I stared at Illeyna, unable to tell if she was serious or joking about Shuri being cute. It seemed she genuinely found him adorable, which was surprising to me. How could anyone find his bear-like stature… cute? It seemed more intimidating than anything.
“That big frame is… cute?”
“Of course, it’s the bigness that makes it even cuter. Whether it’s cuteness that’s big or bigness that’s cute, I don’t know. But with such a huge presence, imagine how noticeable that cuteness is.”
Her incomprehensible comment left me unsure how to respond. Fortunately, a servant soon interrupted, announcing the start of the award ceremony.
Illeyna encouraged me to do well, mouthing “Don’t you dare grab the Emperor’s collar,” making me burst into laughter. The servant looked at me with a puzzled expression, and I quickly composed myself.
The servant led me through a door close to the dais where the Emperor was seated.
“Wow…”
Nobles, adorned in opulent attire, craned their necks to watch me, their curiosity evident.
Were there always this many nobles in the Calobanian Empire?
The long, red carpet beneath my feet, though only about 5 meters, seemed endless. I worried not just about reaching the end of it, but also about tripping on my way there.
Focusing on not stepping on my dress, I soon arrived at the base of the dais where the Emperor sat.
‘I’ve made it this far, that’s more than half the battle.’
I knelt on both knees, head bowed, as per my practice. The voluminous dress made balancing difficult, so I had to adopt this posture instead of kneeling on one knee like the knights.
A servant recited my achievements next to me. Why I was being awarded the title, how great an honor it was from the Emperor, the details of the title and land granted.
As he droned on, all I could do was wiggle my hidden feet to prevent numbness and stare at the Emperor’s shoe tips.
His shoes, made of well-tanned leather, were surprisingly plain. Unlike the jewel-encrusted preferences of many nobles, they seemed to prioritize function.
The sides of his shoes were caked in distinctive red soil. Dry, but vividly red.
‘Red soil…’
People usually think of brown dust when picturing soil, assuming it all looks similar. But just as people differ in nature and appearance, so does soil.
Red soil contains high amounts of iron, common in desert terrains, not ideal for most plants. Only those specialized for red soil thrive in it.
‘Where did it come from?’
There’s no desert within the palace grounds – the royal gardens’ soil is more fertile, a deep brown color. It’s strange to see such soil on his shoes if he hasn’t recently visited a desert.
“… and with this, the Imperial House expresses its gratitude. Claire Mackein is henceforth declared as Claire Mackein Hydrangea, the Countess, from this moment forward.”
Luckily, I snapped back to attention just as the ceremony was concluding. I had almost made the Emperor wait – exactly what Illeyna and the servant had warned me against.
The Emperor, who had been sitting silently listening to the servant recite my achievements, stood up to receive the prepared rapier. During the recital, he too had little to do but sit with a bored expression.
His role began now.
After tapping my head and shoulders with the sword, declaring me as his vassal, and handing me the sword, this long and tedious ceremony would be over.
“By this, I proclaim thee as my vassal.”
As the Emperor drew the sword and touched it to my shoulders and head, I was frozen as if struck by lightning.
It wasn’t the ceremonial sword, which wasn’t even properly sharpened, that scared me.
It was his voice…
There was something familiar yet strange about it, creating a peculiar sensation within me.
A feeling as if I was forgetting something crucial, though I couldn’t recall what it was. The Emperor’s voice stirred vague memories in my mind.
‘What is it?’
Even in such a bewildering state, my repeated practice kicked in. I quickly, yet unhurriedly, accepted the sword he bestowed.
‘I need more than just his voice… I feel like seeing his face will make everything clearer…’
Despite Illeyna’s warnings not to meet the Emperor’s eyes, I needed to check for myself.
But it was too late by the time I raised my head.
The moment I stood up, the Emperor was already leaving. I watched his retreating figure for a long time.
“I wanted to confirm…”
After the Emperor disappeared from my sight, I shook my head to clear it.
As weapons weren’t allowed in the banquet hall, a servant came to take the sword, which would be sent to my residence.
Responding to the servant’s words, I inadvertently locked eyes with Ian, who was standing beside the platform. Surprised to see him there, as I hadn’t noticed him due to my bowed head, I blurted out his name.
“Ian…?”
Surprised at my own voice, I quickly clamped my mouth shut.
Luckily, my murmur was not loud enough to be heard over the crowd and the music in the hall.
‘He looks so gaunt…’
Ian’s face appeared extremely tired. His lips were chapped, dark shadows under his eyes.
Ian had always struggled with sleep, but I had never seen him look this unhealthy. Could he have been so distressed by my death? The thought filled me with guilt. Preoccupied with adapting to my new life, I hadn’t spared much thought for him.
Maybe it was Ian’s voice that had felt strangely familiar.
‘If Ian grew older, he might have such a deep voice.’
Why was he staring at me so intently? It was impossible for him to recognize me as Jane, and did he know Claire? Or, heaven forbid, had he heard me call his name?
His gaze was unnerving, almost unbearably so.
‘If you’re going to stare, at least say something… Why is he looking at me like that? Should I go ask?’
“Clare!”
Before I could approach Ian with my questions, Shuri Mackein appeared. Had he not, I might have rushed to Ian and asked, ‘Why are you staring so intently? Is there something on my face?’
“Congratulations. Now you are Clare Mackein Hydrangea, the Countess. Should I address you as Countess Hydrangea now?”
As I received the title of Hydrangea, Clare’s name became even longer, with her original surname, Mackein, turning into a middle name.
Shuri casually joked with me, but seeing his reddened eyes, it was clear he had been crying somewhere, just as Illeyna said. I pretended not to notice and thanked him.
Standing face to face like this, I was acutely aware of the difference in our sizes. It was hard to believe Shuri and Clare were siblings, given their starkly contrasting statures.
What’s funny is that when I looked closely at Shuri’s face, I could somewhat see Clare in him. Features like his big, round eyes and the deep dimples when he smiles. I began to understand a bit why Illeyna found him adorable.
“Aren’t you busy? Illeyna said you hardly have time even for meals.”
“I manage to eat well enough during work. But what about you? Are you feeling alright? Let me know if anything feels off, even slightly. Illeyna will take good care of you, but don’t hesitate to tell me. You’ve always been one to suffer in silence, worried about causing trouble.”
His eyes began to moisten again. Fearing that his efforts to hide during the ceremony would be wasted, I quickly changed the subject.
“You said you would be my first dance partner, didn’t you?”
“Yes. sigh To think you’ve grown up so much…”
I had hoped asking him to dance would prevent him from crying, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. Already towering over others, his weeping figure would hardly go unnoticed.
“Crying will upset Illeyna.”
At my words, he gulped down a breath, hastily wiped his face with his large hands, and extended one to me.
When the male lead is punished by carrying the female lead’s child and having periods like a woman
“I’ve given birth to two children for you, yet you still think about him.
Was I nothing but his substitute to you from beginning to end?”
Synopsis:
Meng Huan, a scumbag who has dated countless girlfriends, transmigrates to a female-dominated country.
Day 1: Whether it’s female dominance or not doesn’t matter. The beauties here are passionate and amorous. Isn’t it easier to date them than in modern times?
Day 2: After a night, Meng Huan discovers the differences in the female-dominated world. Men here actually have chastity locks and menstrual cycles. This hinders his ability to perform, damn it!
Day 3: What’s wrong with sleeping around? I don’t want you to marry me. I’m meant to be a playboy. I don’t care about male virtues… What? You want to drown me in a pig cage? Marry, I’ll marry!
Day N: Meng Huan inexplicably vomits and receives the shocking news of his life… He’s pregnant.
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