There Is No Paradise Where I Ran Away To (14 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 29
The Duke left Rodinia and headed for Perrington. Though merely knowing he wasn’t at the mansion made her feel free, Vivian tossed and turned in the dark, unable to sleep.
Behind her tightly shut eyelids, in that inner darkness, flashed Sir Corbin’s face from a few days ago. At that, Vivian slowly opened her eyes, which she’d been forcing shut in an attempt to fall asleep.
“Sir… Corbin? It feels like I’ve heard that name somewhere before…”
She couldn’t clearly recall whether his appearance had seemed familiar—only his thick beard remained in her memory, thanks to her nervousness and trembling at the time. She couldn’t remember anything: not the shape of his eyes when he’d bowed to her, nor his nose, nor his lips hidden beneath that beard.
“Corbin, Corbin…”
She repeated his surname, trying to dredge up deeply buried memories, but nothing surfaced.
Eventually, Vivian got out of bed and walked to the window. Through the door Sophie had flung wide open came the cool breeze of an early summer night.
Knowing this joy wouldn’t last long, she consoled herself by thinking her sleeplessness tonight was simply so she could savor this fleeting pleasure.
Vivian hoisted both legs up onto the windowsill and sat down. The height, glimpsed briefly downward, made her dizzy. She quickly averted her gaze and looked toward the horizon, seemingly endless.
From that pitch-black horizon, the sun didn’t seem likely to rise at all. Trapped in the suffocating gloom, she felt she could never escape—and her chest tightened with longing for Lake Lanua.
Vivian pulled her legs tightly to her chest and buried her face in them.
Father, you’re still alive, right?
She hoped for an answer to her question.
Mother, have you read my letter?
She wished, even for a faint glimmer of hope.
I can overcome this. I’m alright. I can do it. Mother, I’ll become a daughter you and Father can be proud of.
By the time Vivian lifted her head, the darkness had receded and the sky had brightened into a deep blue.
She wondered if so much time had really passed already, then realized she must have dozed off briefly while burying her face. She sighed in relief that, despite that, she hadn’t lost her balance or fallen.
The twilight along the horizon—once thought to hold only endless darkness—was dazzling. The golden, radiant sun slowly peeked above it.
***
In his youth, Humphrey had served as a steward in the Beitnes Baron’s household in Orlen. When the Baron’s only son died tragically in an accident, the Baroness descended into near-madness, and the Baron himself completely vanished.
The bereaved couple, unable to find any way to heal their grief, tumbled down a path of ruin.
They were ready to face any destruction and willingly embraced it.
Then, one day, the Baron—whom everyone believed would never return—came back. The servants hoped the household would return to normal, but one day, after going out, the Baron brought home a small girl.
He persuaded the Baroness to let him become the girl’s guardian out of charity. But the Baroness, still consumed by grief over her lost son, continued arguing bitterly over the young ward.
And then, on yet another day—
The Baroness began inviting in a milk-delivery boy and, ultimately, started seeing her deceased son in him. Because of this, her madness—which had seemed destined to drag her straight to death—gradually improved, and soon she returned to her former self.
The carriage bearing the Beitnes crest halted before the townhouse, and the lined-up servants straightened their backs respectfully. Humphrey greeted Edwin, who emerged through the calmly opening doors, with a gentle, affectionate smile.
No one back then could have predicted that the ill-tempered boy, whose blue eyes had once brimmed only with bitterness, would one day raise the Beitnes name to the pinnacle of Newway. Humphrey himself had pitied the boy, fearing he’d become yet another victim sacrificed to the Beitnes household—already shrouded in ominous storm clouds.
From a lowly orphan wandering Orlen’s docks, to the Baron’s adopted son; from an ordinary Newway soldier, to an officer who reshaped Newway’s history; from a businessman once ridiculed for walking a path of failure, to a Newway noble who carved a fresh legacy for the new moneyed class—
His turbulent life had culminated in perfect status and honor.
