Lowell’s blood ran cold for a moment. Anywhere else, she might have been able to hide, but here, the place was enclosed by tall walls on all sides. Moreover, her position was right in the center of the garden, completely exposed. To make matters worse, the only cover in the garden was thorny roses, offering no real place to hide.
Simoren Lindel, it was supposed to be closed for three years. Lowell internally chastised Simoren, but blaming the informant wouldn’t change the situation.
‘Is there no choice but to be discovered?’
Each second seemed to drag on endlessly. As the footsteps approached, cold sweat trickled down Lowell’s back.
Just as the shadow reached where Lowell was,
“……Lowell?”
Lowell faced Peter’s pale face.
Only, Peter’s eyes weren’t on her.
As Peter’s steps reached where Lowell was, something in the shadow had snatched her away. And Lowell knew all too well what it was. It was literally a shadow.
More precisely, a space within the shadow.
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In a space shrouded in darkness, Lowell locked eyes with a black cat with golden irises. Joy lit up Lowell’s face.
“René!”
“Shh, Annette.”
The cat whispered huskily, flicking its tail. Its voice was soft and velvety, yet deep.
Warm and soothing, a comforting voice.
“I saved you, didn’t I?”
Lowell, as ‘Annette Martinec,’ had learned certain facts.
Why the Martinecs secluded themselves and declared themselves caretakers of Operetta, and how a single family could dominate the underworld. Of course, the Martinecs trained private soldiers and developed systems for managing Operetta, but that alone couldn’t explain their astonishing control.
The truth she later learned was that the Martinec bloodline had abilities specialized in assassination and stealth.
Shadow familiars, also known as Noctilucas.
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Whether because she was an adopted daughter or not the heir, Lowell wasn’t privy to the workings or existence of this power. She could only guess it was an ancient power passed down since the empire’s foundation.
And the only thing Lowell knew was that the Martinecs hid within the vast illegality of Operetta to keep this existence secret.
Each shadow familiar looked different depending on its master, and René’s took the form of a short-haired black cat. Lowell thought it suited René well, especially since she was quite fond of cats.
While the familiar maintained its form, it could create a void in the shadows to hide. A power truly specialized in stealth.
Had René not appeared in the nick of time, Lowell would have inevitably faced Peter.
‘Actually… Peter might have caught a glimpse of me.’
If it were even a moment later, hiding would have been impossible. Lowell glanced beyond the shadow.
Peter, seemingly convinced he had seen an illusion, stood there with a look of dismay. No matter how powerful his magic, he couldn’t discern what lay within the shadow.
Relieved, Lowell stroked the cat.
“I owe you one. How did you get here?”
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“I thought I’d take a look at you. Curious about how you were doing.”
“You could have told me you were coming. If I knew, I wouldn’t have…”
Come here today.
Lowell swallowed the truth that almost slipped out. The expressionless black cat with golden eyes silently observed her. Soon, it lightly tapped Lowell’s hand with its thickly furred tail.
“I thought you had forgotten about me, not writing letters and all.”
“……As if I could.”
Lowell smiled faintly at the joke.
It wasn’t false; Lowell genuinely liked her adoptive brother, René. He was kind and gentlemanly, and he had helped her a lot when she was struggling to adapt to life in Operetta. Just like now.
If she had to choose the one person she could trust and rely on at this moment, René would undoubtedly be at the top of that list. The bond formed over 10 years in Operetta was not easily ignored.
‘He’s almost like a real brother to me now.’
Perhaps because of her deceased brothers, Lowell had never found it difficult to connect with René. Since René was not a difficult person, at some point, Lowell had become quite close to him.
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‘I think I was a bit wary at the beginning.’
Now, René was virtually the closest person to Lowell.
Above all, he was a stable and relaxed person.
Contrary to her constant anxiety and sharpness.
‘That’s why I tried to avoid meeting him.’
René cared for Annette. He hoped she wouldn’t have to do difficult things, and he certainly didn’t want her risking her life.
Even when she volunteered to be the emperor’s bride, René had tried to talk her out of it.
His feelings were appreciated, but they interfered with Lowell’s plans.
Lowell stood up and looked around. Hiding in the shadow was advantageous in many ways since the space became isolated, blocking out sound. But there was a downside. If someone other than the shadow familiar entered the space, the time it could be maintained drastically shortened.
“We should get out before the space collapses, René. Is there a way out of this building?”
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“We could use the shadows. I’ll need to look around, though.”
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.]