Viscount Delphinium was the main contributor to the past attack on the minority village, offering butterflies.
The scenes of slaughter, which he had not witnessed in front of him, seemed to unfold like a panorama.
At that time, Karaf could not dare to imagine how scared Aisha was, how desperate and guilty she must have felt towards the villagers.
Somehow, it seemed like the time when she turned pale while looking at someone during the previous tribute ceremony was similar to when she looked at Viscount Delphinium.
Karaf chuckled inwardly.
Back then, he had only focused on tribute items to win her heart, and he had never investigated what she really felt, or whom she was uncomfortable with.
Karaf looked at him expressionlessly and said, “I’m truly grateful that the viscount cares so much about the baggage.”
Although Karaf’s face did not show gratitude at all, Kiyam responded shamelessly.
“I apologize, Your Majesty. I was truly worried that Banet-san might have flown away to find another flower. I was concerned about the possibility.”
Several nobles hid their expressions by pretending to wipe their mouths with napkins at his bold statement, which was almost saying that he was worried she might have flown away with the wind.
Karaf suppressed his anger inwardly, picked up a knife, elegantly sliced the steak, and said, “Somehow, I heard that social gatherings have increased a lot lately, and some idle nobles are spreading such rumors while wandering around the salons.”
When Karaf responded bluntly, the atmosphere at the table sank even further.
Everyone was watching, keeping an eye on the tense string between the two.
Viscount Kiyam replied leisurely, “It’s fortunate if it’s just a rumor, but as one who earnestly awaits news of Your Majesty’s enlightenment, I would like to propose something to Your Majesty.”
“A proposal?”
Karaf looked at him as if to ask what he was suggesting.
“Yes. Perhaps, as one who eagerly awaits news of Your Majesty’s enlightenment, how about keeping another lady by your side to console Your Majesty’s heart? I remember there were many decent ladies among the butterfly candidates at this Flower Festival.”
“…Are you saying that Banet-san cannot console my heart?”
Karaf’s face became fierce.
Kiyam responded imperturbably, “Oh, by no means, Your Majesty. I just thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Your Majesty to keep one or two other ladies by your side. Throughout history, many emperors have had concubines, so wouldn’t it be natural? Even the late empress had many ladies by her side during her lifetime…”
Before he could finish speaking, Karaf suddenly pounded the table with his fist.
At that merciless sound, everyone’s eyes widened.
“…”
A terrifying silence enveloped the restaurant.
Karaf nonchalantly brushed off his fist and wiped it with a handkerchief, saying, “Ah, sorry for speaking so loudly. There was a beetle flying around the plate while I was talking.”
“…”
Karaf grasped the edge of the table with both hands, lifted his gaze through the black hair falling on his forehead, and said, “Don’t worry about me, just enjoy your meals, everyone.”
As Karaf’s eyes glowed like a madman, everyone looked down at the dishes in front of them, swallowing their saliva with unease.
Upon hearing about the insects flying around, the servants standing by the door turned pale and knelt down with frightened faces.
Although it was a metaphor for Kiyam, if real insects had flown in, that would have been a significant issue as well.
Karaf, chewing on the meat, casually remarked, “The meat is too well done.”
Upon hearing this, the chefs hastily took away the plates and brought a slightly bleeding steak back.
Until then, the restaurant remained in a silence that continued like sitting on thorns.
When the meat arrived, Karaf pulled a chair and sat down again, calmly starting to slice the steak.
However, every time he moved the knife, the undercooked meat made a crunchy sound, and blood pooled on the plate.
No one moved a spoon, and the sound seemed particularly eerie.
Focusing solely on the meat, Karaf calmly said, “Ah, Viscount Delphinium. I apologize for cutting you off during the conversation. So, what were we talking about?”
Kiyam, by now wiping his sweat-soaked face with a handkerchief, could not respond.
As soon as Kiyam had spoken earlier, Karaf had already sensed his dirty intentions.
His only female companion had participated in this Flower Festival.
Of course, he had not paid any attention, and he could not remember what color dress his companion was wearing or what she looked like.
Still, Kiyam Delphinium was an ambitious man greedy for power.
It seemed he firmly believed that his female companion would be the only butterfly of this generation.
There were even strange rumors circulating that she was receiving secret education in the mansion.
As the saying went, the more hardships one experienced, the higher the chances of becoming a butterfly.
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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