TDWO Chapter 4

 

 

The female protagonist, Queen Erze, was drawn to Edwin’s young, eager body and his lustful, beautiful, and sharp features.

He exuded decadence day and night, capturing the queen’s affection and devotion.

A queen who’s like a red rose and a man who’s like a sharp thorn.

Erze and Edwin were a perfect match.

Only Edwin had truly captivated the queen among the men who had eyes for her.

In this context, Edwin also felt an intense attraction toward Erze, who had a deep red rose-like beauty.

To the sharp and cold Edwin, the passionate Erze was always stimulating and set his heart on fire.

However, Erze was a ruler, firmer than a blade.

She prioritized politics over love, and she didn’t trust people easily.

So Edwin, like a faithful dog, became whatever the queen desired, even going so far as to execute nobles who opposed her politically.

“The Viscount of Wentworth” was one of the noble families executed at that time.

Anri Wentworth, a member of the Viscount Wentworth family, was a character with no real connection to Edwin.

An ambiguous figure at best, Anri was merely referred to as a member of the Wentworth family.

Beyond that one line, there is no information about the Wentworth family.

Before becoming Anri, she was a reader of “The Queen’s Lover” and keenly felt a primal sense of inadequacy.

The many nights Edwin had spent tirelessly with Erze were buried between the lines.

 

‘What’s this? Is this all? This cannot be the case unless the author is a minor.’

 

Anri couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Most readers of <The Queen’s Lover> felt the same.

……So Anri wrote.

Adult fanfic…….

The detailed and intimate scenes that had been hidden in the margins came back to life in Anri’s imagination.

Edwin was sighing sweetly as he draped his strong, broad, bare body over the heroine.

Edwin tilted his sharp jawline like a blade had passed, bestowing his seductive lips on the heroine.

Devoting all his strength to her and her alone…

 

“……gulp.”

 

Anri swallowed hard, remembering the passage she’d written. She couldn’t even read it again now.

Though it wasn’t original, readers who thirsted for the purity of The Queen’s Lover went wild for Anri’s R-19 fanfic.

But the author was not.

Anri received an email from the author that was more like a curse.

 

[Hey, ‘Mrs. Edwin’, If you had asked for my permission beforehand, I wouldn’t have gone this far…]

 

She couldn’t remember much after that.

She worried about the trouble the mail might cause and fell asleep, only to wake up as a newborn baby.

People called her “Anri Wentworth.”

 

‘Where have I heard that last name before?’

 

It took her three years of pondering to remember.

Because she was such an insignificant character and family member in “The Queen’s Lover.”

 

‘The author must have wanted to kill me.’

 

And it had to be in the hands of my beloved protagonist.

Anri’s eyes narrowed in disbelief.

For the Wentworth family to survive, they must not get involved in politics under any circumstances.

It wouldn’t be wise to linger near the Duke of Briston’s estate for no reason.

Anri never even thought about going towards East Carlton, where the Duke of Briston was located.

East Carlton, representing the east, was famous for being wealthy, peaceful, and clean. Anri had thought about visiting at least once, but it seemed daunting to dream about.

Already, Anri had earnestly pleaded with her father, “Father, it’s not proper to express political opinions or make speeches just because your friends do.”

However, the stepmother her father had brought along was attempting to infiltrate the Duke of Briston’s lair, harboring ambitious dreams of transforming her daughters into the Duchess.

But ultimately, the Duke of Briston would likely find the ball as dull as it was in the original work.

He won’t fall for any of the young ladies.

Erze, still in her royal guise, will be there to lure Edwin out of hiding.

From their first meeting, the two were consumed by an inexplicable attraction.

As a result, the development of the Duke of Briston becoming the queen’s Lover would remain unchanged.

 

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

 

“Marilyn, are you like that again today?”

 

It had been several days since the carriage incident.

Since that day, there has been a change in the Wentworth estate, where sleepless nights have become the norm.

It was because of the sound of an animal crying from the stables.

In the dark of night, Anri put on her coat and went to the stables.

It was late, so naturally, Hendel would be happily asleep at home with his family.

Her father had said he would be spending some time at a townhouse owned by relatives in the capital.

There were a few other servants staying in the mansion, but Anri couldn’t bring herself to wake them.

It was a moment when Anri had to come to the stables herself to comfort Marilyn.n Marilyn has been crying intensely every night since meeting Kristan.

According to Hendel, Marilyn would stop being in heat if she had offspring, but Marilyn rejected any male they introduced to her.

