The warm scent of ink and paper mingled, tickling the tip of my nose.
Reflexively, my face turned red.
I looked at Douglas again.
Even shabby clothes couldn’t hide Douglas’s innocent beauty.
The pink hair, fluttering in the wind, looked sweeter than cotton candy.
‘I want to touch it once. It seems so soft…’
In an instant, I thought, ‘Want to touch a man?’
Did the whims of the original Elizabeth seep into me?
‘What a strange thought for a lady from the Eastern Diplomatic Bureau!’
As a wake-up call, I lightly slapped my cheek.
Surprised, Douglas asked with concern, “Is something uncomfortable, Elizabeth?”
“I just chased away some evil spirits.”
“Evil spirits?”
There’s a very wicked fellow called a lewd demon.
Awkwardly laughing, I swallowed my reply.
“There are such things.”
“Don’t overdo it. The journey is just beginning.”
“Thank you, Douglas.”
“That hat suits you very well. Even cross-dressing is incredibly beautiful.”
Douglas shyly lowered his gaze.
It seemed he thought complimenting appearance might be impolite.
“A little kid I know also has a hunting cap.”
“Is it His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“He called his old hat a treasure. I’ve only seen him wearing it once.”
Franz, crawling out from under a hawthorn tree, caught my eye.
His speech habit was truly unpleasant.
If he were my brother, I would have scolded him until tears streamed down.
By now, Nisa and Bill were probably being roasted by the sun.
It hadn’t been that long, but it felt like the distant past.
Longing welled up to my throat.
At the end of the twisting yearning, Nikolai always stood.
The large hand that embraced my waist and the dangerously hot lips were still vivid.
Sometimes it felt like the sensation of our skin touching.
‘Douglas is handsome too, but my taste is still Nikolai. Loyalty to women. Well, isn’t love also a form of loyalty?’
With clenched fists, Douglas asked me, “Why isn’t Your Highness wearing a hat?”
“A new owner has appeared in the canary room. It seems to be a memento of Mother.”
“Do you know about Lady Elizabeth’s mother?”
Laila.
Nikolai’s first love.
A woman who couldn’t return after crossing an impassable river, leaving behind young Franz.
I had never seen her, but I couldn’t forget her.
It was probably the same for Nikolai.
“I only know the name Laila and that she passed away a few years ago. She was quite a secretive person.”
“It was around the time Grandfather worked at the palace. He mentioned something then.”
“What did he say?”
“That Lady Laila took care of a beautiful and lonely woman along with Chief Healer Geoffrey.”
My heart pounded.
I didn’t expect to hear Laila’s story from Douglas.
“What else did he say?”
“I have never heard of her social status or name. Grandfather personally looked after her, thinking she must be a noble lady.”
“Was she ill?”
“She suffered in agony from an unknown illness. He said he researched herbs for her sake.”
“I see…”
“Because she was a devout follower of Moracinea, she frequently visited the temple. Perhaps she sought clues at the temple.”
In that moment, Moracinea’s eyes came to mind.
If Douglas’s grandfather had used the elixir…
Laila might still be alive.
‘Did he not know about the elixir, or could only I use it? Why did the goddess choose me?’
It remained an unsolved mystery.
I could only guess that it might be related to the title of ‘Righteous Departed.’
“Your grandfather seems to have been a kind person like Douglas.”
“He hoped I would become a pharmacist like you. I was a heavenly bookworm.”
“Suzy followed in his footsteps, so he must have been pleased.”
“He would have been very proud. As would our deceased parents.”
Douglas’s eyes became melancholic.
He seemed concerned about leaving Suzy behind.
“Don’t worry about Suzy. His Highness the Crown Prince will take care of her.”
“His Highness?”
“There’s a story behind it.”
Douglas looked utterly puzzled.
Franz, with a wistful gaze, watched Suzy’s back.
Suzy treated Franz like an adorable child.
‘Thanks to the deer siblings, the status of the Nettleton family is rising. If Suzy becomes a Crown Princess, Franz’s position will also be secure. The Nettleton family, which produced a Crown Princess, will regain its old reputation as one of the five prestigious families. A little groom and a lovely bride. I wonder if they miss each other a lot?’
What if artists centered around Owen and young nobles joined forces?
What if Boris, who made Franz’s tonic, developed crops?
No one knew who would surpass them, becoming Crown Prince and Crown Princess.
Of course, there was no intention to suggest a strategic marriage between the two.
If Franz inherited Nikolai’s philandering disposition…
Suzy might shed tears. That wouldn’t do.
“Didn’t His Majesty have any consorts?”
“The only ones were Her Majesty Bridget, the present empress mother, and the late Penelope.”
“He seems to be a pure romantic. I hope Franz resembles his grandfather, not his father.”
I unknowingly pursed my lips.
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.]
