11.
……Now, what did you say? Could this be a dream? She pinched her thigh lightly, but nothing happened—she didn’t wake up from a bed or anything. Not only did Cardier remain right in front of her, but the warmth she felt around her wrist stayed exactly as it was.
Cardier’s face, devoid of even a hint of a smile, was serious—so serious it resembled a sculpture more than a living person. Granted, he had always been strikingly handsome, so even a neutral expression often gave off such an impression… Rosetta barely managed to pull her thoughts back from drifting into dangerous territory.
So, was it really happening? Had Cardier actually asked her to call him a bastard?
Where on earth had he noticed it? Damn it, there were far too many clues. Even with all the training from Madame Valmont, the thick Eastern accent wasn’t something easily erased. Still, it shouldn’t have been enough for him to be this certain… Rosetta nearly slapped her forehead as a sudden memory flashed in her mind.
‘Damn it, fucking damn it, die drowning….’
…Right. That was it.
“Damn” was a curse word commonly used throughout the Empire, but in the Eastern regions, it was pronounced closer to “darn it.” And Rosetta, who had lived near the southern borders until she was ten, had a uniquely distinct intonation when uttering that word. “Die drowning” had become an almost habitual phrase for her.
Cardier, who had practically worshipped her for the past few years, couldn’t possibly have missed it.
“Milady, did you hear me?”
When she showed no reaction at all, Cardier pressed again. Dazed and half-lost in thought, she snapped back to reality at the sound of his voice. The distance between them was uncomfortably close, so Rosetta instinctively stepped backward. Unfortunately, right behind her was the staircase railing, so she managed to retreat only a few steps.
“…….”
Cardier leaned sideways against the railing beside her waist, effectively blocking her escape. She had practically crawled into a trap of her own making. Trapped between the railing and Cardier’s body, Rosetta objectively assessed the situation.
First, Cardier had begun to suspect. Second, the idea that an ordinary, loyal person could have their soul swapped was not easy to accept. Third, there was no concrete evidence anywhere. Fourth, therefore, she must deny everything stubbornly.
Rosetta took a deep breath and looked up at Cardier’s face.
“…….”
“…….”
Their eyes met directly. It was an overly intense gaze. She couldn’t shake the feeling of being scrutinized down to the slightest twitch of his eyebrow or movement of his lips.
Rosetta feigned innocence, casually shrugging her shoulders.
“Why don’t you explain your request first?”
Cardier wore a momentarily speechless expression. After a brief silence, he spoke again.
“…Do you… remember me?”
“Of course.”
At that, Cardier widened his eyes in surprise. Before he could jump to another misunderstanding, Rosetta quickly clarified.
“You’re the Montrosa Viscount, aren’t you? I think I saw you somewhere—was it a ball in the capital when you’d just turned twenty?”
Though Cardier, by noble standards, had spent most of his life practically glued to the Eastern seas as a mere retainer, even he had been dragged, against his will, into the capital’s social scene upon turning twenty.
The reason Rosetta, so ignorant of noble customs, remembered this was because she had once worried about a certain brat who had suddenly disappeared after being a constant presence.
Affection worthy of a stray dog on the roadside… Of course, Cardier, while being a stray, had far too noble a bloodline—so noble, in fact, that only twelve people in the entire Empire ranked above him… but none of that impressed Rosetta much. To her, the highest authority was still Bill, the innkeeper who kept track of her unpaid bills.
Cardier narrowed his eyes and asked once more.
“Besides that, have you truly never seen me before?”
“Um, probably not.”
“…….”
“To be honest, my memory’s been rather hazy since I collapsed and woke up again…”
Was that a suitable answer? Rosetta cautiously observed his expression. Cardier stared at her silently for a long while, his face unreadable.
“…I understand.”
Finally, he straightened from his leaning position against the railing and said so. His gaze had already cooled back to near indifference.
“I suppose I’ve detained you for too long, milady.”
“It was a bit long, but what can you do?”
“If you don’t require an escort anymore, I should take my leave.”
“That’s an excellent decision.”
Cardier faintly narrowed his eyes. After studying her for a moment, he gave a brief, stiff bow and walked past her.
…Is… is it over? The tension in her entire body suddenly released, and fatigue rushed over her at once. Aside from the stress caused by Cardier, today she had met six spiritual healers. With this wretchedly frail body, it wouldn’t have been surprising if she collapsed at any moment.
“Oh, milady.”
As if suddenly remembering something, Cardier called her again. Rosetta slowly turned around.
“What… is it?”
“The keepsake from Kirgos you entrusted to me last time… I’ve lost it.”
“Tha….”
Rosetta nearly screamed, but quickly bit down on her half-open lips. She barely suppressed the trembling at the corners of her mouth and forced a confused expression.
“Kir…? What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
“…….”
A gaze like it might devour her slowly swept up and down her body. Swallowing the saliva pooled in her mouth from tension, she heard the loud movement of her own Adam’s apple. Damn it, breaking into Bilti’s warehouse naked would’ve been easier…
After a moment, Cardier gave a faint, hazy smile and slightly bowed his head.
“My apologies.”
* * *
Rosetta was certain Cardier had figured it out. After all, in that final moment, his eyes had held a subtle glimmer of triumph—as if he had just discovered a rare treasure.
“Bastard” had been the word she used to address him. It was a term she had tossed around carelessly while rolling through the Eastern docks like a pebble… but facing a well-dressed nobleman now, it felt strangely awkward. Still, she hadn’t chosen that word deliberately to insult him back then.
Back then, her feelings toward Cardier were much like those toward an uncontrollable puppy. Such relentless, unwavering affection, as far as she knew, could only come from a dog.
Besides, technically speaking, Cardier was eight years younger than her. And because the first impression she had of him was so deeply ingrained, she simply couldn’t see him as a man. Sure, he was undeniably handsome—handsome enough to occasionally make her mouth water—but…
If he’d had a lowly background, she might’ve just taken him casually and moved on. Or perhaps nibbled on him slowly. But as the only child of the Eastern Admiral? Mess with him, and she’d likely end up with a noose around her neck.
Anyway, there was once a time when she believed that no matter how much the world changed, Cardier’s affection would remain constant. How naive. Now she knew that people change. Had she not learned this from Nick’s betrayal, she might have foolishly confessed everything to Cardier this time too.
And then, what? Daring to bring up Kirgos’s keepsake? That was truly a despicable, petty move. The weight of four years suddenly felt heavy. Or perhaps Cardier had always harbored such cowardice, carefully hidden only from her. Rosetta clicked her tongue in disapproval.
Rosetta expected Cardier to keep seeking her out. To him, she must have been like a rare creature just out of reach. Maybe he’d grown curious about a lost thing from the past, just as he had been four years ago when he stayed in the Eastern region.
Yet Cardier neither came to see her nor sent even a single letter. After about a week passed in this manner, Rosetta became completely baffled.
Had he not noticed? Or had he noticed but was pretending not to? Was he uncertain? Or had he completely lost interest in her? Or… could it be this bastard has found another woman?
“…Milady.”
As she continued to struggle to focus, Anna poked her back anxiously.
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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