Escalion lifted his heavy eyelids.
The first thing that entered his vision was the sunlight brightly illuminating the ceiling of his room.
‘When did it become morning?’
Along with the fact that it had been quite some time since the sun rose, it belatedly dawned on him that he had slept for quite a long time.
He quickly turned his eyes to look at the spot beside him.
“…”
His lovely wife was sleeping with her eyes closed.
The sight of her swollen belly moving up and down rhythmically calmed his surprised heart.
It had been a really long time since he’d had such a good sleep since his wife became pregnant.
‘There must have been a lot on my mind.’
Moreover, it seemed that he had consumed more energy than usual, perhaps due to being so careful not to disturb Belladonna last night.
After briefly pondering, Escalion slowly raised his upper body, taking care not to wake Belladonna.
At that moment, an unfamiliar scent pricked his nose. This was sweet, no, quite fragrant…
“What is this…”
Soon, his golden eyes widened as he noticed the enormous amount of wildflowers filling the room.
Colorful flowers of unknown origin were lined up neatly on the carpet laid on the floor.
The flowers, placed in beautiful vases matching the size of each bouquet, were emitting sweet fragrances, and they filled the spacious bedroom with a sweet smell.
Who did this? Did Bella want this?
Perhaps he was still not fully awake. Blinking his eyes for a moment, Escalion raised one hand to rub his eyes vigorously and ran his fingers through his hair.
Still, the scene of the bedroom filled with flowers did not disappear.
“Are you awake? I fell asleep too while waiting for you to wake up…”
At that moment, Belladonna, who had been soundly asleep, asked as she raised her body.
She yawned softly and gave Escalion a drowsy smile.
Reflexively smiling back, Belladonna stretched out both arms and exclaimed.
“Happy birthday, Escalion!”
“Today is my birthday?”
“I thought you wouldn’t even remember.”
Belladonna replied with an incredulous expression.
Escalion looked at the wildflowers again and asked.
“What are all those?”
“They’re Escalion’s gift.”
“My gift? This enormous amount of wildflowers? For me?”
Belladonna nodded and wore a very proud expression.
“Aren’t they pretty?”
“They are pretty, but…”
Escalion looked alternately at Belladonna and the wildflowers with a still sleepy face.
He couldn’t tell if she was playing a prank, joking, or if it was all sincere.
He scratched the back of his head and muttered.
“It’s my first time receiving flowers as a gift. Probably the last time too.”
“I’m honored. Escalion, do you remember the young child we met in downtown Griblata sometime?”
Belladonna got down from the bed and trotted to the floor where the wildflowers were placed.
Escalion, thinking that Belladonna looked like a forest fairy as she got closer to the flowers, opened his mouth.
“Young child?”
“Yes! You bought flowers for that child.”
“Ah.”
As if he just remembered, he let out a short exclamation.
“You mean the child who picked flowers nearby and came to sell them to us. About… seven years old?”
“That’s right!”
Your memory is better than I thought!
Belladonna nodded with a bright smile. It felt good that he didn’t remember his own birthday, but hadn’t forgotten such a small memory with her.
“I met that child again in the market yesterday.”
Belladonna said as she crouched down near the vase and fiddled with the delicate petals of a white wildflower.
“Children really grow up fast. The child had already grown into a dignified young person, and yesterday, just like that day, was selling flowers…”
“So you were glad to see a familiar face and ended up buying them all?”
Escalion said as he rose from the bed and approached behind Belladonna.
As close as the distance had become, she could feel the warm heat on her back. Belladonna smiled brightly and plucked one flower, turning to face him.
“It’s not exactly like that! Above all, Escalion is a flower youth who really suits flowers.”
“What youth?”
Escalion immediately furrowed his brow.
Ignoring his negative reaction, Belladonna tucked the plucked flower snugly behind Escalion’s ear.
The delicate flower matched well with Escalion’s dark skin.
She nodded with a pleased smile. It suits him so well…!
“Are you having fun?”
“Very much. It’s pretty, haha.”
“As long as you’re enjoying it.”
Just like that day long ago, Escalion answered with a small smile. He would probably wear that flower in his ear all day today unless he touched it himself.
Escalion, who had been staring at her intently, bent down towards the vase.
