“What did it taste like?”
Grayan, who had been watching silently until then, asked casually.
I briefly explained to him the taste of the millenniaold fruit and the conversation I had with the butterflies.
“So, it tastes like snow… Regardless of the taste, it would be truly wonderful if that fruit has a magical effect to strengthen your body, my lady.”
“…”
Strengthen my body for what?
Anyway, we continued to make our way through the maze. Although the butterflies were guiding us, I was somewhat doubtful if we were going in the right direction.
It was understandable, as they were distracted and giggled at unnecessary things several times.
{Ah, a snow deer!}
{It looks silly.}
{I wonder if there are snow rabbits too?}
{Except for being made of snow, it probably looks just like April.}
A snow rabbit… I was a bit curious about that. The rabbit in my arms was warm and soft, but what about a rabbit made of snow? Would it be cold and flaky?
{We’re almost there! Hang in there a little longer, Gloria!}
{April, you hang in there too! Even though you’re comfortably nestled in my arms!}
{April is a fireresistant virtuous girl.}
…These guys… It’s a doubt I’ve had for a while, but how do they know the internet memes from the world I lived in?
While pondering, I casually threw out a bait.
‘The spirit that created this maze is totally obsessive.’
{That’s true.}
‘Do you know what an obsessive person is?’
{Of course we know~!}
{We know other things too! North King!}
…Isn’t that a different category? Anyway, that’s not the important thing.
‘Those are all internet memes from the world I lived in. How do you guys know all that?’
{Huh? Didn’t we tell you?}
{We didn’t tell you, idiots.}
{You’re the biggest idiot.}
{What? Did you say everything?}
{So what if we did?}
{You two! Quiet down! You’re interrupting my explanation!}
{So, what we were saying is…}
One butterfly fluttered near my face, about to explain.
{…!}
{What?}
{Something’s coming!}
At the butterflies’ sudden reaction, a faint vibration began to emanate from the ground.
‘What…? What’s coming?!’
“My lady.”
Grayan, detecting the vibration, called to me in a tense voice and embraced April and me protectively with both arms.
“…Something is approaching. Several of them.”
“Is it dangerous?”
“That’s…”
Thump, thump, thump!
Suddenly, an intense vibration was felt. It meant that the unidentified creature(s?) was getting closer to us.
‘Eeek…!’
What the heck is coming? Terrified, I instinctively snuggled into Grayan’s arms, clinging tightly to his waist.
“…!”
Startled, Grayan hesitated, but I clung to him as if clinging to a lifeline.
“Chirp.”
Meanwhile, April stood on Grayan’s shoulder in a dignified pose. She bravely faced the front on her hind legs only, a contrast to my cowardly self.
‘Bravo, bravo. Truly a brave rabbit.’
Snuggled in Grayan’s arms, I squinted and looked straight ahead. How horrendously terrifying could it be that…?
“…?”
Thump, thump, thump―!!
The vibration grew stronger, and it was getting closer…
‘…A rabbit?’
The unidentified creatures turned out to be… dozens of snowywhite rabbits!
{Snow rabbits!}
{A herd of snow rabbits is charging at us!}
{Don’t worry, Gloria! We’ll try to stop them somehow!}
The butterflies quickly blocked the path of the rabbit herd. But… they seemed unlikely to stop that enormous horde of rabbits! It would be fortunate if they weren’t sent flying into the sky by the rabbits!
‘Perhaps if Grayan transformed into a wolf to threaten them… Hmm?’
Thump, thump, thump―!!!
The tremor now made my legs wobble, and then…
What entered my view for a moment was…
‘…A puppy?’
A single grey puppy, desperately running right in front of the rabbit herd.
“Arf, arf!”
The puppy, with tears brimming in its eyes, barked towards us.
It seemed like a plea for rescue.
“Woof!”
Upon spotting the puppy, April perked up her ears and let out a shout.
떴다.
Thumpthumpthumpthump—!!!
Amid the earthquakelike tremors, a conversation between a rabbit and a puppy (that humans couldn’t understand) took place.
“Ack—!”
“Squeak!”
“Ack, ack…! Awoo—!”
“Whine…!”
‘What on Earth are they saying…?’
I should have brought translation earrings. But then again…
“…”
Those snow rabbits, they’re a bit…
A bit…
Aren’t they too big…?
‘Muscular medieval rabbits…?’
Thumpthumpthump—!! Thud—!!!
The snow rabbit herd stopped at a distance of just about 2 meters from us, rushing at a crazy speed. The moment they stopped, the ground’s trembling ceased, and a cold wind swept in.
A gray puppy, who had been running away from the snow rabbits, had somehow hidden behind Grayan.
Its trembling figure seemed genuinely terrified of those snow rabbits.
‘…It’s quite understandable to be afraid.’
After all, these rabbits were…
The size of a large dog, and bulging with muscles.
‘Snow rabbits… They aren’t cute and adorable like April!’
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.”
