Peter wanted to kill Lowell, no, Annette. Yet, at the same time, he also desired her. It was ironic that the reason for both his desire to kill and his want for her was the same.
Because she was a perfect ‘Lowell’.
All verifications were done.
As soon as Peter left, Lowell, burdened by her heavy body, called for a maid. It was natural to do so since she couldn’t stay in a slip with one shoulder dropped forever. As the maids helped her into her indoor dress, Lowell sank into thought.
‘What Peter most wants now is for me to live as Lowell.’
To sit quietly in the assigned palace, living a life like a breathing doll. That must be what Peter most desires.
That way, the nobles won’t be able to push more Lowell look-alikes on Peter, and he will continue to live without Lowell, as he has been. In that sense, his claim of being able to live without Lowell wasn’t just bravado. He had lived nearly a decade without her.
Just as she had gotten used to life in Operetta, Peter must have grown accustomed to a life without Lowell. Even if his body suffered madness due to her absence, his mind must have adapted to it.
But now, with her appearance, so strikingly similar to ‘Lowell’, it must be irritating.
Knowing she’s not Lowell yet constantly seeing her as Lowell, he would try his best to push her away. To keep her as far as possible. So, what Lowell needed to do now was straightforward.
‘Do the opposite.’
To catch Peter’s attention.
But not in the way she did this time, calling Peter loudly. Lowell had already provoked Peter twice, and today she realized that any more would truly be dangerous.
But that didn’t mean there weren’t other ways.
‘If I can’t move, I’ll make the surroundings move.’
She beckoned one of the busy maids.
“Prepare a pen and paper for me.”
She needed to write a letter.
Inside the Martinec mansion. A man sitting at a dark mahogany desk removed his glasses and set them down.
Even the small sound of the glasses hitting the desk echoed in the silence. The man spoke.
“It seems Annette is up to something, Ruben.”
He was wearing leather gloves, holding a small letter in his black-gloved hand.
The letter was encrypted in Operetta’s style, incomprehensible to ordinary people, but at least Ruben, the man’s servant, could clearly see the sender’s name, ‘Annette,’ written on it.
“It says she needs information. I was about to visit her if there was no contact, but it seems she’s not injured.”
The man smiled softly, relieved.
In the dark room, dimly lit, the silver-haired man under the moonlight cast a strong, yet not bulky, figure. It was Rene Martinec, the head of Operetta and Ruben’s master.
“Seems urgent, so let’s process it quickly. Organize the information Annette requested and bring it to me within two hours.”
“Whose information, sir?”
“Several. Come see for yourself and prepare.”
“Yes, Master.”
Rene tossed the letter, and Ruben respectfully picked it up. Despite the potentially humiliating situation, both men behaved as if it was the most natural thing. After Ruben left and closed the door, Rene leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. Tap, tap. The rhythmic tapping of his fingers on the desk suddenly stopped.
“…Even though I warned her.”
The gentlemanly smile vanished from Rene’s face. The golden eyes of the unsmiling man somehow reminded one of a serpent’s slit eyes.
“She should know this is the only place she can return to.”
“Where can someone stained by Operetta go? Wherever they go, they’ll only walk through mire.”
Rene’s fingers traced over Annette’s initials written on the letter envelope. A faint smile lingered on his lips.
“I’ll support you in killing the Emperor, Annette.”
So that you can return to my side sooner.
The next day, in the royal library.
“His Majesty won’t kill Annette Martinec, Simoren.”
A brown-haired young man, standing next to Simoren, nonchalantly answered while gathering documents. His name was Noah Ernst, one of the current Emperor’s confidants and Simoren’s schoolmate from the private academy. That’s why Simoren often sought Noah when needing to discuss matters, and today was no different.
“Annette Martinec is the most suitable ‘doll’ for His Majesty and for political reasons. As long as no one can replace her, she’ll keep her head.”
“A replacement for the replacement, what a funny situation.”
“But it’s true, isn’t it? Where else can you find a breakwater like Martinec? Even if the nobles are brazen, they wouldn’t dare touch Operetta.”
The reason the current Emperor, Peter, was at odds with the nobles was ironically because he had no consort.
More precisely, because he was going mad without one.
A Fonderlayen who never took a consort was doomed to madness.
And such mad emperors always, in one way or another, caused big problems.
“Kurtne II started a war, didn’t he? Emperor Herberthus squandered the treasury and brought in outsiders, causing strife. There was even an emperor obsessed with superstitions.”
With every point Noah made, a coin was placed on the pile of documents.
Why She Is Still Unmoved (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: He uses various methods to seek her affection, but she remains unmoved.
Synopsis:
Si Qingyu is a doctor who has saved countless lives and enjoys tranquility.
Luo Shaoxuan is ruthless, deeply scheming, and the top young master in the capital. He admires Si Qingyu.
Luo Shaoxuan: I want to be the only one in your eyes and heart.
Features a cold and calm female lead vs A noble and scheming male lead.
There will be both sweetness and torture towards the male after their marriage.