He began to shake and fiddle with the flower petals with his rough touch.
Under his palm, which couldn’t properly control its strength, the flower petals drooped and became disheveled.
Is this… his way of appreciating flowers?
Belladonna quietly watched his actions, unsure whether he was tormenting or enjoying the delicate wildflowers.
“This is nice. It’s refreshing.”
“I really worried a lot about what gift to give you, since you already have pretty much everything. So I decided to gift you memories and recollections instead!”
“It’s a wonderful gift. I think I’ll never forget it.”
“I’m glad.”
She was glad that they could peacefully celebrate his birthday together without any worries, and that he seemed to quite like her gift.
Belladonna went behind Escalion and hugged his waist. It was a difficult posture with her protruding belly, but she wanted to do it even if forcefully.
“Happy birthday again, Escalion.”
He gently loosened the hands around his waist, turned around to face her, and embraced her.
He playfully lifted her slightly and then carefully set her back down on the floor.
“Thank you. I’m happy because of you.”
“Me too.”
Belladonna leaned her face against his warm, broad chest. A pleasant throbbing continued to ring in her ears.
[This is the timeline separator]A few months later.
Urgent footsteps echoed through the long corridor of Griblata Castle.
Wolf, running breathlessly, tried to catch up with Escalion, who was far ahead, increasing his speed.
“My lord, you, you must go together!”
He shouted. He was barely following behind the lord, grabbing onto the clothes of the physician who had just arrived at Griblata Castle.
“My lord! Please slow down! What are you going to do by yourself without the physician!”
At Wolf’s piteous voice, Escalion, who had been striding ahead, abruptly stopped.
As if suppressing something, he clenched his fist tightly and turned his head sharply, exhaling a stifled breath.
Wolf and the physician inhaled sharply with a ‘hik’ sound as they met his dark, coldly shining golden eyes.
“Aren’t you running properly?”
“We, we’re coming! Physician, hurry!”
“Ah, yes! I’ll, I’ll hurry!”
They moved their bodies as if suddenly awakening and ran towards Escalion.
After confirming that the distance had been somewhat narrowed, Escalion picked up speed again. He climbed the stairs quickly and flung open the door without hesitation.
Wet towels and a basin full of water, disinfectant potions and surgical tools, and other items necessary for childbirth were placed here and there in the room, with maids bustling around them.
“…!”
Escalion halted his steps inadvertently as he smelled the intense odor of disinfectant.
The maids who noticed Escalion frozen at the open door called out to him.
“My lord!”
“What about the physician? Is he coming?”
“…I brought the physician.”
He squeezed out his voice, belatedly coming to his senses.
This smell that stung his nose was something he had only encountered when someone was dying on the battlefield.
Terror instantly filled his mind.
But this was not a battlefield, just a room prepared for his wife’s delivery.
He exhaled, trying to regain his composure, and turned his gaze. Where is Bella?
“Thank goodness! Please come this way quickly.”
“Huff, huff… Is it this room?”
Escalion roughly pushed the physician’s back, shoving him into the room.
The physician, suddenly thrust forward, struggled to maintain balance as he approached the bed screened by a curtain.
Unable to approach that place, Escalion grabbed a nearby maid and asked.
“How’s Bella?”
“She was in pain until a little while ago, but then got a moment’s respite. Now she’s fallen into a brief sleep from exhaustion.”
“Damn it…”
Escalion muttered softly, his face drained of blood and turned pale.
He repeatedly clenched and unclenched his increasingly damp hands, muttering all sorts of curses in his mind.
How could that weak body… She had been uncomfortable since this morning, complaining of stomach pain, and eventually her water broke.
“I’m going in.”
The physician, who had rolled up both sleeves and cleaned his hands thoroughly, slowly lifted the curtain screening the bed where Belladonna lay.
Escalion tried to follow him as if entranced, but Wolf standing nearby stopped him. He shook his head and said.
“There’s nothing you can do, my lord. Please wait here for now.”
“I could at least hold her hand…”
“The physician, midwife, and even a mage are taking the utmost care of the lady. Now is the time to trust them and wait.”
Blocked by him, Escalion finally buried his face in his hands and bowed his head deeply.
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.”
