I impulsively placed a hand on Kirian’s cheek. It was slightly thinner than when we first met, but still felt perfect in my palm.
“This is all I need.”
At first, Kirian was just challenging, but it seemed that I had grown quite fond of him without knowing it.
Enough to sometimes forget that he was the male protagonist of the original work.
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]“It’s been a while since we’ve had so many people at the Duke’s house.”
The Duchess had thrown a banquet for the guests who had visited the Duke’s house after a long time. It seemed like a strategic move to connect His and me.
His sat next to me, Esmeralda sat in front of me, and Kirian sat next to her.
Anyone could see that the seating arrangement was paired.
Throughout the banquet, a minor incident was the Duchess swiftly catching Kirian every time he quickly tried to move to sit next to me.
“Thank you for inviting us.”
The King of Ksia smiled broadly.
“Oh, don’t mention it. Come visit often.”
The Duchess waved her hand dismissively.
“We’re also grateful for the invitation.”
The Marquis of Majine raised his unique smile that only curled at the corners of his lips.
“Haha, Marquis of Majine, I didn’t invite you, but well, you came. Your daughter is very cute.”
The Duchess, who was not good at empty talk, said.
His and I exchanged glances. We had been specifically trained all day for this occasion.
The banquet, attended by everyone, was the perfect opportunity to employ the Duke family’s approach we had outlined in the notes.
The steak dish came out at the right time. His naturally took my plate.
“Princess Reina, let me cut it for you.”
Taken by His’s inherent, flawless manners, the Duchess clasped her cheek with one hand.
“Oh my, Prince His has manners beyond his years.”
“It’s an honor. I simply want to take care of the princess.”
When His hit the two consecutive shots, the Duchess completely fell for him.
“Oh my, oh my, you’re truly the embodiment of a perfect prince.”
Mission to win over the Duchess complete. I secretly picked the next target in my mind and signaled His again.
“I’m far from being a good prince.”
His held a faint smile and naturally turned his eyes towards the Duke.
“Isn’t listening to the voices of the people of Ksia, striving and working for them what makes a perfect prince? I’m still lacking, but I’m learning hard. I regularly attend the council meetings with my father, but there’s a lot I don’t know. I want to learn quickly so I can contribute my opinions.”
(Note: The translation was done maintaining the exact number of lines as the original, preserving the characters’ names and genders, and following the provided guidelines.)
A gentle smile began to form at the Duke’s lips.
“A leader is not one who commands those below, but guides and takes care of them. Your son is still young, but I believe he will become an excellent leader.”
The Duke did not directly speak to His, but indirectly praised him to King Ksia. The compliment, coming from the usually reticent and reserved Duke, was a sure sign of favor.
My stratagem was indeed perfect. I proudly skewered a piece of steak that His had finely sliced for me with my fork.
That’s when the Marquis of Majine spoke.
“Looking at them, Prince His and Princess Reina really do go well together.”
At Marquis Majine’s words, King Ksia wiped his mouth and cleared his throat.
“Actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you, Duke, and now that the opportunity has arisen… ahem, what are your thoughts on a betrothal between our son and Princess Reina?”
I saw Kirian’s complexion turn pale for a moment. I was worried the banquet table would split in half.
Kirian felt my gaze on him, and we locked eyes for a moment before he looked away.
Fortunately, this time telepathy seemed to work, and only a slight crack appeared in the glass in front of Kirian, and the table didn’t split.
“Oh my!”
The Duchess clapped her hands.
“Your Majesty has also had this thought. I’ve always thought His was so upright and respectful whenever I looked at him. Our Reina follows His very well.”
“Congratulations. There couldn’t be a more fitting pair.”
Marquis Majine congratulated them as if the engagement was already a done deal.
But I couldn’t jump to conclusions as quickly as she did. I carefully scrutinized the Duke, feeling a little anxious.
The Duke, unlike the Duchess, showed no emotion on his face. If anything, his lips seemed a bit stiff.
“I appreciate the proposal for the engagement.”
The Duke finally spoke.
“I refuse.”
No, why! I screamed inwardly, and His, sitting next to me, did not react strongly but looked disappointed. The Duchess also sighed.
The only person beaming at the banquet hall was Kirian.
“Ah… is there a specific reason?”
The King furrowed his brow slightly.
“My son desperately wants it, and Princess Reina seems to get along with my son without any hesitation, so I made the proposal. Is there a particular reason you oppose? Perhaps my son was rude during his stay with the Duke?”
Seeing the narrowing eyes of the King, I understood why His was trying to secure his position as crown prince through a contract engagement.
The King constantly monitored and tested His, even though he was still young.
His’ careful and dignified attitude in everything was probably because of the King.
I felt a little sorry for His.
“No. He has not been rude.”
Fortunately, the Duke didn’t blame His.
“However, my daughter is still too young.”
The Duke’s firm objection was interrupted by Marquis Majine.
“There are some young people engaged at Princess Reina’s age, as far as I know.”
But the Duke shook his head.
“It’s absurd to think of engagement at an age when she should be playing freely under her parents’ care.”
Kirian seemed to agree with the Duke and nodded vigorously.
“She’s only two years younger than me.”
I wanted to throttle him. Age to play freely? In terms of mental age, she would have been independent long ago.
But the Duke showed no sign of backing down. He furrowed his brow and put in the final nail.
“To be frank, I find it distasteful.”
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.
Link to read
