Tiendavis - For Perfect Salvation (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 3
The count’s gaze sharply turned toward Ivy.
So Ivy had to feel like a criminal despite being completely innocent.
‘What did I even do…?’
Ivy thought, flustered by the sudden glare.
The reason the count, whom I met for the first time today, kept glaring fiercely at me.
‘Is it because I’m connected to Duke Laurel?’
That was the only thing that came to mind immediately.
Just as Ivy knew something about the count, the count surely knew something about Ivy too.
Ivy was an unprecedented commoner candidate for saintess, and the conservative Duke Laurel had strongly opposed Ivy’s nomination.
Thus, Ivy and Duke Laurel did not get along well at all.
Having thought this far, Ivy looked at the count with half-belief, half-doubt. Could it be that such a renowned hero would pick a childish quarrel over that reason?
‘I’ll at least try a nod of greeting.’
Worried, Ivy gave the count a cute little nod.
But the count remained utterly unmoved, continuing to glare at Ivy.
‘Ah, what’s he trying to do?’
Ivy forced a smile and swallowed her embarrassment.
Meanwhile, other nobles began turning their eyes toward Ivy one by one.
Noticing the count’s expression, the nobles followed his gaze to Ivy and soon hushed their exclamations, whispering among themselves.
Poor Ivy let out a silent sigh inwardly.
She didn’t understand the situation, but staying still would surely invite strange misunderstandings.
With no choice, Ivy hid her fluster and gave a gentle smile. Then, gathering her skirts, she approached the count.
The nobles eagerly made way with fascinated expressions. Thus, Ivy smoothly faced the count and bowed politely to him.
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, my lord Count. I am Ivy Ariate of the Manyanya Tower.”
I came because you kept staring. If you have business with me, please speak now.
With roughly that sentiment, Ivy lowered her knee. But what followed was heavy silence.
The count, who had been glaring fiercely at Ivy, didn’t even acknowledge her greeting.
So Ivy, still bowing her head, muttered again.
‘What an ill-mannered young master—doesn’t even know how to return a greeting.’
Though anyone would find the situation mortifying, Ivy wasn’t particularly shaken.
There had been plenty like this before. When Ivy first entered high society, immature nobles had embarrassed her in similar ways. Compared to those times, this was practically endearing.
Ivy stamped down on the memories resurfacing vividly and lifted her head.
At that moment, the count was looking down at Ivy with a blank expression.
His attitude showed neither goodwill nor courtesy, yet Ivy paid it no mind and smiled kindly.
“I thought you had summoned me, my lord Count, but it seems I misunderstood due to eagerness. Please forgive me.”
As Ivy lowered herself again, the corners of every noble’s mouth—except the count’s—curved in satisfaction.
That was precisely why Tienda’s high society liked Ivy.
Her manners were nothing like a commoner’s; she handled every situation with graceful tact and showed proper deference to her superiors.
Moreover, blessed greatly by divine favor and undeniably useful, Ivy was a truly lovely commoner—pleasant to keep nearby and admire.
The nobles felt newly satisfied by Ivy’s demeanor, and though Ivy noticed, she pretended not to and continued speaking.
“Still, I’m truly glad and fortunate to have had the chance to greet you like this. In truth, there’s something I’ve always wanted to say to you, my lord Count, and I’ve been waiting for this meeting.”
As she spoke, Ivy looked up at the count with innocent eyes.
Then she anticipated two possible outcomes.
Either the count would ultimately ignore her, or—curious about what she wanted to say—he’d reluctantly ask.
Whichever came to pass, Ivy was confident she could behave beautifully.
So she waited self-assuredly—until the count spoke for the first time.
“What is it you wish to say?”
The count’s voice was calmer than expected, yet exactly as dry as she’d anticipated.
Though utterly devoid of warmth, Ivy was satisfied merely to hear his voice and beamed brightly. Then she cheerfully declared,
“You really are as ill-mannered as you look!”
Thus began the curse.
.
.
.
“The words I originally intended to say were, ‘Thank you for protecting Tienda Vis. Thanks to your presence, the world remains peaceful even today. May the gods’ blessings be with you, my lord Count…’”
Having finished her recollection, Ivy murmured with regretful eyes.
It had been quite a clever plan—publicly thanking Tienda Vis’s hero before everyone’s eyes, subtly presenting herself as saintess.
But the sudden onset of the curse had exposed Ivy’s true nature and ruined everything.
Because of it, Ivy had insulted the count three times, rambled incoherently, fled the banquet hall, and cried all night, convinced everything was ruined.
Yet amid that despair, Ivy had pulled herself together again—driven by her unwavering determination to become saintess at any cost.
