When The Silver Bell Of Charlotte's Pharmacy Rings (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8
Hearing her voice, Matiel suddenly came to his senses as if someone had poured ice-cold water over the back of his head.
He didn’t even understand why himself.
All he knew was that his mind, which had gradually grown muddled while searching for Baron Lireld, now felt abruptly cleared, and his sense of self became strikingly vivid.
It was akin to the startling sensation one gets upon waking from a chaotic dream and touching one’s own face or body—the sudden, tangible awareness yanking him back into reality.
“Sherry.”
Matiel lightly grasped the tip of Charlotte’s outstretched hand and mimed kissing her knuckles.
Yet his lips never actually touched her glove.
“May I ask the name of your father?”
Before Charlotte could answer Matiel’s question, Baroness Lireld interjected once more.
“Duke Elinak, I know this may seem rude, but please don’t put Sherry in an awkward position. She’s been through something terribly complicated and tragic. How heartbroken she must feel, unable to present herself openly as a proper young lady from a respectable house. I trust Your Grace will understand.”
Matiel raised an eyebrow and looked directly at Charlotte. Baroness Lireld’s words could easily have been considered a grave insult, yet Charlotte merely stood there expressionless, her lips tightly sealed as though she had entrusted all her words to the baroness.
“By ‘complicated and tragic incident,’ do you mean something connected to the revolutionary government?”
Again, it was Baroness Lireld who answered.
“Yes, precisely something like that. Isn’t that right, Sherry?”
“Yes, that’s quite right.”
Charlotte gave a faint smile and bowed her head.
At this point, most others—especially men—would have been utterly captivated by her melancholic grace and sorrowful beauty, blurting out insincere words of comfort.
Charlotte assumed Matiel would be no different. And the moment she turned away, her thoughts would once again become foggy, causing her to nearly forget herself entirely….
“I’d like to hear the details of what happened.”
The instant Matiel spoke those words, Charlotte instinctively lifted her head before she even realized it.
By the time she understood she shouldn’t have done that, it was already too late.
Matiel’s sharp gaze locked directly onto her. His eyes spoke plainly:
‘You’re quite skilled at lying—but that won’t work on me.’
Damn it. Charlotte silently cursed under her breath and moved closer to Baroness Lireld.
She hoped the baroness would, as before, extricate her from this situation. But… this time, not even the baroness could help.
“Oh my, oh dear! Go ahead, Sherry.”
“But, madam, you know I don’t wish to talk about my story…”
“Duke Elinak, Sherry is an exceedingly delicate young lady—her heart as fragile as a newly sprouted bud. She’s also a very important guest of mine. Surely a gentleman of Your Grace’s stature wouldn’t hurt such a virtuous maiden, would you?”
Damn it—no!
Charlotte felt like screaming aloud. The baroness wasn’t being meddlesome—something was… terribly wrong.
She was unnervingly giddy, just as she’d been earlier.
Like a marionette controlled by some invisible force, she rattled off words she herself couldn’t even comprehend.
“Baroness, I really…”
At that moment, Matiel swiftly cut in.
“Of course. I was just looking for someone to talk to for a moment. Let’s return to the ballroom shortly. I’d appreciate it if you’d treat me to a glass of good wine.”
“Why, certainly!”
Baroness Lireld rejoiced as if Matiel had just promised her a chest full of gold.
She then leaned close to Charlotte, bending toward her ear.
Her rouged lips nearly brushed Charlotte’s earlobe, and the hot, damp breath sent chills down her spine.
“Do your best, Sherry. Who knows? Duke Elinak might fall head over heels for your beauty and propose to you tonight! Goodness, if that happens, we’ll throw an even grander party! The more people who come, the richer I’ll get! You stingy Lotti, troublesome Lotti, lying Lotti!”
Charlotte’s body went rigid with cold dread.
Baroness Lireld vanished down the hallway, whispering those eerie words with unbelievable speed, then giggling nonsensically like a tipsy child.
“Stop right there!”
The charade as “Sherry” was over. Just as Charlotte moved to chase after the baroness, a large hand seized her shoulder.
There was no doubt who its owner was—Matiel.
“Let go of me!”
Charlotte roughly shoved Matiel’s hand away and tried to run after the baroness again, only to be stopped once more.
She bit her tongue hard, glancing toward the hall from which boisterous noise buzzed like a swarm of bees.
It was dangerous—far too dangerous. Something had nearly consumed Baroness Lireld, yet she hadn’t even identified what it was. And now this clueless man was blocking her path, making her desperately want to strike him.
“Step aside.”
“What if I refuse? Where are you in such a hurry to go?”
