Suddenly, the thought crossed her mind that his ears were sharp. Even though she excused herself from the seat, she might have overheard the conversation in the reception room.
“Did you overhear our conversation?”
He asked casually, lowering the end of his eyebrow.
“Of course, my hearing is sharp, but do you think I’d become a pervert by eavesdropping on other people’s conversations all the time? It’s similar to what we see with our eyes. Just because we’ve seen something doesn’t mean we take in everything around it.”
I see.
K, who saw Rishi sighing in relief, narrowed his eyes.
“Why? Did Iobeht confess his love to you?”
Rishi’s shoulders twitched. Unconsciously, she pursed her lips and scrutinized his expression. Surprisingly, K didn’t have an unpleasant expression.
“But not exactly a confession, something similar…”
“I knew he would do that.”
“You knew?”
“Of course, it’s strange if a guy like him doesn’t fall for a beautiful woman like you. When I saw him the day before the wedding, his gaze was peculiar.”
“But you still let the two of us have a private conversation.”
“I trust you. And I trust Iobeht.”
K gently lifted Rishi’s chin.
“But still, I can’t help but feel uneasy. I want to leave a mark that says you’re mine.”
His lips descended along Rishi’s cheek, ear, neck, and shoulder.
A peculiar thrill ran through her, like a hot, slow stamp. She naturally closed her eyes and fully embraced the sensation he created.
Whenever their bodies overlapped like this, as always, only K filled her white empty mind. In the quiet reception room, only the breath of the two echoed.
+++
Inside the carriage returning to the palace, Iobeht let out an indistinguishable sigh, not knowing how many times it was.
[Dash] Iris, my apologies. I am Iris Green.Rishi’s firm tone came to his mind.
The cold gaze that met his eyes after he regained his composure. The warm trust toward him disappeared, replaced only by doubt, astonishment, slight annoyance, and amazement, filling her lilac eyes. Her eyes alone conveyed a clear rejection.
His chest felt tight.
“Why am I like this?”
Staying in the palace, various rumors reached his ears. Among them were various rumors and scandals among the nobles.
Some count got caught having an affair with a maid and ended up unable to move a finger in front of his wife, some duchess secretly met a knight and was caught by her husband, losing her life…
Listening to those stories, he couldn’t understand.
Every emotion can be controlled by reason, and even if it’s not controlled, not revealing it through actions is what distinguishes humans from animals, he thought.
But today, Iobeht felt an emotion that couldn’t be controlled by reason, and he ended up expressing it through actions. Moreover, it was directed at K’s wife, who could be considered his only friend.
Iobeht closed his eyes firmly.
He didn’t want to recall a face like Rishi’s, but in the pitch-dark sight, the face that brightened the room was ultimately Rishi’s.
Flawless white skin, a round forehead, pretty eyebrows, large eyes, long eyelashes partially covering clear pupils, a stout nose, small and plump lips…
“Oh my…”
A painful groan escaped Iobeht’s lips.
“This is maddening.”
+++
Although Rishi was worried that Iobeht, who had returned to the palace, might not behave as negotiated, she was relieved. Regardless of Iobeht’s subtle attitude, he properly resolved official matters.
A few days later, the owner of Jarmet Top, Jarmet, visited. She was a woman with black hair and the typical brown skin of Teleha Kingdom citizens, wearing glasses.
“The Crown Prince of the Gavizar Empire has requested you to meet with the Countess Green as a condition for investment.”
Jarmet spoke with the Telehan accent mixed into her tone.
Beyond the glasses, pink irises carefully examined Rishi, seemingly questioning why the Crown Prince was dealing with a Countess. Perhaps, she found it strange that the Crown Prince was negotiating with someone like the Countess for a deal and was contemplating whether to invest.
Instead of trying various approaches, Rishi stated clearly.
“I will put Jarmet Top’s name in the best location on the Dakote City Market Street. I will provide a large warehouse where you can stock coffee and Romer fabrics. I will also arrange a dedicated merchant ship for you.”
Jarmet’s eyes widened, then narrowed again. She judged that there must be a reason for all these favors, regardless of Iobeht’s mysterious attitude.
“What do you want in return?”
“Half of the management rights for Jarmet Top.”
“What!”
Jarmet burst into a dry laugh.
“Countess, of course, my top is still small, but giving half of the management rights is not an easy task.”
“Even if you take half of the management and stake, I won’t change the name of Jarmet Top.”
“Of course, we shouldn’t. Even so, I can’t offer half of the management rights. I’m sorry, but if that’s a condition, I have to refuse. Even though it’s regrettable to miss out on the Crown Prince’s investment…”
“Have you ever thought about Merthium transactions?”
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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