“Countess!”
Just in time, a familiar voice called out. It was Liv’s voice. I hadn’t heard it in over six months, but I hadn’t forgotten it. Turning towards the source of the sound, I saw a procession carrying red flags rushing towards us.
“Countess!”
“Milady!”
Beside me were the silver-haired butler Müller, the kindly-looking red-haired housekeeper Margaret, and next to them, the large figure of the guard knight Kendrick. They hurried towards me in unison.
“Oh, Countess, how long it’s been…”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Louise! I’ve missed you so much!”
Kendrick, whose size belied his tearful eyes, added the last greeting. Oh, this is overwhelming…
I wasn’t sure how special Celeste was to them, but for me, who had no memory of them, their attention and welcome were just overwhelming.
“Uh… everyone… been well…?”
“Milady, why are you speaking so formally? You’ve been like this since the accident.”
Margaret wiped her eyes and laughed heartily. Today, her red hair seemed to shine even brighter.
“But, Countess, who is this child…?”
In the midst of the greetings, Müller was the first to notice Valery. Naturally, he was curious about the child I was holding, suddenly appearing with their mistress.
With Müller’s words, the attention of those around us began to shift towards Valery.
“Indeed, who is this child…?”
Kendrick tilted his head. To him, the combination of Celeste and a baby seemed very unlikely.
“Well, it’s a long story to explain.”
I was completely overwhelmed. Looking for someone to help, I turned to Karl, but he was completely engulfed in the Imperial Knight Order’s procession and out of sight.
At that moment, a loud noise started from the opposite exit of the train station. Another large procession had entered.
Wondering who else was coming, Hanna spotted someone in the middle of the procession and gasped in surprise.
“Ah, Countess. That person over there…”
She pointed in the direction she was looking at. The people who had just entered were wearing armor similar in color and style to those who had come to meet Karl.
“Who are they? Are they also part of the Imperial Knight Order?”
As everyone wondered, the newly arrived procession came straight to me.
Nobody stopped them. It seemed they were indeed part of the Imperial Knight Order.
“Boo, boo.”
Valery began babbling. The child was excited, seeing so many people for the first time. Her cheeks were flushed. She looked adorable, like a ripe peach, but I didn’t have the mental space to appreciate it as the procession approached me.
“Who are you?”
A large knight, as big as Kendrick, stood right in front of me. He was dressed in uniform, not armor, with gold epaulettes glittering on his shoulders and chest.
“It’s been a long time, Countess Louise.”
“Who are you…”
“Long time no see, Celie.”
As the big knight greeted me awkwardly, a low voice came from behind him.
“Where have you disappeared to? And for months at that.”
The man who appeared from behind the knight was a very, very handsome man with blond hair, slightly playboyish but attractive. Who is this now?
“Who are you?”
The man didn’t respond to my question and just quietly stared at my face.
“Why like this, Celie. That’s such a boring joke.”
He called me Celie. We must have been quite close. I quickly blinked at Hanna next to me, signaling for help.
Fortunately, Hanna was quick-witted. She whispered the man’s identity to me.
“That’s Grand Duke Toskour. His name is Franz.”
Franz?
‘That’ Franz? My eyes widened.
“Celie. But who is this baby? Did you secretly have a child and bring it here?”
Tall, easily 190cm, with bright blonde hair and deep blue eyes. This man in front of me did seem to be Franz. The description in the novel was astonishingly accurate. My eyes busily scanned his entire figure.
“Franz.”
As Franz was about to say something more, a voice I had momentarily forgotten interrupted.
“Step back.”
It was Karl.
A tense stand-off began. Franz maintained a peculiarly enigmatic smile, while Karl displayed his unreadable poker face, exuding an intimidating presence despite not explicitly showing any anger or emotion in their eyes.
Even without displaying overt aggression, the negative feelings between the two men were palpable. It seemed to be more than simple dislike; their interaction bordered on hatred or even loathing.
They really don’t get along. Just recalling how Karl reacted unpleasantly when I first muttered Franz’s name without recognizing him…
The two towering men glared at each other, and nobody dared to interrupt. Given the status of Karl and Franz, it was natural that no one could match them.
Someone, please say something. The tension was so suffocating that I almost broke into a cold sweat.
Sunlight streamed through the large windows on one side of the platform, fracturing into multiple hues. Despite the warmth of a spring day, the atmosphere was cold due to the two men.
Then, a gentle spring breeze blew into the station, ruffling Karl’s hair, and sunlight scattered beneath his hair, glittering like jewels.
“Wow…”
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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