ladyjlb's manga / #Romance(1003)

Ch 13 as of 11/03/22 ** art is average but story isn’t too bad so far … - FL is Marquess Lorellia (Lia) von Deville - She’s Commander of the 2nd Knights’ Battalion, the Red Wolves. - She’s the only female of the 4 aura users. She has a golden aura. - Her brother Belforce (Bell) is a genius mage. He couldn’t be the heir as mages lose their mana after they have children. - Their parents and unborn 3rd child died in a carriage accident. - ML is Duke Edgar (Eddie) von Ferriel - He’s Commander of the 1st Knights’ Battalion, the Blue Falcons. - He blushes whenever he sees or thinks of FL. - Vice Commander Dykon of the 1st Knights’ Battalion - Dowager Duchess Anne von Ferriel, ML’s mother - Lloyd von Ferriel, ML’s younger brother - Imperial Archduke Jean Rahlan - Crown Prince Cain Rahlan - Crown Princess Michelle, she’s from another country - Lord Ordo, Private Secretary of Prince Cain - The Council of 12: a gathering of the highest nobility - They protested against FL becoming the Marquess. - A deal was made for FL and Imperial Archduke to spar. If FL won, she would be acknowledged as the Marquess. If the Archduke won, she had to marry someone of the Council’s choosing. - After FL’s sword breaks during the public match, she manifests her aura and automatically wins as an aura master. - 3yrs later ML’s men keep picking fights with FL’s men. - The DML Club: the Duke and Marquess Love Fan Club - The fights were planned by Prince Cain, Dykon and the club to get FL to meet ML and create chances for ML to ask her out. - FL has a poor opinion of ML as his actions towards her appear as constant harassment, when he just wants to see her and worries about her. His inaction in disciplining his men for the fights adds to her bad impression of him. - Belforce has been summoned by the mage tower. They’ve been researching parallel worlds. He gives her a magic mailbox he created to easily stay in touch. It allows FL to send letters instantly to his mailbox. FL is surprised to receive a letter from her other self in a parallel world where she’s married to ML. - The timeline of her other self is 5yrs in the future. Her parents are still alive and the 3rd child was a boy named Terry. The carriage accident was planned by someone who is yet to be caught. - For Lady Anne’s tea party, FL is dressed up by Michelle. - FL is forced to go with ML in a carriage arranged by Cain. On the way ML apologises to FL and assures her that he deeply respects and admires her. FL asks ML to let her look over the case file of her parents’ deaths as he oversaw the investigation. - The tea party was cancelled but before Lloyd escorts FL home, ML intervenes and offers to take her instead. - ML and FL go over the main files from the case. FL points out the horse that caused the accident was different to the one originally used for that carriage. FL is grateful for ML’s willingness to reopen the case even if it means damaging his reputation. - ML sent his 1st bouquet to FL. The meaning of the flowers was “I wish to console you.” - They exhume the remains of the horse and find it to be of a chimera. This confirms that FL’s parents were murdered. - Thanks to ML, the Emperor rules in favour of the reinvestigation despite the opposition from the Council led by the Archduke. - Suspiciously the Archduke offers to help by having the Archmage assigned to the investigation team.

Ch 02 as of 22/03/23

Ch 54 as of 11/04/22 - complete?