Having learned the full story, Deis nodded impassively.
“It’s quite a coincidence indeed—the timing the curse began, and its target as well.”
“The most uncanny part is the count’s inexplicable character.”
“He does seem rather strange. But why would he do such a thing?”
“There are three hypotheses.”
At Deis’s question, Ivy held up three fingers, then declared with crisp certainty,
“First, he’s fallen for me.”
“Oh dear.”
“Listen—when someone can’t take their eyes off another person, it usually means they’re in love, right?”
“But you said he glared harshly and ignored your greeting.”
“He must have been shy. He’s probably very introverted.”
At Ivy’s shameless claim, Deis’s eyes darkened slightly. But Ivy, undeterred, moved on to her next hypothesis.
“Second, he harbors ill will toward me.”
“No middle ground, huh?”
“Would a half-hearted person act like that?”
“No, I meant—not about the count…”
“Anyway, maybe he just hates me. After all, he’s the duke’s younger brother—the one who’s furious he can’t devour me himself.”
Even when discussing dislike rather than affection, Ivy remained confident, keeping all possibilities fairly open.
Seeing this, Deis crossed his arms and asked,
“And the last one?”
“The third and final hypothesis is that Sion Laurel is connected to this curse.”
Deis, who had been listening calmly, furrowed his brows. But Ivy remained earnest.
“If I were to curse someone, I’d want to watch them closely—to confirm the results. Yesterday, the count stared at me persistently, the curse started right then, and I ended up in serious trouble. Isn’t that suspicious enough?”
“It makes sense, but I doubt Count Laurel would go out of his way just to curse someone like you.”
At the word ‘just,’ Ivy crossed her arms and snorted. Her expression clearly said, “I’m still suspicious, though.”
So Deis added calmly,
“And if the count is the culprit, we’d be in even deeper trouble.”
“Why?”
“Because there are only two ways to lift Noche’s curse—destroy the curse’s medium or kill the one who cast it. Searching the Laurel household or assassinating the count is nearly impossible.”
“…Then should I cancel the third hypothesis?”
Ever pragmatic, Ivy quickly backed down again. Then, in a slightly dejected tone, she asked,
“Assuming Count Laurel isn’t the culprit, how long do you think it’ll take to lift this curse?”
“First, I’ll locate the Night Clan and confirm when and where the curse ritual was performed. That alone will take about three days; after that, it depends on circumstances.”
While explaining the plan ahead, Deis gave no definite answer—it would all depend on what they found.
Though the future seemed bleak, Ivy didn’t despair. Instead, she nodded gratefully, relieved that Deis knew so much about curses.
“Understood. I’ll leave the curse matter to you. Oh, and this too.”
Ivy handed him a letter resting on the table.
“It’s for Count Laurel. Since meeting him right away is difficult, I wrote an apology letter first.”
“An apology would require some explanation, wouldn’t it?”
“I wrote it vaguely—‘I drank too much; it wasn’t intentional; I’m truly sorry…’”
Ivy forced a smile to swallow her self-loathing.
It’s practically confessing I’m a drunken fool, but there’s no helping it. At least this is better than revealing the curse.
If the curse were exposed along with my deeply ingrained pretense, I’d be branded a hypocrite, deceiver, opportunist, and liar—accusations I must avoid at all costs.
Determined, Ivy added firmly,
“I’ve worded it as tactfully as possible, so please send it to Laurel Castle. I’ll think more about what to do next.”
Ivy absolutely had to become saintess—and Deis, bound to Ivy by fate, desired the same.
Thus, Deis nodded just as resolutely, took the letter, and left Ivy’s room.
But barely ten minutes later, he returned.
“A serious problem has arisen.”
“…All of a sudden?”
Problems were already overflowing—what could this possibly be?
Seeing Ivy’s devastated expression, Deis calmly replied as usual,
“Count Laurel has come to the mansion.”
At those words, Ivy nearly spat out her heart.
.
.
.
Why is he at our house?!
He seems to have come to see Lady Ivy.
What are you talking about? I can’t see anyone right now!
Shall I tell him you’re unavailable today?
No, what if we offend the count by turning him away?!
…Then what should we do?
At the count’s unexpected arrival, Ivy scolded Deis in informal speech for the first time in a while. Then, showing severe anxiety, she chewed her nails, clawed at her hair, and finally clung desperately to Deis’s trouser leg.
Yet just ten minutes later, Ivy stood before the reception room, composed as if nothing had happened.
‘It’s okay. I can do this.’
Having decided to meet the count after all, Ivy took a deep breath.
