The aroma of wine spread richly inside the tavern. A man who had been wiping glasses turned his head.
“Oh. So, you’re a customer?”
Charlotte stood in the doorway, glancing around the inside.
“I am a guest. Can I sit here?”
She placed her beret on the table and pulled a chair to sit at one side of the island table.
“The menu is over there. Look and order what you want…….”
“I’ll have a glass of wine made from Irelia grapes. It has to be a 30year vintage.”
The man who was wiping the glasses was the bartender, Franz.
“A customer looking for Irelia wine? What’s this? A rare connoisseur? Are you alone?”
“Alone for now.”
“We have some stunning fruit cheese with the wine, would you like that too?”
“If it’s the one with dried grapes, just leave that out.”
“What, leave out the dried grapes? The dried grapes are the most important! While drinking Irelia wine, to omit the fruit cheese with dried grapes?”
Franz brought the Irelia wine and fruit cheese. She had asked for the dried grapes to be removed, so he brought fruit cheese made from dried apples.
The fruit cheese melted smoothly in her mouth. She swirled the wine gently with her hand and took a sip.
“Where’s the owner?”
“Oh, you know Lord Roskella?”
“Not personally. The tavern is named after someone, isn’t it?”
“Ah yes. That’s right! I almost forgot.”
“The wine quality is good. I didn’t expect much since it’s in a remote corner.”
She had another glass of wine. At that point, a shadow cast behind her. He placed a robe on her head as if he knew who she was.
“Charl.”
Benjamin bent his body as he leaned on the table.
“We meet again.”
The person who will ruin me.
“I said we would meet again, but did I come too early?”
“It’s earlier than I expected.”
We quietly observed each other. And we recognized right away. We need each other.
He assessed Charlotte’s worth. His scrutinizing eyes seemed to disassemble her meticulously.
Yes. You must have felt it then too.
We will wallow together in the mud.
I am gladly rolling into that mud.
Charlotte took a sip of her wine, her eyes rolling. Condensation formed on the glass.
“Did you talk to Aster?”
“My uncle doesn’t know I’m here.”
“So you came alone.”
“I plan to return alone too.”
Charlotte emptied her wine, but Benjamin snatched the glass away.
“The Windsor bloodline all seems obsessed with wine.”
Benjamin clicked his tongue.
“How did you find this place?”
“It’s a famous place, isn’t it?”
“Roskella fellow does collect wine well.”
“Yes. The quality of the wine was excellent. I had the Irelia wine you recommended.”
Benjamin stared at her intently. He is now calculating. What to do with you. That’s the look.
She swept her curly hair aside, and the entrance door opened again. Franz called out the name.
“Lord Roskella has arrived?”
“Tsk. Why is it raining when I’m almost there?”
Roskella shook off the dampness that had soaked her clothes, grumbling.
“Master, why are you using the large umbrella by yourself? You don’t want to share it with a man, do you? Ugh! Even my underwear is soaked! You truly have neither compassion nor empathy! Have you forgotten the day I sewed up your torn arm with each individual stitch?”
“Guests are present in front of Miss Roskella.”
Roskella’s eyes widened as she just noticed Charlotte.
“Franz, prepare a seat inside.”
She turned her gaze toward the entrance. The intermittent sound of rain could be heard.
(This is a time separator.)
“Here’s a hangover remedy. Drink it all.”
Roskella handed over a hangover remedy contained in a green bottle.
“If you converse with His Majesty while drunk, you’ll be swayed here and there.”
Charlotte only lightly touched the hangover remedy with the tip of her tongue. A bitter mint flavor spread. Although she didn’t need a hangover remedy just for a few glasses of wine, she drank it all anyway, thinking that her confidante wouldn’t offer it without reason.
“Good grief. It’s hard enough to hold a conversation with this person sober, let alone when our lady is being careless….”
Roskella gestured at Benjamin with a roll of her eyes.
“Your Majesty, you shouldn’t treat women like you do men.”
“You, be quiet now.”
“Ugh! Can’t you be a little kinder to me?”
She put down the empty hangover remedy bottle and winked at Roskella.
“We seem to have a close relationship, don’t we? Your Majesty, aren’t you neglecting the person who sewed up your torn arm stitch by stitch a little too much?”
Roskella complained to her superior with a choked expression.
“Your Majesty? Did you hear that? Even this stranger here agrees with me; this is a bit too much, isn’t it? Do you remember how I sewed up that arm of yours, and the inner thigh, stitch by stitch…?”
“Roskella, be quiet.”
Benjamin silenced Roskella with an order. Charlotte glanced at Roskella with newfound interest.
‘I expected someone different.’
In her previous life, Roskella was a cruel and decisive person.
‘She was the one who forged the killing order beside the deposed prince.’
The current Emperor had been bedridden with illness for a long time, and his inner circle was in disarray. Even the Empress couldn’t approach the Emperor.
The deposed prince’s killing of his family and succession to the throne occurred a few years later.
Benjamin elevated the imperial power by suppressing the opposition, and the person who did the suppressing was Roskella, his scribe in charge of the killing order.
“Then rest awhile. Miss Charlotte.”
Roskella left, and Benjamin sat with a knuckle crack.
“Char.”
Did the nickname sound so accurate because she had become so familiar with it?
“Aren’t you fearless in your wanderings?”
“Did I do that?”
“You lack caution.”
Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. It was true that she had let her guard down in front of him, the person she should be most wary of. Naturally, Benjamin was the first to notice.
“You.”
Benjamin spoke slowly.
“You should be more cautious.”
She now understood a little why Aster had said he had a bad personality.
“He must have had a reason for giving the hangover remedy before leaving.”
It was a perfect moment to be manipulated if she let her guard down.
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.]
