“Was the Duke of Perimont a knight? I know he’s of rural landowner origin, even though he’s royal.”
“Yes. I too was surprised, knowing that. I clearly heard that when the previous duke became the emperor, he left the ducal position to a relative living in the countryside. Anyway, I should have killed the woman, and I’m sorry.”
The subordinate bowed deeply, expressing regret. The duke, who was momentarily calmly sorting out the situation in his mind, shook his head.
“No. If the Duke of Perimont came with the woman alone, she must be an important person. You did well not to kill her. There’s no good in messing with Elrab. You’ve found out where she’s staying?”
“Yes, I’ve placed someone there.”
“Find out why she came to Curan. It’s quite suspicious that she’s suddenly showing interest in us.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
As the one who responded was about to turn away, the duke stopped him with a gesture.
“And tell Balder to come in. Maria still hasn’t budged from Camun, so we’ll have to bring her.”
As soon as the duke’s words ended, Balder entered, parting the curtain of the chamber where he had been.
A fidgety demeanor, shifty eyes shining brightly, a mouselike pointed chin, a height in the mid170s, a thin body. His appearance was entirely different from not only himself but also his sibling, and the duke’s expression seemed displeased.
Balder closely resembled his wicked greatgrandfather in both appearance and character.
“Bring Maria?”
“Who said you could come and go as you please?”
“If you wanted to block entry, you should have stationed a doorkeeper at the entrance. How can I knock on a place without a door?”
“Why have you come here?”
“I came to discuss the Duke of Perimont.”
“Perimont?”
As the duke questioned and looked at his subordinate, he shook his head as if he had said nothing.
“Today, one of the Duke of Perimont’s subordinates came to apply to create a guild.”
“Haven’t we decided to allow foreign guilds now?”
“Yes, we did. There were protests from the nobles that we couldn’t continue in a closed state because of trade. It was something Your Highness allowed.”
“But what’s the problem?”
“The woman I was looking for is registered as a guild member.”
Balder’s last utterance was low enough to feel quite gloomy. Surprised by the sudden subject, the duke wondered who he had been looking for and then questioned.
“Rominin’s sister?”
“Yes, the sister of Sir Rominin, your soninlaw, or rather, the viscount of Camun.”
The woman who had used the guild’s name for a hostile declaration not long ago.
The duke responded with a somewhat disdainful tone, looking at his obsessive nephew’s eyes.
“You still haven’t given up?”
“It’s not a matter of giving up or not now. She deceived and ridiculed me, so I must kill her. I tried to give her another chance, but she neither met me nor ran away. So I can’t just kill her comfortably. I must make her fall to the bottom and live a miserable life until she dies.”
“If you’re going to kill her anyway, what’s the use of that, tsk tsk.”
The duke clicked his tongue as if displeased and then asked as if he had no choice.
“So, what are you trying to say? Do you want to request that the woman not enter the guild?”
“Yes.”
The duke firmly cut him off without hearing more.
“It won’t work.”
“Your Highness!”
“Have you forgotten? The opponent is Elrab’s first duke. There is nothing we can oppose to what he wants to do now.”
He pointed out the reality calmly, but Balder was not in the mood to back down. He growled almost like a beast.
“Luella Rominin is mine. She shouldn’t be able to do anything without my permission.”
“That’s for you to handle yourself. Curan’s future is more important to me. I’m busy watching and controlling the demons trying to pop out with just a little gap. Don’t bother me with useless matters.”
“You’re really going to let Luella Rominin join that guild?”
“Even if I don’t care?”
“Then I won’t care either.”
“About what?”
“Luella Rominin has joined that guild, so wouldn’t it become our hostile guild? The Duke of Valterminster, whom you so wish to protect, also becomes my enemy.”
Duke Kuran looked back at his nephew with a frown. Balder’s remark just now had been completely forgetful of his own position and influence.
“Do you mean to oppose me and ruin Kuran’s future just because of one woman?”
“The hostile declaration has already been made. Isn’t leaving that woman to strut about in that situation itself shaking Kuran’s hierarchy?”
“Hierarchy?”
Seizing the irksome word, he indicated his annoyance, but Balder was not to be put off. He rather twisted his mouth and poured out arrogant words.
“Please remember that Kuran’s reign is being maintained stably thanks to the guild I lead.”
As if it were a threat.
The Duke could not stand idle, feeling his pride wounded, so he sharply retorted.
“What do you think will happen if I abandon the management of the demons?”
“It’s your land, anyway, isn’t it?”
“The king is your father.”
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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