Abelon still stood strong, and the Kingdom of Shan and the Duchy of Inata still existed on the map.
“Kyle, rejoice! Your fiancée has finally been decided!”
Able said with an excited face, but her son Kyle wore a disinterested expression.
Leaning against a square marble pillar, silently flipping pages of his book, Kyle didn’t even look at his mother as he spoke.
“It must’ve been decided by the Duke, right?”
Kyle did not call his father “father.”
Instead, he referred to him by the distant title “the Duke,” which created a noticeable emotional gap.
Able lowered herself beside Kyle and scolded him.
“I’ve told you to call him Father.”
“…….”
Only then did Kyle’s gaze lift from the book and turn toward Able.
Not a single feature—neither hair color nor eye color—resembled his mother, no matter how hard he searched.
“He barely visits your palace, Mother. What kind of ‘father’ is he……?”
Able’s lips pouted outward.
“Don’t speak that way. Not to your one and only father.”
Father.
Kyle refused to acknowledge him as such.
Hadn’t he practically abandoned him and his mother in this secondary palace simply because he found Kyle’s red eyes unpleasant?
“He must act like a father before I can call him one. Even the palace maids ignore us because he ignores us.”
Able tugged gently on Kyle’s cheek.
“Ouch, ouch.”
“You haven’t even come of age yet—why are you acting so old and bitter?”
“Didn’t I say something wrong? (Did I say something wrong?)”
Able stopped pulling at Kyle’s cheek.
“Kyle, I don’t regret loving your father.”
“…….”
Kyle looked up at Able, bewildered.
His mother, whose mysterious violet eyes were nothing like the red eyes people found distasteful in him, always gazed at him warmly.
His mother, once a wandering dancer, had said she fell in love at first sight upon seeing the Duke.
At that time, the Duke already had a queen, but he fell passionately in love and, despite opposition from his ministers, took Able as his second queen.
Of course, the moment Kyle—born with red eyes—entered the world, the Duke’s affection, which had seemed boundless, vanished as if it had never existed.
“Because you gave birth to me.”
Able pulled Kyle tightly into her arms. Held against her, Kyle felt he would never truly understand his mother.
Was she really happy, living here in this secondary palace like a caged bird?
“Aren’t you curious? About your fiancée?”
Kyle had been about to say “Not at all,” but changed his mind.
His mother’s voice sounded more excited than ever before.
Though, to be fair, she was naturally a bright soul who could light up a room.
“……Who is the fiancée?”
Upon Kyle’s blunt question, Able cried out joyfully.
“Why, none other than Princess Anastasia of the Kingdom of Shan!”
Kyle frowned.
He was already well aware of the rumors surrounding this so-called “beloved” princess.
Petrian, the first queen’s son and heir to the Duke, had gone to the Kingdom of Shan and seen Princess Anastasia himself, loudly declaring afterward that he would have her as his bride no matter what.
“……So it’s not Petrian, but me who’s been chosen as the fiancé?”
“Yes! The King of Shan himself gave the order.”
What could that king possibly be thinking? Rumor had it he doted on his daughter dearly—yet why would he betroth her to someone like Kyle, who was treated like a nobody?
“Petrian will throw a tantrum, no doubt. He’s been shouting about wanting to marry the princess—now I’m the one taking her from him.”
Speak of the devil. No sooner had Kyle finished speaking than Petrian stormed into the secondary palace, attendants in tow.
“You damn bastard!”
Petrian spat the curse, his eyes bloodshot.
Able tightly hugged Kyle, as if shielding her only son.
Kyle placed a hand on Able’s arm, signaling that he was fine.
As Able loosened her grip, Kyle brushed himself off and stood up.
Petrian curled his lip and took a step toward Kyle.
“I don’t know what tricks you mutt pulled behind my back, but go tell His Highness right now—you refuse the marriage.”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed.
He had never wanted this engagement in the first place, but now that Petrian was acting like this, for some reason, he didn’t want to back down.
“How could I possibly refuse a decision made by His Grace the Duke?”
Petrian roughly grabbed Kyle by the collar.
Able rushed forward in alarm, but Kyle shook his head slightly, silently telling her he was okay.
“If you covet what’s mine, there are consequences. You wouldn’t want to see your mother suffer the same fate, would you?”
Unfazed by the threat, Kyle merely scoffed.
“I wonder what His Grace would say if he saw you so freely misrepresenting his will.”
Just as an enraged Petrian raised his hand to strike Kyle—
heavy footsteps echoed from beyond the door.
“Petrian! What are you doing?”
The Duke’s furious voice shook the ceiling.
Petrian, grinding his teeth, immediately released Kyle’s collar.
“Your Grace.”
Kyle bowed deeply, as a vassal would to a sovereign.
