“You’re impressive! Receiving an earldom at such a young age.”
“And as a woman, it’s the first time in the empire, isn’t it?”
“Weren’t you scared to throw yourself in front of a rampaging horse to save the prince? It’s truly remarkable.”
“I saw the horse galloping there too, but I was too scared to move, afraid it might charge at me. Weren’t you afraid, Earl Hydeleange?”
“Did you have a fondness for the prince beforehand? Or was it just an instinctive act to help someone in mortal danger?”
Their questions, though filled with admiration, were tricky and awkward for me to answer, given I wasn’t truly Claire.
As I hesitated to respond, Illeyna stepped in.
“Of course it was scary. But Earl Hydeleange showed courage despite that fear. She would have helped anyone in that situation, not just the prince.”
Their faces showed admiration as they looked at me.
“You’re truly remarkable.”
“Such brave courage. And to think you were unconscious for over a month after that. It was such a risky act!”
They continued to praise Claire’s bravery and congratulated me on receiving the earldom.
If I had been more adept at speaking, I might have smoothly continued the conversation, but I was as unskilled in such discussions as Claire herself.
The ladies soon lost interest in my brief responses and the conversation naturally shifted to other topics.
I found it more comfortable to listen to their stories, feeling more at ease as the focus of attention shifted away from me to Illeyna.
“Moore Ditera is a painter sponsored by the Ferbe Ducal family, right?”
“Yes. He had a lot of trouble due to big gambling debts, but my mother stepped in to help him. Now he’s stopped gambling and is actively working.”
“His portraits are incredibly detailed. I saw one of his paintings at an auction and bought it because I loved his style. I heard most of his works are owned by the Ferbe family.”
“He’s particularly skilled at portraying light, which is why my mother favors him. Many of the paintings he’s done for us are private works of our family, so they’re not well-known…”
“His style has gained attention recently. I’m curious how it has evolved now.”
“Compared to back then, his paintings have matured. My favorite is a portrait he did of my mother. It shows her sitting by a window, and the light falling on her face is both surreal and vivid.”
“I’d love to see it.”
“How about visiting our estate this week? I brought some of Moore Ditera’s works when I got married, though not as many as in my family home.”
Illeyna’s status as the ‘queen of society’ wasn’t solely due to the Ferbe family’s influence in sponsoring artists.
She had a natural charm that captivated those around her. Without raising her voice, she drew everyone’s attention. It was an enviable talent.
I admired her ability to engage effortlessly in conversation with others.
The topics of their conversation were diverse. They discussed not only the latest fashion trends and hair accessories but also their sponsored artists, investments in merchant ships, and even wars happening in distant lands.
“I’ll need to study more to join in their conversations next time.”
Their discussion shifted to desserts from a recent party at Lady Wilters’ mansion and the pastry chefs they had brought from other countries.
Mostly married noblewomen led the conversation, while the younger ladies listened.
Suddenly, a young noblewoman with brown hair and round eyes, blushing, covered her cheeks with her hands and bowed her head. Her sudden action drew everyone’s attention.
“I think His Highness the Crown Prince might be interested in me. He keeps looking over here… I’m too embarrassed to lift my head.”
Curious about her claim, I looked around and saw Ian staring intently in our direction. Was it my imagination that his gaze was fixed on me, not her?
“Try lifting your head. His Highness isn’t looking this way anymore. He’s talking to someone else.”
Indeed, Ian was now engaged in conversation with others. Had I imagined his interest?
“Ah!” The young lady who thought Ian was interested in her blushed deeper and bowed her head again.
The noblewomen chuckled behind their hands. It seemed more like they found her shyness endearing rather than trying to embarrass her.
“It’s understandable to be mistaken. The Crown Prince is indeed charming.”
“Both Prince Ian and Prince Daniel are so handsome, they set all the ladies’ hearts aflame.”
“Even for those of us who are married, it can be unsettling at times.”
