“Whoa!”
Instantly, with a pop sound, Nathaniel returned to his original form.
Both Nathaniel and I were so surprised that we froze in place.
Nathaniel slowly examined his body and then grinned.
“How did I come back? It definitely didn’t work earlier.”
In response to his words, I also thought for a moment. Trying to retrace what the variable might be, with a feeling of disbelief, I asked,
“Try transforming into a dragon again.”
“Hmm.”
After a brief shimmer of light, his appearance naturally changed. Looking at the reduced size, I went into the bathroom and shouted,
“Try transforming again!”
“Ah…”
This time, a soft sigh was heard.
As I opened the door and returned to the bedroom, he still had the appearance of a baby dragon.
At that moment.
“Hmm.”
Again, with a pop sound, Nathaniel returned to his original form, and his face was slightly red.
It seemed like he understood the reason too.
Embarrassed, he desperately pulled up the blanket to hide his face.
Wanting to tease him, I climbed on top of him and pulled the blanket.
“I guess I can’t do without me.”
“W-What! It’s not like that.”
I hugged him tightly, making a loud noise, as he tried to escape.
“Eek!”
In response, Nathaniel pushed back as if trying to escape again. Because of that, we both fell to the floor with a thud.
Fortunately, he caught me, so we didn’t get seriously hurt.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. That was a close call.”
In a flash, he lifted me and gently laid me back on the bed.
I pulled Nathaniel’s neck, who was trying to move away, toward me. I placed my hand on his firm chest and closed my eyes silently.
“I’m sorry for sending you alone.”
“Hmm. Even if you hadn’t gone, I wouldn’t have taken you with me.”
“If I had known it would turn out like this, I would never have let you go alone.”
Nathaniel showed a strange expression at my words. His large hand gently patted my head.
“I’m not hurt or anything.”
“Really?”
“Just reminded me of when I was young.”
Nathaniel hugged me and began to share stories from his childhood.
Times of vulnerability and powerlessness. He mentioned going into a panic state when memories of being exposed to violence without defense surfaced.
“I didn’t expect to be so shocked.”
I squeezed his hand that was holding me. I kissed his lips and whispered to him.
“Are you okay now?”
“Yeah.”
We stood still, looking at each other’s faces, and gently kissed each other.
Although we pretended to be okay, the scars from his early years weren’t easily erased.
Moreover, contrary to the original where emotions were gradually lost, now emotions were becoming richer.
“It’s likely that negative emotions will grow as much as positive ones.”
In his unstable situation, he needed a solid foundation of surrounding affection.
I habitually stroked his hair. I laughed as I felt the soft strands slipping through my fingers.
“Why are you laughing?”
“I like Nathaniel.”
“Well, well…”
He blushed, lowered his head, and fidgeted with the wrinkled blanket, apparently embarrassed.
I looked at his round head seriously and asked, “If even this sight looks adorable, isn’t it a severe case of falling head over heels in love?”
Even his bewildered expression towards me was charming. I sat up, leaned towards his ear, and whispered the story I had started earlier.
Laughing loudly at his now nearly bursting red face was just an added bonus.
Finally, the Emperor attended the morning assembly.
I heard the news that the documents, which had been delayed due to the lack of the Emperor’s seal, were quickly being processed.
The Imperial Palace was bustling with activity from early morning for the approvals.
After the meeting, as soon as Nathaniel returned to the study, I asked, “What decision was made regarding Viscount Grovan?”
“All direct members of the family will face execution, and the Viscount’s title will be revoked. The problem is that Viscount Grovan was found murdered, and Diana is said to have escaped.”
“Escaped to where?”
It was incomprehensible.
Just before going to rescue Nathaniel, I had requested reinforcements from the Imperial Palace in advance. It would have been difficult for an ordinary lady to escape without a trace in that short time.
“It seems they were involved.”
“If not, it would be impossible to escape from such a strict encirclement.”
With such an extraordinary situation unfolding, I couldn’t help but think of the DS Knights.
“We attached trackers, but couldn’t find any traces. I personally went to check, but they hid perfectly.”
“If Nathaniel couldn’t find them, there’s nothing we can do.”
If he couldn’t find them, there was no other option.
‘Teresa’s decision to stay at the Duke’s estate seems to have been a good one.’
I recalled the subtle request my brother made for assistance some time ago.
While Teresa’s safety from Diana’s threat was welcome, I had no intention of actively helping. Now it was a matter for the two of them.
Teresa made her choice, and turning her heart around was Maximilian’s responsibility.
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.”