“……Hmm.”
The Duke cleared his throat and dismissed Petrian and several others outside.
Petrian, shooting Kyle a murderous glare, had no choice but to leave.
Now only three remained in the room: Kyle’s mother Able, Kyle himself, and the Duke.
“Kyle. Your fiancée has been decided. It is Princess Anastasia of the Kingdom of Shan.”
The Duke’s voice was as cold and blunt as stone ground to dust.
“Before that, there’s one thing I must clarify. You possess a special ability, they say. Is it true that yours is the Healing Ability?”
Kyle sharply turned to look at his mother, Able.
In this world, she was the only one who knew about his ability.
“So it’s true. Unlike the Kingdom of Shan, where royalty are born with abilities, our Duchy of Inata hasn’t seen an inherited ability for generations. Who would’ve thought it would manifest in you?”
The Duke looked down at Kyle with something close to fascination.
But his gaze resembled less that of a father seeing his son, and more that of a man assessing a useful tool.
“Be glad. You have been chosen—by the King of Shan and by me.”
Chosen.
To the one being chosen, it was an extremely unpleasant word.
“Why me, specifically?”
At Kyle’s question, the Duke narrowed his eyes.
“……This is an excellent match for you. Are you truly not pleased?”
“It’s not about whether I like it or not. I’m asking because it seems I’ve been chosen solely for my ability.”
A cold smile crept across the Duke’s lips.
“You’re quite perceptive.”
The Duke leaned forward, staring intently into Kyle’s face.
Even after years, he felt no warmth toward this son, who resembled him in nothing but hair color.
Those bright red eyes—so unlike his own—only grew more unpleasant the longer he looked. He sometimes even doubted whether this was truly his blood.
The King of Shan, who doted fiercely on his daughter, must have seen in Kyle’s healing ability a powerful means to stabilize Princess Anastasia’s own formidable power.
Under the title of fiancé, Kyle was destined to serve forever as her emotional anchor—but why should the Duke concern himself with such details?
“Do you know how rare such a match is? Some would give anything to have what you’ve been given.”
Kyle instantly understood who the Duke meant by “some”—Petrian.
After all, it was a fiancée he’d never even seen, and he was clearly being used.
So he should just give her up.
Yet, for some reason, the words wouldn’t come.
“I will accept. But I ask for just one favor in return.”
The Duke’s eyes narrowed.
“Speak.”
“Promise to protect me and my mother under your name, Your Grace.”
Having already secured a generous dowry from the King of Shan,
this was an easy request for the Duke to grant.
“Very well.”
With that, the Duke slowly rose, as if signaling the end of the conversation.
“I will send updates about the princess from time to time. Memorize every detail without fail.”
“…….”
“If she refuses the engagement, claiming she doesn’t like you, we’ll have no recourse. Of course, you won’t meet her face to face for about a year.”
With those final words, the Duke disappeared in the direction he had come.
Half a year passed.
Whether Kyle liked it or not, he had reached the point where he could recite every detail about Princess Anastasia—the hyacinth-scented aura of her ability, her sweet tooth, even the appearance of her beloved parrot.
Then, unexpectedly, Abelon invaded.
Cold Male Lead Became My Clingy Husband (Female-Dominant)
Feng Bai Su transmigrated into a matriarchal novel, becoming the sister of the female protagonist and the Seventh Princess of the Feng Ling Kingdom.
After working herself to death in her previous life, finally reincarnating as a princess, she only wanted to be a lazy fish who could eat, sleep, and play.
Until she met the male protagonist from the book, Wei Jing Mo, and he took a liking to her!
Wei Jing Mo is the top young man in Feng Ling City, talented in both appearance and ability, from a prestigious family, with a cold and otherworldly appearance, a figure like the bright moon in the hearts of noble ladies. It was thought that only the most powerful and talented noble lady in Feng Ling City would be worthy of such a brilliant young man. Who knew that this young gentleman would secretly admire the infamous Seventh Princess?
Short scene 1:
Feng Bai Su looked at the young man crying like a pear blossom in the rain before her, and couldn’t help but doubt her life.
Wasn’t the male lead described as a cold and otherworldly figure in the book?
Then who was this poor little thing crying with swollen red eyes and tear-stained face?
Short scene 2:
Wei Jing Mo stared intently at Feng Bai Su who was about to go out, wanting to say, “Be careful on the road.”
Before he could speak, Feng Bai Su suddenly bent down and bit his cheek.
Her peach blossom eyes were full of disdain: “Tsk! You’re so clingy!”
Wei Jing Mo: “…”
A talented fox spirit female lead with a flirtatious appearance but actually abstinent VS A cold-looking but actually naive and clingy little jealous male lead
