‘Why is he here?’

Vialle, extremely flustered, couldn’t even close her mouth and stood frozen before replying with an awkward expression.

“What brings you here, Lord Verdeum?”

“Obviously, I came to look at books.”

Despite the unexpected encounter, his natural demeanor made her suspicious.

Noticing her skeptical gaze, he seemed at a loss for words, then explained why he was there.

“I just stopped by on my way. I heard new books were being released today.”

Embarrassed that he had come for the same reason as her, Vialle’s cheeks flushed a deep red.

Dension, chuckling at her reaction, glanced at the book she was holding and commented.

“It seems you like Arend Lagus.”

“Yes, I enjoyed his previous work.”

“Hmm, but you might want to avoid that book.”

Vialle had come here specifically to purchase Arend Lagus’s “The Mansion Hidden Beneath the Cliff.”

The summary, briefly mentioned in a newspaper ad, had been enough to pique her interest, just like his previous works.

Despite not knowing much about it, his dismissive comment irked her.

Verdeum, picking a book from the nearby shelf, handed it to her.

“This book will be much more interesting.”

“You recommend it without even reading it?”

Taken aback by her remark, he stumbled over his words.

“That’s… my intuition.”

Vialle found it absurd to discuss a book with someone making baseless judgments so easily.

Deciding not to waste any more time with the Duke, she turned and headed towards the cashier.

As she walked away, he called out to her several times in panic, but she ignored him and purchased only the book she had longed for before stepping outside.

Just as she was about to get into her waiting carriage,

“Lady, please wait a moment.”

Without concern for the surrounding glances, he handed her a book he had bought from the bookstore.

It was the book he had recommended.

“This is an apology for my rudeness earlier.”

Looking defeated, the Duke resembled a large Samoyed dog. Vialle, feeling it would be impolite to refuse his apology, hesitantly accepted his gift.

“Thank you. I’ll be going now.”

The guard knights in the carriage watched the interaction with interest, but quickly turned away as she boarded.

They acted as if they had seen and heard nothing.

That night, Vialle lay in bed and read “The Mansion Hidden Beneath the Cliff” to the end.

“What, it ends like this?”

Regretting her detour to the bookstore, she realized she had been fooled by the summary.

After a short sigh, she glared at the finished book before closing it for good, vowing never to read that author’s books again.

Her gaze then shifted to the mahogany desk where the green hardcover book Verdeum had given her earlier lay.

Hesitantly, she picked it up.

‘Well, I should consider the giver’s intentions.’

The green velvet cover read “The Shadows Hidden in Both Eyes.”

Initially flipping through without much thought, Vialle found herself repeatedly amazed by its intriguing content.

“Unbelievable, how can it be so interesting?”

The story of a murder at the Solcanto Lake villa was captivating, leaving the identity of the culprit unpredictable until the end.
The novel was a mystery involving clues intermittently thrown in, keeping tension high as suspected characters became new victims. The identity of the culprit was revealed only towards the end, shocking Vialle.

She read through the night, unable to put the book down until dawn. Reluctantly, she admitted that the book recommended by Duke Verdeum was truly interesting, tempting her to read it several times.

After that day, Vialle could slightly, though not entirely, shake off her prejudices against him.

Lost in fond memories with him, Vialle put down the letter she was holding and smiled bitterly. Despite knowing she could never return, she still longed for him. She wanted to see his living face, not a cold corpse, to touch and tell him she loved him. However, the cruel reality she tried to deny threatened to crush her.

She tried hard not to think of him, but her eyes still sought his form whenever she closed and opened them.

“I need to let you go… but it’s not as easy as I thought.”

Even if she couldn’t be with him in this life, she was prepared to accept it calmly. Yet, seeing herself unable to separate the him of the past from the present made her doubt her ability to live this life well.

“Sion, I wish I could take all your sorrow.”

She fervently hoped he would no longer suffer, just survive till the end.

‘If only you could be happy.’

Vialle vowed to make it happen by any means necessary.

It was early summer, with the fragrance of lavender and the sunlight streaming through lush shrubs. Marta Empire’s capital, Arkan, buzzed around the plaza as usual.

The most eye-catching feature in the vast square was the Ruschev family’s Cheilo trading company, setting the stage for their grand charity event. Like always, Vialle, as the event’s proxy organizer, oversaw its affairs.

Why She Is Still Unmoved (Female-dominant)

One-line summary: He uses various methods to seek her affection, but she remains unmoved.

Synopsis:

Si Qingyu is a doctor who has saved countless lives and enjoys tranquility.

Luo Shaoxuan is ruthless, deeply scheming, and the top young master in the capital. He admires Si Qingyu.

Luo Shaoxuan: I want to be the only one in your eyes and heart.

Features a cold and calm female lead vs A noble and scheming male lead.

There will be both sweetness and torture towards the male after their marriage.