Having failed to get enough sleep due to rushing since early morning, I dozed off while leaning against Sikar’s chest.
While I slept, I faintly heard Sikar grumbling things like, “You’ve picked quite the prime spot. As you well know, you’re the first woman ever to be held in my arms—consider it an honor.” But the afternoon nap, as drowsiness overwhelmed me, was simply sweet.
When I finally opened my eyes after thoroughly enjoying my nap, Sikar had fallen asleep with his head resting on mine.
‘Won’t you move this heavy head?’
I couldn’t help but worry about how to wake him without upsetting his mood.
At that moment, I saw Lucy walking ahead. Though she was trembling all over, the expensive fur hat and coat—garments only noble children would wear—confirmed it was indeed Lucy.
Just as in the original story, Lucy was shivering as she walked along this quiet country road.
Originally, Kian, who had chased after her, would carry Lucy back, but since Kian was now comfortably resting at the mansion, he wouldn’t be coming.
I had no time to think deeply, so I immediately nudged one of Sikar’s sensitive spots to wake him.
In short, I lightly poked his side—the area where he was most ticklish.
“Ee hee hee ha!”
Sikar burst into a bizarre laugh as he woke up, then glanced at me as if suddenly realizing where he was.
“What are you doing?”
“Wake up quickly! Look, Lucy has appeared!”
After blinking a few times, Sikar spotted Lucy and immediately stepped down from the carriage.
When I tried to follow, Sikar closed the carriage door and said,
“It’s cold outside. Stay inside. Don’t come out and make things unnecessarily complicated.”
Still… I felt I needed to be there, like a kind older sister, if we wanted Lucy to follow us, so I got off the carriage anyway.
And I also grabbed the shawl Sikar had forgotten to take.
“I told you not to get off.”
“Your face right now isn’t exactly child-friendly. What if Lucy sees you and runs away?”
“True, even children would feel their knees go weak from your intimidating aura.”
‘Not something to brag about.’
“And you forgot your shawl too. I’ll go first—you follow quietly behind and watch closely. See how I bring our protagonist, Lucy, along.”
Sikar snorted dismissively, clearly unimpressed.
“Fine, I’ll watch.”
Just ahead, Lucy—who had been walking listlessly with drooping shoulders—spotted us and raised her eyebrows like a startled kitten, utterly tense.
I approached Lucy slowly, wearing a warm smile.
“Hey there. Hello. Walking alone in this cold weather? Did you perhaps lose your way?”
Lucy didn’t answer immediately. She glanced once at the carriage behind me, then looked back at me.
“Perhaps…”
She made a thoughtful expression, then spoke again.
“Are you from the Blake family?”
She must have recognized the Blake crest on the carriage. As expected of my favorite heroine—she was truly clever.
“That’s right. I am Yura Blake, Duchess of the Blake family. If you’re lost, I’ll take you home. Won’t you ride with us in the carriage?”
Lucy glanced briefly at Sikar behind me, then gracefully lifted her dress hem and curtsied toward me.
“Greetings, Your Grace. I am Lucy Yukandar, second daughter of the Yukandar Marquisate.”
How could she be so smart and speak so beautifully? Our Kian has lived until now like a commoner, alone with his father in a cabin—but once he begins his lessons, he’ll surely become a cultured noble like Lucy.
I pretended to be pleasantly surprised, slightly opening my mouth.
“I see. There were constant rumors that Lucy, second daughter of the Yukandar family, was both beautiful and brilliant—so that child was you all along.”
Lucy smiled, lifting the corners of her mouth as if pleased by my praise.
“I am overwhelmed by such undeserved compliments, Your Grace.”
Is this why people say raising a daughter is rewarding? I was utterly charmed by Lucy’s words and actions. She was so adorable and lovable, I genuinely wanted to smother her cheeks with kisses.
‘Truly, a heroine who has it all.’
“Lucy, I won’t ask why you were alone out here. But I can’t possibly leave you alone in this freezing weather. We’d like to take you back to the marquisate—if you don’t mind, won’t you get in the carriage?”
Lucy clasped her hands politely and bowed her head slightly.
“Actually, I was just in need of assistance. If Your Grace permits, I know it may be an imposition, but I humbly ask to accept your kindness.”
I smiled approvingly and offered her the shawl.
“Oh, I brought an extra shawl from the carriage. You should wrap yourself in it—it’s cold.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
I draped the warm shawl over Lucy’s shoulders and firmly held her hand.
“Let’s go now.”
After boarding the carriage, Lucy also bowed toward Sikar seated in front.
“Greetings, Your Grace. I am Lucy Yukandar, second daughter of the Yukandar Marquisate.”
“So you’re Reidox’s daughter. Come, get in the carriage.”
Lucy briefly frowned under Sikar’s sharp gaze, then quickly turned her eyes toward me.
“Thank you so much, Your Grace. When I came to my senses, I found myself in a strange place with no idea where to go. Had Your Grace not helped me, I can’t even imagine what might have happened—it’s truly terrifying to think about.”
In nearly three years working at a daycare, I’d never seen a child speak so clearly and articulately. Perhaps it’s because I’ve never cared for a seven-year-old before.
Anyway, I looked at Sikar as if to say, “Have you ever seen such a bright child?”—but as usual, he wore an utterly disinterested expression.
