The knight commander was flustered. It was not even remotely amusing. A person of unknown status had appeared and dared to give orders.
However, what was more disconcerting was the thought that he had to comply with that request.
“Ten minutes.”
“…”
“I’ll give you exactly ten minutes. After that, I’ll use force if necessary to take the young lady back to the mansion.”
“Understood, now step back.”
Only after the knight commander retreated with the other knights did Cassel rise from his seat. Without bothering to brush off the wet soil on his pants, he quietly proposed to Riena.
“I know what you’re thinking, My Lady. Even if I have Count Dyke’s letter, it’s difficult for you to trust me. And even if I’m the Cas you knew as a child, I understand it’s hard to believe readily. After all, so much time has passed.”
“…”
“But it’s clear that you’re in a difficult situation right now, isn’t it? I want to help you to the best of my ability. That’s also my master’s last wish. If I can’t help you, I won’t be able to face my master later.”
Riena slightly furrowed her brow.
“How did you know I was in a difficult situation?”
“Well…”
Cassel hesitated for a moment before answering.
“Seeing you flee from your family at this hour, and knights trying to forcibly take you back, it seemed that way.”
It was a reasonable assumption. In fact, even to a stranger, Riena’s current situation would look extremely suspicious.
“And of course, before coming here, I also looked into House Dyke and you, My Lady. It seems there are marriage talks with a certain baron, but it doesn’t appear to be a match you’re fond of.”
“…”
“It was an unavoidable procedure, but if it displeased you, I apologize.”
“No, it’s fine. That’s understandable. You needed to know if there were any marriage talks concerning me to decide whether to propose or not.”
She truly wasn’t displeased.
“But I still can’t burden you.”
As Riena continued to hesitate, Cassel changed his approach.
“Then how about thinking of it this way? The cowardly Cas has come to fulfill a childhood promise.”
“A promise?”
“Have you forgotten?”
As Riena still couldn’t remember, Cassel spoke first about that promise.
“Didn’t we say we’d get married when we grew up?”
“Marriage…”
As if those words were a trigger, the forgotten memory suddenly came back to her.
The conversation she had with Cas in a field blooming with yellow wildflowers.
What did Riena say to the confused Cas then?
She vividly remembered Cas’s response, his face, neck, and ears turning tomato-red.
The two children linked their pinkies and made a promise. They didn’t stop there; they made flower rings and put them on each other’s ring fingers.
“But that was just children playing, wasn’t it? It’s something I had forgotten about.”
“I didn’t forget.”
Cassel’s firm words made Riena feel as if she had done something terribly wrong.
As she remained silent, Cassel spoke again.
“I understand your hesitation to accept my proposal. No matter that I have my master’s letter, you can’t trust me.”
“…”
“Then, how about this? Come with me for now, and stay with me temporarily until everything is resolved?”
“What do you mean by ‘temporarily’?”
“Currently, you’re a member of House Dyke. In principle, you should follow Count Dyke’s wishes. Even if your family forces you into an unwanted marriage, you have no way to avoid it.”
Riena swallowed dryly as she listened to his words.
“On the other hand, if you marry me, my family can protect you. We’ll protect you until everything settles down, and when it’s resolved, we’ll send you wherever you wish. We’ll also provide the necessary funds.”
“So, you’re saying we should pretend to be married temporarily?”
“That’s right.”
Riena’s lips quivered.
“Why are you going this far? It’s a proposal with nothing to lose for me, but not for you. Why are you willing to make such a sacrifice?”
“My master was like a father to me. It’s only natural that I help his dear lady, who he worried about until the end, and my old friend.”
“…”
She had to think rationally. Having been caught while trying to escape, it would be impossible to sneak out of the mansion to meet Raoul in the future.
So, Riena had three options to choose from now.
Either be pushed into marrying Baron Rothman, marry the somewhat suspicious Johannes, or enter into a fake marriage with Cassel.
Even though he was a childhood friend, she still couldn’t fully trust Cassel.
Honestly, she wasn’t even sure if Cassel was really the Cas she knew.
Moreover, for some reason, she didn’t want to use this man.
“As I said, I can’t use you for my own safety.”
Cassel smiled faintly. It looked like a smile on the verge of tears.
“I’m telling you to use me right now.”
“What?”
“I came all this way to be used.”
The look in his eyes as he gazed at Riena was sincere. Eyes could be deceiving too, but at least now, the man seemed to be speaking nothing but the truth.
That’s why it was even harder to accept his proposal.
“Time is running out.”
As Cassel urged, the knight commander shouted.
“Young lady, the madam is waiting. It’s time to return.”
At that moment, Cassel asked in a loud voice, as if intending for the knight commander and his subordinates to hear.
“I’ll ask one more time, Lady Dyke. Will you marry me?”
It was truly time to decide. Riena bit her lips nervously, then looked at the man’s large hand extended to her and impulsively answered.
“Yes. I will.”
Despite her long deliberation, as soon as she gave that answer, she felt a sense of freedom.
“Young lady!”
The knight commander exclaimed in shock, but Riena paid no attention and took Cassel’s hand.
“I accept your proposal.”
“You can’t do this!”
Just as the frantic knight commander approached to forcibly separate Riena’s hand, the man who had been looking at Riena with gentle eyes suddenly became fierce.
“Have I overestimated the knights of House Dyke? Since when can a mere knight interject in a conversation between their lords?”
The knight commander flinched for a brief moment but immediately fired back.
“Isn’t it a subject’s duty to prevent their lord from taking the wrong path?”
“The wrong path?”
“How can I stand by when the young lady is about to accept a proposal from a man whose name and family she doesn’t even know!”
Only after hearing the knight commander’s point did Riena realize that she didn’t even know the man’s name properly. She vaguely knew his name was ‘Cassel’ from her father’s letter, but she didn’t know his family name.
‘I didn’t know Cas’s family name when we were young either.’
Even though he had her father’s letter, to promise a lifetime with someone she didn’t know.
In the worst case, he could even be a commoner without a family name.
However, Riena didn’t regret her choice. Even if he turned out to be not just a commoner but a war slave, she intended to marry him.
The man briefly looked troubled at the knight commander’s valid point. He bowed his head towards Riena.
“I apologize, My Lady. In my haste, I failed to introduce myself properly.”
“No, it’s fine…”
“Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Cassel of Winkler.”
At his low voice that followed, both Riena and the knight commander, who was about to protest, closed their mouths in surprise.
Winkler. One of only three ducal houses in the empire.
[This is the timeline separator]“Do you have any luggage to collect from the mansion?”
Riena, who had been staring blankly at the rain-soaked mansion, turned her head at the voice beside her. The man from her dreams, no, Cassel Winkler, was looking at her intently.
After introducing himself, Cassel had suggested they return to the Dyke mansion to announce their engagement.
Given how things had turned out, Riena agreed with his opinion that they should definitively settle the matter of the marriage talks with Baron Rothman.
‘And I should also give an answer to Lord Belliard. It would be impolite to run away without any response.’
Afterwards, the knight commander who had come to retrieve Riena went ahead into the mansion to report all these facts, and she returned to the mansion riding Cassel’s horse. Despite his clothes being dirty, Cassel didn’t hesitate to let her ride his horse.
Rather, seeing her looking like a drowned rat, he took off his hood and gave it to her. Riena didn’t refuse his consideration and had just returned to the mansion wearing the hood.
Riena belatedly recalled what question he had asked and was about to open her mouth to answer. However, before she could, Countess Dyke came out of the mansion, accompanied by a maid.
__________
My Clingy Little Husband (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
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