‘Fortunately, your expression has improved.’
Was he having a nightmare?
Or was the pain he felt on her behalf too much to bear?
Clea’s heart ached as if it would tear apart seeing Admund’s struggling figure.
There was nothing she could do. Just watch over him, hold his hand, and offer encouragement.
“I’m sorry to you as well. For causing such trouble.”
Hayden had been by Admund’s side constantly since the incident occurred.
Though he should be tired from the series of events happening since the wedding, Hayden never showed any sign of fatigue.
“What is there to be sorry for? It’s only natural to help those in need.”
Hayden shook his head.
“If anything, Your Highness is going through more hardship than I am. I only need to stay by his side, but aren’t you handling quite a lot of matters right now, Your Highness?”
He was more worried about Clea.
Since the wedding, she had been moving non-stop without rest.
From duties to handle on Admund’s behalf to meetings with nobles, and matters related to Aria Hersher.
With the sudden bomb that dropped, the previously leisurely schedule disappeared like a lie.
“Your Highness should get some rest too. You’ve been constantly by his side as soon as your work is done, haven’t you?”
Hayden suggested that Clea get even a little sleep.
But cruelly, the dawn light was already brightening.
Though the sun wasn’t visible yet, she had to move again.
Especially today, there would be more important matters to attend to.
Seeing Clea’s eyes, Hayden felt sorry for her. So he opened his mouth to give her a little strength.
“His Highness’s health is recovering quickly. So please don’t worry too much.”
Though he couldn’t be certain when he would wake up, he added that things wouldn’t get any worse than this.
Clea felt grateful to him.
She kissed Admund’s cheek one last time before getting up.
“I won’t forget what happened today.”
As he watched Clea leave, Hayden whispered.
“May fortune smile upon your path.”
He prayed as he looked at Admund. His expression that had been peaceful until just now was crumpled again.
Surely the poison and evil elements in his body had been removed.
Yet he was still suffering, and remained unconscious.
“Truly, they’ve done a terrible thing.”
He still didn’t know exactly what Aria had done.
But looking through the old documents of the temple, Hayden felt he could make some predictions.
‘There was a similar incident back in Emperor Roderick’s time.’
The fight between two families over the empress position.
One side was the Hersher family, and the other was an ancient family that was exterminated, even its name erased.
Most records from that time were deleted or lost, making it difficult to find related content in the empire’s history books.
However, the temple’s documents recorded the events of that time in detail.
Fortunately, back then the imperial family and the temple operated separately.
While searching through the records, Hayden accidentally discovered the name ‘Aria’.
[Originally, Emperor Roderick favored a lady named Aria.Then he suddenly changed his mind to favor the Hersher princess, and Lady Aria met a miserable end.]
This content, written in records passed down only to the capital’s bishop, was recorded by the bishop at that time.
It also contained content about the Hersher princess creating a forbidden elixir and making the emperor drink it.
Because of that, Lady Aria, who was praised as a saint, became a vile villainess and met an unjust death, and her family was exterminated.
‘If the emperor’s love for Lady Aria changed in an instant.’
Hayden speculated.
Just as the Hersher princess did back then, perhaps Aria Hersher also made Admund drink that forbidden elixir.
“The more you dig, the more dirty deeds come to light.”
* * *
Meanwhile, Duke Hersher was receiving an unwelcome guest.
His already on-edge nerves became even sharper due to the invitation sent by Clea.
The guest who visited the duke’s mansion was none other than Bawin Rockin.
The duke wanted to chase away the uninvited visitor, but he couldn’t dare do so with the imperial knights behind him.
As Bawin boldly entered the mansion, Duke Hersher glared at him murderously, but he remained nonchalant.
“What are you here for this time?”
The duke felt the urge to pounce on him right away, but he held back and asked why he came here.
Bawin answered kindly with a smiling face.
“I came to see the young lady.”
At Bawin’s words that he came to meet Aria, the duke snapped sharply.
“It’s because of you. Aria has changed since meeting you.”
Hearing those words, Bawin didn’t hold back his laughter.
“How pitiful. You’ve only just noticed now?”
“So you finally show your true colors.”
“Haha, ‘finally’? I never hid it from the beginning.”
Bawin never hid his intentions from the start. It was entirely Duke Hersher’s fault for realizing it late.
“If you hadn’t targeted our family in the first place, today’s events wouldn’t have happened.”
Simple revenge.
Bawin was filled only with the desire to return the same to the man who tried to take everything from him.
Of course, he ended up helping Clea in the process.
