“No matter how you look at it…!”
Was that a statement about Grayan and me, accusing us of engaging in dangerous behavior without speaking about it…?
Somehow feeling slighted and upset, I looked at April with a pouty face.
Then April showed a slightly flustered expression and hesitantly spoke.
“It’s really okay, Duchess… Jade controls his strength well when he’s up against me. It’s not dangerous at all.”
“That’s… well, that may be true.”
Would Jade go all out and use his full strength against you…? I have no objection to him controlling his intensity, but I’m worried about an accident that might happen.
“April… I always sincerely support your desire to become strong, but don’t overdo it. I worry about you. If you were to get hurt… I would be really upset.”
“Duchess…”
At my words, April seemed genuinely moved, her face filled with affection. A warm current flowed between the two of us, but then Jade interrupted, oblivious to the mood.
“Shall we begin the duel soon? I have to leave at 3, Your Highness.”
‘That brat…’
The twinkle in his eye, no doubt he was jealous of April’s closeness, was unmistakable.
Most likely, April, who has no sense of romance whatsoever, would still be completely oblivious. That’s why Jade is probably burning up inside.
‘So, to put it another way, April’s closeness with any object, even if it’s an object, has reached the point of jealousy.’
Jade’s jealousy was really intense in the original work. I don’t know if it’s the same in reality, but it does seem to show a bit…
‘Anyway, let’s see how April’s swordsmanship is.’
Soon, April and Jade each took up wooden swords and faced off, with Grayan counting down 10 seconds.
April’s stance looked quite plausible. I don’t know what will happen when she swings the sword…
‘When she was a rabbit, her attack power felt like zero… Is it a little different as a human?’
“…3, 2, 1, begin!”
As Grayan’s command fell, April and Jade moved swiftly.
They were so fast that my eyes couldn’t follow them at all…!
‘What, what is this…? Why are you so good? Why are you so amazing?!’
I, who had expected an insignificant April, was dumbfounded. This is nonsense. It’s character collapse. Our little and insignificant bunny April! Who on earth is that flying around…?!
‘I… I can’t believe it. How could this happen?’
Now only I was in a different genre. While I was possessed by a romantic fantasy, they were martial arts novels. I felt like an ordinary person with no internal strength among martial artists…
‘April was… a real battle bunny.’
Holding the wooden sword with one hand and swinging it freely, April flew around like a feather. I just stared at her in amazement.
“You’ve improved a lot, April.”
“Really?”
Even in the midst of the fight, they had the composure to converse, which left me even more speechless. April became even more aggressive in her swordplay in response to Jade’s praise.
Even to a layman like me, Jade seemed to be fending off April’s sword quite well, definitely less solidly than when I had seen him in the arena. He must be controlling his strength to match April.
Nevertheless, April, who was skillfully clashing swords with Jade, looked truly impressive.
‘…No matter how I look at it, I can’t get used to it. The sight of April fighting and flying around.’
While I was staring blankly, the duel ended, and the winner was Jade. It was surprising that he didn’t deliberately lose… but if he hadn’t fought fairly, April would have disliked it, so he must have achieved the result with his real skills.
“Was… Was it okay?”
April, who had gently approached me, asked in an expectant voice.
I, who had been in shock, managed to gather my wits and offered an awkward smile.
“Yes, it was amazing… You’re great, April…”
“No way… compared to Jade, my skills are lacking… I always wonder how I can improve.”
No, compared to an ordinary person like me, you’re a complete martial arts master! You’re already amazing enough! Comparing yourself to Jade only raises the standard…!
“……How did it look to you, Your Grace?”
April asked Grayan with a somewhat timid expression this time. She looked much less confident than when she asked me. She knows that I’m a layman in swordsmanship. It’s natural to be more nervous when asking an expert.
“……I was truly surprised. Your skill is far superior to what I thought.”
“……!”
“You’ve practiced a lot, April.”
Grayan’s response, filled with encouragement and praise, made April’s face brim with emotion. As if she had been longing all this time just to hear those words from Grayan.
“I…… told you last time, didn’t I? I’m not as weak as Your Grace thinks……”
“……”
“I can…… become strong.”
April tightly clasped her two hands against her chest. Her pink eyes were moist and shining, as if they would shed tears at any moment.
“Yes, you truly are a strong girl, April.”
Grayan, with a gentle smile, slowly stroked April’s head. I could tell that he was really proud of her.
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.”