The great hall in the Ferdinand fortress, designed for city administration, brightly lit its candles for the first time in a while to welcome the guests.
Security was said to be three times stricter than usual, but Aidan was still on edge.
Hadn’t the princess recently suffered a severe attack?
“The fortress is so robust that imperial forces won’t easily get through. Most of the northern troops are still stationed here as well.”
Aidan nodded.
Even if the princess were to use elemental power, breaking through this fortress would be difficult.
If she came alone—Aidan was confident then—perhaps she could, but there was someone here in the fortress with power to rival hers.
So attempting it alone would be risky.
Moreover, luckily, the ‘body-controlling magic’ seemed to require physical sight within a certain range for activation.
Brody was still within the fortress, and there had been no signs.
So, if the princess and her party couldn’t cross the fortress, he could somewhat relax about the ‘magic.’
Nevertheless, Aidan attended the banquet with his sword at his side.
Brody had changed out of her wedding dress into simpler attire.
Her form-fitting white blouse featured luxurious gold embroidery, and over it, she wore a sleeveless green velvet surcoat that fell in elegant lines.
A golden chaplet crossed her forehead, opulently gleaming as it gently pressed down on Brody’s hair.
Seeing this, Teddy continuously snapped his fingers, repeatedly exclaiming, ‘Wow, wow—’
He was proud that the outfit he had chosen suited Brody so well.
Brody smiled awkwardly.
The atmosphere of the banquet was intense.
How often did one get a chance to see the ‘Ice Wall Duke’ and the ‘Duchess called the Goddess of Luck’ in person?
It seemed like all the residents living in the fortress tried to catch a glimpse somehow.
The table for the Duke and Brody was set up at a stage-like area in front of the hall, facing the audience.
On their table were potatoes, potatoes, potatoes. Various unique dishes made from potatoes were piled high.
“Amazing. It’s truly delightful to see the potatoes have grown.”
However, ironically, Brody couldn’t even take a bite.
She was too busy greeting the constant flow of visitors.
While Ian might have been different, novice noble Brody certainly was.
The greetings from the people were uniform.
“We’re grateful, honored to meet you, and,”
“We look forward to your continued stewardship of the North.”
Each time, Brody sensed Ian’s discomfort, but the crowd seemed oblivious, assuming his stern expression was just how he always looked.
“Well, I’m not the type to stand out, so don’t worry too much.”
While taking the initiative might have been difficult, remaining silent wasn’t.
However, accepting the offered drinks of gratitude was a bit complicated.
“Do I have to drink all of this?”
She was not one for alcohol, even in her previous life.
Whether it was her constitution, or something else, she never got drunk. Thus, she rarely drank; there wasn’t much joy in it.
So she never felt the need to spend money on drinks when busy.
But it seemed that this life’s Brody had a different tolerance.
“Wow, so this is what it feels like to get tipsy.”
After a few drinks, the tingling sensation and flushed face intrigued her.
The fruit-infused alcohol was sweet and tasty, and oddly enough, it made her want to drink more.
“I’ll handle the drinks.”
Even though Brody wasn’t heavily drinking, Ian, worried, began accepting the glasses for her.
He later found out that it was fine to refuse the drinks citing poor health. However, Brody had already touched the glass, making selective drinking difficult.
“Your Highness, aren’t you drinking too much?”
“I’m fine.”
Ian shook his head with a clear face. Thankfully, the alcohol was strong.
The party continued to liven up that day.
Ian was as reticent as ever, and Brody didn’t talk much either, but the party was full of excitement as if they were finally releasing their pent-up joy—though it wasn’t exactly a victory.
“Shall we leave?”
“What? It’s not over yet…”
“The higher-ups should step out at an appropriate time.”
“Oh.”
Whether it was an excuse to get Brody out early or truly consideration for others, Brody rose from her seat, following Ian’s natural lead.
And then.
‘That moment’ arrived.
The first night of their honeymoon.
Initially tense and cautious, whether due to the alcohol or the heat of the party, she had eventually forgotten, until…
Stepping out into the cold air, her senses snapped back.
“What, what do I do?”
Brody returned to their lodging, cautious.
Two priests were already waiting at the entrance.
“Please call us when you’re ready.”
After confirming Ian and Brody’s arrival, they left with those words.
‘When you’re ready for what?’
Not knowing what to do, Brody fidgeted, clasping her hands and waiting for Ian to make a move.
Inside the dim room, two candelabras with three candles each burned quietly.
Whether Brody was sensitive to cold, the robust fireplace blazed, flaunting its flames and crackling sound.
Frost crept onto the small window, making the room even more secretive.
Ian covered his face with a hand and rubbed his temples before walking to the bed.
Laid neatly on the mattress was a chemise, a simple garment for sleep.
Ian handed Brody the smaller-sized garment.
‘I guess I should change.’
Turning around, Brody began to remove her shirko. She also tried to remove her blio, but the ties on her back wouldn’t easily loosen.
After struggling for a while, she called Ian.
“Your Highness, I…”
Brody stepped backward and stood before Aidan, who had turned around after changing his clothes.
“Can you help with this….”
As she pulled her abundant hair forward, her straight back was revealed, along with her slender and graceful neckline.
The drawstring of her blouse was clumsily pulled by Brody, tangling it haphazardly.
Aidan reached out, his eyebrows furrowing.
Brody, who had been holding her hair and standing still, unconsciously swallowed her saliva at his presence.
His thick and sturdy fingers moved cautiously. The sound of friction as the knot untied sliced through the quiet air.
As the fastening loosened, Brody’s exposed skin felt a shiver as it touched the cold air.
It felt as if his breath, tinged with the scent of fruit liqueur, was settling on her nape.
As he untied the drawstring, his fingertips brushed against her more heatedly than she had expected, and Brody involuntarily shrank back.
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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