Milley’s mansion, while only a temporary residence, was by no means shabby. Compared to the estates of other nobles, it might have lacked some splendor, but it was spacious and practical.
Guided by Milley’s aide, Lilburn, Laila entered the mansion and was secretly impressed by the unexpectedly large and well-furnished interior. There was a vast hall suitable for small parties, open staircases, balconies along corridors open up to the third floor, and several rooms that could accommodate dozens of people.
Looking up at the chandelier reflecting the candlelight, Laila thought to herself, “Could Lord Milley be a great magnate?” She found it curious how someone could afford such a fine house in a foreign country and have enough wealth to frequent the royal court.
While she pondered this, she tried to calm her materialistic curiosity. Ascending the stairs to the second floor, Lilburn, who had been quite shocked upon discovering her in the carriage, now spoke in a more business-like manner.
“We don’t have many rooms available for guests, so we might need to clear one for you. Would you mind waiting in an empty room for a bit?”
Laila met Lilburn’s gaze. Considering his initial surprise, it seemed unlikely that Milley had given any specific instructions about her arrival, but it was surprising they were preparing a room for her.
Laila calmly replied, “I’m fine with staying in any room.”
She had almost been coerced into coming here. Milley had continually urged her to escape, but she guessed she might need to return to the royal palace, where Reynard was, perhaps even immediately.
Milley might face significant trouble for whisking her away from the palace. Laila was, after all, a foreign princess invited by the royal family. She realized her presence was entangled in complex diplomatic relations.
If it escalated into a diplomatic incident, even a duke like Milley might not be able to handle it.
Strangely, neither Milley nor Lilburn seemed concerned about this.
Lilburn, who had been deeply examining Laila’s face, continued without responding to her comment about the room, “We’ll arrange a maid for you to change your clothes.”
“Do you have a maid?” Laila asked, surprised. Milley hadn’t brought any female companions or partners to the party, so it seemed unlikely that he would have brought a maid from another country.
Lilburn shrugged lightly in response. “Circumstances have led to this.”
Laila quickly understood his indirect answer and nodded in gratitude.
Although Lilburn’s demeanor was impeccably gentlemanly, Laila sensed he wasn’t too pleased with her presence.
Understandably so.
Clearly, she was a troublesome entity. In Filmer, the only place she was supposed to be was the royal palace. Frankly, she wasn’t supposed to appear here at all.
‘My presence might cause a dispute between the duke and Lilburn…’
As Laila sneakily glanced at Lilburn and their eyes met, he opened the door to a room in front of him.
“You can wait here for a while.”
“Ah, yes, thank you,” Laila replied awkwardly, nodding and entering the room.
Following his gesture, Laila nodded awkwardly and entered the room.
After lighting a lamp in a suitable room on the second floor and telling Laila to wait, Lilburn closed the door and left. Alone suddenly, Laila scanned the unfamiliar space.
There was just a simple bed, no other furniture – a reflection of its status as a temporary lodging. Considering this, the mere presence of a bed was unexpectedly considerate.
Carefully, Laila sat on the immaculate bed, her cheeks flushing as she noticed her disheveled appearance. Her dress was in disarray, her feet dirtied with mud, and though unseen, she was sure her hair was a mess.
Laila gently removed her hair ornament, now awkwardly sitting atop her head. Even in the dim light of the candle in the darkened room, the ornament’s crystals sparkled.
Reflecting on her day, she let her focus blur.
“What really is my worth?” she pondered.
‘I’ve run away without any plan.’
But would she have refused Milley’s hand if she could go back? The answer was ‘no.’
She didn’t want to marry Reynard. She preferred to remain a disregarded princess in her small crumbling kingdom than to be with him.
But a bird trapped in a cage forgets how to fly, even when set free. Laila realized she was that bird, unable to survive alone.
“What are you so deep in thought about?”
Startled by the unexpected question, Laila turned towards the door. It was wide open, and a lady, who had just entered, was approaching her.
Laila quickly stood up, a reflexive action.
“You are…”
“I am Mev Hereford, serving Lord Milley, Princess of Wessex.”
After a brief introduction, Mev courteously greeted her and then smiled softly at Laila. Following Laila’s awkward return smile, Mev gestured towards the door.
“You seem very tired… Though a room is ready, perhaps a warm bath first would be better.”
Citing fatigue as the reason, though it was apparent she needed a bath given her current state.
Laila silently followed Mev. The mansion seemed to have several servants, as maids also scurried behind them.
Milley’s residence wasn’t just a single building. They descended to the first floor, went through a side door, followed a stone path through a garden fragrant with the smell of grass, leading to a small annex. The bathing facility was separately located there.
‘Who would rent such a house temporarily in another country?’ Laila wondered about the extent of his wealth.
Her curiosity was genuine as she explored the annex. It had been so long since she had visited another country, or even another’s house. Since the Wessex family established their state after separating from Harkin, she rarely left the palace except for major national events.
But perhaps her interest was too apparent, as Mev chuckled softly beside her.
“Here’s the bathroom, Your Highness.”
“Thank you, Mev…”
Realizing they had reached the bathroom, Laila willingly stepped inside.
The bathroom was clean, but clearly well-used. Laila winced as she stepped on the slightly damp tiles, feeling a sting in her feet which had been slightly injured during her shoeless run. Mev noticed her discomfort and examined her feet with a surprised expression.
Mev quickly seated Laila on a nearby chair to examine her feet.
“My goodness, Princess… Did you come here from the palace on foot like this? Without shoes?”
It seemed Mev hadn’t noticed Laila’s feet before. Laila looked around uneasily, feeling the maids might be judging her for her sorry state.
Laila answered awkwardly, wiggling her toes.
“It’s okay. I took off my shoes when the building shook during the earthquake, and forgot to put them back on in the rush to escape the fire.”
“Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“Um, no. Thanks to the Duke’s care.”
Mev shook her head, her response quite firm.
“No, if he had properly taken care of you, he should have carried you here himself.”
“Really…?”
Mev’s tone suggested she was critical of Milley. From this one remark, Laila sensed the two had a long-standing and comfortable relationship.
“Of course. When our lord returns, I’ll be sure to teach him how to properly escort a beautiful lady. Please forgive his negligence.”
Laila smiled lightly at Mev’s words.
Mev’s efforts to downplay her master put Laila at ease.
Listening to her, Laila truly felt like a valued guest in this place.
Laila couldn’t stay long in the bath due to her injured feet. Under Mev’s careful attention, she regained some composure.
Surprisingly, clean new clothes and shoes were prepared for her. After changing, she headed to the room assigned to her.
Walking through the corridor, she noticed a subtle change in the atmosphere of the residence compared to before her visit to the annex. Soon, she discovered the reason.
In front of her room, Duke Milley, the owner of the mansion, was waiting.
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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