“Today is the day of the ceremony for the elevation of the Count of Flache.”
Five nobles affiliated with the Count of Flache received the summons of His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of the Perseita Empire, and entered the Shalea Imperial Palace with honor.
It was a gathering to give credit for the incident of the assassination attempt on His Imperial Majesty that occurred in Turington. Of course, it wasn’t a grand elevation, at best, it was a ceremony for a lifelong knighthood, but its significance was significant.
It was a day when the entire family participated in an event where the protagonist was the first daughter.
Especially today, the youngest daughter of the house, who was trying hard to behave properly, walked diligently on the red carpet after getting off the carriage. However, she was only five years old, and her steps were more like a toddle, making her look adorable enough to make the solemn guards and Imperial Lemaire secretly smile.
“…Da, Dad!”
But climbing the stairs was cumbersome, the carpet seemed endless, and the palace was too vast.
Bella, who had been exhaling deeply as she looked at the Imperial Lemaire knights standing guard at the entrance of the massive building, finally called her dad and reached out with her small, chubby hand. Count Flache quickly took his youngest daughter’s hand.
“Can we go to His Majesty?”
Today, with her hair neatly tied in two braids and wearing a frilly dress, she felt happy because she looked just like her big sister whom she had seen yesterday.
But ironically, when she saw her big sister wearing a uniform, she burst into tears, crying and insisting that she would also wear a uniform like her sister from the morning. Bella, who was sobbing and clinging to her dad with red eyes, hung on to him diligently.
“Let’s greet His Majesty later when he comes. Later, Dad!”
“No, there! Over there, Dad?”
Trying to prevent his daughter from running away, Ethan stopped her, looking at the far end inside the building.
At the end of the grand hall, the Emperor stood talking to Dragonlords, and even Matapju was present. Moreover, the imposing presence of the Imperial Lemaire lined up in the corridor was impressive. Lou, who had no acquaintances to invite for the ceremony, thought that the induction ceremony would be conducted quietly within the family.
“Mom, is this how it’s supposed to be?”
“Yeah. Didn’t Count Keynes explain it to you?”
He did yesterday. He explained with a smiling face, ‘Lady Genesis, stand at the entrance until His Majesty calls you. Then, walk up, salute, and kneel on one knee, you know? Yes. That’s it.’ Lou didn’t say anything about the Imperial Lemaire holding flags and standing in uniform.
She should have suspected something from the fact that the venue was the Imperial Hall. Originally, it was too big of a place for a ‘quiet family-only’ induction ceremony. Even the last induction ceremony was held here.
Actually, the only person who seemed awkward was Lou. Even the youngest Bella walked while holding her dad’s hand without any hesitation.
“Lady Genesis, come this way.”
Just as she was waiting for her, Count Keynes gestured. Lou handed over Sia, who she had been holding, to her mother until now, and followed Count Keynes.
“Good morning.”
“Yes, it’s a good morning. But they say the induction ceremony will be over soon.”
She muttered in a low voice.
“Of course, it will be over soon.”
“With the Imperial Lemaire gathered like that, how can it end modestly and simply?”
“I didn’t say it would end modestly and simply, Lady Genesis. Even if so, it’s a ceremony to induct a knight into lifelong service. You already have experience in Caleta, right? It’s just copying the Perseita Empire’s system of imperial knights. You’ll be familiar with it.”
Simon said, looking at Lou with a monocle as if it were trivial.
“Surely you don’t think His Majesty would casually conduct Lady Genesis’s induction ceremony, right?”
“Hahahaha…”
Lou rolled her eyes at the words that they both knew all too well, pretending not to understand.
“You should now realize how much His Majesty thinks of Lady Genesis.”
It means getting used to being greatly loved by the most powerful person in the empire.
“I was a little surprised because it was different from what I had in mind.”
Lou took a deep breath, then looked at the Imperial Lemaire.
“It’s time.”
Well, since it has started, there’s nothing we can do. Being in the spotlight is something familiar to a prodigy knight since childhood.
She looked at herself in the mirror wearing the Perseita knight uniform without any decoration. She considered it an outfit that she would never wear again. When she completely cleared her life in Kartat, she burned everything related to knighthood and uniforms overnight. There was no need to cry so much and burn it.
Now, looking back, it was unnecessary to cry so much, and it was worthless. Just fooled completely by Carlos Arthur Ingram.
The time had come, and the induction ceremony began.
“Everyone, please rise.”
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.”
