“Still, honestly, when I see my brother, who can go wherever he wants and do whatever he desires, I can’t help but feel envious.”
Pascal’s gaze turned to the documents piled on the desk in the office. All of them were matters awaiting the Emperor’s attention.
“If I were stuck in the office, buried in piles of documents, I might want to throw away this imperial insignia that my brother gave me.”
“Your Majesty!”
Startled by Pascal’s words, Isaac, trembling, uttered an exclamation. Seeing Isaac’s surprised reaction, Pascal smirked and mocked.
“Surprised? It’s a joke. In truth, I feel a bit resentful towards my brother.”
“Your Majesty… Is it because of that rumor?”
Isaac cautiously mentioned the rumor, glancing at Pascal’s expression.
“Ah, the rumor that I’m your brother’s puppet?”
Pascal was well aware of the rumor circulating within the palace. Moreover, the Count of Repenser and the Marquis of Desen, who requested audiences every day, had recently pleaded for an investigation into the truth of that rumor.
“Your Majesty, it’s just a groundless tale. Please don’t worry too much.”
“I don’t care. It’s somewhat true, in fact.”
“Your Majesty!”
Admitting the rumor, Pascal surprised Isaac once again, who didn’t know how to respond.
“If it’s your request, Your Excellency, there’s no reason not to comply. However…”
Lowering his gaze, Pascal let out a deep sigh.
“I’m just disappointed that Your Excellency doesn’t let me know what you’re thinking.”
Come to think of it, it had always been like that.
Whether it was when Caelon suddenly descended from the position of Crown Prince or when he decided on the unplanned marriage with the Grand Duchess….
Pascal always found out about Caelon’s decisions later. He had always struggled to understand what his brother meant.
Moreover, when Caelon suddenly requested a lockdown of the capital last time, he didn’t explain the real reason to Pascal.
Without entering the office and always deciding everything alone, Pascal was increasingly dissatisfied with his brother’s attitude.
Because he didn’t want to whine to his brother like he did in his childhood, he pretended to be calm, but… Perhaps due to his complex feelings recently, his heart became complicated.
“Even if I could hear your thoughts…”
“Don’t be too disappointed. Isn’t His Excellency, the Grand Duke, naturally like that?”
“Yes, I thought so.”
Pascal also had thought that the reason Caelon didn’t confide in him was because of his cold and stern temperament.
The Grand Duke, as stern as to say that blue blood would run cold, had always been fair to everyone, including himself.
‘But my brother changed since then…’
It was since meeting the Grand Duchess.
[Dash] I fell in love. At first sight. With my Grand Duchess. [Dash] Brother… No, is it the Grand Duke speaking?Watching the Grand Duke express affection for the Grand Duchess, Pascal couldn’t help but wonder how surprised he must have been. He had never imagined seeing his brother in such a state.
Even after their marriage, the Grand Duke consistently supported matters proposed by the Grand Duchess, such as progressing the education project and amending child labor laws, on the international stage.
Moreover, the sudden dispatch of the diplomatic mission by the Grand Duke this time… seemed to have a different intention, given that he was accompanying the Grand Duchess.
‘Perhaps my brother and the Grand Duchess discussed and carried out these matters closely.’
Upon realizing this, Pascal felt a sudden, stabbing sensation in his chest. Why did he feel so empty in a corner of his heart?
‘My brother has a new family member too, the Grand Duchess. A more special relationship than mine…’
Although he and his brother were also connected as family, even if they were from the same family, the Grand Duchess would be a special presence to the Grand Duke. His attitude towards the Grand Duchess was entirely different.
Lost in his thoughts, unconsciously biting his lower lip, Pascal was suddenly startled, his body jerking.
‘Could it be… I am… jealous of the Grand Duchess?’
“…This is truly ridiculous.”
“Yes…? What’s all of a sudden…”
As Pascal chuckled, rubbing his head, Isaac grinned at his unfamiliar and strange reaction.
“No, it’s nothing.”
Pascal, who denied that the emotions underlying this unfamiliar and strange feeling could be jealousy, momentarily stiffened his face.
Suddenly, he recalled the words of concern from the Count of Repenser and the Marquis of Desen during the last audience.
[Dash] Forgive my impudence, but even His Majesty the Emperor should quickly welcome the Empress through marriage. [Dash] That’s right. It won’t take long for His Excellency, who enjoys the favor of the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess, to produce an heir. [Dash] If the Grand Duke proceeds to produce an heir unexpectedly… the sequence of the next imperial succession will be given. [Dash] Right now, he supports His Majesty the Emperor, but… if the Grand Duke sees a successor similar to himself, his thoughts may change.A successor born between the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess, resembling his brother…?
[Dash] Surely, the Grand Duke would redirect his support and interest towards Empress, wouldn’t he? Especially if a successor with black hair and blue eyes is born.Born with legitimacy, like his brother, a true descendant of the Upieter Imperial family…
Pascal’s vacant gaze slowly turned toward himself, reflected through the shattered terrace window.
Under the sunlight, his golden hair, unusually sparkling, pierced sharply into his blue eyes.
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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