I almost nodded in agreement with their conversation.
“I’m more drawn to Prince Daniel. Prince Ian is handsome but too cold, like a chilling wind.”
A chilling wind? I didn’t understand why they thought Ian was cold. He was warm and considerate, despite being a bit prickly at times.
“True, Prince Ian is imposing like Emperor Blake, but his cold demeanor is intimidating. Prince Daniel, on the other hand, is gentle like a spring breeze.”
These people really didn’t know anything about Ian.
Frustrated, I was about to interject when the young lady who had been blushing earlier, now driven by curiosity, asked a question.
“I’ve never met Prince Daniel. He’s not at this party either. I thought he would surely attend…”
I was curious too. The ceremony was in honor of saving the second prince, yet he was nowhere to be seen.
But to avoid further misunderstandings about my alleged crush, I stayed silent. It was a good decision; asking directly might have fueled the rumors.
Everyone turned to me, expecting an answer. I almost shook my head in ignorance.
“Prince Daniel wasn’t injured that day, thanks to Earl Hydeleange, but he was so shocked that he fell ill. He went to recover at a castle in the Lysen region.”
“Oh, I see.”
“He’s quite delicate, after all.”
“He must have been quite shocked.”
“Even though Earl Hydeleange is here, healthy and attending the banquet, there have been quite troubling rumors circulating. It must have been emotionally distressing.”
“It’s mentally taxing to think that someone was hurt because of you, especially to the extent of life-threatening danger.”
“But now that Earl Hydeleange is back in good health, His Highness Prince Daniel will surely regain his spirits upon hearing the news.”
“You really did something great.”
“Right. After that incident, the palace felt as cold and desolate as if it had frozen over.”
“Her Majesty the Empress has been unwell and rarely attends banquets. Since that incident, Prince Daniel hasn’t shown his face at any events either…”
“Now that you mention it, His Highness the Crown Prince also hasn’t been attending banquets. The palace banquets just haven’t felt the same.”
“Usually, His Majesty the Emperor hardly attends banquets, and when he does, he looks so stern. It’s hard to tell if he’s there to enjoy the event or to mete out punishment.”
The ladies shook their heads as if remembering the event gave them chills, exaggerating their reactions.
“But today, at least His Highness Prince Ian is here, which is a relief. But why hasn’t the Crown Prince been attending banquets?”
“It wasn’t just banquets. He hardly attended any official meetings, saying he was unwell. It’s been a long time since he’s made a public appearance like this.”
“I wonder what was so wrong with him?”
“It doesn’t seem like it was just an illness… Did you hear about that?”
Countess Monica lowered her voice as she spoke.
When yandere male lead believes she loves him — but she never did
“How dare you!”
“How dare you make me love you, only to cast me aside as nothing more than a friend?!?
“I will never accept that.”
“I will never let you return to him.”
“Even if I have to burn myself to ashes.”
“Even if I must shatter my purity, my dignity, my very soul.”
“I will never let you escape me!”
This was the first novel that introduced me to the matriarchal genre. I’ve read it three times already!
At first, the male lead despised the female lead. Later, he misunderstood that she liked him, so he condescendingly and reluctantly reciprocated her feelings.
Then, he suddenly discovered that she was kind to everyone in the same way, and there was already someone she cherished in her heart, and that person was not him.
The male lead couldn’t believe it, he became angry and crazy. He was determined to capture her body and heart by any means necessary.
Synopsis:
Want to see how a green tea bitch male lead falls in love with the female lead?
Want to see how he flirtatiously pursues the female lead?
Want to see how he gets slapped in the face repeatedly?
The male lead is a green tea bitch, a poisonous lotus, jealous, ruthless, unscrupulous, with a venomous heart, and he’s also a delusional maniac.
The female lead is righteous, positive energy-filled, kind, a holy mother.
Let’s see how two people with extreme personalities come together~
_____
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