Overnight, news that the commanders had been summoned swept through the Barlock domain before dawn broke.
Upon hearing the news, Bianca felt her blood run cold.
“So soon?”
“That seems to be the case.”
It must have been rare even in the North for even a usually cheerful Julie to harden her face.
“So, when are they departing?”
“Not yet. Signs have just been detected, so they probably won’t depart for at least another three or four days.”
“And the castle repairs?”
“The castle repairs should be completed by noon tomorrow. The preparations for the refugees should also be completed by tomorrow afternoon.”
“That’s a relief.”
“They need to be sealed before the snow comes, after all.”
At Julie’s words, Bianca glanced out the window.
The weather was sunny, almost unbelievably so with the prospect of snow on the way.
The skies were clear, and aside from the occasional wind, it was warm enough to forget it was winter.
“I hope it doesn’t snow for a while.”
“I wish. But the Duke’s forecasts have never been wrong.”
Is that something one learns upon becoming a Duke of the North?
Or is it something unique to Barlock?
Intrigued, Bianca silently nodded.
Still, it’s a relief that the castle repairs and preparations for the refugees will be completed before the snow falls.
“It’s a huge relief. Good for us.”
“Well, yes, but the snow coming back is worrisome.”
“Why?”
“Because the socalled refugee area only provides the bare minimum space.”
“Julie.”
Julie sighed, and Rafin, who had been silent all along, spoke as if to stop her.
“Why, what’s going on? Tell us.”
For some reason, Bianca felt she couldn’t ignore it and coaxed a tightlipped Julie several times.
However, Julie stubbornly remained silent.
“It’s cold, isn’t it?”
Anyone could tell she was just beating around the bush.
Finally, Julie opened her mouth after seeing Bianca’s persistence.
“We couldn’t make the heaters.”
“What?”
An incredulous exclamation slipped out of her mouth.
“We have to finish the migration quickly before the snow comes, so they prioritized building the walls instead of the heaters.”
“Then… how will they heat the area?”
“I don’t know. There’s no chimney, so they can’t light fires inside the homes. We can’t just tough it out outside the castle in the territory. It’s worrisome if it snows.”
This was not just a worry.
It was a catastrophic issue.
But it was also something Gillian, who had to go on an expedition, couldn’t afford to take care of.
The wave couldn’t be ignored just because they were worried about the cold.
“This is my responsibility.”
“Pardon?”
“Is the Duke in his office? Is the meeting still going on?”
“The meeting ended at dawn.”
Bianca immediately stood up from her seat.
Her destination was clear without asking.
Meeting Gillian, Bianca made only one request.
“I want to help the refugees who will enter the castle during the wave.”
Her tone was unprecedentedly firm, as if to preemptively block his refusal.
“It doesn’t mean we’ll let all the people in the territory into the castle. Once the wave starts, I will never step out of this castle. It would be better to inspect the area, but if that worries you, I won’t go out.”
Gillian gave a faint smile at Bianca, whose cheeks were tinged red as she made her point.
“And?”
“And…”
She visibly struggled, trying hard not to be caught off guard.
“And?”
“I won’t be directly involved; I will just provide the materials.”
“Alright.”
“Really?”
“Do as you wish.”
Rising from his seat, Gillian gently grasped Bianca’s tensely held hands.
“You’re free to do as you wish, as long as it’s not dangerous.”
“…”
“Didn’t I tell you? This place is your home, and you are the mistress of this Barlock.”
“I know, but… I don’t want to be a burden to you.”
“Who said you’re a burden? My queen.”
He slowly lifted his clenched hand and gently pressed his lips to the back of it, locking eyes with her.
Frozen under his piercing golden gaze, Bianca could only watch.
The moment his vivid lips firmly touched her white knuckles.
And the foreign warmth that spread across the back of her hand.
It was such a simple act, yet her eyes widened sensually, and heat rushed to her neck.
“Huh?”
“That’s not it…”
Confused, Bianca tried to pull away, but his grip wouldn’t budge, unlike its initial gentleness.
His hand remained loosely around hers!
“Tell me. Why did you think that?”
Each time he spoke, his warm breath brushed over her knuckles.
It was a strangely chilling sensation, and Bianca was losing her composure.
“Huh?”
As if questioning her, he suddenly clenched his teeth and bit her hand.
“That’s not it, don’t ask!”
Startled, Bianca twisted in discomfort, but her hand caught in Gillian’s grasp remained steadfast.
“Who dared say that to you?”
Elisabeth’s face flashed in her mind, but this had nothing to do with her.
“No one, no one! It was me.”
Realizing denial was pointless, Bianca pointed the finger at herself.
“I felt guilty for not doing anything. No, I didn’t want to cause trouble and be disliked…!”
“How dare I.”
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