How could anyone remain unmoved by such a cute child? That cold-blooded man!
“Oh dear, you must have been so frightened. The carriage may jolt quite a bit from now on—hold my hand tightly, Lucy.”
“Your Grace seems very kind. I truly feel fortunate to have met you once again.”
She was so adorable I nearly cried.
I smiled gently and wrapped my arm warmly around Lucy’s shoulders.
“Really? I also feel lucky to have just met you.”
“Truly? I’m so honored that Your Grace would say such a thing.”
Lucy beamed brightly. If not for Sikar, she might have kept that smile until we reached the marquisate.
Sikar scratched his ear as if annoyed by the noise, then fixed Lucy with another stern look.
“I’d prefer some quiet, Lucy.”
I worried she might be startled or intimidated, but true to her heroine nature, Lucy calmly replied.
“Yes… Your Grace.”
Lucy wasn’t particularly mature or precocious. Inside the marquisate, she was an enormous crybaby and troublemaker. But outside, she carefully controlled her behavior to avoid bringing shame to her family—she hated being seen as a child raised without a mother.
Though she was pretending to be calm now, I thought she might burst into tears once we reached the marquisate. But judging by her expression, she seemed likely to cry even before we arrived.
Lucy was biting her lip hard to hold back tears.
As everyone knows, comforting a child on the verge of crying only makes them cry harder. I whispered into Lucy’s ear.
“Lucy, you’re such a mature young lady? I’d have cried in your place.”
Lucy’s face—moments from tears—suddenly became wide-eyed and alert.
She maintained that wide-eyed, mature-lady expression all the way to the marquisate. And I was utterly enchanted by the heroine’s adorable demeanor.
“Please come in, Duke Blake, Duchess Blake. I cannot express how grateful I am for finding our daughter.”
Gentle yet kind eyes, yet exuding grace, dignity, and warm charisma—this was my first impression of Reidox.
But even in his gaze toward Sikar, there was subtle wariness—not so much gratitude for finding Lucy, but more like questioning what motive lay behind helping her.
“Would black tea be acceptable?”
Since I can’t drink black tea, maybe I should just ask for water.
“Not bad. But prepare one cup as milk tea.”
Sikar, expressionless, ordered my favorite milk tea.
“Milk tea? I’ve never heard of that.”
“It’s simply black tea mixed with milk. Bring it with two spoonfuls of tea and eight spoonfuls of milk.”
Reidox instructed the maid beside him to prepare the tea exactly as Sikar described.
I was grateful that Sikar, having somehow recalled my preferences, remembered I couldn’t drink black tea and preferred milk tea instead—but since we were guests, I smiled slightly awkwardly and said,
“Thank you for such thoughtful consideration, Marquis.”
Still, milk tea must be quite unfamiliar in this world.
No matter how skilled the chef, preparing something entirely new is always stressful—I quietly wished good luck to the poor chef surely sweating in the kitchen right now.
“Ah, Lucy mentioned she received a shawl. We’ll have it cleaned properly and return it to you.”
“No need. Please keep the garment. I’d like to give it to Lucy as a keepsake gift for our meeting.”
“Oh, I see. Thank you once again, Duchess, for your profound kindness.”
“Don’t mention it. But how did Lucy end up alone and lost in such a distant place?”
Reidox exhaled a restrained sigh before speaking.
“Lucy is the youngest of my twin children. When the twins were young, my wife fought illness and ultimately passed away to the heavens. I couldn’t bring myself to tell the children their mother had become a star in the sky. But one day, after visiting a boutique and seeing a young noble girl choosing a dress with her mother, Lucy began searching for her own mother.”
Reidox’s expression darkened momentarily, as if recalling that memory.
“So I told her mother had gone to fairyland—and ever since, she keeps running away from home to find fairyland. I’ve tried raising the twins alone without making them feel lonely, but no matter how hard I try, filling the void left by their mother is not easy.”
“Oh, that must have been so painful for you.”
“It seems the time has come to tell Lucy her mother is in heaven—though it weighs heavily on my heart, it’s not something I can hide forever.”
“I have a good idea.”
“A good idea?”
“Before that, may I make one request?”
“I’ll hear your request first, then decide.”
“I also have a seven-year-old child. But without friends, they’ve always lived alone, like a loner.”
Reidox looked at me with surprise, then glanced at Sikar—only to meet Sikar’s sharp gaze—before turning back to me.
“I… see?”
Reidox’s expression toward Sikar clearly said, “At his age, father to a seven-year-old?” He must have assumed Sikar was single until now—no wonder he was even more shocked.
“Oh, don’t misunderstand. The child was born before I met His Grace.”
Reidox looked at me as if to say, ‘So that’s it?’ and I nodded.
Unaware that we were a fake family, Reidox stared at Sikar with even greater astonishment.
Who could have imagined that someone with his personality would marry a woman who already had a seven-year-old child?
“I’ve heard, Marquis, that you personally educate your children without hiring tutors—and that your lessons surpass even the finest tutors. Many noble ladies wish to send their children to your classes.”
“You mean…”
“If it’s acceptable, could our child also attend your lessons?”
Reidox couldn’t hide his bewilderment and looked again at Sikar.
“Does His Grace also agree to this?”
Sikar replied with a face that brooked no further questions.
“Do as my wife requests.”
Reidox clenched his teeth.
“That will be difficult.”
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
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