Ah! The princess urgently searched for Viscount Etel. However, finding Viscount Etel in the crowded banquet hall was like finding stars in the sky.
“Your Highness! Today’s banquet is truly exquisite.”
“How on earth did you come up with such a concept?”
Praises from the nobles poured in. The back of the princess’s dress behind her was becoming damp with sweat. Her legs began to tremble.
“You seem truly at ease, Your Highness. In reality, it may not be as welcome as you think.”
The Duke’s voice felt distant. Leopold looked at Olivia, savoring a dizzying sensation.
Olivia, who was showcasing their partnership with the Duke’s escort, was dazzlingly beautiful.
“Presenting His Highness, the Prince.”
However, the direction Leopold was looking at wasn’t Olivia. Leopold, with a twisted expression, muttered.
“It’s not the dress I sent.”
Olivia, who hadn’t worn the dress he sent, couldn’t have imagined.
Naturally, even a diamond ring on her left fourth finger. It was a ring with a much stronger sense of ‘engagement’ than the red jewel he saw yesterday.
A bitter taste seemed to rise from within. Leopold felt strangely tingling in his heart.
Subtle emotions spread in her ocean-blue eyes. Watching her, Olivia unknowingly bit the inside of her cheek.
It was a strange sight. Leopold, who sent her a white dress, was dressed in formal attire like the eighteen-year-old Leopold from an engagement ceremony.
…Why on earth?
“Why did you send me a dress?”
It was a calm question. Her green eyes, sunk oddly deep, were fixed on Leopold. Leopold cleared his throat and looked at the Duke beside her, then opened his lips.
“Well! Olivia, you’re my…!”
The words he was about to say, as if naturally responding, came to a halt. Leopold blinked his eyes.
“My…”
Fiancée. Would these easy three syllables be the correct answer? He couldn’t answer. The moment of silence felt eternal.
“His Majesty, the Emperor, and Her Majesty, the Empress, have arrived.”
With the sound of trumpets, the announcer shouted loudly. At the same time, Viscount Hargis whispered from behind.
“Your Highness, you must leave.”
“…We’ll talk later.”
Leopold glanced at Olivia for a moment and added.
“…Rib.”
After stubbornly addressing Olivia with the nickname, the prince walked toward the dais.
Red eyes, chilling enough to seem to slash through the other party, were directed at the prince.
…Should I kill him?
Edwin, who was momentarily engulfed in impulse, quickly turned to look at Olivia.
Olivia was looking at the prince’s back with innocent eyes. He had known about his young lady’s firmness for a long time. But today was somehow different.
“…Are you okay, Olivia?”
“…Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Olivia raised the corners of her mouth and mumbled inwardly.
Indeed. There was no reason for her not to be okay.
Just.
Leopold Franz had confirmed to the end that he was discourteous to her.
“This summer banquet, hosted by the princess, has welcomed envoys from Hesperitia and other countries for the first time.”
The Emperor’s dignified voice echoed through the banquet hall.
“Welcome all who have come to the Franz Empire. Especially, we hope for the firm continuation of the bond between our Franz Empire and Hesperitia…”
The Emperor’s dignified voice couldn’t be heard properly. Beneath the gracefully smiling face, the princess’s uneasy eyes scanned the banquet hall. However, no matter how many times she looked, Maria Etel was nowhere to be seen.
Perhaps I worried too much. Besides, if Maria Etel had any sense, she wouldn’t engage in activities where the envoys from other countries were present.
With such thoughts, the uneasy feeling in my stomach gradually subsided. At the same time, it seemed that the Emperor’s speech had ended. Thunderous applause echoed in the banquet hall.
The Emperor looked to the side with a satisfied expression. The Empress, the Prince, and even the Duchess, who devoted all her efforts to the Franz Empire, were beneath.
Today was perfect, unlike the anxiety of yesterday.
Down below, even the Duke, who turned all his attention to me and the Franz Empire, didn’t say a word. Even the arrogant Hesperitia was the same. Their faces, attempting to smile as if checking my mood, were truly tolerable.
The Emperor’s mood reached its peak. With cheerful claps, the Emperor, who had refreshed the atmosphere with light applause, spoke heartily.
“Now, let’s enjoy the banquet in earnest. I heard the Princess has prepared a congratulatory performance for the envoys at this banquet?”
The Emperor looked briefly at the princess with proud eyes. Although the Duchess was puzzled at the term ‘congratulatory performance,’ she soon turned pale and said something, but it was not clear.
“Your, Your Majesty!”
“Well then, let’s begin.”
Suddenly, a new orchestra that had entered respectfully saluted the Emperor. And when the conductor began conducting.
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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