The situation was too contrived to be merely a coincidence.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Ratse, who had suddenly taken a vacation, were killed by bandits.
And by bandits who happened to be in the vicinity…….
‘By the way, why did they go to the West?’
In the western part of the empire, barbarians lived.
Of course, that was the Facis expression, and they had their own term to refer to themselves.
When she was Princess Trinity, she had also been to the West.
It was due to the continued civilian looting incidents by barbarians who had flowed into areas adjacent to Facis Imperial territory.
The troubled lord asked the Emperor for help, and the Emperor ordered her to go west and resolve the conflict.
She went west with the princess’s knights and fell into a trap, narrowly escaping death.
Many knights perished at that time.
“…….”
Jieselgrante’s brow furrowed deeply.
Once she started recalling, the painful memories of that time rushed in like a tidal wave.
Jieselgrante hastily shook her head.
There was still no evidence, only suspicions about the background of both that incident and the current issue with the Marquis and Marchioness of Ratse.
However, if her guess was correct, the Empress had disposed of one of her strongest allies with her own hands.
[This is the timeline separator]‘It’s quite noticeable when one person is missing.’
The Empress briefly stared at the empty spot before leaving her office.
As the work processing speed slowed down compared to usual, she keenly felt the absence of the Marchioness of Ratse.
However, the Empress was not one to regret past actions.
‘I wonder which family would be good to bring in a new lady-in-waiting this time…….’
As she was walking towards her bedroom with such thoughts, a servant approached and whispered in her ear.
“It seems the matter has been resolved well.”
The corners of the Empress’s mouth curled up in satisfaction.
“And the follow-up?”
“The surviving knights are escorting the bodies of the Marquis and Marchioness of Ratse to the capital, I hear.”
“There are survivors?”
Seeing the Empress’s overtly displeased gaze, the servant quickly added.
“It seems they were hesitant to confront over ten armed knights in a busy area with many onlookers…….”
The Empress clicked her tongue. She was sick of hearing excuses. Weren’t excuses the sole property of those lacking ability?
Nevertheless, since the matter was said to be resolved well, she didn’t want to press further. The subsequent matters were more urgent anyway.
The Empress, who had turned to face forward, paused her steps and looked at the servant.
“By the way, when did they say Joshua would return?”
“I will inquire and let you know.”
“Tell him to return to the Imperial Palace as soon as possible.”
“Understood.”
Only after hearing the servant’s affirmation did the Empress resume walking.
For those who wished to protect, the most dangerous time was when the house was empty, and for those who wished to seize, an empty house was easiest to rob.
So, before opportunists could take advantage, Joshua, who was temporarily away from the Imperial Palace, needed to return quickly to guard the house.
[This is the timeline separator]“My lady, have you heard the news?”
“About the death of the Marquis and Marchioness of Ratse?”
“Yes. The world has become so dangerous. I heard it was their first vacation in a long time…….”
The nobles gathered in Countess Tarel’s salon exchanged opinions about the death of the Marquis and Marchioness of Ratse.
Their words were tinged with concern about whether the western bandits had started to run rampant again.
Countess Tarel listened carefully to every word spoken by the nobles gathered in the salon.
It was to relay the news to Duke Amaterasu’s daughter later through the Radcliffe trading company.
It was while she was conversing with some noble ladies she was close to.
Two elderly nobles walked into the spacious hall of the salon.
Although it was the first time seeing them, she could tell they were a couple by their demeanor.
Countess Tarel quickly rose from her seat and approached them, greeting them warmly.
“Welcome.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. We’ve heard such high praise from others that we decided to attend belatedly while passing by.”
They returned the greeting with smiling faces to Countess Tarel, who welcomed them with a warm smile, and introduced themselves.
Until just recently, those who visited her salon were very limited.
Only the usual visitors came. Of course, she knew that this was due to the Empress’s interference.
Nevertheless, Countess Tarel neither had a way nor the intention to change this atmosphere.
She didn’t want to upset the Empress.
The complacent thought that if she lived quietly like a dead person, the Empress wouldn’t harm her son Filippo also played a part.
The person who opened up the breathing room for Countess Tarel and her son Filippo, who had been living suppressed lives, was none other than Duke Amaterasu’s daughter.
Although all Countess Tarel did was follow her advice, positive changes gradually occurred.
First, the attitude of the surrounding nobles towards Countess Tarel changed. And that influence extended to her son Filippo as well.
“Here comes Young Lord Tarel.”
