“Why… do you ask?”
Miss Rotis lowered her eyes without answering, lost in thought. Her gaze was so cold that Laura felt her heart freeze with fear.
Soon, Miss Rotis spoke.
“Shall I… kill him for you?”
“What?”
“I’m a travel writer. I communicate with publishers only by mail and spend most of my time abroad. If you wish, I could kill that man and leave England to live elsewhere. How about it?”
Laura felt her blood run cold.
“Men, when their pride is wounded, resort to violence without hesitation. If you don’t accept his feelings, that man will surely try to kill you, claiming betrayal or that you led him on and now reject him. Just like that wretched man who once serenaded me, promising to give his life for me, only to end up putting a bullet in my leg.”
Laura’s hands trembled, and her vision darkened. Miss Rotis was an expert marksman and a person of action. If she spotted Mr. Dalton lingering around, she would undoubtedly draw her pistol.
“N-no, Mr. Dalton isn’t like that…”
“If he’s not like that, why did he follow you all the way to Bath? Tell me where he lives. One shot with a pistol, and…”
Laura could no longer hold back. She stood up abruptly and shouted.
“No! Don’t kill Mr. Dalton!”
Laura’s voice echoed loudly through the room. Miss Rotis looked at her, startled by the sudden outburst.
Laura clutched her skirt tightly with both hands, tears welling in her eyes, and cried out desperately.
“He’s not that kind of person! He would sooner harm himself than attack me!”
Tears streamed down Laura’s cheeks. Unable to continue, she covered her face with her hands, sobs escaping as her emotions overwhelmed her.
“Alright, I won’t kill him. Don’t cry.”
Miss Rotis, her voice tinged with slight disbelief, tried to soothe her.
After a while, as her tears subsided, Laura felt a touch of embarrassment. Showing such intense emotion to someone was a rare occurrence in her life.
Wiping her tear-streaked face, Laura glanced cautiously at Miss Rotis. Miss Rotis, arms crossed, was watching her with a mischievous smile.
“It seems there’s a reckless young lady in this room who’s fallen for a dangerous gentleman, isn’t there?”
Laura’s face flushed bright red.
“Why didn’t you say so earlier? If I’d known you were caught up in a game of love, I wouldn’t have brought up such grim talk.”
“A game of love? It’s not like that.”
“Not like that? Are you toying with the gentleman’s feelings? Or testing how deep and grand his love for you is? Either way, it doesn’t matter. When a man and woman are drawn to each other, it’s just a love game, not a crime.”
It was an awkward situation. While it was a relief that the misunderstanding about Mr. Dalton had been cleared, a new misunderstanding had arisen—that she was deliberately toying with his affections.
‘I need to clear this up before Miss Hyde arrives.’
Laura, with a serious expression, spoke.
“Miss Rotis, I’m not going to marry him.”
“Oh, just going to sleep with him, then? That’s not bad either.”
Laura’s face reddened again.
“S-sleep with him? No! What are you saying, Miss Rotis?”
“Goodness, what else is there for a man and woman to do together?”
Miss Rotis teased, chuckling with amusement.
Laura, gathering her flustered emotions, began to speak seriously again—about the differences between her and Mr. Dalton, about her practical views on marriage grounded in reality.
But as Laura continued, Miss Rotis’s expression grew increasingly bored.
“So, in short, he’s the head of a prominent family, and you feel your circumstances don’t measure up, so you can’t marry him?”
Laura nodded.
“What kind of outdated nonsense is that?”
“Pardon?”
“What does it matter if one of you has money or not? It’s a problem if both of you are broke, sure, but if one has plenty, they can share it with the other. And why should your parents’ circumstances limit you?”
“Miss Rotis, you’ve been away from England too long to understand. English society places great importance on lineage.”
“I lived in England until I was eighteen, so I know full well this country is a stubbornly conservative place. But that man doesn’t seem to care much about lineage, does he? He knows about your parents, doesn’t he?”
“Yes. But if we marry, it will place significant constraints on him, and he’ll end up suffering because of me.”
“That’s his burden to bear. No pain, no gain—that’s the way of the world.”
“I can’t bear the thought of the person I love suffering because of me. And if that suffering causes his love for me to fade, that’s even worse…”
Miss Rotis nodded, as if understanding.
“So, you’re afraid of the pain you’d feel if his love fades under the weight of reality?”
Laura opened her mouth to deny it, but no words came out.
‘…She’s right. To some extent, it’s true. The thought of him regretting our marriage because of my circumstances—that’s terrifying.’
Laura closed her mouth, her expression turning slightly somber.
