A faint scent of perfume wafted from Isabelle. The moment she sat down at the table, the subtle aroma intensified.
I crossed my legs and sat up straight. I waited for Isabelle to speak, but she seemed to be testing my patience, looking only at the floor beneath the table.
Silent until then, Isabelle finally moved, but didn’t speak.
“……?”
Should I follow her and stand, or should I remain seated?
After a moment of indecision, my gaze remained fixed on Isabelle. She went to a drawer near the bed and opened the bottommost compartment. Straining, she pulled out a large object.
‘What is that?’
It turned out to be a large, wooden chessboard. She took it and sat back at the table. The board looked old; its corners were worn, and its color was faded.
Isabelle brushed away the dust on the chessboard and a cloud of dust filled the air above the table.
“Why the chessboard….”
“Is it true what Roger said? That you’re learning chess from Count Fenton and Baron Kito?”
So Isabelle had heard Roger’s words. I wasn’t surprised, but I couldn’t find an appropriate response.
I couldn’t gauge which would be more advantageous to me: a lie or the truth.
The silence that followed my contemplation seemed to answer for me. Isabelle spoke again.
“Take it. Your current chessboard is a cheap one from the marketplace.”
“……Really? You’re giving it to me?”
“It’s old but valuable.”
She opened her bag to show me the chess pieces, which seemed to be made of metal and gleamed brilliantly.
The chessboard was finely crafted, signed by the craftsman on a corner. I felt the etched letters with my hand.
I was surprised that Isabelle owned such an exquisite chessboard and now, she was offering it to me.
I took out a black pawn and examined it. It had a satisfying weight, and the light reflecting off it was dazzling. Clearly, it must be expensive.
“Really….you’re giving this to me?”
“You’re already smiling with delight, Lise.”
“Ah.”
At Isabelle’s words, I quickly set down the pawn. I needed to assess the situation, make sure I wasn’t falling into a trap.
Isabelle is not someone who would give me what I want without expecting something in return. I closed the bag of chess pieces.
“Why so suddenly? If you plan to throw me out of the mansion in exchange for this, I don’t want it.”
“I won’t throw you out.”
“Then, will you forbid me from seeing Roger or Yurik forever?”
“No.”
Then why? What’s the reason for giving me the chessboard?
Isabelle seemed gentler and quieter than usual. She appeared as if she was setting down a heavy burden, as if she was going to go away.
But she remained composed.
“Ask for the books you took from Bettie. They are piled up in the warehouse. You can read them whenever you wish now.”
“……”
“You are also free to go outside. But it would be best to inform me before you leave. Be back before dinner. If you are late, there will be a penalty.”
“……”
“Why are you not responding?”
I was stunned. The Isabelle in front of me was indeed Isabelle Marsen.
“It’s just so sudden.”
I hesitated, fearing that this might be some kind of trap laid by Isabelle.
“When did you meet Baron Kito? And how did you meet the Count?”
“……It’s been a few months. Baron Kito and Count Fenton are close, so I naturally got to know the Count. Baron Kito has been teaching me chess, and the Count fills in whenever he is busy.”
I still couldn’t figure out what Isabelle was planning. Even so, I chose to be honest, thinking that my honesty might lead her to be the same.
“Why is the Baron teaching you?”
“He offered me a chance to participate in a chess tournament. I accepted his offer. At first, Count Heidern was skeptical of me, but now he sincerely teaches me.”
“It’s better to keep it a secret from the Earl. Even if I do so, the Earl really dislikes Count Fenton.”
“What about my mother? Does she also dislike him?”
I asked curiously.
That she will keep this a secret from my father means that Isabelle respects whatever actions I choose to take in the future. The woman who was previously sensitive about my actions had suddenly changed her mind.
Why?
“Do you dislike the Fenton family?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“Why would I dislike the Fenton family?”
My shoulders flinched at Isabelle’s response. Her words left me speechless.
“I never had any contact with them.”
Isabelle muttered.
Isabelle Marsen.
‘Before, it was Isabelle Follong.’
Perhaps I might know why Isabelle changed her mind. I faintly imagined her past along with the words Mrs. Bacchus had said.
Giving up desires and abandoning what she achieved for a chosen marriage. Was that choice right?
The happiness gained in comparison to what was given up was meager, and the scars deepened.
Though her status improved through marriage, she was originally noble. She grew up without any want. Isabelle’s marriage quickly increased the standing of the Follong family, but she gained nothing in return.
“Is that all you’re curious about?”
Isabelle asked first.
“No, but I have so many questions, I don’t know where to start.”
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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