Yet there remained one thing—even for a master galloping down a well-paved road, there were still concerns from those around him.
“There’s a measurement note inside.”
As Edwin entered the mansion, he handed over a folded slip of paper.
“Please order dresses according to these measurements—simple and plain styles, about ten of them. If ten aren’t enough for a woman who owns no clothes at all, feel free to order more.”
Humphrey’s wrinkled eyes blinked in disbelief. Ever since Edwin had relocated from Rottermond to Perrington for business, the Baroness in Rottermond had sent him countless worried letters.
Did Eddie have no woman he fancied? Or was he already seeing someone? If so, when would they marry? And if he had neither a woman he was seeing nor one he liked, couldn’t he at least try creating some “coincidental” encounters? Why on earth was he refusing to marry? Could it be… that he preferred men?
Each letter, filled with worry and questions, always ended with the Baroness venting her frustration over her son’s apparent aversion to women. Humphrey himself had somewhat firmly concluded that his master, who never spared a glance for the socialite women constantly fluttering around him, simply wasn’t inclined toward women.
Yet now—ordering dresses for a woman?
Bewildered, Humphrey instinctively opened the slip to check. He knew Charlotte certainly wasn’t the one—Edwin had explicitly said the woman owned no clothes—but he still needed to see it with his own eyes.
Edwin, halting his steps, turned to look back at the silent Humphrey. Quickly refolding the slip, Humphrey composed his expression.
“Yes. I’ll take care of it.”
“Send the dresses to the Rodinia mansion.”
“…Yes, my lord.”
The measurements he’d glimpsed weren’t Charlotte’s. He knew there was no need to wonder far whose they might be—and this, too, was precisely what the Baroness had worried about.
‘Surely not… the only daughter of Ebelline, the former owner of the Rodinia Estate…’
Humphrey took a deep breath. This was indeed an urgent matter—he’d have to draft a letter to the Baroness tonight.
He could almost feel the Baroness’s sigh, laden with anxious concern, drifting in on the open breeze.
***
Though Perrington’s mansion wasn’t as grand as the Duke’s estate in Rodinia, its splendor was famed enough to rank among the finest even in the capital.
The moment Edwin arrived, he headed straight to where Sir Corbin was waiting. The two, who’d met briefly not long ago, exchanged greetings for their reunion.
As was customary, Corbin initiated conversation with praise—extolling Edwin’s talent, who at such a young age had amassed great wealth, received a dukedom, and earned widespread admiration from both the populace and Newway’s elite.
Corbin went on to enumerate Edwin’s countless heroic battlefield deeds, then expressed deep regret that Edwin wasn’t a native of Preston. Edwin humbly dismissed it all as mere luck.
“In any case, we’ve been in a rather hopeless situation—now, with Your Grace’s arrival as a tremendous beacon of hope, everyone’s morale has risen. As you’ve said, our plan will proceed without any disagreement. Moreover, given how deeply meaningful this is, I’m certain that person will be overjoyed as well.”
Edwin gave a cool smile, swirling his brandy glass as he gazed at the rippling liquid inside.
“Isn’t it the same for me? Meeting this hope so entirely by chance—it felt like finding the missing piece I’d overlooked in my own plans. I, too, had no idea of that person’s existence, so I’m genuinely pleased. Especially since this grants us legitimacy.”
“Isn’t it remarkable how fate works? To have met someone so desperately needed by each other—it feels almost like a destined romance.”
Corbin burst into hearty laughter. Edwin raised his brandy glass in agreement.
“Until I received your letter, I’d only seen you as a foreign noble, distant and remote. But now I realize—I feel as close to you as a blood brother. And frankly, even when I first set foot on Newway soil, I’d been thoroughly intimidated by the terrifying rumors about you that had reached Preston.”
“As you can see, I’m hardly anything extraordinary.”
“Forgive my asking a personal question—but may I?”
Feeling their rapport had deepened, Corbin relaxed his demeanor. Edwin responded with an approving smile.
