The day I was humiliated by Duke Baltezhar is unforgettable; I couldn’t forget the face he stared at me with. Moreover, that piece was a work he explicitly instructed me to buy. Clémence Jazak gritted her teeth and raised her hand again.
“100 verangs!”
As there had never been an auction price exceeding 100 verangs, the surroundings were in turmoil. The auctioneer, who had been watching the confrontation between the two women in surprise, enthusiastically shouted,
“Yes! The first 100 verangs of the day!”
Closette, with a displeased expression, glared at Clémence Jazak. Roselia, thinking that obtaining that piece, even if a bit challenging, would be advantageous, quietly whispered to Closette.
And soon after hearing the whisper, Closette, with ambitious determination, immediately raised her hand and shouted,
“200 verangs!”
200 verangs could sustain a common family for several years without working. Of course, it was not a considerable amount for nobles, but no one had invested such a large sum in a charity event like this, so everyone was surprised.
And then, the irritated Clémence Jazak suddenly stood up with an angry face.
Even if she was, in fact, Clémence Jazak, there was no room for spending such a large amount on a work that wouldn’t even be worth 200 verangs. Inadvertently, her fiery gaze turned towards Roselia.
“Yes, are there any more bids?! No more? Seems like there are none! The twelfth piece goes to Lady Valtazar!”
Beside the triumphantly triumphant Closette, Roselia, feeling Clémence Jazak’s glaring look as if she could devour her, made eye contact and deliberately ignored it.
After the successful charity auction, a party prepared by the viscount immediately followed.
Closette, whether too excited from the auction or with a flushed face, was fanning herself vigorously.
“I sweated too much; I’ll go to the powder room for a moment.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
When Roselia, left alone, was standing somewhat awkwardly, a sharp heel stopped in front of her, accompanied by a strong scent of perfume.
“What are you looking at, and what are you meddling in?”
It was Clémence Jazak.
Roselia judged that there was no good in confronting nobility and decided to pretend not to hear, lowering her head and trying to pass her.
However, with a venomous expression, Clémence Jazak blocked Roselia’s way.
“Have I seen you before?”
Even if she was a noble, such impolite language was unacceptable. Despite being a first meeting, Jazak’s behavior of openly ignoring her was met with Roselia’s indifferent response.
“On the day you were scolded by the Duke, are you talking about that day?”
“What, scolded? How dare you!”
It happened in an instant. Without any hesitation or contemplation, Jazak, who had raised her hand, struck Roselia’s cheek.
Slap!
Roselia, bewildered by the absurd situation, had to stay frozen for a while.
“Ha…”
No matter how she was dressed as a servant, she was still the duke’s maid.
Moreover, the fact that even a servant could brazenly challenge someone like this was astounding. Roselia, who was quietly passing by, couldn’t help but turn her head slowly to gaze at Clémence.
Without stepping back, Clémence, under Roselia’s intense gaze, raised her hand once again with a stern look.
“In the context of a servant, where do you get the audacity to…!”
Snap!
At that moment, Klaus, who suddenly appeared from somewhere, grabbed Clémence Jazak’s wrist and stood her up.
“What is this behavior?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected presence of the duke, Clémence, flustered, quickly contorted her expression and vehemently retorted.
“This, let go! This servant behaved rudely first!”
In response to Clémence’s words, Klaus, with a furrowed brow, coldly replied.
“If raising your hand so easily is your hobby, do it to your own servant. Why interfere with a noble’s servant?”
Clémence’s demeanor crumpled at Klaus’s actions, which enveloped and revolved around the servant.
Again. Just like last time, she had been embarrassed because of that servant…
Could it be… Roselia, the lady, is just a smokescreen, and the duke’s preferences are…
An unpleasant smile appeared on Clémence’s lips, driven to madness by these thoughts.
“Ha… Duke, do you perhaps have feelings for that servant?”
“What…?”
Like Closette, Klaus, who had received an invitation from Viscount Blimonde, used the excuse of being busy to skip the charity auction, attending the party only to make an appearance. But now, in this absurd situation… It was so unbelievable that when Klaus was left dumbfounded, the surrounding nobles began to murmur.
As Klaus, with a displeased expression, glared at Clémence Jazak, she didn’t back down and raised her hand again.
“You casually raise your hand in the presence of nobles…!”
Snap!
At that moment, Klaus, who had suddenly appeared from somewhere, grabbed Clémence Jazak’s wrist and stood her up.
“What is going on here?”
Confused by the sudden appearance of the duke, Clémence, who was embarrassed, quickly contorted her expression and countered.
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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