Reflecting on his childhood, the image of a young Lucius naturally came to mind.
Young Lucius had been quite adorable.
It was hard to believe he would later betray Reneb, according to the original story.
“Is that so?”
Reneb tried to brush it off nonchalantly, but inadvertently revealed that he was avoiding talking about the past.
Kiernen quickly changed the subject.
“Amber is quite impressive, though.”
“What is?”
Kiernen asked Amber, who was continuously stuffing his mouth with Guegehopf.
“I’m talking about the dessert you got from His Majesty’s personal chef. Honestly, I thought you were just trying to mess with Amber, Count.”
“Is that so? Huh…”
Amber let out a deep sigh like an old man and then went on to complain about his recent trials and tribulations.
“Count Siren’s condition is quite healthy.”
Melita offered her clean and concise opinion.
“Count Weverling, is that all?”
Ikar furrowed his brows, prompting Melita to let out a light sigh.
“That means physically, yes.”
“Stop beating around the bush and speak clearly.”
Ikar’s expression grew even darker.
“Apart from looking a bit thin, I didn’t notice any physical abnormalities. This implies that the issue is mental.”
“You’re suggesting that there is something wrong with Count Siren’s mental state?”
As Ikar rested his chin on the armrest of his chair and deepened the furrows on his brow, Melita hurriedly added,
“It’s just a speculation. And as you know, we don’t have any specialists in mental health. That’s not just in Basheker, but across the continent.”
“So, there’s no way to treat it?”
At Ikar’s blunt question, Melita let out a faint sigh.
“Well, let’s hope the same symptoms don’t occur again. But if His Highness experiences them, please inform me without omitting any details.”
“…”
As Ikar displayed his displeasure, Melita hesitantly continued.
“I can’t guarantee we’ll find a solution, but…”
“Find one if there isn’t.”
Ikar neatly summed up the situation, causing Melita to sigh deeply once more.
After a moment of hesitation, Melita opened her mouth.
“Your Majesty, how about we establish an institution for researching mental disorders this time?”
Without hesitation, Ikar responded.
“Do it. Inform Druhan.”
The aftermath of the previous war was not trivial; many soldiers were suffering from it.
Though there may be peace for a while, they would have to go back to the battlefield once the peace treaty expires.
And someday, the war would end. The responsibility for the soldiers’ after-effects would then rest on Emperor Ikar.
Preparations for that time were necessary.
This was something Ikar had felt for a long time.
Not just for himself…
As she was leaving, Melita cautiously asked,
“Your Majesty, how has your insomnia been lately?”
“Count Weverling, if you’re done, you may leave.”
“I thought you might need it, so I brought some…”
Melita placed a paper bag on the table and bowed slightly toward Ikar.
Click.
The door closed softly behind her.
The soundproof room was completely silent.
It was the perfect environment for extended contemplation.
Ikar stared intently at the paper bag on the table.
He had never slept soundly.
His childhood on the run and his past filled with assassination and mercenary work were the causes.
Always sleeping lightly to sustain his life, Ikar experienced deep sleep for the first time in a cave several months ago.
The warmth enveloping him in the chilly dawn air was comforting.
The scent that gently enveloped his nose was so sweet that it seemed to wrap around Ikar’s nerves, which had been on edge as he infiltrated enemy territory, in a warm embrace.
Icarus reflected momentarily on the events in the cave, then on the secret passage and the royal masquerade.
During the masquerade at the royal palace, Renev had reacted to the appearance of the fake princess, while the cause of his condition in the secret passage was alarmingly abrupt.
‘No common ground.’
Icarus shook his head and wiped his dry face.
Soon, his thoughts shifted to what had happened in the hot springs, and a heat rushed to the tips of his ears.
Icarus quickly pushed that memory away.
Now, his mind shifted to the events in Paradium.
Given that they were hiding in enemy territory under the Paradium Emperor’s nose, staying for long would be dangerous.
Therefore, Icarus felt the need to make a quick decision.
The Emperor of Paradium might have agreed to send Renev to Bashuker in place of the princess, but Icarus had not yet agreed.
Before making a decision, he needed to confirm whether Renev held value comparable to the princess.
Additionally, he had to detect any underlying schemes.
Normally, Icarus wouldn’t have bothered to find out who was backing Lady Siren and her goodwill.
However, the situation required quick analysis, and, regrettably, the person best suited for that was Emperor Icarus himself.
Due to this, he had seen the Prince of Paradium forcibly kiss Renev while disguised as Duke Siren.
Recalling that moment made him inexplicably uncomfortable.
“Damn it.”
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.”
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