The agreed-upon time to meet Helsion had arrived.
Askan followed me to the carriage I had arranged in front of the mansion to go to the imperial palace. Now, Calpelliver was fastened to his waist.
Turning around to look at Askan, who was following a step behind, I smirked and asked, “Since you’ll be here soon anyway, why bother seeing me off?”
“It doesn’t sit well with me to send you to the imperial palace alone.”
“What could go wrong? Besides, on a day like this, it’s better to go alone.”
Today was about formally rejecting Helsion’s proposal. Even though Askan had invited us to enter the palace together last time, it wasn’t suitable to be seen together without a specific reason, especially on a day like today. Askan was well aware of this, which is why he couldn’t accompany me.
“I’ve stationed guards throughout the royal palace. After meeting the empress, the Manoko family has been quiet, but just in case.”
“No need to worry. The empress won’t dare to target me now. Ignoring the warning I left won’t be easy.”
Askan, curious, asked, “What did you say to the empress that made her so quiet?”
“It’s a secret.”
Smirking and closing one eye, I got into the carriage. Askan, as if he couldn’t stop me, laughed. Unlike the last time when we went to meet Seruna, Askan stayed at the mansion, and Zen followed me this time.
Looking at Zen with a skeptical gaze, Askan said, “Can I trust you?”
Although I didn’t directly point it out, anyone could guess the target. Zen frowned, seemingly uncomfortable. Although he might be weaker than Askan, with his darkness attribute ability, he was not someone who would easily fall behind.
“Haha.”
I awkwardly laughed, trying to diffuse the tense atmosphere. Askan had said he would close his eyes to me and Zen being together, but judging by his jealousy, it seemed like an empty promise.
Supporting Zen at a time like this might have had the opposite effect. I shifted the topic like someone who knew nothing.
“Oh, by the way, didn’t you also have a promise today?”
“Yes. I promised to show the sword to Bill first when it’s completed.”
“Right. Have a good meeting, and I’ll be back soon.”
“Be careful.”
Askan looked at me like he was presenting a child to the riverside.
Smirking, I shook hands with Askan. He looked at me as if worrying excessively, and though I wasn’t the type to be overly concerned, I didn’t mind such care.
The attentive servant, who had been watching, cautiously said, “We’ll depart, miss.”
“Okay.”
Slowly, the carriage began to move towards the imperial palace. Behind me, Askan and Zen exchanged strange glances, as if engaging in a subtle confrontation. Fortunately, since they had different destinations, there was no further friction.
Once we were far from the mansion, Zen approached and started a conversation.
“I really don’t like the Captain of the Guards.”
I unintentionally burst into laughter.
Zen had disliked Askan from the beginning, and from what I observed, Askan seemed to feel the same way.
“Askan keeps making remarks that irritate you. Still, try to see the positive side as much as possible.”
“Why would I…!”
“He’s the man I like.”
At my words, Zen closed his mouth with a shocked expression.
He probably had some idea of the relationship between Askan and me, but hearing such words directly from me seemed to surprise him quite a bit.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I scratched my cheek and continued, “As time passes, you both will come to understand each other’s true value. From my perspective, it seems like you two would get along quite well.”
Upon arriving at the imperial palace, I saw the chamberlain waiting for me.
Zen stopped in his tracks, hindered by guards, and there was no way he could continue with me. It was an expected outcome.
Receiving a polite escort from the chamberlain, I arrived at an extraordinarily luxurious room.
The Kallua Empire seemed to have overflowing treasury. I had felt it when I met Seruna before, but it was opulent to the point of extravagance.
Helsion, who had been waiting for me, greeted me warmly upon seeing me. “Finally, Lady Brellof has arrived.”
I bent my knees slightly in a bow to Helsion. “I greet the Empress of the Kallua Empire.”
Helsion personally took my hand, lifting me up and leading me to the seat.
It was an overly courteous gesture, almost burdensome, but I accepted it since I couldn’t refuse.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Haha, what’s there to thank for such a thing? We haven’t seen each other in a while; let’s take our time and chat over dinner.”
When Helsion gestured to call someone else, I quickly spoke up, “No, Your Majesty. Today, I have something I would like to address first.”
For a moment, there was a childlike glint in Helsion’s eyes. It seemed like she sensed something unusual in my attitude, drawing a line or setting boundaries.
The chamberlain, who had been standing outside, asked with a puzzled voice, “Your Majesty, is there an audience scheduled?”
“Since Lady Brellof and I have important matters to discuss, clear the surroundings.”
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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