“Hear ye, hear ye!”
“His Majesty the Emperor has returned from his western expedition! At an unbelievably rapid pace!”
“Yes, the expedition really is over! Ah, one lire, thank you!”
The cacophony of newsboys and newsgirls distributing heralds in exchange for one-lire coins filled the streets. Fluttering heralds scattered about, and ecstatic citizens of Chalea rushed into the streets. Along with the heralds, flowers also seemed to take flight and sold like hotcakes.
Citizens of Chalea, who had been under monster attacks and even had the royal lineage broken, sincerely welcomed the Emperor. He was young, beautiful, and most of all, powerful and competent.
“Imperials inbound!”
People living near the castle gates were the first to spot the emergence of the teleportation circle at the tip of Vifel. A white light drew a massive circle, and Imperials began to pour out.
“Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”
People began shouting even before Icarus appeared in sight.
Imperials descending from the sky landed in Vifel and headed towards the Chalea castle gate. A few among the ten thousand or so Imperials quickly landed in the back and sidestepped, but given the overwhelming number rushing in, no one paid attention to those few knights.
At the forefront, the conspicuous Emperor garnered all the attention.
“Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”
The cheers were tremendous. The welcome was extraordinary compared to when he returned after quelling the northern rebellion in four battles and simultaneously breaking the pride of the eastern nobles.
Citizens of Chalea stopped whatever they were doing and ran out to welcome the Emperor.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
The Imperials, despite the grand welcome, remained unfazed and simply followed the Emperor looking straight ahead.
The fluttering flags were high, and the Emperor moved through Vifel towards Chalea neither too slowly nor too quickly. People threw flowers in his path and bowed their heads in respect.
He might have been expected to wave back, but Hayden simply offered a smile to the children while crossing the street with a more subdued expression than ever.
This was right after the news had spread that the Imperials had already recovered the corpses of the abducted royals. Currently, Perseta was in the middle of a funeral.
“Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”
But even that couldn’t drown out the cheers. Not just for fending off monsters but also for the considerable value of numerous hides, bones, and other organs obtained from monster corpses.
The struggling monster-related industries were beginning to revive.
The sounds of cheers from butchers, blacksmiths, hunters, and traders were probably the loudest. Count and Countess Flache had to inspect and oversee the trade of monster corpses for three days.
And their daughter arrived first at Chalea Imperial Palace, escorted by ten Imperials who had quickly landed and sidestepped.
Hayden confirmed from a distance as she flew into the imperial palace. His first goal in Carlos, now that the treasury had been looted, would be to bring back Rustica Gennes. Neither the scepter, nor the staff, nor even the western star would matter.
More than anything, he couldn’t forgive Rue for daring to betray him. His pride was wounded because Rue had chosen someone else over him. Hayden knew very well what kind of person this kidnapper and robber was.
And above all, Rue was the only one to take Carlos’s abandoned place. How awkward that must be. He had intended to exploit that power until death but was immensely angry just by losing her. He must have felt threatened as well.
“Welcome, Your Majesty.”
Court Secretary Simon Caneburg greeted him in front of the Imperial armory. The skinny man with a monocle looked impeccably meticulous today.
“Congratulations on swiftly completing the expedition.”
“Any issues while I was gone?”
“If there were, you would have been the first to know.”
“Coo!”
Hayden, who had just jumped down from Icar, stroked the creature’s large wings and patted it.
“Well done.”
“Coo.”
Rubbing its head vigorously against Hayden, Icar followed its caretaker inside. Meat was probably generously laid out inside.
“The state funeral?”
“Proceeding as per tradition. The priests currently have the body, and the ritual takes place every morning.”
“And Lu?”
“She has already arrived. Headed straight to Glea Palace, as you instructed. Are you planning to stay throughout the funeral?”
Hayden, who had asked only what he wanted to know, picked up the bag he had tied to Icar and walked away.
“Security is the top priority, given that he’s at the top of the Calleta Empire’s list of rebels. Forget traditions.”
“Understood. But what is that?”
An item carried personally by the Emperor couldn’t be ordinary. It was carefully wrapped and hidden so that its contents were not revealed.
“Some will go into the treasury, others are gifts.”
“Hm?”
Hayden walked away, grinning.
A magical circle leading directly to his office was drawn at the end of his walk. Simon Kainberg, who followed him quickly, also moved along.
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.”
