The red dress had turned purple, and as the dress color gradually darkened, black was the only choice left.
So Adel chose.
Rather than being a miserly poor soul who wore a single old dress for many years, she decided to become a heretic of the banquet.
‘After all, I have no reputation to get any worse.’
She took a deep breath and politely bowed to the Emperor.
“Happy birthday, Your Majesty.”
Since she didn’t bring a servant, she personally handed over the gift.
That box, which looked like an urn.
The emperor’s chief servant who received the box couldn’t hide his confused expression.
“Your dress today is quite impressive, madam.”
The emperor spoke to her.
It was a rare thing for him to comment on a lady’s dress. But since it sounded sarcastic, everyone laughed as if they knew it would happen.
Everyone was sure that Adel’s funerallike dress had upset the Emperor’s mood.
Adel answered back clearly with a faint smile.
“Black symbolizes unity, Your Majesty. I wore it in the hope of unification under the flag of the Empire.”
That’s what it meant to interpret a dream more than the dream itself.
The emperor laughed silently at the naive response.
“So, what’s inside this peculiar box?”
“It’s a dessert I made myself.”
Dessert.
For a moment, giggles broke out here and there.
The imperial household had dozens of chefs solely dedicated to the emperor. Moreover, the banquet hall was overflowing with all kinds of desserts.
“Such a gift, even a common child would love, given to His Majesty.”
“That’s true. She is indeed an insane woman.”
Despite the murmurings, Adel didn’t flinch.
“I assure you it will taste different from anything you’ve ever tasted, as I made it with my special recipe.”
At her confident attitude, the Emperor seemed curious.
“I wonder what it will taste like.”
“Perhaps, even if you die while eating it, you won’t know the taste. Isn’t that right, Duchess Oswald?”
The queen, who had been wearing an unpleasant expression all along, intervened. She was smiling, but her gaze at Adel was cold.
Then people around also exchanged meaningful glances. As if they felt obligated to join in since the queen had started.
“It seems the late Duke must have really enjoyed the dessert made by his wife.”
“Your Majesty, it’s dangerous if it’s a special recipe that hasn’t been verified.”
Everyone believed that Adel had poisoned her husband, the Duke. Even without evidence, if many people believe it, it becomes the truth.
A cruel woman who married an old Duke the same age as her father for social promotion, and then brutally poisoned him.
A lustful woman who was so blinded by desire that she even seduced her stepson.
The wicked woman of the Calaim Empire, Adel!
At some point, that had become the truth for them.
‘All such bullshit.’
Because she was the infamous duchess who poisoned her husband, Adel was always ostracized at the banquet. And people always watched her vigilantly.
No matter what reaction she showed, they were fully prepared to spread malicious rumors.
‘It’s okay. It’s not like I’m dealing with this for a day or two.’
With a resolute heart, Adel answered with an unperturbed face.
“Unfortunately, I started making desserts to console myself for losing the Duke first. I thought he would have loved it if he had tasted it during his lifetime. So, I wanted to serve it to Your Majesty. Looking back now, my ambition seems to have been excessive.”
Lastly, with a faint smile, Adel politely bowed her head.
“If it’s repulsive, it would be best to throw it away, Your Majesty.”
There seemed to be a twitch at the corner of her forced smiling mouth.
She wanted to go home quickly.
‘Once I get home, I need to take off this suffocating dress first.’
And she needed to bake sweet cookies and soft bread that would melt on the tongue.
Just then.
“May I try it, Your Majesty?”
A pleasant baritone voice echoed through the banquet hall.
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]People around took a step back, creating a path.
In the center of the hall, a man in a black uniform adorned with a golden badge appeared.
A slender noble in his late twenties with a tall frame.
“Look! That must be Viscount Vice!”
A shout stirred up the banquet hall.
Viscount Vice.
He was the most popular man in the Empire these days.
A hero who played a significant role in ending a war with a neighboring country that had lasted for over a decade.
There were even rumors that he was a prince from a fallen country who had suddenly risen to prominence in the past five to six years.
But the most important thing was that he was still unmarried at a young age.
Today, he made his first appearance in high society. Merely rumors of his arrival had made the women excited from earlier on.
And,
He was beyond people’s expectations.
No, he was completely different from what was expected.
He was so beautiful that it was hard to believe he was a brave hero.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
