“Lord Brendan, besides you, there are many who seek my position. Instead of arresting them all, showing an example and sending a warning is more effective.”
Lord Brendan, accused by the criminal organization, was pointed at as the mastermind behind Elizabeth’s kidnapping.
But the torn piece of clothing came from Lord Brendan’s house.
The one who wanted a sacrifice was not only Nikolai.
The other prestigious family heads decided to abandon Lord Brendan.
Blaming him for all the responsibility.
“I have received a mandate from the Emperor. If I offer that, even Your Majesty won’t be able to do anything to me.”
“Before that, you may choose to take your own life.”
“I will never take my own life!”
“Who will scrutinize Lord’s death? Whether it’s suicide or murder.”
“As if falsely accusing me is not enough, now you want to silence me?”
“The successor of the marquisate has died, and the niece has become a first-class fugitive. Those aiming for the marquis’s fortune are already gathering.”
“Sigh…”
Marquis Brendan, as if losing the will to live, stretched out his arms.
Claudia spoke calmly.
“Think of it in a positive light. Isn’t it better than being executed?”
“Did you come to say such things?”
“Everything has been taken away, and it seems you’re going to die. Isn’t it unfair?”
“Calling that an excuse…!”
Marquis Brendan, who had been suppressing his emotions all along, turned pale with anger.
Claudia’s eyes became even sharper.
“Don’t die alone. That would be a miserable death.”
“Are you planning to use me to undermine the four major noble families?”
“If you want to keep your honor, I’ll gladly step back.”
“…”
“They might be grateful for the marquis’s silence. Protecting the one who framed them.”
“If I confess their sins, can you spare my life?”
Marquis Brendan asked with a frightened expression.
“It depends on what information you provide.”
“You are truly a terrifying person.”
“The truly terrifying part, you haven’t seen yet.”
A sinister light flickered in Claudia’s pure white face.
“Now, why don’t you tell me? What secret would lead to ridiculing the Emperor and ruining him?”
Sleep eluded me.
It was natural.
How could I sleep after lying on the narrow bed with Nikolai?
“You said you were going to sleep under the bed?”
I questioned Nikolai, lying facing the wall.
He was curled up.
Well, his large build would only be emphasized like this.
Moreover, he was in a state of undress.
Since when had he been like this?
“I cannot let a lady sleep on the cold floor.”
“Then, Your Majesty, you can sleep below.”
“Remember that I am an Emperor. Moreover, I cannot sleep on a hard surface.”
With closed eyes, Nikolai replied.
Whenever he spoke, the smooth and firm muscles on his back subtly wriggled.
The heat that had subsided for a moment surged again.
“Find another accommodation.”
“What if you run away again?”
“I’ve already sworn. Can’t you trust me?”
“I’m tired. I should go to sleep.”
Nikolai sighed.
I knocked on his back with resentment.
“Put on some clothes!”
“I can’t sleep in a hard place, and I can’t sleep even with clothes on. Remember that.”
What is this lewd man saying?
My face turned bright red.
I was about to say one more thing but held my tongue.
Just in case he decides to strip completely.
“Yo… Your Majesty?”
Now Nikolai didn’t even bother to respond.
Had he already fallen asleep?
Facing the wall made it hard to confirm his face.
His broad back blocked my view like a barrier.
My gaze involuntarily moved towards Nikolai’s delicate back muscles like a bee chasing the scent of flowers.
The skin was smooth, and a sheen of moisture glided over it.
It seemed elastic enough to bounce back if pressed with a finger.
I swallowed the saliva pooled in my mouth.
“When he’s dressed, I thought he was on the leaner side… Where was he hiding this large physique?”
Even on the first night we slept together, he had revealed his upper body.
But then and now, the situation was different.
The biggest problem was that my mind was perfectly fine.
“Do as you please! I need some rest too.”
I pulled the blanket and lay down with a sigh.
It was a silent night.
Nikolai’s back rose and fell at regular intervals.
The scent emanating from his hair tickled my nose.
Lethargic and hazy, yet sleep wouldn’t come.
My entire body was tense due to nervousness.
Maintaining a certain distance from Nikolai, I felt like I might roll under the bed.
“As expected. Without embracing Nikolai, I can’t sleep on this narrow bed.”
Did he sense my resentful gaze?
Nikolai turned his body to the opposite side.
To the crouched me, Nikolai propped up his arm on one side.
“Your Majesty?”
“…”
“Hey?”
“…”
“It’s heavy, isn’t it?”
Nikolai didn’t acknowledge any of my attempts.
Only the rhythmic sound of his breathing reached my ears.
I found myself in a position embraced by him.
His thick eyelashes and a well-defined nose.
The veil-like jawline was too close to my eyes.
I couldn’t even breathe comfortably, fearing that my breath might touch his lips.
“Not just holding hands, but raising an arm and embracing in this situation? Sleeping peacefully like this… Anyway, a playboy…”
Lost in various thoughts, my eyelids became heavy.
The arm that pressed down on me was no longer heavy.
Instead, it added a comfortable warmth.
A strange sense of relief, a tingling sensation in my stomach.
Listening to Nikolai’s heartbeat, I fell into a deep sleep, slowly and comfortably.
After a long time, I had a refreshing sleep, both physically and mentally.
Except for the occasional heaviness of thoughts about Douglas.
“By the time the sun sets, I should be able to reach the sixteenth shrine!”
Hope for finding the second relic rose.
Moreover, it was the first journey with Nikolai.
While I energetically prepared, Nikolai seemed less awake.
His eyes were slightly swollen, and his hair was disheveled.
Was this also too cute for someone like him?
“Your Majesty, did you not sleep well yesterday?”
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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