Although I mentioned going for a walk, I had already wandered around for quite a while, so it wasn’t exactly a valid excuse. Before responding, I glanced at the elder man who had been observing me earlier. But this time, he wasn’t looking at me. Instead, his eyes, wide with surprise, were fixed on Riccardo.
“Yes.”
I managed to give the most neutral response possible.
“Freddie.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“From now on, you will assist Lady Penell.”
“Do you mean me?”
Riccardo didn’t answer verbally but slightly lowered his eyes, signaling his affirmation. The man bowed his head in acknowledgment of Riccardo’s wish.
“Hello, I am Freddie Fordwan, the head steward of the household. I will serve you without fault from now on.”
Head steward? The head steward of such a grand noble family was often a family retainer over generations. He could be at least a baronet, perhaps even a baron. And now he was assigned to assist me.
Now that I think about it, he was the one assisting Riccardo when he came to pick me up in Lessothia. Given how far he had traveled with him, it was clear Riccardo placed great trust in him.
The way people looked at me changed subtly. It was to be expected. I certainly didn’t look like a noble lady of a grand house.
Despite the overwhelming situation, the first thought that came to my mind was this.
“How long do you plan to keep me here?”
At this point, I didn’t care how much others were tiptoeing around Riccardo. How much longer did I need to stay for a head steward to be assigned to me? What about the duke’s consent? The steward’s own wishes?
Unsurprisingly, Riccardo didn’t respond to my question. I hurried after him, blocking his path.
People gasped behind me, but that was none of my concern. Riccardo slightly furrowed his brow but added no further comment.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about this. Something unusual is happening to me.”
My heart raced as our eyes met. I diverted my gaze and continued.
“When I was little, around five years old, Baron Penell suddenly came for me.”
Riccardo passed by me, walking indifferently. But I didn’t hesitate and followed him immediately.
“It’s not exactly clear, but I spent three days next to my mother’s body after she died. So my memory of that time isn’t precise.”
He stopped abruptly, almost causing me to bump into him.
Riccardo raised his hand, and everyone following us stepped back. Feeling we were out of earshot, I resumed speaking.
“Until then, I thought I was taken into the Penell family because I had the Baron’s hair and eye color.”
“…….”
“But it was when I was around ten, just after I moved into the building where you were staying. I overheard the maids saying something strange.”
As I spoke thoughtfully, Riccardo remained silent, his back still turned to me.
“There was a leak of some imperial prophecy. It was related to my hair and eye color. That’s why Baron Penell allowed me to come to the east wing.”
After hearing that, I thought. It could have been dismissed as mere rumors, but what if my being brought into the Penell family and Riccardo being there were somehow connected?
“But what’s strange is this. Silver hair and blue eyes aren’t unique to the Penell family. They’re rare, but such features do exist in this empire, right?”
In the Lessothia Duchy, the Penell family was the only one known for silver hair and blue eyes. Could it be that one reason Baron Penell risked death to kidnap the heir to the Rochester family was because of me?
As I swallowed the words I couldn’t dare to ask, Riccardo slowly turned around, and we locked eyes, making me feel utterly immobile. All the logical deductions I had been making until a moment ago evaporated into thin air.
“Such… a thing happened?”
“Huh?”
“You were next to your mother’s body for three days after she died? That’s… hard to believe.”
He couldn’t finish his sentence and closed his eyes. As his gaze was released, I felt my breath return. I exhaled sharply.
“Yes, well, it’s not a precise memory, but… it seems I was almost dead myself.”
But as he opened his eyes again, I too faltered in finishing my sentence.
‘But, are his eyes red now?’
The color was subtle, barely noticeable in his pupils unless looked at closely. True to a well-trained Rochester, his eyes quickly returned to their usual ash-filled black.
“Memory… memories.”
He chuckled, but it was a cold, scornful laugh, as if the very idea of memories was an affront to him.
“But, Lady Penell.”
“Yes?”
“I’m a bit busy right now. Overthinking things will only give you a headache, so stop for now. I’ll let you know when the time comes. Just wait a little.”
“…….”
“And make sure you tell someone when you go out.”
Riccardo patted my shoulder as if to encourage me, then turned and walked away alone.
“Hey, you can’t just leave in the middle of a conversation. Young Master! When exactly is ‘when the time comes’? Huh?”
Despite my shouting, he paid no heed and walked away, leaving me with nothing but orders, much like one would with a chicken.
‘If only I could smack that handsome back of his head.’
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