Tapas Ch 22 special episode, as of 05/05/22 ** lovely art, very slow burn plot. Webnovel - https://tapas.io/series/I-Made-a-Deal-with-the-Devil-Novel/info - FL is Evangeline (Eva) Young, CEO of XY Corporation. - She dedicated her life to working hard to please her family and to make the family company successful. - FL finds out she’s adopted after her grandfather confirmed it with DNA testing. She’s stripped of her CEO position by her grandfather the Chairman, and it’s given to her younger sister. - Her fiancé since college, Julian Song, dumps FL straight away. He’s been cheating on her this whole time too (tbc). - ML is Gage Acheron, a wealthy heir and founder of Aceon Enterprises, the rival of XY Corporation. - FL goes to a bar called Devil’s Den. She gets drunk while vowing to take revenge against those who threw her away. - ML approaches FL and offers to introduce her to the devil after she declares she’d sell her soul to the devil to get back are those who wronged her. - ML tries to get FL to go home and sober up first. She tries to make him drive her car. She thinks he wants payment but she’s not carrying any cash. She gives him hickeys and bites his neck instead, then throws up on his shirt. ML takes off his top and drives FL’s car with her sleeping beside him. In the morning FL wakes up at ML’s place, a sumptuous mansion. - FL turns on her mobile to discover her ex-family have taken action to ruin her professional reputation, by saying she was dismissed as CEO under suspicion of fraud and corruption. - FL overheard ML rejecting an offer to return to Aceon Enterprises as the CEO. She proposes hiring her to do the work of the CEO in his place. She’ll work in the shadows while he’ll be the public face. She’s more than qualified as she was the one who made XY Corporation overtake Aceon Enterprises. - In exchange she will use this opportunity to take revenge on her ex-family and crush XY Corporation. She’ll do whatever it takes. - ML asks FL to marry him. She understands this proposal is only because he’s being pressured to marry as a condition of his inheritance. She assumes they’ll divorce after a period of time. - FL and ML sign a contract that covers the next month for FL to decide whether or not to marry ML. The contract has some strange conditions such as a kiss and bed warming every night, with consequences if these conditions aren’t fulfilled. - FL returns to her place with ML to pack some of her things. Paparazzi turn up and are waiting to ambush FL at her home. - ML calls for the help of a professional makeup artist. - FL is given a complete makeover from her usual dowdy and conservative look. She’s transformed into a stunning vixen. - FL’s alias will be Evelyn Lee, ML’s personal secretary. - FL and ML slip past the paparazzi without FL being recognised.

Webtoon Ch 06 as of 29/06/22 - Ch 13 “Maybe Meant To Be” - FL is Jia Han 32yo, unemployed and a smoker. - Her younger sister is married with 2 kids (3rd on the way). - ML is Mincheol Jin 32yo - He’s a gym junkie and a video game fanatic. - He looks hot without his thick glasses. - He’s an assistant manager programmer at a tech company. - FL and ML were childhood friends because their families were neighbours. They went to the same kindergarten and were really close. FL started avoiding ML when she was teased about being with a boy. Then she ignored him from middle school onwards. - FL and ML have a small whirlwind wedding. - They go overseas for their honeymoon and have fun (but slept in separate beds). Took lots of photos. - When they get back, FL is kicked out of her parents’ place and moves into ML’s apartment right away. They have their own rooms. She finds out he has a black cat called Mouse. - FL and ML sign a contract for their marriage. - It includes the condition that this marriage can be terminated by either party at any time. Later they add the condition to not tell anyone what happens between them. - Sangu Choi 29yo, ML’s colleague and the office cupid. - Suyeon So 33yo, ML’s colleague and manager - Suyeon had secretly hoped ML would be her future husband. - She suggests ML and FL have a house warming party so she can check their marriage is legitimate. FL agrees and all of ML’s colleagues are invited. - Suyeon sees how ML looks at FL and decides to give up. Sangu had been helping Suyeon with ML and takes her out for more drinks to commiserate. They end up in bed together (?) - FL takes ML to see a newly released movie. It feels like their first date. On the escalators after the movie, someone pushes past FL and she lands on top of ML. They have their first kiss.

Ch 40 as of 25/09/22 “Recently dumped, Akane is just about to quit the game she used to play with her boyfriend, when she meets Yamada in the same RPG. Yamada in real life turns out to be somewhat of a legend. The only problem is - he is ONLY interested in the game. As Akane's feelings grow, will Yamada's focus stay on the game?” (Source: Mangamo) Note: Ninth place of Tsugimanga 2020 Award in the Web Manga Category. - Ch 38: ML rejects one girl while admitting to liking FL. - Ch 40: FL is drunk when ML confesses his feelings.

Ch 2 as of 11/12/22 - FL secretly writes a sex blog. ML uses the stories from her blog when talking about sex with his male colleagues / friends. - Both FL and ML are virgins with no relationship experience.

More shoujo than josei. Too cutesy. Rate 3.5 FL was a pure hearted idiot. Kind of annoying. ML’s best friend was the greatest (crossdressing) wingman.