“We all know. The chosen one by the gods isn’t Penel.”
“Mariette, there’s no need to emphasize what everyone already knows.”
“The situation has changed. Penel’s daughter caused not only your manifestation but also your awakening.”
Few knew this fact. Ricardo’s eyes narrowed, but Mariette didn’t shy away from his wary look.
“Even so, nothing changes. We all clearly know the saint is your intended consort.”
Ricardo swept his hand through his hair, revealing his boiling emotions. Normally, he would handle this smoothly, but today he couldn’t tolerate the Crown Princess.
Regardless of his situation, Mariette continued.
“Remember, your ability to even temporarily engage with Penel is thanks to His Highness’s consideration.”
“…”
“You must become the Emperor. You must never forget that.”
“Enough, Mariette. I understand the terrible feelings you have watching your husband who can’t walk…”
Ricardo crossed his arms loosely, watching Mariette as if he were an unamused spectator at a play.
“I’m letting you overstep the line for now.”
Mariette clenched her fist. When her feelings since yesterday were named ‘terrible,’ it became harder for her to control them.
“You’re right. I am miserable. It’s a horrific feeling to know that I and my son are the cause of all this. You, who are involved in this matter, must know how precious the remaining half of a life that only lasts ten years is.”
“…”
“Especially the feelings of someone who has to leave behind those they need to protect.”
“The Crown Prince brought his death closer himself.”
“I know! But right now, I can’t resent him.”
Mariette had witnessed her beloved husband collapsing like a newborn foal. It remained as an indelible mark, constantly tormenting her heart.
“That’s why I resent you. I just hope the life he sacrificed to protect us and my son wasn’t in vain.”
Ricardo gazed at Mariette for a moment, then let out a faint laugh, breaking the tense atmosphere.
“Mariette…”
He softly called her name, stretching his neck against the back of the chair and gazing into the distance.
“Spitting at the sky from here would only fall back on my face, not those damned gods.”
The dazzling weather didn’t match his situation at all.
In fact, the whole Dermaier Empire was like that. To Ricardo, the empire was overly mild and excessively bright.
“I know why you came here. You wanted to see me looking at her.”
He slightly tilted his head to the right, as if searching for meaning in the changing clouds.
“Fearing that I might go mad and break our promise with you…”
“…”
“But it was a futile effort.”
As the bright light shone down aggressively, Ricardo squinted.
“I can’t remember, Mariette.”
“…”
“I don’t remember anything.”
Overwhelmed by a mix of white, blue, black, and blunt emotions that sometimes felt too much to bear.
“For now, I just want to torment that woman a bit.”
Eventually, Ricardo closed both eyes, thinking briefly how grateful he would be if someone would just plunge a knife into his throat.
“Looking at her… feels like sinking to the darkest, coldest depths of the sea, stripped bare. That’s how I feel when I see Miss Penel.”
“When I look at that woman… I feel like I’m plunging naked to the darkest, coldest bottom of the sea. That’s how I feel when I see Miss Penel.”
Yet, Ricardo constantly thought of her. Even as the Crown Princess poured out words like a torrential rain, he kept thinking about the woman who acted as if she’d cast him out of this world if their eyes didn’t meet.
Ricardo slowly lifted his head to meet Mariette’s gaze.
“So, there’s nothing between that woman and me, Mariette.”
A deliberate flame seemed to ignite in the deep black of his eyes.
“Nothing at all.”
The eyes that shone slickly, icy cold, yet burning hot, left Mariette momentarily lost for words and breathless.
“Because of that damned contract I made with your husband, one I don’t even remember, I’m just going through the motions. That means you have nothing to worry about.”
His gaze was like a warning not to ever mess with her, reminiscent of a male protecting a female who entered his territory.
Eventually, Mariette averted her eyes and stood up.
“Just remember this, Ricardo. Time is running out. The day your true consort enters this ducal house is approaching.”
In half a year, in a world only the Crown Prince remembers, she will come to the empire. The woman destined to be the Empress, accompanied by an oracle.
A week passed since the Crown Princess’s visit.
Despite the mild climate, it wasn’t so extreme that the seasons couldn’t be felt. When I first came here, the winds were cool, but as they warmed, the colors of the surrounding flowers deepened.
The petals of spring flowers firmly ripened, and the grass on the way to Bluehill grew lusher. It was astonishing; only a week had passed.
Since that day, I hadn’t seen Ricardo’s face. He was busier than before and rarely stayed home. Consequently, my pleading to engage with him also subsided temporarily.
Though I received exquisite care, there wasn’t a day when I felt at ease.
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.”
