“It could be fun. You would’ve thought the same if you saw her. Unlike someone, I know my place. I can enjoy myself with such a woman, but I can’t marry her.”
“……The Queen wouldn’t allow that.”
“No, no. Mother doesn’t need to know about trivial matters. There’s no need to talk about a relationship with a mere plaything.”
Carl clicked his tongue and smirked bitterly.
“If I approach her first at the debutante ball, she’ll surely fall for me. Mother will play along for my entertainment at least once.”
Disgusted, Cheston felt anger building within him, his grip on the sword tightening and aura flickering.
“Relax, brother. Mother is visiting her today.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle. I know my place.”
Cheston grinned at Carl. He should have known his place. At least Carl shouldn’t have dared to speak Whitney Orleans’s name with his filthy mouth.
“A letter has arrived.”
Whitney immediately opened the letter. Seeing Prince Cheston’s signature on the contract, she breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Mother won’t dare to make any rash moves now.’
An engagement with the royal family would prevent even Cecilia from opposing her. She carefully examined the contract again, tilting her head in confusion.
“Huh?”
The crossed-out section appeared to be modified. The contract specified the date of engagement and the terms for its dissolution.
“The termination of the engagement is to be agreed upon cooperatively. Unilateral notification by either party is not allowed?”
Was there a need for such a term? Did Cheston also need this engagement with her? Truthfully, Cheston had no need to maintain the engagement for long. He had already received the herb to cure his mother, so ending the engagement soon would be advantageous for him.
If she, supported by the Rubenius family, becomes engaged to Cheston, the capital will surely buzz with excitement. Though Cheston was not officially recognized as the legitimate heir, being a beloved prince of the king, the nobility would not ignore this situation.
The focus of everyone was bound to be on the two of them.
Whitney knew well the impact a debutante ball could have in high society. The royal ballroom during the social season was eagerly awaited by everyone, particularly because it was time for Prince Carl to find a bride.
Everyone would attend with faces full of anticipation, unaware that they were becoming puppets of the Queen.
Whitney, looking at her unblemished arm even as summer approached, carefully felt it. She felt strange about her smooth, unscarred arm.
“Why does His Highness seem angry?”
She found it difficult to grasp Cheston’s intentions, especially after reading the postscript he added, which left her feeling conflicted.
[Postscript: Truly willful. If you disagree, it’s not too late to say so now.]An extended engagement period was advantageous for Whitney. She placed the contract, now signed by both parties, into an envelope and sealed it properly.
“I should inform my aunt that everything is ready.”
Squinting in the increasingly hot sunlight, Whitney did not mind. Unlike before, when she had to wear long sleeves, now she could fully enjoy the summer days.
She opened the window wide and reached out her hand to play with the shimmering sunlight, moving her fingers back and forth. Suddenly, she noticed a bird flying towards her and widened her eyes in surprise.
The bird flew to her, placing a sparkling round object in her palm.
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.”
