After giving Zero a satisfying smack on the forehead for annoyingly agreeing with the party members’ opinions, we sat down and had a serious conversation.
‘Leaving the grand reception room of the mansion and having such discussions seems ridiculous…’
It was unavoidable. Sienna was wandering around inside the mansion, so discussing important matters in a room was foolish, especially when the topic was Sienna’s true identity.
What was somewhat fortunate was that Sienna strangely rarely approached the banquet hall.
“Why is that?”
Benedict, sitting on a water cushion he prepared for me, looked puzzled.
The water cushion, created by the power of the spirits, was neither cold nor lukewarm, making it soft and comfortable.
Michael answered my question in place of me.
“It might be because of the divine power.”
「I think the same!」
After receiving a firm smack and rolling around in pain, Zero quickly stood up and insisted that Michael’s words were correct.
「Divine power can’t kill zombies, but it can paralyze them.」
“I had the same thoughts as Zero-nim.”
From the perspective of zombies considering humans as prey, speed was life, as they only moved swiftly when they detected prey.
「Even if she’s a mutant, a zombie is still a zombie. Sienna can’t deviate from that framework.」
“I also think so. If Sienna is a zombie, she would likely react to the characteristics of other zombies that can be seen. Otherwise, there’s no reason for her not to reveal herself in the banquet hall, where divine power is highly effective.”
“That makes sense…”
After observing the mutant zombie, Sienna, it turned out her behavior pattern was not special.
Eating, sleeping, going to the bathroom, and walking gracefully under the sun – just like a person.
‘I can’t tell if she vomits the food she eats in the bathroom, as she can’t enter there.’
Regardless of day or night, watching her walk like a human, it seemed she could be considered an upgraded version 2.0 compared to ordinary zombies.
However, the fact that Michael rarely came to the training ground where he extracted divine power for sparring was a splendid clue.
As we talked for a while, it gradually became colder.
Being in a secluded place between the buildings, it was somewhat chilly in the shadows.
I crossed my arms in an X-shape to conserve heat, hunching over as much as possible.
“Michael Kyung.”
“Yes, my lord. Please speak.”
“Kyung, you must have encountered Sienna inside the mansion, right?”
“…Of course.”
It was just a natural question, but Michael’s expression became like that of a husband scolded by his wife for being fickle.
‘Ah, no. What am I thinking?’
What wind! We have no relationship whatsoever. Hm, hm.
As I tried to brush away the absurd and embarrassing thoughts to a faraway galaxy, Zero poured oil to make the fire blaze.
“Even you know your own mistakes! Hmph! Can’t a man have a moment of relaxation… Ugh!”
“For heaven’s sake, could you just shut up? Are you a romance-starved ghost clinging onto me? Huh?”
Zero, who always tried to interfere, snatched away the sweet treat he was holding with his small front paws and stuffed it into his repulsive mouth.
The cheek pouches, like the hamster’s signature move, contained all the snacks I had stuffed in.
“Uuuaaah!”
The tightly packed egg-shaped candy inside the cheek pouch seemed like it would burst if touched.
“Now, say it again.”
Ignoring Zero’s complaints, I focused my attention on Michael’s story once again.
“When I was alone in my room, Sienna came to meet me.”
“And what was the matter?”
“She said she came to meet a wizard. It seemed to be a similar pattern to meeting that man.”
Of course. Sienna wasn’t just meeting my old friends out of mere joy.
She was merely trying to extract information to carry out the orders from the mastermind who revived her.
Curious, I listened intently.
“However, in the case of the wizard, it was about the development of artifacts or weapons to deal with zombies. In my case, she asked about how long I could endure using divine power and such.”
“Trying to gather information on divine endurance, I assume.”
Concentrated divine power could immobilize zombies.
‘Could Sienna have come here to kill all the party members?’
I initially thought her purpose was merely to find me, the one contracted with the god, but the situation was unfolding in a more ominous direction.
When asked why I was curious about that, she replied that even if Sienna lost her memories, the compulsion to collect any information must be strong, especially when seeing us, her friends. She added that Sienna said she might feel uneasy if she saw us, her friends, even if she had forgotten her feelings toward her.
“Yeah. If only Sienna were truly alive.”
With a pained expression hidden, Michael prostrated himself on the ground.
“Stupid as it may sound, at that moment, I sincerely hoped Sienna was truly human. Even if I had to give up my feelings for her, she would still be a friend. That’s why…”
Unable to continue, Michael sniffled and snorted.
I was dumbfounded.
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.”
