“Capital city is indeed vast.”
I looked around with sparkling eyes, like a country girl who had just arrived from a rural area. When I first entered the capital a few days ago, I was too worried about meeting Floria to notice anything. Now, the glamorous streets continuously captured my attention.
Hillick Kingdom was a kingdom in name, but in reality, it was almost an empire. The war-obsessed Prince Cahill had subjugated neighboring countries, significantly expanding the territory.
Moreover, the kingdom had always valued trade and was open to exchanges with foreign countries, resulting in a mix of various races and cultures. Yet, Hillick Kingdom had a distinct tradition and identity, especially evident in the capital.
“It’s even more impressive than described in the novel.”
Perhaps because of the impending royal marriage, the already bustling streets were even more splendid. Buildings were adorned with luxurious lights, and the streets hung with colorful banners. It was a world apart from the Violet estate and the deteriorating Honnolto, where I had been hastily moved after my family’s downfall.
“The dead soul even has a pretty complexion, let’s first fill our stomachs.”
After days of tasteless bread, I craved something spicy. The chicken skewers coated in spicy sauce at one of the street stalls caught my eye. As I lined up to buy one, I overheard a conversation behind me.
“Did you see Her Highness, the Princess, yesterday? I’ve never seen someone so beautiful in my life.”
“Right. How could she smile so kindly while holding a scruffy orphan? It was like an angel had descended.”
“They’re such a perfect couple. I can’t wait to see them ascend the throne.”
“Hey, Arthur. Remember Prince Cahill is also there.”
“Well, he’s always waging wars. Imagine how chaotic it would be if he became king. I think Prince Cahill, who is gentle and kind, especially to his wife, would make a much better king.”
“That’s true.”
“Not to mention, Prince Cahill still hasn’t found a Princess. Considering his age, there must be something wrong with him.”
Though it was a harsh prejudice, it wasn’t entirely wrong considering Prince Cahill’s fearsome nature. Hillick Kingdom was portrayed in the novel as a country that highly values happy marriages and stable families. That’s why the Cinderella story resonated so much with the people. Prince Cahill’s later marriage to a princess from a neighboring country was also for this reason.
“I need to pick a country for resettlement that doesn’t care about marriage.”
With no intention of marrying in this life, I bit into a chicken skewer, determined.
Holding a skewer of deliciously grilled chicken in one hand and a special milk-fried treat from the capital in the other, I began my exploration of the streets.
“Oh, Maida Bakery! It really exists.”
Maida Bakery, famous even in the Hillick Empire, often appeared in the novel. Seeing a location from the book in real life was a novel and exciting experience.
Engrossed in sightseeing around the main street and visiting familiar shops from the novel, I suddenly remembered the reason for my outing.
“I shouldn’t be leisurely touring the streets now.”
I gently tapped my forehead with a fist and hurriedly searched for my destination.
“Neir’s General Store should be two blocks away from Nair’s, then turn right…”
“[Carrot, Carrot, Carrot]”
“…As I felt when reading the book, isn’t this too haphazardly done?”
I looked somewhat skeptically at the childish sign adorned with cute carrot drawings. Despite the store’s unserious name, it was a bookstore disguised as a front for an underground guild based on trust.
“I really didn’t want to come here.”
Although it didn’t appear often in the original work, there were nuances suggesting a connection to Prince Cahill. Moreover, after Prince Cahill was exiled, this place disappeared from the novel, suggesting a high likelihood of actual ties to him.
I didn’t want anything to do with anything related to Prince Cahill, but considering this guild guaranteed solutions to any problem for the right price, it might just be able to find a clue to breaking the curse.
“It’s okay. They won’t recognize me.”
I had disguised myself, just in case. I readjusted the wig that covered half my face and entered the bookstore.
The interior was as impressive as its facade, spacious and pleasant. A red-haired clerk, who had been shelving books, turned to look at me.
“Welcome.”
I hesitated, seeing the clerk’s friendly smile.
‘If I ask for a task right away, wouldn’t that be suspicious?’
From my experience reading novels, guilds like this usually had a specific way to request tasks.
But the novel didn’t specify how, leaving me clueless. So today, I was here just to snoop around, thinking I might catch someone else making a request.
“Looking for a specific book?”
The clerk asked, smiling brightly. I pointed casually at the densely packed bookshelves.
“Just browsing.”
“Sure. Feel free to look around.”
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.
Link to read
