“A potion that prevents bearing children.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened in shock.
“Really? Mother, how did you manage to get such a thing?”
“As long as you have money, anything can be obtained.”
Gabriel grinned mischievously and let out a shrill laugh.
“Then Celia Brillion won’t ever be able to bear a child, even if she desires one.”
[This is the timeline separator]Jeremy put on the golden mask handed to him by Ileon Gredrick.
Only after the horrifying face was completely concealed behind the mask could Jeremy fully see his reflection in the mirror.
The golden mask, with melted skin features and eyes, nose, and mouth positioned accordingly, was far better than wearing nothing at all.
Still, Jeremy resented his current state—having to walk around hidden behind a mask.
The golden mask felt as though it mocked his once-glorious past appearance.
“Damn it! You bring me this piece of crap and call it a mask? The Duke must truly think I’m a joke.”
Unable to contain his anger, Jeremy flung the mask he was wearing onto the floor.
Crash!
With a sharp sound, the golden mask shattered into pieces.
“My, my—it was painstakingly crafted, but it seems His Highness wasn’t pleased.”
Ileon Gredrick looked down at the broken fragments with a regretful expression.
“Enough. Have you found a healer who can restore my face? I must return it to its original state before I ascend the throne.”
“Hmm…”
Ileon, deep in thought, suddenly lifted his head and smiled meaningfully.
“It seems our healer has arrived just in time.”
“!”
Seeing hope flicker across Jeremy’s face, Ileon smiled brightly.
“He’ll treat you well. I’ll take my leave here.”
“Go.”
“Yes, please rest easy. Forever.”
‘Forever?’
Ileon’s final words lingered uneasily in Jeremy’s mind, but his thoughts were quickly consumed by the prospect of healing his face, and he forgot the remark almost immediately.
After leaving the Crown Prince’s palace, Ileon Gredrick hid behind a pillar and watched as Dietrich Calypso approached the palace, accompanied by a large military escort.
Ileon’s gaze settled on Dietrich and then on Celia Brillion, who was being escorted by him.
“This was completely unexpected.”
This was entirely outside Ileon’s predictions.
Until now, Dietrich had openly declared himself the Emperor’s mad dog, serving the royal family faithfully.
Even if that loyalty was fake, outwardly, he had appeared genuinely devoted to protecting the Emperor.
That such a man would now rise in rebellion—for the sake of one woman—was unimaginable.
“Celia Brillion.”
The name lingering on his lips didn’t sound unpleasant. The woman, who had carried deep darkness within, had shone brightly in the moment she stood beside Dietrich.
Despite the darkness still present in her heart, her face radiated such happiness that it created the illusion that her inner shadows had momentarily vanished.
“This… isn’t good at all.”
Ileon softly whistled, a sound barely louder than a bird’s chirp.
Whoosh—
Instantly, one of his subordinates materialized behind him.
This was the man who had dealt with Ben—the one who poisoned the Crown Prince—and was Ileon’s loyal underling.
“Deliver this letter to Arthur Servantes as quickly as possible.”
“Understood, Master. But the Duke Servantes has been holed up in his estate for years without appearing. Will he even respond upon receiving the letter?”
“He will. He’s a twisted man who collects and preserves all things flashy and glittering.”
[This is the timeline separator]Heavy footsteps, numbering at least dozens, echoed down the corridor.
As the sound drew closer, Jeremy’s hopeful expression gradually twisted into unease.
“Do they really need this many people just to heal my face? Something feels off.”
A wave of anxiety washed over him.
Before Jeremy could fully process his unease, his door burst open.
Beyond the wide-open doorway stood Celia Brillion—still as beautiful as ever.
But a large hand was wrapped firmly around her waist.
It was none other than Dietrich Calypso, arriving with nearly a hundred knights in tow, escorting his mistress.
“You wretched dog! Are you truly defying me? Me, a member of the royal family?”
Jeremy’s enraged voice reverberated through the room.
In contrast, Dietrich’s voice remained calm.
“In my capacity as Captain of the Imperial Knights, I can no longer stand by and allow Your Highness to harm innocent knights and maids. How can a madman be placed upon the throne?”
“You filthy mongrel!”
Jeremy glared at Dietrich with bloodshot eyes.