“You’re clearly exceptional in every way—surely capable of capturing any woman’s heart in Newway. Then why haven’t you married? If you’re willing, I’d even like to arrange a meeting with my youngest daughter.”
Edwin carefully set down his brandy glass.
“Because what you, Sir Corbin, and that person intend to do isn’t easy. I wouldn’t want to make a wife I love into a widow.”
Though phrased in ceremonial, softened language, his words carried genuine sincerity—most likely due to the weight of the word “widow.” Corbin’s eyes flickered briefly in momentary alarm.
Having just mentioned his youngest daughter, he suddenly felt cold sweat prickling his skin. Forcing a strained smile to ease the awkward tension, he gulped down brandy he hadn’t even intended to drink.
“It seems it’s finally time we get into details. What’s the situation on your end? I’d like a thorough account of affairs within the palace—and the current state of Mayer as well.”
The once-pliant air instantly grew taut; Corbin’s thickly bearded mouth turned downward. Conversely, his gentle eyes hardened, and fury simmered in his deeply set pupils.
“The King indulges in tyranny, and nobles—every last one—cling to his side, enjoying unprecedented power. Just recently, when Marquess Hoover dared speak up about taxes and war, the King executed him on the spot.”
Corbin’s clenched fist trembled slightly. His face flushed with rage as he vividly recalled that day.
“The King neglects state affairs, fills the palace with countless concubines, and chases only pleasure and indulgence. Does he even see his people trembling in fear over the war breaking out in the neighboring country? Or does he notice the people dying from the nobles’ reckless, unchecked exploitation?”
His anger soon turned to tears, wetting the corners of Corbin’s eyes.
“If only I’d listened back then to what Ebelline said…”
“Regretting it now won’t change anything.”
Though he concurred with Edwin’s firm tone, Corbin’s eyes remained thickly smeared with irreversible remorse.
“We’ll soon depose Mayer from the throne.”
Edwin spoke with conviction, deliberately stirring rough waves in his crystal glass. Having crafted this quiet prelude, he plunged in without hesitation.
“With the most fitting words as my guide—I’ll do it myself.”
The brandy, once again calm, flowed between Edwin’s lips.
The liquor tasted sweet again today. His satisfied smile was perfectly serene.
“So I’m truly eager to meet that person as soon as possible. Is he still not here?”
When the male lead is punished by carrying the female lead’s child and having periods like a woman
“I’ve given birth to two children for you, yet you still think about him.
Was I nothing but his substitute to you from beginning to end?”
Synopsis:
Meng Huan, a scumbag who has dated countless girlfriends, transmigrates to a female-dominated country.
Day 1: Whether it’s female dominance or not doesn’t matter. The beauties here are passionate and amorous. Isn’t it easier to date them than in modern times?
Day 2: After a night, Meng Huan discovers the differences in the female-dominated world. Men here actually have chastity locks and menstrual cycles. This hinders his ability to perform, damn it!
Day 3: What’s wrong with sleeping around? I don’t want you to marry me. I’m meant to be a playboy. I don’t care about male virtues… What? You want to drown me in a pig cage? Marry, I’ll marry!
Day N: Meng Huan inexplicably vomits and receives the shocking news of his life… He’s pregnant.
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Most Commented This Week
The Villain Has Gone Mad For Me (Completed Main Story)
I’m The Lowest-Ranking Daughter Of A Martial Arts Villain (2 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Became the Assassin Family’s Foster Daughter (Completed Main Story)
The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story)
Men of the Harem (137 Chapters Left to Complete)
At the End of Ruin, There You Are (56 Chapters Left to Complete)
She’s a Villainess but her Husband is Handsome (Completed Main Story)
People Aren’t Meant to Be Fixed! (4 Chapters Left to Complete)
Summer Must Die (16 Chapters Left to Complete)
My Discarded Fiancé Returned (Completed Main Story)
I Received The First Time Of My Extraordinary Superior (9 Chapters Left to Complete)
Regret With All Your Might (Completed Main Story)