She was quite a picky horse. Even Hendel was at his wit’s end.

It didn’t seem like Marilyn’s heat would end anytime soon.

Several neighbors had already visited the Wentworth estate, wondering if something had happened.

 

“Marilyn, you really won’t settle for anyone but Kristan, huh?”

 

Anri wistfully patted Marilyn’s back.

It didn’t seem to calm her down, but it was difficult to leave her alone.

It seemed like Marilyn was experiencing unrequited love rather than just being in heat.

 

“No… Kristan is someone for whom even the value of an entire mansion would not suffice…”

 

What if Marilyn ended up dying like this?

It was one thing to have to spend money on a new horse if Marilyn died, but seeing her suffer all this time is even more painful.

 

‘Excuse me, could you please move aside? We don’t just mate our horses with any mare.’

“Ugh.”

 

Suddenly, Anri recalled Kristan’s owner’s cold demeanor.

A chill ran down her spine as soon as she remembered his cold, rude face.

But even if she were to beg for Kristan’s owner to save a dying horse and ask for breeding, there was no way to find Kristan’s owner.

She doesn’t even know who he is, much less where he lives.

It was truly a desperate situation.

Anri couldn’t think of a good solution for Marilyn’s future.

It’s painful to just watch.

 

‘But seriously, who is that man?’

 

A man’s figure floated into Anri’s dazed vision.

A soft bass voice, sleek yet beautiful features…

His jet-black hair and deep, dark eyes made his otherwise white and cold appearance even more stark.

 

‘My Edwin also had black hair and dark eyes…….’

 

Come to think of it, there were similarities in the appearance settings between that man and Edwin.

It wasn’t a rare setting.

People in this kingdom generally had black or brown hair, with rare cases of golden hair.

Sure, the man looked handsome, but our Edwin is much more handsome and dazzling in person!

As for their personalities, neither of them seem to be very nice.

While she doesn’t know his exact status, he’s definitely not a common noble.

It could be someone from the royal family, or perhaps a foreign noble who speaks the language well.

Anri thought about the man’s identity for a while but gave up.

 

‘There must be a few nobles here.’

 

That’s how one day passed after a fortnight.

 

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

 

Anri spent the day wiping the soot from the candles and lamps to help the servants.

She also lightly dusted the frames.

Originally, there were plenty of servants at the Wentworth estate.

There were even two footmen and a ladies’ maid, responsible for dressing and grooming.

But after her father remarried, things had gotten noticeably worse.

With the family adding three members, the cost of groceries and various other expenses had significantly increased.

While the food expenses weren’t a major setback, Catherine and Candice’s extravagance was excessive.

No matter how much Anri pleaded with her father or scolded Catherine, it was futile. Her easygoing father seemed oblivious to practical matters.

Catherine enjoyed playing the role of a lady of the manor at her father’s expense.

The once abundant funds sounded the alarm after Catherine and her two daughters came in three years ago.

So, several servants were dismissed, leaving only five.

The group consisted of a butler who also served as a steward, a chef who also served as a housekeeper, two maids, and Hendel, the coachman.

The maids were already overloaded with cooking and laundry duties, leaving little time to deal with dust and soot.

Even Anri had to pitch in to ensure the servants could manage their tasks smoothly.

Part of her concern stemmed from worrying that if the servants stopped working due to the landlord’s fastidiousness, it would spread rumors in the village.

She wanted to protect the dignity of the Viscount of Wentworth.

She never expected Candice and Eunice to help.

Candice was always dissatisfied with the servants, and Eunice seemed too preoccupied with eating whenever Anri saw her.

 

“Barbara?”

 

Something caught Anri’s eye as she was dusting.

Barbara, the maid, was coming down the hall, carrying a bunch of trinkets and knick-knacks, including ribbons for hats and gloves.

 

“Ah, Miss Anri.”

 

Anri walked up to Barbara and glanced down at the basket.

 

“These things look familiar. Where did you get them?”

 

Barbara awkwardly smiled.

 

“Oh, yes. They used to belong to Lady Branson.”

“Lady Branson?”

 

Her mother’s maiden name was Branson.

Why was Barbara suddenly referring to her late mother as Lady Branson instead of the late Madam Wentworth?

Until now, she had always been called the late Madam Wentworth.

For a moment, Anri’s eyes lit up. Her lips formed a soft arc.

 

“I don’t believe there was ever a Lady Branson in my house, unless it was the former Madam Wentworth.”