Clea couldn’t help but laugh at Admund’s reaction.
‘I was asking you to look at the dress. But I suppose it’s fine if you find it beautiful.’
Clea could easily tell what he was referring to as beautiful.
It was plainly evident from Admund’s expression from the start.
Clea felt joy at his flushed cheeks and flustered gaze.
“It seems that beautiful, huh.”
“Among all those I’ve seen until now, there’s none more beautiful than you.”
He honestly expressed exactly what he was thinking.
But soon after, he averted his gaze from Clea. It seemed he felt embarrassed by his own words.
Finding Admund’s reaction adorable, Clea approached him and placed her hand on his face.
“Admund, look at me.”
Though she applied no force, Admund’s head slowly turned towards Clea.
It’s not that Clea felt no embarrassment at all.
While she felt a bit cringy hearing such shy compliments, she didn’t particularly dislike it.
Meeting his gaze, Clea spoke quietly.
“Thank you for saying that. I truly mean it, not just empty words.”
“Clea.”
She was so grateful to him for many things. From his efforts for her sake to even these small gestures.
Admund was about to say there was no need to thank him.
But before that, Clea gently took his hand first.
“Meeting you must be the greatest fortune in my life.”
In the past, she had felt some resentment.
Wondering why someone like him appeared only after everything was ruined, giving her false hope.
But as she spent time with him before her eyes, her shattered heart carefully returned to its original state.
She hadn’t always been indifferent and cold towards people from the beginning.
“I feel exactly the same about you.”
Admund embraced Clea and whispered in her ear.
“I’ve been able to experience so much because I met you.”
So many things indeed.
Probably things he would never have experienced even once if he hadn’t met her.
Admund compared his life before meeting her to his life after.
A bland, colorless life.
He saw no other colors, and people only appeared in grey and black to him.
His surroundings were always filled with uninteresting things, and nothing piqued his interest.
With such a life, naturally, there were no days of laughter.
He who was like that gradually changed after meeting her.
Other colors began to appear in his eyes.
“Every day felt suffocating.”
Because everyone else was busy praising him as the future emperor, he had no other options.
The only ones he could be casual with were Aria and Lloyd, but it was hard to call them good friends even in words.
Especially since one of them approached him with ulterior motives.
But Clea alone was different.
She always treated him as Admund the person, not Crown Prince Admund.
Even now, it was the same.
As soon as they step out of here, everyone will look up to him. But in this room, in front of her, it was different.
“I too am so grateful to you for many things.”
Admund said this as he lifted Clea’s hand to his lips.
Watching this, Clea smiled.
“If you act like this, almost all the women in the empire would fall for you.”
“I only need you to be included in that majority of women.”
“I wonder about that?”
No sooner had the words ended than Admund lowered his head and approached her lips.
Clea neither stepped back nor blocked him.
And so Admund stole her lips.
Accepting it as it was, she remained still until Admund pulled away.
“Even now?”
And after pulling away, Admund asked.
To his question of whether she still wouldn’t fall for him, Clea embraced him and said.
“If I hadn’t fallen for you, I would have left your side long ago.”
Hearing those words, Admund felt a strange satisfaction. From the fact that she had the same feelings as him.
Meanwhile, there was one thing they didn’t know.
‘How can father and son be so alike? They’re exactly the same when it comes to flirting with the one they love.’
That someone was hiding and watching this scene.
Elaina was smiling as she watched the scene she had created.
* * *
“What is the meaning of this!”
After returning to the Percy Duke’s residence, Lloyd had been holed up in his room for a while.
Even though he wanted to go meet Aria, knowing she wouldn’t see him at all, he had been contemplating how he could meet her.
Such Lloyd was forcibly dragged out by the knights.
Feeling resentful at being dragged like a criminal despite being the heir to the duke’s family, he tried to resist somehow, but the knights didn’t budge.
Thus, forcibly dragged out, Lloyd arrived at the meeting hall where the duke and all the vassals were gathered.
