Yes, Your Highness.
Hillstain Mathias, clueless as ever, seemed pleased, curling his fox-like eyes and replying in a soft, coaxing tone.
“Didn’t I personally explain to you last time what happens when you recklessly enter someone else’s home?”
“Yes. You did.”
“Then I suppose I should interpret this as you coming here prepared to die.”
“No. That’s not it.”
“Even if you say no, you’ve disturbed my precious time—so dying would be the better option.”
Edan Dietrich walked toward the intruder, while Hillstain Mathias, for some inexplicable reason, merely smiled gently, showing no hostility.
“Even if last time was intentional, today there were no servants around, so I had no choice—”
“I know that well enough.”
A black shadow shot out from Edan like lightning.
Hillstain Mathias nimbly dodged the shadow and leapt lightly onto the top of the desk meant for official duties.
“Calm down a bit. I didn’t come here to see Your Highness.”
“Then that makes it even worse.”
No! That’s bad for me!
“Stop it! Both of you!”
There’s an important dark magic book inside that desk!
I think this is the first time in my life I’ve shouted this loudly, drawing power straight from my dantian.
My voice echoed thunderously throughout the library, causing both Edan and Hillstain to freeze simultaneously.
“…….”
“…….”
They both stared at me.
It wasn’t confusion—they looked genuinely impressed that I’d issued such a loud, commanding order.
Their expressions were utterly unimpressed. It annoyed me.
I stared back at them as coldly as I could.
“Lord Hillstain Mathias, get off the desk immediately.”
“…Fine.”
Hillstain Mathias obediently nodded, his silver hair swaying as he landed on the floor more lightly than a cat.
“Master, don’t just randomly attack me. I came to see you, after all.”
Even as I spoke boldly, my heart was pounding wildly. Giving orders to these lunatics.
“Tsk.”
Edan clicked his tongue lightly but nodded as if conceding.
Hillstain Mathias frowned as if bewildered, yet watched Edan’s reaction with evident amusement.
[This is the timeline separator]“Tell me why you came.”
A short while later, I placed a cup of coffee and a banana on the reception room table.
I had nothing else suitable to offer.
Honestly, considering everything Hillstain Mathias had done to me up until now, even this should be considered gracious.
“There’s no poison in this, I hope.”
You’re the one receiving charity, yet you’re suspicious? Who do you think I am?
I pretended to pick up the banana I’d just placed in front of Hillstain Mathias.
“If you’re going to be suspicious, leave.”
“No. I’ll drink it.”
Hillstain Mathias glanced sideways at me, then lightly gulped down the coffee.
I moved to sit beside Edan, who was lounging arrogantly with his legs crossed on the sofa opposite the table.
“Truly, the taste is awful—”
“I’ll kill you.”
“—is impossible to ignore.”
At Edan’s single remark, Hillstain Mathias immediately changed his tune—even though he’d just claimed my cooking tasted bad.
As Hillstain Mathias lightly sipped and set the cup down, Edan spoke.
“Drink it all. One shot.”
He was telling him to gulp down coffee still steaming hot.
Hillstain Mathias looked at Edan with a disgusted expression.
“If my mouth gets burned, will Your Highness cover my medical bills?”
“Hmm. If you can’t handle something that minor, perhaps the problem lies with your body’s inability to endure.”
“Indeed. So Your Highness could drink it too, then?”
“Must I really demonstrate that?”
“I’d be grateful if you showed us personally.”
“What, are you giving me orders now?”
“Did it sound that way? I thought I was making a polite request.”
It felt as if invisible electric sparks were crackling between them.
I knew their relationship was strained. But what exactly did he want to discuss?
At this rate, they’d growl at each other all night until time ran out.
Fortunately, Edan seemed to notice my fatigue and initiated proper conversation first.
“Just in case—I’ll ask. If you came to apologize, do it quickly and leave.”
At that, Hillstain Mathias glanced sideways at me.
“If you wish, I’m happy to do so.”
That’s absurd. Did he really come to apologize? Why?
Hillstain’s final words felt strange.
That day, a single word from Hillstain Mathias would’ve been enough for the holy knights to attack us—but he clearly hesitated.
It had seemed suspicious then. And now it felt even stranger. It wasn’t just because Edan was nearby—it felt different.
Somehow, Hillstain Mathias seemed to be treating me with respect…
“After Miss Latieana Merigold left, High Priestess Ivy Violet’s healing power became remarkably stronger.”
“So?”
Edan replied dismissively and irritably, but Hillstain Mathias ignored him and continued.