“What are you all doing? Why aren’t you killing this damned traitor at once? He dares to appear here embracing my mistress and threatens me?”
Jeremy ordered the knights to kill Dietrich, but despite being the Crown Prince, not a single knight obeyed.
Even Jeremy’s own aide deliberately averted his gaze.
“…Have they all gone mad together?”
“Your Highness has already lost the trust of everyone.”
“Don’t make me laugh! I am the one and only royal bloodline. The sole member of the Abelon royal family!”
Overcome with fury, Jeremy lunged at Dietrich.
Beneath his melted skin, white bones protruded.
With just one hand, Dietrich snapped Jeremy’s charge, twisting his body with brutal force.
Snap—a bone-cracking sound echoed as Jeremy’s arm was broken in an instant.
“AAAAAH!”
Jeremy screamed in agony.
Many watched, but no one moved to help him.
“Given that His Highness is clearly mentally unfit, it would be best to confine him in the tower. We must prevent further incidents caused by his madness.”
At Dietrich’s single command, the silent knights seized Jeremy’s body.
“AAAAAH! Let go! How dare you! You worthless scum!”
“….”
Jeremy was dragged away down the corridor by the knights.
His final glance fell upon Celia Brillion.
But Celia didn’t even look back at him.
He burned with rage.
All because this beautiful woman was now in another man’s arms, that man strutted as if he were the supreme being in the world.
And look at him now—dragged through the mud.
His glorious future was gone, and he was destined to be imprisoned in a tower.
It was unbearable. He couldn’t understand why he had to suffer such a fate.
A sharp cry burst from Jeremy’s throat.
“You witch! This is all your fault! Celia Brillion! Because of you, I’ve been reduced to this miserable state!”
Celia shook her head slowly upon hearing Jeremy’s words.
Dietrich, who had been watching her, whispered softly into her ear.
“Don’t take his words to heart.”
Celia felt a deep, overwhelming gratitude toward Dietrich for caring about her in this moment.
A great weight lifted from her chest.
This was the man who, wielding the power of the Crown Prince, had forced her into being his mistress, biting down on her collarbone, seeking to possess her.
Now that she thought about it, it was Dietrich who had erased the ugly bite marks on her collarbone.
Celia leaned her weight gently against Dietrich’s shoulder.
It felt surprisingly comfortable—so much so that it was hard to believe this was the man who once tried to kill her.
Others had only ever sought to possess her. No one else but Dietrich had so readily come to her aid.
Relying on him felt so natural that she feared she might grow too accustomed to it.
‘I only meant to trust him halfway.’
But at this rate, she might end up depending on him completely.
Unlike others who had roughly grabbed her waist, his hand gently cradled her in a way that left her feeling warm and strangely touched.
‘I’m a failure as a master.’
Celia chuckled bitterly at herself.
“…Uh, Your Grace, Duke Calypso.”
One of the knights cautiously addressed Dietrich.
“Might I ask what our next steps should be? What would you have us do?”
“The throne cannot remain vacant for long, so we must appoint a temporary Emperor.”
Temporary.
Though he said “temporary,” a few perceptive knights immediately understood this meant Jeremy would be permanently removed.
“Are you considering taking the throne yourself, Your Grace, Duke Calypso?”
Dietrich shook his head.
If he declared his intent to seize the throne after removing Jeremy, the Three Dukes would surely rise in opposition.
With Ileon Gredrick openly spreading rumors that Dietrich was the one who poisoned Jeremy, openly claiming the throne now would only lend credibility to those rumors.
“How could I, the Captain of the Imperial Knights, ever dare covet the throne?”
The knights stared, astonished.
“…Then… who do you intend to place upon the throne?”
Who?
There were those who, though not of royal blood, stood above even the royal family. Any one of them ascending the throne would face no opposition.
Though the Three Dukes had once declared they would not seek the throne and would instead serve the Emperor, their absence now—when there was no heir—was suspicious.
Dietrich knew well that Ileon Gredrick coveted the throne.
What about the other two Dukes?
Would they support his ascension, or oppose it?
Regardless, there was only one way to bring the Three Dukes together.
“In this land of Abelon, are there not the Three Dukes—called the heavens above the heavens?”
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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