“Engagement? What is this nonsense about an engagement?”
Pyotr’s face contorted at the news delivered by the butler.
The butler said sternly,
“The young lady is courting the Crown Prince. Soon, they will be holding an engagement ceremony.”
“Is it Charlotte you’re talking about? With whom? The Crown Prince, at this moment? Why, why? Is he in his right mind! My ailing father lies on his sickbed, and he’s doing what?”
What is that fool blabbering about now?
The frail emperor lay sick in bed. The empress had been watching over his sickbed lately.
Soon, the power of the imperial family would change, and even Tuter had surrendered to the flow.
“What does His Majesty say?”
“What can one whose mind is not whole say? He has been mentally unstable lately, only hiding in the arms of the Empress. It seems the Empress is still secretly keeping it a secret.”
“Why, why? How come?”
“His Majesty does not even remember who the Crown Prince is.”
The emperor, who had just turned fifty, showed signs of dementia.
He had always been an emperor who insisted on moving the tomb of the former emperor, claiming that it haunted his dreams and tormented him.
“Move his tomb! Move it out of the imperial palace! Damn it, how much longer will that old man torment me!”
The emperor, who had shown fear as the former emperor kept appearing in his dreams, soon turned grayhaired.
The frail emperor lost his strength, relying only on the empress, and neglected the affairs of the state.
It seemed as though power had completely shifted now.
“Charlotte. Charlotte…!”
Damn you, Cozette! What have you left me with!
“Find out where that girl Charlotte is!”
(This is a time separator.)
Charlotte was at the Shan boutique, getting fitted for a dress.
“Isn’t the color for an engagement dress too flashy?”
She measured her waist with a ruler, chose the fabric for the dress, and even picked the lace decorations.
The staff followed her around, and Charlotte watched her reflection in the mirror.
The red fabric flowed gorgeously. Roses were embroidered on it, boasting a dazzling color all by itself.
“Is this alright, Your Highness?”
Benjamin lifted his head to take in Charlotte’s appearance.
“It’s fine.”
Benjamin closed the booklet and sent the madam away.
“Take the staff and leave.”
“Yes, I understand. Anything else you need?”
“Prepare jewelry to match the dress in advance. I’ll check it right away.”
“I’ll prepare it outside then.”
Shanelle took the staff and left the fitting room.
Everything proceeded smoothly.
Charlotte wiped her forehead with the hem of her dress. Was she feverish? No, that didn’t seem right. She steadied her breath, leaning on one arm to support her waist.
“You don’t seem to like standing for a long time.”
Benjamin noticed her discomfort and closed the fitting room curtain.
“My ankle is not well.”
“You have a delicate frame.”
Charlotte unconsciously touched her wrist, and his gaze followed.
“Is it the same with your wrist?”
“Why?”
“I was just curious. You unconsciously touch your wrist even when you’re still.”
Whether it was her slender frame or her slight appearance, something captured his gaze.
“Aren’t you tired?”
Charlotte shook her head in lieu of a response.
In such moments, he was an attentive person. Such attention to detail drew his gaze.
“We just need to match the jewelry, Charlotte.”
Benjamin soothed her like a child whining from fatigue, in a soft and gentle tone.
He smoothly guided Charlotte.
Then, the two selected jewelry to match the fabric.
“The jewelry should be a single point, so I’ve prepared a necklace for you.”
Madam Shanelle presented the necklace.
Jewelry boxes lined up, and Charlotte looked down at them with unimpressed eyes.
No big excitement.
Has even material desire disappeared since she had died and awakened once?
Even in her previous life, it seemed she had little material desire…
“Try to look happier, Charlotte.”
Benjamin touched Charlotte’s shoulder.
“Look, there was a reason I was sticking with you outside the Imperial Palace. I have to drill your presence into their minds. I have to lodge you in their heads so deeply, I create a mess.”
“Yes.”
“If that’s the plan, you can’t be halfhearted.”
With a smooth gesture, he touched the back of Charlotte’s hand and handed her a necklace.
It was an iceberg chiseled into an ice crystal. The crystal held the chill perfectly within.
“You must become the sharpest blade and lodge in their hearts. Engraved in their minds, merely by existing, you must become a nuisance.”
Charlotte lifted her eyes as she hooked the necklace on her finger.
Their hands overlapped, and the tangled necklace created a mysterious atmosphere.
“Isn’t it beautiful? It’s unmelted ice, a very rare item.”
Madam Shanée cleared her throat, smiling cunningly.
“Your Highness, shall we choose this jewelry then?”
“This will do. Be mindful that those fools don’t do anything similar.”
“What do you take me for, Your Highness? Trust only in me.”
Shanée put the necklace in the jewelry box and closed it.
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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