After observing Whitney’s steady gaze, she smiled faintly.
“If there’s a corresponding benefit, it wouldn’t matter.”
“I was thinking that having the King’s support might be better than the Queen’s.”
“Do you have a good strategy in mind?”
Responding to her aunt’s calm question, Whitney replied.
“Aunt, I plan to align myself with His Highness, the Second Prince.”
“……The Second Prince? The one Her Majesty the Queen is so desperate to get rid of?”
“But he’s favored by His Majesty the King. It’s risky, but if the Rubenars family supports the Second Prince, the King will be pleased.”
It must have been troubling not being able to help openly. From the King’s perspective, it would be a welcome move.
“The Second Prince, huh… Are you confident? Confident that you can win him over to your side.”
“Yes, I am confident.”
Whitney responded without hesitation, her eyes sparkling.
“If you become a shining star and capture the heart of His Highness the Second Prince, I will always be there to support you. I swear on the name of the Rubenars family.”
With her aunt’s promise secured, Whitney smiled broadly.
“Me too! Leo too! We swear on the name of Rubenars!”
Leo, with crumbs still around his mouth, raised his hand and spoke. Whitney wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.
She made a promise to herself. She would not let anything endanger this adorable child.
Lady Rubenars, receiving a report from Sonia, twisted her face in shock.
“He had injuries on his body?”
“Lady Whitney doesn’t seem to have grown up receiving affection in the ducal house. It’s likely that the harassment continued after the Duke of Orleans passed away, leaving her alone.”
“……Find out if there is any medicine to erase scars. And we need to find something for the wounds that haven’t healed.”
“There were traces of herbs applied. Thanks to that, the wounds weren’t too severe.”
Her heart was torn.
She had intended to visit when she heard of her brother’s death but couldn’t. Going directly to the capital would have alerted the king, and it would have been considered disobedience.
“I should have inquired, at least. I was too complacent.”
She couldn’t say anything against her brother’s words that the child needed a mother. The news of the hasty remarriage was unexpected, but she thought they would manage well.
“I should send a letter to Lady Orleans. She’s acting as the temporary head of the house until Whitney becomes an adult, right?”
“That’s correct. She is in charge until the debutante ball.”
“Whitney reaching out to me means she needs more than just a guardian. It seems I will be busy for a while.”
Lady Rubenars immediately prepared to send letters to the relatives of the Orleans family. Her small, powerless niece had reached out for help, and it was now her turn to take that hand and guide her.
“I should see my husband about this. It seems like it will involve a considerable amount of money, so I need to consult him.”
“The Duke has said you can proceed with whatever you decide without consulting him.”
“He’s gone to the border again.”
“He said he would return soon when he left.”
Lady Rubenars nodded. As Sonia prepared paper and a pen on the desk, she immediately began writing a letter. The content of the letter wasn’t really important.
The amount of money involved was what mattered. It seemed that Cecilia becoming the Duchess was not for the purpose of being a good mother to Whitney.
“Does she have a daughter?”
“Yes, Melissa Orleans. She’s currently a noted lady in society. However, it seems there have been no successful marriage proposals, as no suitable suitors have come forward.”
“Inquire more about this Melissa. Find out which families have proposed.”
If decent families have made proposals and they haven’t responded, it suggests they’re aiming higher.
Lady Rubenars seemed to have an idea. She probably knew who Cecilia and her daughter were hoping for.
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.”