He glared at his father, the duke, and asked. What was the meaning of this?
Seeing this, the vassals’ expressions frowned.
The already frozen atmosphere became even more hostile due to Lloyd’s insolence.
They were about to say something to Lloyd. That there are manners one should keep towards their father, no matter what.
But the duke’s words came before that.
“If you’ve come, take a seat.”
“I’ll return to my room!”
Lloyd was clearly an adult.
Moreover, he was the designated heir of the duke’s family.
People didn’t oppose him becoming the heir because he was the duke’s only child.
With his future guaranteed, people thought his prospects were bright.
However, the Lloyd seen now was no different from a good-for-nothing, to the point where one might question if he was really the duke’s child.
He showed neither dignity nor cultivation.
Naturally, there was no vision for the future either.
The duke felt extreme fatigue just from facing him.
Suppressing the urge to rise from his seat immediately, the duke opened his mouth.
“Aren’t you curious about why I called you here?”
“Isn’t it just to nag about pointless things again? Haven’t you shamed me enough in front of people!”
“Shame, you say.”
At those words, the duke almost let out a hollow laugh.
The one who brought this upon himself was none other than Lloyd himself.
If he had shown maturity and acted diligently as befitting the heir to the duke’s family, what shame would there be in front of people?
The duke wanted to say that if anyone was shamed, it was himself.
“Lloyd Percy.”
“Yes, I’m listening.”
“Lloyd.”
“I said I’m listening, didn’t I?”
The vassals hoped Lloyd would feel even a little sense of unease.
At least if he was aware that his actions could threaten what he currently had, he might consider the meaning behind the duke calling him like this.
However, far from feeling uneasy, Lloyd kept trying to assert his pride as if not to lose to the duke.
Seeing this, the vassals waited for the duke’s next words with a sense of frustration.
“I will strip you of your position as heir.”
“…What did you just say?”
Stripping of heir status.
Lloyd heard those words clearly with both ears.
But the reason he asked again was that he couldn’t believe what the duke had said.
Meanwhile, the duke kindly repeated once more for Lloyd’s sake.
“I said I will strip you of all qualifications to inherit the duke’s family and succession rights.”
It was a situation Lloyd had never once imagined.
The duke had no other children besides himself.
Moreover, there were no remaining collateral branches to threaten him.
Until now, he had been certain that the title and property were his.
“There’s no one else to inherit besides me!”
He thought of Admund.
People feared him.
It was partly due to the pressure Admund exuded, but more than that, they feared he might refuse to succeed the crown prince position.
The imperial family was in a similar situation to the duke’s family.
The only one to succeed the throne was Admund alone. That’s how precious he was.
Lloyd had thought he was similar to Admund.
However, that was entirely his own delusion.
“Why do you think there’s no one else but you?”
“I am your only child!”
“There’s no law saying it must be passed down only to one’s child.”
At the duke’s words, Lloyd’s gaze turned to the vassals.
It was a look asking them to persuade the duke instead of just standing still.
But the vassals avoided Lloyd’s gaze.
Lloyd couldn’t understand the current situation.
He still couldn’t accept that he and Admund were different.
Admund had diligently gone through the preparation process to earn his position.
In contrast, Lloyd had never once proven to people that he was worthy of succession.
In this situation, there was no one who would take Lloyd’s side unconditionally.
“Then who is it? Who on earth will succeed the duke’s title instead of me!”
Lloyd asked in an enraged voice.
To him asking who exactly would inherit the duke’s title, the duke said.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
“Answer me now!”
The duke fell into thought as he looked at Lloyd.
If he told him here, what kind of reaction would he show?
Would he look bewildered upon hearing who it was?
Or would he immediately go cause trouble again?
Either way, it was clear that troublesome things would happen, so he didn’t answer.
“I’ll allow your marriage to Aria Hersher. However, you should know that from now on, you won’t be able to use anything from the duke’s family.”
The duke warned.
That there was nothing more he could support as a parent.
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.]
