They had ruled out the possibility of Riley being ‘kidnapped’ from the beginning.
Stories of opening windows and assassins breaking in to kidnap or kill were far removed from their world. Wasn’t it something only seen in the socalled ‘extreme dramas’ that were popular in the streets?
The weight was on the assumption that Riley had run away herself.
“Right now! Go out and find Riley! Right now!”
Ryan screamed, turning pale.
All the servants of the mansion were mobilized to search for Riley.
If this marriage falls through, everything is over. The future of the Aedalyn family depends solely on Riley.
The path to success was just around the corner… The longdesired entry into the central region had almost arrived!
“We may have neglected her, but where did feeding, clothing, and putting her to sleep go wrong! Ah! That’s why they say you shouldn’t take in a blackhaired beast!”
“Be quiet! Instead of making that noise, you go and find Riley too!”
“Oh my, why are you angry at me? If you hadn’t tried to marry her to that old woman in the first place, it wouldn’t have come to this. She was a gentle child and behaved quietly, but she became strange after you tried to marry her to that old woman.”
“Who begged to send her anywhere in the first place!”
As they blame each other, their voices rise. Claire, who had been watching, smiled contentedly.
‘Finally, they seem to understand their subject. Yes, they should have done this sooner.’
Claire wished that Riley would never return.
And at that moment.
“Master, uh, Sir… Duke Horizon is here.”
Ryan’s face turned as white as a sheet.
“……Duke Lianster?”
What day is it today?
Why are these unexpected things happening one after another? Why would he make such a long journey when Riley has just disappeared? What is the reason for his visit?
“Duke Horizon is here? All the way here?”
Claire, who had come down to the lower floor, could not hide her excitement at the news of Gibnen’s visit.
‘He’s coming to break off the engagement!’
Claire was certain he had come here in person to break off the engagement.
Ryan, too, was frightened because he thought the same thing as Claire.
“Prepare to receive the guest in the reception room immediately!”
·
·
·
“Welcome, Duke Lianster.”
“I will excuse myself for a moment, fatherinlaw.”
‘Fatherinlaw?’
Ryan’s face suddenly flushed. A thrilling chill ran through his body.
The Duke of Horizon called him fatherinlaw. The phrase sounded so good. Ryan thought maybe he did not visit here to talk about breaking off the engagement.
“Come in, Your Grace.”
Ryan hastily led him to the reception room.
“Without Riley, if he asks to call Riley, what to do…….”
Ryan’s face turned pale.
While racking his brain for an excuse, they arrived at the reception room. Gibnen, acting as if he owned the house, leisurely settled into a chair, while Ryan took the seat across, struggling to hide his anxiety.
The waiting servants brought out refreshments.
Ryan spoke with an awkward smile.
“Your Grace, what brings you all the way here so suddenly?”
“I need to see the woman who is to be my wife. I must endure it.”
‘So he came to see Riley. What to do about this…….’
“Ah? Haha, I see. So you have come all this way to see Riley?”
“Yes.”
“Hehe, what a coincidence. Unfortunately, Riley is not at home right now; she’s gone out.”
Gibnen looked at Ryan inquisitively and asked,
“Where did she go?”
Stung, Ryan hastily stammered an excuse.
“That, that is… Ah, yes. She went to buy clothes with the maid.”
“Is that so.”
Gibnen calmly replied and then took a sip of tea, speaking playfully.
“There’s no way that’s true.”
“…….”
“Whether it was when you were trying to sell your daughter to an old pervert or now, you seem too indifferent to your daughter.”
Ryan’s face turned ashen. His hands trembled as he stammered.
“What, what do you mean…….?”
“Seeing you greet me so calmly even though your daughter has gone missing, I think I understand how she has been treated in this house.”
“……Ho, how did you know……?”
“Because I came to tell you that Riley has been safely with me, of course.”
What is this all about? Ryan asked, his eyes wide.
“Why would Your Grace have our Riley……?”
Gibnen laughed derisively at the question.
“What were you doing all day, not knowing that your daughter was kidnapped?”
“……Ki, kidnapped?”
“It seems you didn’t even know your daughter had been kidnapped. Even though she’s not just anyone but your blood relative, isn’t this too much?”
Ryan was dumbstruck. Gibnen continued to taunt him.
“If I had been even a little later, my bride would be a cold corpse.”
“…….”
“People call themselves family, and yet they are so careless. How can I leave her here when you treat my wife like this?”
“Im, I’m sorry, Your Grace. We were so shocked that she suddenly disappeared……. ”
“Then you should have honestly explained the situation instead of trying to avoid it. Why lie when you can’t handle it?”
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