As Filippo, who had just returned from an outing, entered, the young ladies chatting in one corner of the hall blushed and stared intently at him.
“He’s even more… outstanding than the rumors suggested.”
Whether aware of their gazes or not, Filippo walked straight towards Countess Tarel, who was conversing with the elderly noble couple.
“I’m back, Mother.”
“Welcome back. Let me introduce you. This is my son Filippo. Filippo, these are……”
After introducing Filippo to the elderly noble couple, Countess Tarel scanned the nobles in the salon.
And she introduced the elderly noble couple to the other nobles.
So that the newcomers wouldn’t feel out of place and could blend well with the nobles in the salon.
And when everyone in the salon was seated, she dropped a hint as originally planned.
“It’s a sensitive topic so I’m hesitant to bring it up, but… I wonder if the attack on the Marquis and Marchioness of Ratse was really a coincidence.”
Several people, including the noble lady sitting across from her, looked at Countess Tarel.
“Oh. Please forget what I said. Her Majesty the Empress must have given the Marquis and Marchioness of Ratse a sudden vacation as a reward for their service. My thoughts must have been a bit excessive.”
As Countess Tarel tried to laugh it off mid-sentence, the noble lady sitting next to her subtly spoke up.
“…I don’t think your thoughts are excessive, my lady. Everyone probably had similar thoughts but couldn’t voice them.”
And a middle-aged nobleman added.
“I heard that after Princess Trinity eradicated the leader of the western bandits, the remaining remnants scattered and barely managed to survive. It’s a bit hard to believe that they could deal with several knights from a noble family known for their excellent skills……”
The atmosphere continued with everyone reluctant to add more. But even that was enough to understand.
That everyone was quickly calculating how to act for the benefit of their families based on their speculations about the background of the incident.
[This is the timeline separator]When Jieselgrante and Cabelased got out of the carriage upon arriving at the Emperor’s palace, a familiar face of the Emperor’s servant approached.
The servant bowed deeply to the two and said.
“I will escort you this way.”
Jieselgrante’s head tilted involuntarily. The place they arrived at following him was the Emperor’s private reception room.
“What’s wrong?”
Cabelased asked as he sat on the sofa. Jieselgrante answered while looking around the reception room.
“It’s different from what I expected.”
“What is?”
“I thought we would meet in the audience chamber.”
Cabelased chuckled softly and said.
“It would have been amusing in its own way if he had called us to the audience chamber to bless his niece’s marriage.”
It was a very familiar reception room to her.
But she pretended to look around the interior deliberately. Because the word that had just come out of his mouth bothered her inwardly.
‘Marriage…?’
She knew that the meaning of engagement was a relationship promising marriage.
But hearing that word from Cabelased’s mouth somehow made her chest tingle.
However, she couldn’t just keep her mouth shut for no reason in a situation where it was just the two of them. So she remained still, fixing her gaze on one spot.
When her gaze lingered long on a marble statue, Cabelased also turned his head.
And looking at the statue she had been staring at, he said.
“The young lady seems to find interest in all sorts of things.”
There were many valuable and rare items in the Cardia mansion.
There were several masterpiece paintings from hundreds of years ago, as well as gold crafts and raw gemstones larger than a human head.
But she had never shown much interest in any of them.
“It’s just… a bit fascinating.”
It was a perfunctory excuse, but Cabelased looked at the statue she had been gazing at with quite a serious expression.
The joy of having naturally changed the subject was short-lived.
The Emperor walked into the reception room. Jieselgrante stared at him without blinking.
A somewhat casual attire, slightly disheveled hair. Jieselgrante took in such details.
It was a change that wasn’t there before. However, the intimidating atmosphere was still the same.
When the Emperor approached, the two stood up and greeted him formally.
“……We greet Your Majesty the Emperor.”
The Emperor’s gaze briefly touched her before falling away. And then it turned to Cabelased.
“Were you so worried, Duke of Cardia?”
The Emperor sat down after delivering a brief reprimand. Then he waved his hand towards Jieselgrante and Cabelased. It meant for them to sit.
As Jieselgrante and Cabelased sat down again, the Emperor asked.
“Would you prefer tea, or would you like a drink?”
The Emperor’s gaze first turned towards Cabelased.
“I’ll have tea.”
“Come to think of it. I don’t think you’ve ever put anything in your mouth in front of me.”
It was a somewhat dangerous statement.
Never having tasted any food offered by the Emperor could be interpreted as a sign of not trusting the Emperor that much.
Moreover, the fact that the Emperor deliberately pointed this out also…….
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