“Your Highness may not know this, but when the High Priestess first arrived at the temple, her healing power was stronger than any force we’d ever encountered. Over time, it seemed to weaken—we assumed it was due to her poor condition from worrying over her friend lost in the accident.”
“Continue.”
“Isn’t the timing too perfect?”
Hillstain Mathias’s eyes turned toward me.
His gaze was blatantly piercing, as if drilling straight through me.
“That day, Your Highness didn’t spare the High Priestess even a glance. So I thought—perhaps the reason Your Highness ignored her entirely was because of Miss Latieana Merigold.”
So that’s why you glared at me so terrifyingly back then?
Insane. Chills ran down my spine.
The reason he let us leave peacefully that day was this? His intuition was too sharp.
I jumped into the conversation in Edan’s stead.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve figured out why Your Highness insists on keeping you so terribly close.”
“What’s the reason?”
“Healing power.”
Hillstain Mathias smiled as if he’d uncovered a secret jewel.
“I’ve recently thought it strange too.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“That Your Highness has been acting far too normal.”
“…….”
I flinched.
“When I asked around, they said even at the High Priestess’s celebration party, Your Highness attended with perfectly normal coloring, not a single change in complexion. Even though you were supposedly drinking the potion bestowed by His Imperial Majesty—that alone wouldn’t be nearly enough. The day before, the breach in the Impenetrable Wall had opened, unleashing monsters like a flood—the side effects must’ve been severe. Yet you appeared at the party smiling normally? No matter how I think about it, that’s strange.”
“The potion’s effect could’ve been strong.”
Hillstain Mathias swept one hand through his hair.
“Do you think I’m an idiot? If you handled the monsters in a single day, that means you exerted tremendous supernatural power—the side effects absolutely couldn’t be resolved by some mere potion. Even if it were possible, it’d take days.”
He was right. Ruben had explained the same thing—days would be needed even with the potion.
“It’s impossible without direct healing. And conveniently, you—the Saintess candidate—were right beside His Highness.”
“…….”
“Therefore, the answer can only be you.”
He’d figured it out perfectly. In the end, Hillstain Mathias was also a supernatural user tormented by pain without healing power—and thus a man desperately craving it. He’d sensed something off about Edan’s attitude of ignoring Ivy entirely.
“Lord.”
Edan cut off Hillstain Mathias’s gaze.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Who gave you permission to speak informally to my maid?”
“…….”
At this sudden provocation, both Hillstain Mathias and I stared at Edan in disbelief.
What nonsense was this? This was clearly picking a fight.
Common sense dictated that Hillstain speaking informally to someone insignificant like me was perfectly natural.
It’d be strange if he spoke formally instead.
Edan, indifferent to our reactions, haughtily tossed out his words.
“Show proper respect.”
I naturally expected Hillstain Mathias to retort. But—
“Yes. I shall.”
Hillstain Mathias simply acquiesced.
Ha. Awkward.
“So what is it you want to say?”
“Please speak comfortably.”
“It’s fine. That’d feel too familiar. I prefer keeping this distance.”
Impenetrable. I coldly rejected the fox’s coaxing request.
Edan, apparently satisfied with my reaction, said nothing further.
Hillstain Mathias, unfazed, grinned and downed his now suitably cooled coffee in one gulp.
“I’ve locked Maximus in the underground prison. Consider him… a sort of hostage.”
“What?”
I shot up from my seat. Underground prison? Maximus was imprisoned because of me?
“So here’s the deal—I’ll release Maximus, but you must meet my condition in return.”
“What is it?”
Hillstain Mathias set his coffee cup down on the table with a sharp, grating sound.
“Let me feel it too. That healing power.”
“…….”
“Whether it was a misunderstanding or not is none of my concern—but judging by current circumstances, I came knowing Miss Latieana Merigold’s healing power is far stronger than High Priestess Ivy Violet’s. Therefore—”
Hillstain Mathias’s words were cut off.
Because Edan had hurled the banana straight at his face without mercy.
“Ugh.”
Hillstain Mathias let out a short gasp and hastily turned his head to dodge.
The banana then exploded against the wall.
Seriously, I’d never seen a banana burst like that before. How hard did he have to throw it to make it explode like that?
When I fetched the coffee, I’d debated between banana and apple in the dining room—thank goodness I chose banana.
If it had been an apple, the wall might’ve been punctured again.
My momentary shock at the dramatic scene was brief—Edan uncrossed his legs and stood up.
“As expected, Lord—you really should die here right now.”
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.
Link to read
