“It’s time for you to wake up… Oh, miss.”
As always, Jessie, who came to wake Irene up, found her sitting by the bed and smiled.
“You woke up by yourself today. Well done.”
Irene felt a bit awkward receiving a compliment suitable for a child and scratched her cheek.
“Today, your eyes opened early.”
“It means you had a good night’s sleep. Will you wash up right away?”
“Yes.”
Since Irene decided to have breakfast with Carlos from today, there was no time to linger.
Irene quickly washed up and sat in front of the dressing table.
Jessie dried her wet hair and asked, “Would you like to choose the clothes you’ll wear today?”
“Well, let me see…”
Although choosing clothes was difficult, it was more fun than she thought. However, she hesitated because Carlos didn’t react well yesterday when she wore the clothes she picked herself.
“I saw yesterday that you have excellent taste in choosing clothes, and you’re good at coordinating accessories. Why don’t you choose them yourself today, miss?”
Encouraged by the compliment that elevated her pride, Irene’s hesitating heart tilted.
Yes. Let’s try it just one more time.
“Then I’ll choose today as well.”
“I’ll bring them right away, so please wait for a moment.”
Jessie brought a long rack full of dresses and an accessory cabinet, carefully selected from numerous clothes in the dressing room.
“…”
Now that I have to choose myself, I don’t know what to wear.
Since Jessie brought only what she thought was okay, every single one was pretty and colorful, matching Irene’s taste.
“…”
Well, they’re all my taste.
Not Esper Count’s taste.
Maybe that’s why Carlos didn’t react well?
Thinking that way, Irene asked Jessie casually.
“By any chance, what style of clothes does Count like?”
“Master?”
Jessie was a bit flustered by the sudden question, then after thinking for a moment, she smiled meaningfully as if she knew something. She stroked her chin and answered.
“Well, I don’t know what style Master likes… Come to think of it, it’s been over a hundred years since I’ve been in Master’s service, and I’ve never heard anything about that.”
“What? Over a hundred years?”
“…”
Realizing that she had made a slip of the tongue too late, Jessie panicked. But the more important thing now was not that it had been over a hundred years, but that Jessie also didn’t know Carlos’s taste.
“Do you really not know anything?”
Just to be sure, Jessie nodded.
“Master rarely shares personal stories….”
I see.
“Oh, if it’s Dewey, he might know something. Should I ask him?”
“Oh, no! There’s no need for that.”
Certainly, Dewey, who serves Carlos the closest, might know his preferences. However, Irene strongly avoided asking Dewey, as it felt like prying into Carlos’s preferences.
“But why suddenly ask about Master’s preferences? Did he say something strange about the clothes you chose yesterday?”
Irene replied, hesitatingly.
“No, he did compliment and say they were pretty, but… it felt a bit indifferent. Or, it was somewhat dry… Anyway, the feeling of him answering reluctantly was strong.”
“I see.”
Only now did Jessie laugh as if to indicate what the issue was.
“If that’s the case, you don’t need to worry. Master sincerely meant what he said.”
Was that reaction genuine?
Not understanding Jessie’s words at all, Irene looked at her with confusion.
Jessie, who seemed about to burst into laughter, forcibly held back and added.
“As I mentioned earlier, Master rarely talks about personal matters. He rarely expresses emotions. Well, not rarely, but almost never.”
That’s true. Irene empathized silently with Jessie’s words.
“But if Master said you were beautiful, it must be a sincere compliment, so you don’t have to worry at all.”
“Is that so…”
Seeing Jessie speaking so much, Irene was suspicious, but Jessie continued, piercing through her thoughts.
“If it continues to bother you, instead of suffering silently, ask Master directly.”
The golden eyes shook slightly.
“Ask the Duke directly…?”
“Yes. Then you can know if my words are true, and your worries will disappear, so be sure to ask.”
“…”
It’s true that asking directly would be certain, but…
How can I ask that outright?
Just thinking about it made Irene feel embarrassed and ashamed, so she tightly shut her mouth.
While exchanging various conversations, time was steadily passing.
Irene quickly prepared, fearing that something unforeseen might make Duke Esper wait.
Although Irene usually had breakfast in her room, having breakfast with Carlos was different.
Maybe they would eat in the dining room like they did during dinner?
Irene, who vaguely thought so, widened her eyes when Jessie walked toward Carlos’s bedroom instead of the dining room.
Could they be having breakfast in his bedroom?
“Why are we going this way?”
Irene wanted to confirm if what she thought was correct, so she asked Jessie, who was walking ahead.
In response, Jessie, puzzled, turned around to look at her.
“Well, of course, it’s for breakfast. Didn’t you decide to have breakfast with the master starting today?”
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.”