The great noble had surely come all this way because of yesterday’s incident—if she hid now, his anger would only grow.
Determined to prevent that at all costs, Ivy resolutely opened the reception room door.
A well-lit interior scene came into view at once.
Warm spring sunlight slanted across the space, and in its midst sat a man.
It was Sion Laurel, perfectly poised as he lifted his teacup.
Ivy momentarily lost herself in the sight of his golden hair mingling with sunlight—until she spotted the letter in his hand and snapped back to reality.
It was the very letter she’d entrusted to Deis. He must have intercepted it at the entrance; the seal was already broken, indicating he’d read it all.
Swallowing her dread, Ivy bowed to the count.
“A pleasure to see you again, my lord Count. It’s an honor that you’ve come all this way.”
“Sit.”
The count commanded briefly.
Once again, he didn’t acknowledge her greeting, but Ivy obediently sat across from him. Hunching her shoulders slightly, she watched his expression warily.
The count who had come all this way still wore a cold, indifferent face.
Feeling not even a trace of goodwill, Ivy steeled herself and awaited judgment.
Finally, the count spoke.
“I’ve only come to talk. There’s no need to be so tense.”
“Ah…?”
“If it’s my demeanor, I apologize. I’ve spent too long on the frontier and am unaccustomed to social graces.”
Caught off guard, Ivy blinked blankly. Perhaps due to their disastrous first impression, such a reasonable statement felt surprisingly unexpected.
‘Is he kinder than I thought…?’
“Or perhaps it’s simply bad manners.”
‘No, scratch that.’
Ivy, who had begun reconsidering the count, quickly changed her mind at his added remark.
The count remained expressionless, leaving Ivy utterly unsure whether he was joking or being sarcastic.
If he truly was this socially awkward, he’d be the world’s biggest blockhead—but if he was doing it on purpose, he was utterly despicable.
Thinking this, Ivy carefully began,
“You’ve come to discuss yesterday’s incident…?”
“That must be addressed as well. About yesterday…”
“I’m truly sorry!”
Ivy hastily cut in before the count could finish.
When the count looked at her, interrupted, Ivy adopted a solemn expression. So the count continued,
“I’ve read your letter. According to it, yesterday’s incident was…”
“Because I was drunk, as I wrote—embarrassing as it is, it’s the truth.”
“Due to drink,”
“Even so, to commit such a breach of etiquette—I’m utterly ashamed.”
“So I apologized by letter,”
“I never meant it as a substitute. I only wrote it first because I thought meeting you would be difficult—but to have caused you to come all this way, I’m deeply sorry, my lord Count. Please tell me—what must I do to earn your forgiveness…?”
With a face as if the sky were collapsing, Ivy repeatedly apologized, and the count—whose sentences kept getting cut off—finally fell silent.
As the count fell quiet, Ivy cautiously glanced at his expression.
In truth, before coming down to the reception room, Ivy had devised a strategy with Deis.
Since meeting the count would inevitably make her curse-triggered insults spill out first, they decided she should answer anything he might ask before he even asked it.
It sounded absurd, but Ivy—gifted with superb acting and quick reflexes—executed this bold plan convincingly.
The only problem was that the count’s mood seemed very poor after being repeatedly interrupted.
‘Is he angry?’
Just as Ivy stealthily checked the count’s expression, the hitherto silent count lowered his gaze and muttered,
“Your excuse is far too careless.”
His mutter was sharp.
“To claim you were drunk at such an early hour—should I check how many bottles of champagne the servants carried?”
As he spoke, the count lifted his eyes to look directly at Ivy.
His gaze was as fierce as yesterday’s—and poor Ivy’s heart sank once more into despair.
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
__________
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.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (1)
is this chapter from another story?…… it doesn’t make sense at all…
Inline Comments (153)
“To wish to live? I never taught you such things—not how to refuse death, nor ho
Yep I hate this lady 🙂 thought she was a good just cold hearted character because of the flashbacks of the past life Sion had but she’s just infuriating though intriguing but still infuriating character right now, I hope it changes though 🥲
“You met my friend recently, didn’t you?”
Am I forgetting something? Didn’t she try to kill yuvia in the past? How come she’s friends with him now? And when will I get to know more about the character 😭 why is everything shrouded in mystery about him😭
“…No.”
Oh boy I am so so SOOO PROUD OF YOU 😭🫂🫂 the courage it takes to go against someone you are quite literally not supposed to….. It’s commendable 🤧👏👏🙌
YOUR COMMENT
2. Inline comments are now available. Tap the end of any line in a chapter to share your thoughts instantly.
Log in to comment.
Saraluvsleads
This is a chapter from a different novel… regret with all your might