Klaus was perplexed by his own hypersensitive reaction.
For some reason, he felt a sudden surge of inexplicable anger when he saw Antonio, impersonated by Roselia, being grabbed by the wrist by the crown prince.
Being usually sensitive about his property and possessions, he guessed that his anger stemmed from seeing his belongings being mistreated.
Klaus, having calmed his anger and organized his thoughts, spoke calmly.
“Do I have to be grabbed by the neck by the crown prince before you listen to me? His Highness the prince is someone who wouldn’t hesitate to behead if annoyed.”
Hmm… He was already well aware of that.
That’s why the original Roselia had met such an anticlimactic death at the hands of the prince.
Of course, Klaus had played a significant role in that event.
Seeing Roselia’s expression turn cold as she looked down, Klaus, thinking she understood his point, continued.
“It’s not good for you to attract the crown prince’s attention. So…”
“I appreciate the advice. But as I said before, beyond repaying the duke’s debt, it’s also a promise I made to Her Highness the crown princess. I’ll make sure not to cause any trouble for the duke.”
Roselia didn’t want to heed the words of Klaus, who had been a bystander until her death.
And the biggest reason, as she had told Klaus, was that it was now a matter involving a promise with the crown princess.
She remembered the crown princess’s wistful remark about wishing someone like her was in the royal family.
She trusted and felt more drawn to that woman than to men who talked about killing.
With a cold expression, Roselia bowed to Klaus and then turned and walked away without hesitation.
Dressed as a man, Roselia stood in front of Klaus’s office door and swallowed hard.
Why had she boasted that she would personally repay the next debt as Roselia…
She wanted to scold her past self.
Taking a deep breath, Roselia was about to knock on the door when she heard voices inside.
“It seems the approval for the school’s construction site from the nobles’ council hasn’t come through yet.”
That was Alejandro’s calm voice, followed by Klaus’s voice, sounding like he was suppressing his anger.
“It’s just barely touching our land, and yet they make such a fuss. Obviously, they’re trying to extort money from me under the pretext of school construction.”
“Perhaps it’s better to reconsider the school construction…”
“Ah…! If they want money, I’ll shove it in their mouths so they can’t make a peep. Dammit. That’s why I earned it.”
“Then, I’ll compile a list of nobles who own land near the school site.”
After Alejandro said that and exited the office, Roselia, without realizing it, turned and hid herself.
Alejandro, apparently preoccupied, didn’t notice her and disappeared down the hallway.
After watching him go, Roselia swallowed dryly and cautiously knocked on the office door.
“Got more questions?”
At Klaus’s irritated voice, Roselia cautiously began.
“I’m… Roselia.”
“…….”
After a moment of silence, Klaus responded with a low, muffled voice.
“Come in.”
As Roselia cautiously entered, she inadvertently averted her eyes from Klaus’s stare. He was leaning against the desk, looking intently at her.
Glancing at Klaus, she noticed he looked extremely tired and worn out, unlike his usual self. His shirt was ruffled as if he had angrily pulled at it, with several top buttons missing.
“Come here.”
He motioned towards a table, and Roselia cautiously approached, glancing at him.
“You ran away again that day.”
Roselia, momentarily confused whether Klaus was referring to the incident in the palace or the back alley, quickly regained her composure and answered calmly.
“Well… A colleague who was with me was not in good health.”
Remembering the gaunt woman with a sickly complexion who was with Roselia, Klaus furrowed a brow and coldly spoke.
“Stop being stubborn and come to the mansion.”
“What?”
“Why do you insist on staying in such dangerous conditions?”
It seemed Klaus believed she was living in the back alley in such a way.
“At that time… it wasn’t about my issue, I was helping my colleague…”
“Either way, you were in that situation, weren’t you?”
Despite his calm voice, Klaus’s eyes betrayed an inexplicable anger.
Roselia met his gaze, furrowed her brow, and sighed deeply.
“As I’ve said before, I’m more comfortable where I am. I don’t want to go into the duke’s residence.”
Klaus, frustrated by her firm response, irritably brushed back his hair.
“The stubbornness runs in the family.”
Muttering bitterly, Klaus stood up, and Roselia’s gaze followed him.
Klaus, looking exhausted and somewhat angry, slowly approached her. He then placed his hands on the table behind her, leaning close in a threatening manner.
Surprised, Roselia found herself trapped between his arms, sitting on the table, and wore a shocked expression.
“If you like that place so much, why don’t you serve me instead?”
His words, murmured close enough for his breath to touch her, widened Roselia’s eyes.
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.”
