I happened to run into Duke Liranef at the crossroads. That was the beginning of the problem.
Duke Liranef came out of the garden and recognized me at once as soon as our eyes met. And like a hyena waiting for prey, he grabbed me and hung on.
‘Even though I refuse and refuse, he keeps grabbing and hanging on… Ha.’
I scolded him by scraping the unfortunate teacup roughly with my thumb.
Last night’s words from Levanfell to stay away from the Duke came to mind. He was not one to say such things without reason.
So.
I must be careful with Duke Liranef.
Mistaking my sigh, the maid behind me quietly approached and whispered, worried.
“…Princess. Shall I replace it with the tea you usually drink?”
It seemed she thought I sighed because of the bitterness, knowing that I was not good at drinking tea. That action seemed to annoy Duke Liranef, and he frowned.
“Princess. Lower beings must be set straight in the first bowl.”
“What?”
“A servant meddling in the conversation without even being called by the master. It’s not just ignorance; it’s impudence.”
Duke Liranef lashed out at the maid in a sharp tone. The surprised maid quickly bowed her head and backed away.
“Ah…”
I knew the maid, who usually worried about me a lot, had stepped out despite the rudeness, but to an outsider, it might seem as Duke Liranef saw it.
I smiled awkwardly and cleared up his misunderstanding on behalf of the maid.
“It seems she made a mistake because she was too concerned about me. Since she’s my child, I’ll talk to her separately later to ensure she doesn’t make the same mistake.”
“…Oh. Princess. You are soft.”
Duke Liranef teased. His laughter contained contempt for me, looking down on me.
“Even though you came from a foreign country, to be without discernment like this.”
“…”
“Now that you will be having the wedding and becoming the empress of the Grand Empire, if you keep such lower beings by your side…”
Duke Liranef clicked his tongue, looking at the maid, and then turned his head to stare at me intently.
His eyes were filled with contempt for lower beings.
“You, as the master, will also frequently hear such slander.”
The warmth disappeared from my eyes as I looked at Duke Liranef.
I know these people very well. Smart and strong people. And those who know too well that they are great, never satisfied with what they have.
People who easily look down on and trample on others.
I often saw this in the Kingdom of Lupeon.
Setting up the naive and stupid royal family as a puppet and trying to manipulate them as they pleased from behind.
“Now it’s time to pick your exclusive maids and escorts, isn’t it? If it’s okay with you, Princess, I can pick some quickwitted ones for you…”
“Girl.”
I cut off Duke Liranef’s words and leaned my upper body back. The maid who had stepped forward to take care of me had drooped her shoulders in surprise at being scolded.
“Girl.”
When I called her again with more strength, the maid raised her startled head. And when our eyes met, she hurriedly came to my side and bowed her waist.
“Ye, yes? Princess. Did you, did you call me?”
“Go and get the tea I always drink. This tea seems to have a good aroma and seems expensive, but…”
I stared at Duke Liranef and cocked my head.
“It doesn’t suit my taste, so I can’t drink it.”
“Th, that’s what I’ll do.”
The maid, having received the order, bowed her head deeply and quickly left. Duke Liranef, listening to the fading footsteps of the maid, asked with a calm expression.
“Didn’t the tea suit your taste?”
“Yes. It seems to be unsuitable for me.”
Even though he must have understood what I meant, there was no change in Duke Liranef.
The smiling face and even the ups and downs of his friendly voice were all the same, as if all the appearances he showed me were all fabricated from the beginning.
Certainly! Here’s the translation of the passage:
“Tea is like that. It feels unfamiliar and doesn’t suit your taste, and you feel a sense of alienation. But as you continue to blend, it’s not so bad. Try enjoying it a few more times.”
“If you endure and enjoy what doesn’t suit you, you may suffer a loss,” they say.”
“You will get used to it as you endure and enjoy.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not the patient type.”
“If you don’t have that patience, it will be difficult for you to enjoy good tea all your life.”
“It’s okay. There are still many teas I haven’t tried yet.”
At that moment, when Duke Liranef tried to refute again, the maid returned. He tightly closed his lips and took a sip of the tea he had brought.
A hard and chilly silence continued as if climbing a frozen mountain barefoot.
The maid quickly put down a new teacup and poured the tea I always drank. A lightly brewed sweet fragrance lingered at the tip of my nose.
“I was quite disappointed that Your Majesty did not enjoy tea either… It seems that tea time with the princess is gone.”
“It’s a shame. I’ve never tried tea.”
“Don’t you regret it?”
Duke Liranef smiled with grace. But his piercing eyes were ominous.
“It’s hard to find tea. Think a little more, Princess. It may not be there when you want it later.”
“……”
“Everyone wants it, but it’s not easy to have. I’m offering you that tea, Princess. Directly to you.”
A sharp blade hidden behind a smile began to reveal itself little by little.
If I reject Duke Liranef’s words here, making tea, that is, to be on the same side using tea as an excuse, I will not see his friendly appearance again.
At the very moment I was about to speak,
“Princess, Duke Liranef.”
A sacred voice intruded into our dark space like light. When I turned my head, Elihu smiled like a warm spring sunshine.
“I saw the two of you passing by and was pleased, so I came to greet you without apology. If you are still enjoying tea time, may I join you?”
Duke Liranef, whose expression had not changed at all, frowned for the first time. Then he clicked his tongue and got up from his seat without hesitation.
“Oh dear. Is it already this time? I didn’t know the time was passing because I enjoyed talking with the princess. …Princess, I have to get up first because I have another appointment.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s too bad, Duke. I’m planning to stay in the Empire for a while, so if there’s any evil energy in your house or people who need blessings, don’t hesitate to call me anytime.”
“…I will.”
Duke Liranef turned away as if looking at something dirty, avoiding Elihu.
“Oh, Elihu. It seems that the Princess does not know how to enjoy tea, so it would be nice for you to accompany her.”
Leaving those words, Duke Liranef left on the prepared carriage. Elihu, who had been looking at the place where he left for a long time, whispered quietly.
“Duke Liranef smells evil. It’s the Princess’s choice to get close to him knowing that, but otherwise, don’t get too close.”
“…Evil smell?”
“Yes.”
Does it smell rotten?
Elihu sat down across from me, smiling. Unexpectedly, I faced him headon.
“Now the Princess smells like a fun flower scent.”
Oh dear.
Elihu helped me and I momentarily forgot. This child was now more dangerous to me than Duke Liranef.
“What exactly is this fragrance that I feel from the Princess? It’s like…”
Elihu lowered his voice so it wouldn’t be heard around and slowly reached out.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
