“With her gone, it’s so quiet and nice.”
After about two days, Leonard found the newfound peace in his daily life very satisfying.
However, as the third and fourth day passed, everything started to irritate him.
“Draw the curtains. It’s too bright.”
“But sir, you just said the room was too dark and to open the curtains…”
“Did you not hear me say to draw them?”
“Yes, master.”
Leonard, behaving like a grumpy old man, frequently changed his commands, causing the servants endless trouble.
“Four days should be enough.”
“Sir?”
“How long am I supposed to wait?”
He grumbled to the air, annoyed at the absence of the person who used to bother him daily.
The last image of Cordelia forcing a smile flashed in his mind, and he kicked off the covers in frustration.
“You, come here and help me up. I’ll go out to the garden for some fresh air.”
“Yes, master.”
Leonard, with the help of a servant, went outside. Though not as grand as the Atillay main house, the Abrams’ garden was quaint.
The sun was pleasantly warm as he strolled, but a maid’s face tensed upon seeing him from afar.
“What now? Move.”
“I’m sorry, master. The lady and Countess Dalia are having tea ahead.”
Normally, he would have avoided them, but something felt off.
“So? Why would I care, and why dare you block my way?”
With a sharp command, the maid stepped aside.
As he walked further, a shocking scene unfolded in a small patio. Realizing why the maid looked uneasy, he asked,
“What’s going on here?”
“Oh, Craig. You can walk around like this now?”
“You haven’t answered my question yet.”
He looked at Cordelia, standing with wine poured over her head.
“Just teaching her some manners.”
“Manners? Is this how you educate people in this house?”
“Craig, don’t worry. It’s just her. You should have seen how impudent she was to mother. But I’m still mad at you.”
“Hah.”
“Let’s go hunting later. Then I’ll forgive you.”
Lilly, oblivious to Leonard’s icy demeanor, clung to his arm with a playful smile.
“Oh, Lilly. It’s still cold outside for hunting. You might catch a cold.”
“It’s fine. I’ll wear my new fur coat.”
The mother and daughter chatted amicably, completely ignoring Cordelia.
Nearby servants seemed accustomed to this, showing no surprise.
Leonard had known Cordelia was disregarded in this house, but not to this extent.
His head cooled instantly. He harshly removed Lilly’s hand from his arm.
“It seems a vulgar lineage can’t hide its nature.”
“What? Who are you talking to?”
“Who else here has a vulgar lineage?”
With contempt in his eyes, he alternated his gaze between Helena and Lilly. Helena’s face reddened in anger.
“I’ll overlook your rudeness this time. Leave now, Craig.”
“Rudeness? Who are you to order me? This base family really has no sense of hierarchy.”
As the situation escalated, Cordelia, standing aside, quickly intervened. His reputation was already shaky; aggravating Helena’s temper wouldn’t help.
Cordelia gently tugged at Leonard’s sleeve.
“Craig, let’s go back inside.”
“Why are you in such a state? Ha, never mind. We’ll talk later.”
“Lady Helena, Craig has just risen from bed and is not in the best of health. Please forgive him.”
“Forgiveness? That woman should be the one asking for it.”
“That woman? Craig, I am your mother and the lady of the Abrams house. How dare you speak to me in such an insolent manner…”
However, Leonard was unfazed by Cordelia’s mediation. Instead, he stepped forward, pushing Cordelia behind him.
“Lady of the house? You dare to claim that title in the Abrams estate?”
“What are you talking about?”
“As soon as the former Earl, our father, died, you started embezzling the estate’s funds.”
“What?”
“And shamelessly summoning young servants to your bed, and you call yourself the lady of the house? Or is that a qualification for a lady in this estate?”
“You, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?”
Helena’s face turned pale as milk. Cordelia was taken aback, looking back and forth between Helena and Leonard.
Lilly stuttered in shock.
“Craig, what are you talking about? Mother would never do such a thing.”
“Didn’t you understand my words? This woman, your mother, embezzled the Abrams’ wealth and indulged in dirty acts with the servants.”
Leonard pointed at Helena with a mocking sneer.
The surrounding servants whispered and became agitated. Realizing this, Helena quickly changed her expression and commanded a nearby servant.
“How dare you spread such baseless rumors! Having returned from the brink of death, your mind must be twisted. James, take Craig back to his room at once!”
James, a young servant, hesitantly approached Craig.
“Sir, I will escort you to your room.”
“Ken, Lennard, Charles, Edward.”
“…”
“These are the names of men who have been in your bed… Shall I call more?”
Helena’s lips trembled uncontrollably. Meanwhile, Leonard was unnervingly calm.
“You’re overstepping. Hah! I’ve already had those servants you’ve been involved with locked in the dungeon. If you want, I can bring them here. Maybe seeing them again will jog your memory.”
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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