Miss Rotis clicked her tongue.
“I thought you were brave, but you’re quite the coward. So knowledgeable, yet so ignorant about love.”
Miss Rotis spoke as she adjusted Miss Hyde’s clothes nearby.
“Do you know how great a miracle it is for two people to become one in heart? Wise love isn’t the only true love. Foolish love, reckless love—that’s love too.”
“I don’t intend to argue with your views on love. Everyone’s perspective on it can differ. But a reckless marriage that ignores all practical conditions often leads to great unhappiness.”
“Then don’t live like that.”
“I’m an ordinary person. I don’t have the strength to defy reality.”
“Look, Miss Pendleton. At Grant’s School for Girls, we read countless humanities texts, honing our reason and logic. But we can’t live every moment of life rationally. We shouldn’t.”
Laura, a staunch believer in reason, bristled slightly.
“Reason is the finest compass for our lives. It protects us from being swept away by fleeting desires and childish emotions, which lead to misery. A person ruled only by emotions becomes weak, living as if tossed by waves, at the mercy of fate.”
“But Miss Pendleton, humans don’t exist to avoid unhappiness. Humans exist to find happiness. Do you think a person ruled only by reason can be happy?”
“Through reason, we can find the path to happiness.”
“Happiness is an emotion. Humans feel happiness through emotions. Just as you can’t taste the sweetness of an apple without a tongue, you can’t feel the joy of life without emotions. A life lived only by reason is nothing but a dry, tedious answer key.”
“…”
“He’s probably happy just having you by his side. Love is the most beautiful miracle humans can experience. Even if difficulties arise after marriage, you have the power to make him happy.”
“How can you be so sure I have that power?”
“You don’t need certainty. Love isn’t law or science. All love requires is courage. Believe that, no matter what happens, you’ll find happiness with him. Believe it, even if it feels reckless. Those without the courage to be reckless don’t deserve to love.”
Laura was speechless.
Miss Rotis’s words were the opposite of her beliefs, directly challenging the life philosophy Laura had carefully constructed and internalized over years of reflection.
Normally, Laura would have touched her mother’s pendant to regain her composure, but the portrait of Dolores Pendleton around her neck no longer served as a warning against emotions. Recent events had led her to stop denying the love between her mother and father.
For some reason, Laura wanted to believe Miss Rotis. The beliefs she had clung to all her life might just be foolish stubbornness. Perhaps Miss Rotis was showing her the true answer.
That it was okay to love Ian Dalton.
Before her eyes, Ian appeared again—his delicate eyes with their shining black pupils, his refined features, and his warm smile.
‘I miss him.’
Laura felt tears welling up and quickly blinked them away.
At that moment, Miss Rotis stood from the sofa, leaning on her cane.
“Oh, I miss her. When is Jane ever going to get here?”
Laura could hear the same longing in Miss Rotis’s voice that she herself felt.
Miss Rotis went to the window and began looking outside.
Laura stared at her back, then mustered the courage to ask a question she had wanted to ask countless times but had held back.
“Why don’t you find that courage yourself, Miss Rotis?”
Miss Rotis, peering outside, responded.
“What do you mean?”
“…I may be mistaken, and if so, I apologize for the presumption… but I know how you feel about Miss Hyde. It’s not just friendship.”
Silence fell over the room.
After a moment, Miss Rotis slowly turned to face Laura directly.
“When did you figure it out?”
“Within a week of staying here.”
Miss Rotis let out a small laugh.
“Was it that obvious?”
“You’re someone who avoids physical contact. You’d swing your cane to fend off a man’s touch, and even with women, you allow no more than a handshake. But when Miss Hyde links arms with you, embraces you, or rests her cheek on your shoulder, you don’t resist. In fact… you seem to enjoy it a little.”
For the first time, Miss Rotis looked embarrassed.
“Did I do that?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I didn’t mean for you to notice. I should’ve been more careful.”
Laura, recalling the way Miss Rotis’s cheeks flushed whenever Miss Hyde touched her, shook her head with a smile.
“It’s alright, Miss Rotis. I don’t have any prejudices about it.”
“Why not? You attend church every week and pray daily. You’re a devout Christian.”
“That’s true. I consider the Bible the most important guide for my life. But I’m also a student of Headmistress Grant. She taught me not only the humanities but also natural sciences. Countless scientists have observed nature and found cases like yours in most species. If that’s the truth, then it must be part of God’s will. Therefore, you are part of God’s plan too.”
“I should thank Headmistress Grant’s education again. To be accepted by a conservative Anglican like you.”
Miss Rotis smiled faintly, leaning against the windowsill.
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
