“Butler…… Stop polishing the teacups and listen to me. This morning everyone was boating on the lake. To celebrate the successful purification ceremony. And in the afternoon, Count Montara will host a tea party. To celebrate the successful purification ceremony. And tomorrow, Viscount Berde will open his water garden, you know? This too is thanks to the successful purification… Hey, Butler. Are you listening to me?”
Evie’s endless chatter was met with a dry response from DS, who was wiping a teacup with a dry towel.
“I am listening. I was listening an hour ago, two hours ago, and I’m still listening.”
“That’s right, I’ve been talking to the butler for an hour, for two hours……!”
Evie lamented with a voice full of sorrow. Then she collapsed on the sofa armrest, hitting it with her forehead, and DS couldn’t help but chide her theatrics.
“If you’re bored, read a book or practice an instrument.”
“I don’t like that……”
“Then what do you want me to do……?”
DS groaned with a tired voice, but Evie didn’t even pretend to hear his troubles.
The reason Evie was now holding onto DS and tormenting him was twofold.
One was that due to an enduring curse, her conversation partner was no one but the butler, and the other was because of her position, which had changed drastically after the purification ceremony.
After the appearance of Evie Ariate, a new culture had arisen in Tienda’s social world.
Before the purified water all flowed into the abyss, they enjoyed various forms of entertainment with the clear water.
Starting with light boating, reading poetry or holding concerts by the clear lake, or even creating a giant swimming pool filled with petals or herbs, enjoying the aftermath of the purification ceremony was the recent trend in Tienda.
And every time, without fail, Evie Ariate, the lovable future saint, was invited.
She enjoyed going everywhere, being noticed and praised, and though she blushed outwardly, inwardly she was full of pride.
But Evie, who was now stuck in her mansion and unable to move due to the curse, found her current situation extremely unfair.
“I miss that day……”
Their cheers, their praise, and their passionate applause.
Evie, loyal to her desires, wistfully recalled her past glories, and DS, having wiped all the teacups, spoke.
“If that’s the case, attend a safe gathering for a while. There you can share meaningless chatter and return, can’t you?”
“I haven’t not thought of that. But Butler, sometimes meaningless chatter is even more dangerous.”
Evie laughed with dull eyes at the alternative that DS had put forth in a dry tone.
Even so, Evie thought of choosing the most favorable gathering for herself and venturing out a little.
It wasn’t just out of boredom, but because she had to quickly finish the initiation so that the issue with Count Zion Laurel could be a thing of the past.
So she planned to slowly show her face in social circles and reveal her vitality, but there were too many anticipated problems when she actually tried to go out.
“Think about it. If someone like Arko Youngsik asks how this hat looks, I might answer, ‘It doesn’t suit you well, but you wear it proudly,’ then what would happen?”
“You can’t even live a normal life without hypocrisy… You should have been a little nicer.”
As the butler calmly scratched the inside, Evie laughed loudly. Then she slowly scolded the butler as if teaching a fool.
“Butler. It’s true that I pretend to be nice to hear that I’m kind, but I think like this. If that behavior becomes a habit and a routine, it’s not hypocrisy, it’s my new self.”
“So what do you want to do with Count Zion Laurel?”
“I want to beat him up.”
Evie, who failed to be kind, raised DS’s teacup with a smiling face. So DS grabbed Evie’s wrist and sincerely apologized.
After barely calming Evie, DS said, cradling his precious teacup.
“It must be frustrating, but please bear with it a little longer. The report on snake hunting will come soon.”
“Yes, I hope there is good news…”
Evie replied weakly. Then she bit her slightly chubby lips with a slightly chubby face.
The mention of Count Zion Laurel’s name by the butler made that man’s words come to mind again.
―It would be better for you to give up on your own rather than making me force you to.
―The agreement is wrong, and it seems like you’ll do as you please, so let me know after the selection of the holy woman is over. How I should take care of you.
Yesterday, after the purification ceremony, the count said this to Evie.
It was virtually a declaration of war. It was also an arrogant notice without parallel, saying that I will definitely block your selection as a holy woman, so you think about how you will get support.
Although nothing has happened yet, Evie could not ignore the nobleman’s challenge.
So, after much thought, she asked DS for his opinion.
“Count Zion Laurel’s words, can he really block my selection as a holy woman?”
Deciding the new holy woman is the exclusive right of the heads of the noble families and the current holy woman.
And despite the opposition of Grand Duke Laurel, Evie is mentioned as the most likely next holy woman with the support of Duke Bayon, Count Monttra, and the holy woman Roble Tuhah.
In other words, even the Grand Duke Laurel of the world cannot influence the will of other nobles.
In the meantime, Evie was both displeased and suspicious about what the count, who was not even the head of the family, believed to make such a rash guarantee.
But then the butler gave an entirely unexpected answer.
“The possibility is not entirely nonexistent considering Count Zion Laurel’s influence. After all, the power of the Laurel family itself comes from the count.”
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
