“Lord Lehart passed away here.”
“But this time, it’s Prince Rudby?”
“Yeah. It’s too strange. Why here of all places…”
With her mind in turmoil, Etienne let out a frustrated sigh. She wanted to know what had happened, but the lack of information limited her ability to make conjectures.
“Etienne.”
At the sound of her name being called, Etienne lifted her head and met Fernando’s gaze. A strange feeling washed over her. Since when had he been looking at her?
“Don’t think too deeply.”
“Was I doing that?”
Etienne nodded as if to say she was fine, but a smile didn’t accompany it. Realizing she couldn’t pretend to be okay in front of Fernando, Etienne honestly shared her thoughts.
“It’s too exquisite to be a coincidence. Especially that it happened at Lord Lehart’s coronation, in this place, and even involving a fall.”
If just one thing fell into place, it could be considered a coincidence, but several aspects were reminiscent of the past. Therefore, she couldn’t let her guard down.
“How is Prince Rudby’s condition?”
“He hasn’t regained consciousness.”
He wasn’t dead. Whether to consider that fortunate or not was hard to determine.
“The accident itself cannot rule out intentionality.”
Fernando pointed to several marks on the ground.
“These are traces of agony. And the way he fell, contorting his body so dramatically, was not the reaction he had before.”
Listening to Fernando’s explanation, Etienne examined the hoof prints on the ground and gradually pieced together the situation.
“How is the horse doing?”
Fernando nodded silently, and Etienne didn’t press any further.
“Let’s go now. There’s nothing good that can come from staying here for too long.”
Fernando cautiously took her wrist. While Etienne briefly glanced at his large hand holding her wrist, she found herself being pulled along by him.
“We have a conversation to have.”
“Yeah, it was about time for that.”
Walking a step behind Fernando, Etienne joined him at his side. Thanks to that, there was no need for Fernando to hold her wrist anymore, so he gently let go.
“Thank you.”
Fernando’s touch was as light and careful as a feather.
Feeling his emotions through those touches, Etienne discreetly withdrew her wrist. It was difficult to endure because his feelings were still palpable.
“If you’re going to be grateful for this much, you should have a lot to thank me for, right?”
“A lot?”
When Etienne widened her eyes as if she had no idea, Fernando chuckled and replied comfortably.
“It’s true. I’ve always looked out for you as a friend. There’s no use pretending you don’t know, considering how I’ve always taken care of you. Be grateful openly.”
“You say that so straightforwardly.”
“Because it’s the truth. Say a lot of greetings to me in the future.”
When Fernando spoke sternly, Etienne made a bewildered expression but soon burst into laughter. The man who had said he wouldn’t confess to her was still the kind friend he used to be.
Despite thinking that things could never be the same between her and Fernando after this incident, at this moment, everything felt normal, just like it used to. She felt sorry and grateful for that.
The place Fernando took Etienne was inside the forest.
‘The place where Lord Leharht and I used to have picnics.’
Etienne sat on a rock first, and Fernando sat beside her, maintaining a distance of two fists between them.
“Can you tell me what happened?”
“The story is long. Can you listen to it all?”
“Yeah.”
Trying to lighten the mood again, Etienne playfully asked, but her smile gradually faded at Fernando’s serious response.
“If we keep up this light atmosphere, it might be difficult for me to talk.”
“Then I’ll wait until you’re ready.”
“Fernando.”
“It’s your matter. I don’t want to treat it lightly.”
Etienne hoped it wouldn’t be too serious, but after Fernando’s words, she couldn’t say anything more.
“I shouldn’t say it like that.”
She didn’t want to talk too seriously about the fact that she had liked Fernando. If she did, her unrequited feelings might be completely exposed. She didn’t want Fernando to know the weight of her feelings, as if she had dedicated her life to them.
‘Well, it’s an unreasonable thought.’
Etienne put on a self-deprecating smile. Fernando’s thoughts were correct. It was impossible for her to casually talk about how she died, especially now that she knew.
“Well…, I fell for you when I was sixteen. When you fell into the lake.”
In response to Etienne’s gaze, as if asking if she remembered that moment, Fernando nodded.
“I fell for you that day, and I couldn’t forget it.”
“Fernando.”
“I don’t want to interrupt you, but I wanted to say that I fell for you that day.”
Fernando’s expression as he said that was so casual, as if he was talking about someone else’s feelings.
“I’ll keep talking.”
Anyway, she couldn’t stop the story here, so Etienne forced herself to continue.
“After pulling you out, I went to ask for help from someone else. It was different from this time, right?”
“That’s right.”
“It was different. Back then, we weren’t close, and I liked you by myself.”
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