“To escape a duke who’s barely met me yet already speaking so rudely. Step aside—this is my final warning.”
“A warning?”
Matiel let out a dry chuckle and suddenly hauled Charlotte against him, pinning her back to the wall before she could even cry out.
Charlotte alternated her gaze between his arms caging her in and gave a sharp, blade-like smile.
“Aren’t you being awfully old-fashioned? Isn’t this sort of behavior supposed to have vanished along with the revolutionary government? Do you really think women these days still swoon over such brutish, outdated forms of courtship?”
Matiel’s lips curled in mockery.
“You seem mistaken about something, Sherry—though that’s clearly not your real name, it doesn’t matter. I’ll find out soon enough. What I want to know is who you truly are. What’s your real name, and which house do you belong to? And what exactly was this ‘tragic incident’ in your family? Don’t even think of telling me it’s something from the revolutionary era that you’d rather not speak of—I remember every noble house that suffered under the revolutionary regime, including how many direct descendants they had and even how many secret illegitimate children. Speak. Who are you?”
Charlotte stared intently into Matiel’s eyes. Something strange was happening.
Usually, at this proximity—and with her exerting her will—anyone’s mind would instantly go blank.
They’d typically spout incoherent nonsense trying to win her favor, then abruptly turn away as if suddenly remembering some urgent errand… but Matiel was different.
Far from clouding, his consciousness seemed to grow sharper by the second.
Charlotte was genuinely flustered. Seeing her pupils waver, Matiel smirked.
“What’s your real purpose sticking so close to Baroness Lireld? Are you just trying to reel in some half-decent nobleman, or are you after something from the baroness herself?”
“My motives are none of your concern. If you don’t release me this instant, I’ll scream. I’ll shout to everyone that you tried to rape me right here in the corridor. It would be quite a sight—noble, dignified Duke Elinak branded publicly as a rapist!”
“Go ahead.”
Charlotte’s lips parted slightly. She was so stunned she couldn’t even manage a hollow laugh. Most absurd of all was that Matiel genuinely meant what he’d just said.
Matiel spoke again.
“Go on—shout that I tried to rape you. Then I’ll simply say this: that you’re an unidentified, suspicious person who’s been sneaking into noble circles to cause God-knows-what trouble. After that, you won’t be able to attend not only Baroness Lireld’s parties but any gathering at all—especially not with that face, that hair, those eyes.”
“That’s what you think,” Charlotte snarled, baring her teeth in a fierce grin.
“You’re wrong. Once I vanish from here in tears, no one—including you, Duke Elinak—will clearly remember what I look like. All that’ll remain is the brand on your forehead: ‘shameless scoundrel who tried to rape a helpless, defenseless woman.’”
Taken aback by her unexpected response, Matiel flinched. At that moment, Charlotte’s shoulders and chest swelled dramatically.
She took a deep, full breath… it was time to scream. He could go ahead and hope for it.
“Hel—!”
Charlotte’s eyes flew wide open—so wide they nearly bulged out of their sockets.
Matiel clapped his palm firmly over her mouth.
Holding her almost like a prisoner, he pulled her into the shadowed space between two pillars, where they couldn’t easily be seen.
What on earth was happening? Charlotte’s heart pounded wildly.
Her head spun and her vision flashed white—but then, unfamiliar sounds snapped her back to her senses.
A creaking noise—Charlotte recognized it as the sound of iron hinges.
Her eyes caught sight of the dim interior of a private chamber with an arched entrance.
Simultaneously, a painting that had seemed flush against the wall suddenly shifted with a clunk, revealing a dark opening in the floor beneath.
Charlotte’s heart clenched tightly as two heads abruptly emerged from the darkness.
“Don’t make a sound.”
It was Matiel. She considered biting his fingers but instead focused first on the two shadowy figures moving cautiously in the darkness.
She didn’t, however, forget to stomp as hard as she could on Matiel’s foot with the solid heel of her shoe. A low groan reached her ears.
“We must finish the job tonight.”
It was Baron Lireld.
Charlotte thought to herself: that thin, grating voice, like a squeaking rat, unmistakably belonged to Baron Lireld. Then came another voice.
“It’s such a massive piece. Dividing it alone is a chore, not to mention the intricate craftsmanship involved.”
“Then we’ll just pay accordingly!”
What on earth were they discussing? Charlotte’s brow furrowed deeply. But Matiel understood their conversation perfectly.
It confirmed his suspicion: Baron Lireld had stolen Sir Rogues’ diamond necklace and, as expected, planned to melt it down and discreetly sell it off.
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
To be honest, Tae Mi is my favorite character in this novel.
Wow that’s grotesque. I didn’t think this novel was going to be so gorey