The long table set in the expansive dining hall was covered with a red tablecloth.
In the center of the table, dozens of candles subtly illuminated the surroundings.
The King, Queen, and Delia.
The meal of the Eorenti royal family proceeded in heavy silence.
On the table were dishes of chicken sprinkled with pepper, freshly baked bread, and fresh fruit. A modest meal had been prepared.
But the only thing in front of Delia was a bowl of soup.
For Delia, who had narrowly survived near death, even the soup was burdensome.
The savory aroma of the soup scraped at the inside of her stomach.
The memories stirred up by the soup shook her mind.
Her body and mind were dangerously floating like a small boat in a storm.
Tiny beads of sweat formed on Delia’s forehead as she struggled to stay steady.
“Are you feeling very unwell?”
In the Queen’s gaze on Delia was filled with pity.
“No, mother.”
Delia lightly shook her head.
She couldn’t worry her parents, who were already burdened.
“How about resting a bit and leaving the weapon research to others for your health’s sake?”
Delia forced a calm smile in response to the worried Queen’s question.
“I’m fine. I can endure it.”
Delia stirred her soup, avoiding the Queen’s gaze.
There were already so many things she needed to solve.
To erase the memory of him rising through the steam, Delia thought of another problem.
Where on earth could Mei have disappeared to?
The guards had pursued, but in the end, they had lost Mei.
For years he had served the crown prince in Wangseong, as if his existence was a lie, no traces could be found.
The Carlo family didn’t know about Mei before his adoption.
As if he had never existed.
In the Eorenti kingdom, all that was left of him was a bird with fierce eyes and cryptic words.
Why did he advise against going to the ally country Boswell?
Boswell was a nation that had long been closely allied with the family of Queen Elenor.
Maybe Mei intended to break the alliance of Eorenti and isolate it in the international community.
Why did he warn me to be wary of my brother?
He was made the leader because of his royal duty, but he was weakhearted and it was worrisome to send him to the battlefield.
To be wary of such a brother.
Perhaps he intends to sow doubt and prevent Eorenti’s unity.
Although her head could fully understand Mei’s intentions.
But the anxiety blooming in her heart like a whirlwind didn’t easily dissipate.
Maybe what Mei intended was division and anxiety.
With that in mind, Delia anxiously stirred her spoon in the bowl.
To be swayed by the words of a spy.
You jerk.
Handing off the annoying bird.
She should have caught and interrogated him to the end.
Thinking of Mei’s bird, which she couldn’t abandon because it resembled his eyes, Delia brought a spoonful of soup to her mouth.
As she barely swallowed a spoonful, the stern voice of the King reached her ears.
“Delia. You are to go to Boswell.”
“Cough.”
Caught off guard by the sudden command, the soup got stuck in Delia’s throat and she began to cough violently.
“Cough, cough.”
“Are you alright?”
The Queen looked worriedly at Delia.
A maid who had been waiting at the side quickly refilled her water cup.
“Yes. Cough, cough. I’m fine. Cough, cough.”
The Queen gently rubbed Delia’s back, who was coughing heavily.
“You haven’t fully recovered yet. Be careful when eating.”
“Yes, mother. Cough.”
Looking at her daughter coughing with difficulty, the Queen’s face filled with worry.
Her stomach was still badly upset because she had eaten poison and narrowly escaped death.
She had just started to eat soft food…
“Your Majesty. We can discuss that later.”
“Queen. We don’t have enough time.”
“But if she’s still weak, wouldn’t it be better to wait until she’s more recovered to discuss this?”
“The situation is not as positive for Eorenti to wait for Delia now.”
Feeling the weight of the King’s words, the Queen closed her mouth.
All she could do was sit down and bow her head.
“Delia. While you were ill, an imperial army of 100,000 started to gather.”
The King put down the fork he was holding.
His hand was lightened, but the King’s heart was heavy as he continued speaking.
“There are as many as 100,000 imperial soldiers armed with new guns of excellent performance.”
“Father.”
“No one can predict the future of Iorenty.”
“We have to gather our strength and protect it especially in times like this.”
Delia’s shaky gaze was directed towards the cane held by the steward.
Her father’s cane.
The handle was delicately decorated with gold leaf, but the end was bulky from long use.
Franz II, King of Iorenty, had injured his leg while fighting against Kirens’ invasion.
Ever since he was injured, he had been uncomfortable moving around without his cane.
To leave such a father alone.
Delia lowered her head and vehemently refused the king’s command.
“Please let me stay in Iorenty and fight.”
“Your presence here does not help.”
Delia gripped her spoon and spoke resolutely.
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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