Contrary to Carlos’s expectations, Irene wasn’t particularly scared of Abel.
Rather than scared… she found him awkward.
Whenever she looked at Abel, she felt like she was looking at a cunning and elusive fox that often appeared as a villain in fairy tales. She didn’t want to deal with him if possible.
However, when he suggested building friendship by sharing cake and having a friendly conversation, she felt extremely bewildered.
In her heart, she wanted to refuse decisively.
Given Abel’s previous words and his current attitude, it seemed like he also thought of himself as Carlos’s lover.
But she was worried that if she rejected him outright, it might cause trouble for Carlos.
Worried that Abel, who might be emotionally hurt by rejection, would go around saying strange things, Irene hesitated.
‘What should I do?’
Irene glanced briefly at Carlos standing behind Abel.
“…….,”
It would be nice if he could somehow signal what to do, but Carlos had been silent since he arrived.
It seemed like he meant for her to act with discretion.
So, does that mean he accepts Abel’s proposal?
If she really didn’t want to, Carlos would have firmly told her not to.
Her initially indecisive feelings gradually tilted.
Irene sighed deeply in her heart and nodded.
“I guess… so.”
For a change, the full moon was bright, and the weather was pleasant. Reflecting Abel’s suggestion to not stay cooped up inside and go outside for a bit, the somewhat abrupt teatime was held in the north greenhouse.
“The greenhouse is still indoors.”
Abel complained that it wasn’t a perfect outdoor setting, but Carlos ignored him neatly.
Already feeling annoyed because of Abel’s suggestion, he didn’t have the luxury to care about such things.
Why did she accept Abel’s proposal?
Carlos, thinking she was scared of Abel, couldn’t ask directly and stared intensely at Irene.
“…….,”
The way he stared was so persistent that it felt like he could pierce through her cheeks.
Feeling uncomfortable facing him directly, Irene lowered her gaze and sipped her tea.
Then, Abel, sitting across from her, scooped a piece of cake onto her plate.
“Don’t just drink tea, try the cake too.”
“…….,”
Although Irene felt burdened by Abel’s kindness, she didn’t have a reasonable excuse to refuse.
“Thank you.”
Not wanting to ruin the atmosphere from the start, she lightly bowed her head in gratitude.
“Eat quickly.”
Trying to eat the cake as if coerced, Carlos, sitting right next to her, swiftly took the plate away.
Then, he placed the plate back in front of Abel and personally served a piece of cake onto Irene’s plate.
“Eat this.”
“…….,”
Slightly taken aback, Irene looked at Carlos.
Abel, also bewildered, asked him with an incredulous look, “What are you doing now? Why are you giving it back to me?”
“She’ll take care of it on her own, so don’t stick your nose into unnecessary business and take care of your own things.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Abel, chin resting on his clasped hands, grinned somewhat ominously.
“I protect what’s mine. Is that the gist of it?”
Mine. Abel indeed thinks of Carlos as his lover.
Although Irene anticipated this, hearing it directly made her blush shyly.
Carlos retorted with an annoyed tone, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
“What’s nonsense about it? I just said what I heard.”
“That’s what’s considered nonsense.”
“Isn’t it strange that you’re the one saying that?”
“…….,”
Watching the two awkwardly quarreling like two cats with their tails tied together, Irene took a big bite of her cake.
‘Sweet.’
It didn’t seem this sweet when she had it before.
Feeling the intense sweetness on her tongue, Irene wrinkled her nose, but strangely, she didn’t dislike it and finished it cleanly.
Irene thought the tea time with Abel would be uncomfortable, but it wasn’t as bad as she thought.
“Master, may I have a word?”
Yeah. It’s not bad, but it’s not like she wanted to be alone with Abel.
Irene glanced at Carlos behind Abel, acting like she expected Dewey to take Carlos out, and in her stiff state, rolled her eyes to look at Carlos.
Carlos, not wanting to leave Irene alone with Abel, frowned.
“Now?”
“Yes. It’s a bit urgent.”
“Can’t you talk about it here?”
Even if it were about the underworld, Irene wouldn’t understand what it meant, not knowing about that world’s existence.
Abel didn’t need to pay attention unless it was an extremely confidential matter.
If that were the case, Dewey wouldn’t have brought up the topic in Abel’s presence.
So, when she asked, Dewey, in a voice only Carlos could hear, said, “It’s about the investigation team.”
“…….,”
It wasn’t an extremely confidential secret, but it was something Abel absolutely shouldn’t know.
Moreover, seeing Dewey’s urgent expression, it was clear that some problem had arisen.
In that case, it was right to quickly understand the problem and find a solution.
“…….,”
Certainly, that was the right thing to do… but Irene couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
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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