Philip’s gaze seemed to penetrate me so intensely that I wanted to avoid eye contact. For some reason, the desire in the eyes we met once was so strong that I couldn’t look away from him.
After our gazes were entwined for a while, the intense light from Philip’s violet eyes faded. Only after his satisfied expression, with the corners of his mouth gently lifting, did I feel a sense of relief.
Philip, pointing at me with a raised finger, then lightly tapped my left chest.
My face turned red at the gesture that seemed to imply I was in his heart.
Whether it was due to my mood, memories of a romance drama I had seen before came to mind. Was it an illusion that this gesture felt like he would protect me no matter what happened?
“…….”
Before I knew it, I felt somewhat relieved. It might be an illusion, but it made me feel secure.
Philip, Laila, and Marboro are on my side. Clona Hasena also seemed favorable toward me.
‘Alright, if this is the feeling, I might win no matter what comes.’
My waist and shoulders naturally straightened.
A soft thud.
Perhaps because the party venue was unusually quiet, I heard a small sound that I wouldn’t have heard on a normal day. When I reflexively turned my head, there was Alexander.
The light in Alexander’s eyes, which was unreadable before, changed.
Unlike earlier, he was now staring at Philip. His jaw seemed tight, and the white madness in his wide-open eyes sparkled.
I looked at Philip again. Despite feeling Alexander’s warm gaze, Philip was still looking at me with the same expression.
I looked around again. Those who were focused on Clona’s appraisal, fascinated by her passion for authenticating the item, couldn’t see the expressions of Philip and Alexander.
“We’ve been waiting for a long time.”
Soon, she lowered the magnifying glass. Stepping back from the necklace, she respectfully bowed her head to the king.
“Your Highness, the Tears of the Goddess sent by the representative of Boutique DS to Marquis Ondella are indeed authentic.”
Having reached a conclusion, Clona Hasena stood a bit away.
The quiet surroundings soon became lively.
The king’s gaze towards Marquis Ondella became stern. Then, warm glares followed, one after another, directed at Marquis Ondella.
It seemed that everyone had reached their own conclusions.
“T-that can’t be true! Your Highness!”
Being conscious of the surrounding gazes, Marquis Ondella turned pale and started to panic.
“If the representative of Boutique DS has something to say, speak.”
With the king’s permission, I approached and stood facing Marquis Ondella.
“When negative controversies arise to the extent that everyone knows who is wrong.”
I took a deep breath and spoke clearly.
“The clause about maintaining dignity, requiring compensation of double the investment amount, now makes sense. It also makes sense why Marquis invited me to this party, the real reason.”
I unfolded the fan leisurely and, as if interrogating Marquis Ondella, calmly said, “If the person involved is willing to discuss, we can settle this issue.”
“The Marquis did not see me as a business partner at this party. Intentionally pretending to invest an exorbitant amount, his goal was to swallow the entire business that I had worked hard to build.”
After summarizing his intentions, Marquis Ondella glared at me. He raised his voice with an expression of intense frustration.
“What nonsense! My wife is the one who trapped me! Now that I see it, you planned to use that clause from the beginning!”
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the absurdity.
“Did Marquis Ondella come here with spaghetti in his head instead of a brain?”
“What? What? How impudent!”
Although Marquis Ondella was disgusted, a small laughter erupted around him.
“The relevant clause in the contract was created by the Marquis. How could I have planned it?”
“Weren’t you harboring the intention to use it after seeing the clause?”
“Originally, if there was no talk about the necklace at this party, nothing would have happened. Moreover, there wouldn’t have been rumors about me receiving the necklace.”
I deliberately closed the fan with a loud snap.
“The only people present when the necklace was exchanged were me, Lord Mild, Marquis, and Marquis’s butler.”
I asked the people while slowly moving, “Did anyone hear me or Lord Mild boasting about the necklace?”
“…….”
People faced each other and then lowered their heads.
“If it wasn’t me or Lord Mild who started the rumor, who else could have spread rumors about the necklace?”
As soon as the question ended, the aristocrats’ eyes turned briefly toward Marquis Ondella.
Enoch and Delina flinched for a moment. It seemed like they were about to intervene, perhaps to praise Marquis Ondella and then step back.
I shot a strong look at the two again. It was another unspoken question: Will you interfere again?
When I made eye contact with Enoch and Delina, they bit their lips and stopped moving. Then, as if nothing had happened, they turned their gaze elsewhere.
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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