saying to shut up.
She flatly refused her mother’s suggestion to calm down and hold her son.
More than her hungry crying son, the news that Jade had taken Blanche made her more anxious.
She was a mother who didn’t even give him a name, hold him, or provide a good background.
Ridiculously, when she was dragged away by the imperial knights, her son cried even more loudly.
As if telling them not to take Sharlin away.
Though she hadn’t done anything for him, her son who seemed to be the only one standing up for her tugged at her heartstrings.
“Your Grace. Will you really… raise my son… as the legitimate heir?”
“Sharlin. Your son is……”
Grand Duke Usith, who had been calling her ‘Lady Winst’ all along, called her name in a gentle tone.
“My son as well. A parent’s desire to give a perfect background is the same. Even asking to kill Jade……”
“……”
“It’s just preparing in advance so our son won’t be swallowed by Rowe. If you kill Jade, our son could inherit everything as Rowe’s successor.”
Grand Duke Usith leaned in close and added.
That for the sake of their son’s better future, it was merely cutting off a thorny stem.
‘Right. This is all for my baby. If I can’t even hold and raise him, I should at least do this.’
It was enough to move Sharlin’s heart.
“Your, Your Grace. I have one thing to say……”
“Speak comfortably. Lady Winst.”
Sharlin was about to tell Grand Duke Usith.
That Jade knows Grand Duke Usith killed the late Marquis and Marchioness Rowe disguised as a carriage accident.
‘Wait. I’m the one who told Marquis Rowe those words.’
If Grand Duke Usith knew this, would he leave her alone?
Wouldn’t he kill her first, rather than using her now to kill Jade?
There was no guarantee his anger wouldn’t be directed at her son.
If her son was truly precious to him, there wouldn’t have been dangerous conditions attached to raising him as the legitimate heir.
‘He’s someone whose perception of my son changes depending on what help I provide.’
Even Jade didn’t seem to have thoughts of revenge against Grand Duke Usith right now.
“Ah, it’s nothing. Now that I’ve agreed to do it, I’m just nervous.”
She shouldn’t build her own grave with her own hands.
Sharlin swallowed her fear and let out a difficult breath.
One month left until the memorial banquet.
There wasn’t much time left.
[This is the timeline separator]The next day.
Today, I was with Jade in his office again.
‘An invitation came from the Grand Duke Usith’s household? What is this?’
I bit my lip inwardly as I carefully examined the quite accumulated invitations while organizing them.
“Larien. Is it here?”
“Ah, yes. There.”
Jade was in the middle of signing where I pointed out, so he wasn’t interested in the invitation.
He wouldn’t know where the invitation was from anyway since he couldn’t see.
I secretly turned around and read the invitation for now.
‘Memorial banquet……?’
It was an invitation for the memorial banquet for the late Marquis and Marchioness Rowe.
‘Right. Grand Duke Usith held a memorial banquet around this time every year.’
The memorial banquet hosted by Grand Duke Usith had been going on since Jade was very young.
Though it was an invitation that came every year, this year was different.
‘Jade knows that Grand Duke Usith killed his parents.’
From a benevolent uncle to the one who killed his parents.
How uncomfortable would he be to hear that the invitation came. But he couldn’t not go either.
It was ostensibly a place to commemorate Jade’s parents after all.
If he didn’t attend, there would surely be talk.
‘In the original story, when Jade didn’t attend, Grand Duke Usith created rumors to damage his reputation.’
Starting from ignoring Grand Duke Usith’s sincerity, to their relationship going bad, to Jade harboring resentment towards the council of elders……
It was a matter of moments before rumors that could deal a big blow to Rowe arose.
‘Even if, conceding everything, he attends the memorial banquet and spends time there…..’
The problem was Jade’s condition.
‘They might notice that he can’t see.’
……What should I do.
“Larien. What are you doing that you can’t even hear me calling?”
Just then, Jade, who wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, embraced me deeply. Then he rubbed his cheek against my shoulder.
The citrus scent emanating from Jade’s body clung to my neck.
“Ah, s-sorry.”
I hurriedly hid the invitation in the pile of documents and detached him.
“What was that just now?”
“Um……? That, well−.”
I hiccupped in surprise. He seemed to count the dates on his fingers, then chuckled.
“Grand Duke Usith sent a memorial banquet invitation, right?”
“How did you know that?”
He wouldn’t be able to see it, and the invitation didn’t have any particular smell either.
“……Well, he sends it around this time every year. It was also close to Father and Mother’s death anniversary.”
Jade was silent for a moment before replying.
‘I guess. He counted the dates earlier.’
I carefully asked Jade, who was pressing his forehead hard as if it was throbbing.
“Are you going to attend?”
“If I go and hear him say he’s sad about my parents’ deaths and that I should rely on him more, I might kill him in a fit of rage.”
“Jade……”
“Should I start by not going this time and never go again.”
I couldn’t tell him not to go, nor could I push him to go.
“I was stupid. I’ve been following the one who killed my father as a father figure all this time.”
“No. Jade, don’t think like that. You’re not stupid, Grand Duke Usith is the bad one.”
I reached out and stroked Jade’s hair.
‘He liked it when I caressed him like this whenever he was in a bad mood……’
Hoping it would be even a little comfort to him.
“Let’s go together, Jade.”
“……Together?”
“Yes. If you stick with me, they won’t notice that you can’t see. And when we go, say that from now on, the memorial banquet will be held at the Rowe mansion.”
Then there wouldn’t be any talk, and it would be possible to avoid friction with Grand Duke Usith over the memorial banquet.
“Larien. Will you always……”
“Yes?”
“Stay by my side?”
It wasn’t difficult to understand the meaning of these words.
Though he left his side on his own now, Grand Duke Usith was originally a person by Jade’s side.
“Of course. Jade.”
I had seen enough of Jade suffering from my departure.
‘There’s also Blanche between me and Jade.’
I couldn’t leave him. I didn’t want to do it twice.
“Even if I make a mistake?”
“Mistake?”
“Yes. Even if I make a mistake, and you get angry. You won’t leave, right?”
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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