Was it Riena or Rieta?
A familiar maid, who had been working at the mansion since she was quite young, was dressed in the young lady’s dress, and the butler, taken aback, questioned her with a stupefied face.
“What…?”
“How many times do I have to repeat it! Can’t you understand it in one go?”
Mrs. Hurst lowered her voice and rebuked him sharply.
“She is the one who got married in place of the young lady five years ago! The person Sir Arthur is looking for is her! Don’t you understand the situation?”
It wasn’t that the butler didn’t understand because he was a butler.
He just couldn’t find the words to appropriately express his thoughts on the situation.
“Heh….”
He held his forehead and let out a few more sighs.
“Heh.”
The butler, with fingers running through his hair, halfturned his body, then abruptly shook his fist and yelled in a low voice.
“I understand, I understand what you’re saying! What I’m saying is… how could… such a big event… how could you only tell me when it has come to this!”
The butler’s jaw trembled as he shook his fist in the air with an emotion that could be either anger or panic.
‘So that’s what you meant! That she’s not my wife! What to do. If he takes issue with this…!’
Imperial deception. Disrespecting the Imperial family. Fraudulent marriage. False vows….
The headcounting of the crimes made his head dizzy, and the butler tightly closed his eyes.
‘This crazy place has created a mess that’s going to get us all killed!’
The butler quickly composed himself, adjusting his glasses and asked Mrs. Hurst.
“Who else knows about this?”
Mrs. Hurst answered.
“You, me, Lady Christina, the Duke and his wife.”
And possibly, Sir Arthur.
Several more questions about understanding the facts followed.
Did this girl make the marriage vow in front of the priest? Did she also spend the first night?
Was there any hint that Sir Arthur noticed something that day, speak honestly.
Most of the questions were answered by Mrs. Hurst, with Riena timidly chipping in on some.
The butler, who had been staring directly at Riena with his mouth closed, trembled and shook his fist again.
“No, even if that’s true, you’re dressing this child in a dress now… what are you trying to do!”
Riena dejectedly closed her mouth and lowered her head.
Knock knock.
When the knocking sound rang out, the butler, Mrs. Hurst, and Riena all simultaneously turned their heads to look at the door.
The butler, as if fearing the door would open at any moment, stood in front of it, shielding Riena behind his back, and responded.
“What is it.”
A servant’s voice came from outside.
“Butler? Count Rembrandt is asking about the schedule for the family portrait that he mentioned today.”
The butler drew in a short breath and held his forehead.
…Count Rembrandt!
He had completely forgotten about the unexpected chaos.
The servant’s voice continued.
“The Duke said he wanted the first sketch on the evening Sir Arthur returns. In fact, he’s been waiting for three hours already… Should he leave for today?”
The butler, looking at his pocket watch in despair, hastily put it back into his pocket and clenched his fist.
‘Why did they set up a schedule they didn’t even know would work!’
Rembrandt Eton von Klein.
That was the name of the noble guest who had been staying at the duke’s mansion for the past week.
He was the emperor’s grandnephew and a cousin of the crown prince, the heir to the prestigious ‘Klein’ family, which had a longer history of sitting in the imperial court than the current imperial family.
Originally, he wouldn’t have been someone to do something like court painting, but as a highly anticipated artist, he was currently drawing a portrait for the Duke under exceptional circumstances.
At the behest of the emperor, he came down to draw a portrait of ‘Premier Duke Julius’, and was staying at his mansion for that purpose.
The imperial family packaged this as a ‘small gift for the duke who, despite his long contributions to the empire, has only recently been recognized i.e., has barely become a Premier Duke’,
But it was a considerable break from tradition and favoritism since no Premier Duke had ever been able to invite the heir to the ‘Klein’ family, let alone the emperor’s grandnephew, for their personal portraits.
By sending ‘Count Rembrandt’ to the Duke, the Imperial family showed to the neighboring nobles that the Duke of Julius’s status had risen to such a degree.
Duke Julius, wanting to show off, purposely overlapped the schedule,
‘Because I have a prior appointment with the artist, this and that, I can’t rearrange my schedule as I please, it’s quite difficult you see’ he moaned and boasted about the presence of Rembrandt, whom the imperial family had sent, to the neighboring nobles.
Viscount Rembrandt essentially served as an envoy expressing the goodwill of the royal family, so the Duke allowed him to boast and swagger about his own name.
Moreover, the process of painting a portrait often entailed the kind of chatter that elevated the subject.
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
