While lost in thought, Nelia heard the Duke’s familiar, mellifluous voice.
“It’s a joke, Nelia. The mansion originally stored unused furniture and art collections, but now it’s empty because everything was moved to the ducal residence.”
Despite the plausible explanation, Nelia thought to herself.
‘Lies.’
Who did he take her for?
Then who was that person in the suspicious robe, and what was the meaning of the words spoken earlier?
Nelia squinted her eyes at Duke Hart, but he smoothly changed the subject.
“Is it tomorrow? The day you return home, Nelia.”
“Yes, because tomorrow is a lunar eclipse.”
Nelia responded as if playing along with the Duke’s words, and looked at the full moon hanging in the sky.
It was hard to believe that the moon, which was now brightly illuminating the dark night sky, would completely disappear tomorrow night.
Thanks to that, Nelia was able to take a day off outside the weekend.
But for some reason, she was not pleased.
Perhaps it’s because people avoid going out on such unlucky days. Even if she knew nothing would happen by staying at home.
Nelia looked at the Duke.
‘Probably because of this man.’
Duke Hart seemed indifferent about the lunar eclipse, but his attitude subtly changed.
He was definitely concerned about that day.
Moments of spacing out, the pen nib breaking from applying too much force while writing, and the decrease in food intake were signs.
It might be due to other concerns, but her intuition told her it was because of the lunar eclipse.
After all, the day of the lunar eclipse was also the anniversary of the Duke’s father’s death.
Nelia momentarily looked at the Duke and stopped.
“Your Grace.”
“Yes?”
The Duke halted at her call and looked at her. His thin silver hair softly scattered in the night wind.
Despite his usual beautiful appearance, the anxiety could not be avoided.
Eventually, Nelia hesitated and spoke.
“Should I… not return home tomorrow?”
She was concerned that the Duke was acting differently.
What would happen? Why was he struggling with the day of the lunar eclipse?
“Why would you say that, Nelia?”
“You seem uneasy, Your Grace.”
Upon Nelia’s honest expression, the Duke slowly blinked his eyes.
“Do I look uneasy to you?”
“Yes, very.”
Nelia added to the Duke’s expression.
“I’ve been with you all day, how could I not know?”
The Duke momentarily zoned out, then gently smiled.
“Really, Nelia, you are too affectionate.”
Flattered by the unexpected compliment, Nelia felt awkward.
It was just that he looked uneasy, and yet he melted her with such a tender look…
“If it were like any other day, I would have accepted your proposal immediately, but not this time.”
The Duke still wore his soft smile and shook his head.
“This is a problem that I need to overcome.”
His somewhat resolute voice resonated solemnly in the air.
“For myself and for Nelia.”
Thanks to the ambiguous words, the curiosity intensified, but Nelia folded up her questions due to the Duke’s decisive attitude.
Everyone had secrets that couldn’t be shared, and it seemed like that was the case for the Duke too.
Like how she couldn’t go around saying, ‘In reality, I appeared as a supporting character in the book I was reading, and I know a bit about the future that will unfold.’
Therefore, Nelia simply basked in the moonlight, hoping the Duke would get through the lunar eclipse safely and peacefully.
The evening deepened.
(This is a time separator.)
On the day of the lunar eclipse.
When Nelia woke up in the morning, she felt her clothes damp with sweat. Sweat dripped down her forehead like rain.
It was strange. This had never happened before.
Wondering if she caught a cold, she checked her own temperature, but it was lukewarm.
Naturally, she did not feel sick or have a feverish sensation.
That’s when a sudden headache pounded her head. It was small but impactful.
Along with the headache came the memory of a dream.
Come to think of it, she had a dream yesterday.
A very peculiar dream.
It all started when the Duke appeared as a snake.
The Duke, as always when he appeared in his dreams, took a large and menacing form. He braced for an attack, but the snake remained coiled without moving.
Upon closer inspection, its closed eyelids twitched. It looked like it was in pain somehow.
Nelia momentarily forgot her fear of the snake and gently shook it by placing her hand on its smooth scales.
“Your Grace.”
The snake barely opened its eyes and met her gaze. The radiant silver irises quivered minutely.
“Your Grace… is something wrong?”
When Nelia cautiously inquired again, the snake blinked, then its eyes widened.
It then seemed to convulse in agony.
“Your Grace, Your Grace!”
She called out desperately, but it seemed her voice didn’t reach the Duke.
At that moment, the snake that was having convulsions suddenly stopped.
The snake that had awkwardly paused its body looked like a puppet being controlled. Abruptly, the snake turned its head.
Their eyes met again, but this time, they were dull.
‘…Something’s strange.’
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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