The Crown Prince, though emotionally fragile, was not foolish. Even though he made a foolish choice blinded by love, if he were a real idiot, the Emperor wouldn’t have cherished him so much.
The Crown Prince pondered for a long time. Eventually, he looked at Cyrus with sad eyes and said,
“Chloe and I cannot get married.”
“There are ways to protect love other than marriage, Crown Prince. Instead of sitting conspicuously in a noticeable position and accepting all kinds of schemes and conspiracies, a life where the Crown Prince quietly receives love from the shadows might be better.”
“Is it really for Chloe to live her whole life as just a lover?”
“What Chloe wants is the Crown Prince’s love, not the position of the Crown Princess, isn’t it? However, the Crown Prince must secure that position, and there won’t be anyone daring to harm Chloe.”
The Crown Prince’s wavering stopped. The sadness that filled his eyes disappeared.
Looking at Cyrus with the appropriate expression for his position, the Crown Prince asked,
“Are there any suitable families you can recommend for the Crown Princess?”
“Well, I’ve heard that Lady Martine’s daughter is talented.”
“Alright, Northern Lord. I’ll consider it. I’ll send the wedding invitation soon.”
The trigger was pulled.
+++
Rumors of Ariana’s haircut spread quickly.
Within two hours of the skilled maid trimming Ariana’s hair, various people visited Ariana’s room.
The first person to arrive was Isabelle.
“Why did you do this to your hair?”
At Isabelle’s loud exclamation, Ariana turned to the mirror. The length had changed from reaching her waist to shoulder-length, but it didn’t seem drastically different.
“Is it that strange?”
“It’s pretty! It’s cute, but why did you suddenly cut it? Your long hair suited you so well!”
“I wanted to change things up a bit…”
“Changing things up is one thing. Did you discuss it with me before cutting it like this?”
It seemed absurd to discuss changing hairstyles. When Ariana awkwardly smiled, Averster arrived.
“Ariana, you cut your hair? Oh, the style suits you well.”
“Thank you, Brother.”
“Still, couldn’t you have talked to me before cutting it? I thought something serious had happened when you suddenly cut your hair.”
Even Uncle Felos, grandfather, grandmother, and even father came to engage in similar conversations, making it chaotic.
Just because she cut her hair a little, the whole family was in motion.
Even with bruises on her face, hair burnt due to Helena, it was bewildering because everything was so different from the life at the Bronte mansion where she couldn’t see anything.
Due to the family gathering caused by the minor haircut, Ariana’s drawing-room was bustling.
Ariana, surrounded by family, nibbled on cookies diligently brought by maids.
At times like this, Ariana felt as if she were in a dream.
When she was at the Bronte mansion, Ariana was never allowed to enter the drawing-room. Even during family meals in the dining room or when they chatted in the drawing-room, Ariana had no place.
Suddenly, she became curious.
‘How are you all doing now? Are you enjoying your time without the sight of me, who you found repulsive?’
+++
Helena seemed like she might burst into tears out of frustration.
After Ariana’s custody trial, she was finally invited to a tea party. It was a small party held in the garden by a certain countess, something she wouldn’t usually attend.
However, Helena needed an escape from the suffocating time spent at the Bronte mansion.
Her father, Jacob, didn’t come home often due to a new lover, and her mother, Rachel, spent every day drunk. Victoria left the mansion, leaving a message, “Stay in the castle for a while, Grandfather.” Because of that, Helena was left alone.
As the family gatherings in the dining room, where everyone used to gather every day, and the warmth of the drawing-room after dinner disappeared, the atmosphere that she thought would improve over time only became heavier.
Ariana, who used to vent her anger whenever she felt bad, was gone. When maids started quitting after Helena vented her frustration, and one maid almost died after being hit by Helena, Rachel shouted, “If you drive away any more maids, you’ll be kicked out too!”
Unable to vent her anger anymore, Helena almost went mad.
In the midst of this, she received an invitation to a tea party.
Now that people seemed to have forgotten about the Ariana incident, Helena quickly dressed up and headed to the tea party venue.
As a noblewoman who had received the love of the Duke and Duchess, Helena always became the center of attention in gatherings big and small. Everyone wanted to impress Helena, and they tried to please her.
She expected the same this time as well.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
