As the sound of footsteps drew closer, my heartbeat also amplified. I covered my mouth with both hands, lost in my worries.
‘Should I leave now?’
For some reason, my body wouldn’t move as I intended.
‘It seems it’s too late.’
I should have run away! As the second hand on the office clock moved, my regret grew larger.
The footsteps stopped. Right in front of the office desk. I heard the voice of the captain of the knights.
“Honestly, it’s quite surprising that the orphanage discovered by Baron Blonew happens to be the place Lady comes from. What could be the connection?”
“I wonder.”
I heard Johan’s voice right in front of me. It was an extremely cold and icy voice, entirely different from when he spoke with me normally.
‘He found the orphanage I came from?’
The Lavianna Orphanage was a common place, nothing special. Aside from the fact that the orphanage director was unexpectedly capable and adopted many children.
‘But it’s common to take orphans all at once as workers.’
Even if Johan investigated my orphanage, he probably didn’t discover anything special. Johan, lightly perched on the desk, spoke.
“If you dig in any direction, something will come out. Have there been any attacks on the Blanchett Duchy recently?”
“Yes. It seems everyone is laying low following the downfall of Libertan.”
“That’s good.”
I was nervously listening to their conversation, my heart pounding.
‘I should have just got caught.’
The captain of the knights and Johan continued their conversation.
“By the way, my lord. What have you decided to do about the letter from Libertan? I haven’t yet received your stance on it.”
“Is the body completely confined?”
“Yes. There’s chaos in the royal prison, I hear.”
Johan did not respond. I continued to hold my breath in his silence, growing increasingly anxious. Then, Johan’s footsteps sounded, and he walked inside the office desk.
In other words, towards where I was hiding.
‘I’m caught!’
I looked at Johan who lowered his gaze sideways and gave an awkward smile. I even waved my hand to greet him for no reason.
‘What should I excuse?’
However, Johan, who slightly raised one eyebrow, sat down on the chair without showing any signs.
‘Is he trying not to mention that I’m here?’
Johan placed himself naturally under the office desk as if no one was there.
Even though the office desk was large, the space inside wasn’t spacious. Johan’s sturdy calf and my curled up body touched.
I clenched my shaky knees and tried to move further inside.
Even if I was pressed against the wall of the desk as much as possible, Johan’s legs and my body were still in close contact.
‘What is Johan thinking?’
Johan slowly opened his mouth.
“I intend to accept Libertan’s proposal.”
“Eh? Really?”
“Yes. I have a promise with my wife.”
“I see. Then… Wouldn’t there be too much to explain to the Lady? I heard that she hasn’t been up long due to recent illness….”
Worry was evident in the captain’s voice.
“I’ll take care of that.”
“Yes. Understood.”
“More importantly, Raymond. I have a piece of advice to ask from you.”
Johan opened his mouth in a relaxed mood, his arms crossed.
‘The knight’s name is Raymond.’
More than that, I couldn’t understand why Johan was still talking with the knight while leaving me below.
“A, are you asking me a question, my lord?”
The voice of the knight, Raymond, was filled with enormous bewilderment. I couldn’t see his face, but he must be very surprised.
“What is it exactly? Is there a new monster problem that needs to be handled with the knights?”
“No.”
Johan answered, raising the corners of his mouth slightly.
“It’s about my wife.”
“You mean the new Lady. What could it be with her….”
Knight Raymond’s voice was immersed. I also perked my ears to my story that suddenly came up and looked up at Johan. Johan slowly opened his mouth.
“My wife keeps calling me ‘Duke’.”
“Eh?”
“It’s been quite a while since we got married, but she still calls me Duke. This seems like a big problem.”
At the completely unexpected words, both I and Knight Raymond seemed surprised. Raymond coughed for a moment and then asked again.
“Ah, could she not think of any other title?”
“That’s not the case. She even called me ‘my husband’ during a crisis.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Even used informal language quite naturally.”
It seems Anton is speaking while recalling the attack.
“This is a very serious problem. Marriage has various important meanings.”
Johan’s voice felt more serious, making me feel even more embarrassed. My face had already turned red.
Back then, it was a crisis, so I blurted out without thinking. But now, hearing my own words from someone else’s mouth felt completely different.
‘Is he teasing me now?’
Johan spoke as if I, who was hidden below, wasn’t there.
“That was really cute back then. Is there no way to hear it again?”
“Well, there’s only one way… my lord has to have a conversation with the lady.”
“But if I ask you to do it again, that cute feeling might not come out as naturally. It was cute because it came out spontaneously that time.”
“Um, that might be true…”
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