Nothing changed even when he realized that the path Clea wanted to walk was the same as his own.
‘It may have even hastened the downfall of the duke’s family.’
Bawin moved his long legs.
The duke followed, as if to block his way.
“I won’t let you meet my daughter!”
“That’s entirely up to the young lady’s will, isn’t it?”
“Once she learns of your intentions, she will surely follow my wishes!”
The duke was certain that once she knew the inside story, she would surely follow his will.
But Bawin knew human habits well.
Once people start believing something, they never change their minds unless betrayal happens right before their eyes.
Even he himself couldn’t distinguish what was eating away at him when blinded by love.
“Young lady, Bawin Rockin has come to speak with you.”
Having reached Aria’s room, Bawin politely knocked on the door himself.
The tightly closed door opened not long after.
Aria showed a bright expression upon seeing Bawin.
But it was only for a moment, as she immediately frowned when she saw the duke next to him.
“Aria, chase this man out at once.”
The first conversation between father and daughter since returning from the palace, as Aria had locked herself in her room.
Aria felt rebellious at the duke ordering her to chase Bawin out as soon as he saw her.
At the same time, her mind was racing quickly.
There must be some reason why the duke, who would have chased him out himself normally, was telling her to do it.
Having finished her thoughts, Aria looked at Bawin.
‘The person who helps me.’
Currently her only helper.
Although she received no help on the wedding day, Aria thought it was because his title was only that of a viscount.
She took Bawin’s hand without any doubt.
“Please come in.”
“Aria!”
The duke raised his voice as before, but Aria pretended not to hear.
Watching this, Bawin turned his gaze to the duke.
That gaze was full of mockery.
Unable to stand it, the duke intended to enter along with Bawin, but the door closed firmly before that.
The duke pounded on the closed door, shouting to open it quickly. But the door did not open.
Aria heard all the noise from inside the room, but ignored the duke as if he didn’t exist.
Bawin also found the duke’s cries pleasant, so he left him be and greeted Aria again.
“I heard the news. That you suffered hardship at the hands of that villainess in that place.”
“Thank you for saying that, Bawin. No one else comforted me except you.”
Unlike Lloyd, Aria felt at ease when she was with Bawin.
This was the difference between someone who was helpful and someone who wasn’t.
Bawin had been helpful to her, but Lloyd only caused harm the more he tried to help her.
“An urgent situation has occurred in the imperial palace.”
“What happened?”
“His Highness the Crown Prince has collapsed.”
Aria was not surprised to hear this.
Seeing this in her eyes, Bawin inwardly clicked his tongue.
‘So it was your doing after all.’
At the same time, he was glad.
Not hiding her expression meant she trusted him that much.
“You don’t seem surprised, young lady.”
“Because I did it.”
“You mean to His Highness?”
Aria hesitated for a moment, then trusting him, she took out her treasure.
It was the book that had allowed her to gain an advantageous position.
In the current situation, it was nothing short of a game changer.
Meanwhile, Bawin, not knowing the circumstances, couldn’t tell what kind of book it was.
But his experienced intuition guessed that it was highly likely to be related to everything that had happened so far.
“When Admund wakes up, everything will be different. Then I’ll be able to break the fingers of those who pointed at me.”
The words she spoke with a happy smile were very cold.
“Considering your contributions, I’ll promote you to marquis, no, even duke.”
Perhaps it was because he could imagine inwardly what days the empire would face if things flowed as she wished.
Bawin forced a smile at her suffocating dream and asked.
“Young lady, soon people will be dispatched to thoroughly investigate the duke’s family.”
“…What?”
At this, Aria’s expression turned cold.
“There’s no need to be surprised. It’s entirely predictable from the start, isn’t it? That villainess would surely suspect you.”
“I, I suppose so.”
Perhaps she hadn’t anticipated this situation.
Her eyes shook violently.
If the imperial family, especially the imperial palace people, started searching the duke’s mansion in earnest, they could easily find the book right in front of her eyes.
Bawin looked at her and said kindly.
“So I came to hide your valuables for you.”
As soon as those words ended, Aria looked at Bawin.
“Young lady.”
He acted with all his might.
“Trust me, who has shown loyalty to you.”
As if he could do anything for her.
“Can you entrust that book to me?”
After saying that, Bawin slowly reached out his hand to her.
As her vision trembled, Aria thought.
Because she could trust Bawin more than anyone else, she swallowed and handed over the book that was in her possession.
“Thank you for trusting me, young lady.”
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
