In response, Hades hesitated for a moment and then, seemingly indifferent, said, “If you’re sick, you should see a doctor. I’m curious why you’re filing a complaint with the royal palace instead of going to a physician.”
Reacting to Hades’ choice of coarse words, Luhan raised his head in surprise and pulled out a scroll from his arms. “It’s a copy of that complaint. Amirah Shadi seems to be the culprit.”
Written there was a blatant petition, criticizing Latifa for not understanding why a slave from a fallen nation should partake in the sublime tradition of the desert and bless it. Glancing through the complaint, Hades, with a stern look, uttered a harsh word, “Impudent woman. She still hasn’t come to her senses.”
“Then she probably asked for a soul marriage ceremony in your dreams. Hey, Hades, you barely got Latifa back. No matter how much attention she gets, it’s not good for her.”
Luhan, with brown eyes shining, made a valid point. However, Hades, perhaps feeling a bit uncomfortable with Luhan’s righteous gaze for her, spoke bluntly, “Latifa is undeniably Caleb’s Fraulein. She has the right to be treated accordingly. And such trivial matters are none of your concern, Prince.”
“Since you’re the master, you should take good care of her. Just because she’s called Fraulein doesn’t mean she’s your plaything.”
Hades, with possessiveness in his black eyes, let out a snort. Luhan’s gaze became sharp as he offered a subtle warning.
“If the flames are too strong, those around may get burned, Hades. You should know very well who might get burned. Protecting Fraulein is the duty of the master.”
“Luhan.”
As Luhan’s lecture seemed to prolong, Hades interrupted him. “Well, yeah. I trust you to handle Amirah Shadi’s case.”
Luhan let out a long sigh, downing the mint tea in one gulp.
In the calm afternoon, Latifa lay on the warm altar in Hamam, extracting the last sweat of the day. Like cats basking on the roof on a sunny day, the servants lay on hot stones with only towels draped over them. Amidst the refreshing humidity, heat, and the fragrant lavender oil wafting through Hamam, Latifa and the maids chatted incessantly.
“What should I do for the initiation ceremony?”
“Just have a party and enjoy.”
“Is that all?”
Perplexed, Latifa asked, and the maids, rather excitedly, replied, “For men, it’s customary to slaughter a cow or pig whole, but it varies by household. Women can do anything.”
“You can drink until you’re full at the party, burn books, sing loudly while wandering the streets, or even undress and dance.”
“You can also meet various men.”
At that, the children burst into giggles. When there was silence, Yanan wiped the sweat on his forehead and began to explain properly, as if feeling that the unusual tradition was not fully understood.
“Is that all?”
When Latifa asked with confusion, the maids, instead, enthusiastically replied, “For men, it’s usually customary to slaughter a whole cow or pig, but it varies by household. Women can do anything.”
“You can have a party and drink until you’re full, burn books, sing loudly while wandering the streets, or even undress and dance. You can also meet various men.”
At that, the children burst into giggles.
Seemingly not understanding the somewhat strange custom, Yanan, who was quiet as if he couldn’t accept it, wiped the sweat on his forehead and began to explain properly.
“In the Grand Bazaar, you become a legal adult only after the initiation ceremony. The meaning of the initiation is that one must have self-restraint and control. So, if you feel confident the next day and not ashamed, you can do anything as long as it doesn’t violate the law. It signifies being able to control oneself.”
“Usually, that’s how it’s explained, but people just wear white clothes and play until their clothes get dirty. Until the sun sets. That’s why many celebrations happen on the day with the longest daylight.”
“Maybe Lady Amirah planned to ambush Lord Hades at the initiation ceremony. Kick-kick.”
“Kids! Watch your language! Do you want to tarnish Caleb’s honor?”
Yanan scolded the children sternly.
Upon hearing the distant name Amirah, Latifa quickly recalled her memory.
‘Amirah? I’ve seen her during the trial. She seemed to really like Hades and caused a lot of trouble, claiming she should be punished by me.’
“Amirah? I’ve seen her on trial. She seems to really like Hades.”
As the name ‘Hades’ came out of Latifa’s mouth, the maids began to murmur ‘Kyak’ in response, but Yanan warned them again and said to Latifa,
“The heiress of the spice market, the youngest daughter of the Shadi Merchant, likes Lord Hades a lot. She’s shameless.”
“Every time she comes to Caleb’s estate, she causes a commotion. She treats us like her own servants.”
“Ah, it’s so fortunate that Lady Latifa came. If not, that terrible woman might have become the mistress of this house.”
When the children saw Amirah’s misfortune, Yanan scolded them again.
“Ladies, you should be careful with your words! Do you want to ruin Caleb’s reputation further?”
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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