There was nothing more to talk about with him. In the aftermath of everything, it became impossible to either scold him or argue as we usually did.
Yet, we were too distant to engage in ordinary conversation.
“I can’t talk about Michael either.”
I didn’t want to ruin the current atmosphere.
With a softened expression, Serdis picked up a macaron.
“Because you enjoyed macarons so much, I ate a lot of them for a while too.”
“Is that so?”
“Now, I’m trying not to eat them. You can get addicted to sweet things.”
After saying that, he placed the picked-up macaron back.
“Before you leave, have some dessert. I bought all the macarons they sell here because you liked them. It would be disappointing if you didn’t eat them.”
With an empty dessert showcase and no one around the table, dozens of macarons were arranged on the table as if there had been a party at the palace.
‘Let’s just have one.’
I didn’t want to leave him with any regrets.
I picked up a white macaron placed nearby. I took a full bite of the macaron filled with cream, and the sweet cream and chewy shell were delightful.
Thinking I should leave soon, I was about to swallow what was in my mouth.
“Uh…”
My consciousness drifted away.
The body that had relaxed next to Serdis suddenly became heavy. A massive snake-like force constricted my body, and my breath was cut off.
It felt like being struck by lightning in the dry sky, and my bones were breaking into pieces. As I painfully exhaled, knowing I was about to collapse, Serdis, with an indifferent face, approached me and supported me.
“Annette. Get a good rest, and let’s meet again.”
With his overwhelming smile as the last image, everything turned black in front of me.
Annette reluctantly closed her eyes.
Holding her in his arms, Serdis smoothly exited the patisserie and placed Annette in the waiting carriage.
On the opposite side, a woman who had been waiting for him reached out to receive Annette. However, before touching her, Serdis abruptly brushed away the woman’s hand.
“I’ll take her, so you sit there.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
She had a gentle voice. Dressed in a tightly pressed black robe, she quietly took her seat without saying a word.
Serdis carefully arranged Annette, who had lost consciousness, beside me. He draped a warm shawl over her shoulders and took meticulous care of her. Only after ensuring that she was comfortable and would not be inconvenienced for a while did the carriage set off.
The carriage, shrouded in thick curtains to conceal the view from outside, continued until it reached an undisclosed location. Between Serdis and the robed figure, there was no exchange of words.
Finally, the carriage stopped in a secluded alley.
It was a residence of commoners near the square. At this hour, the commoners were all out working, leaving the area deserted. The closely packed buildings barely allowed any sunlight to enter, and a chill hung in the air.
Serdis, accompanied by Annette, followed the robed woman into the building. Upon opening a thick log door and entering, the scent of burning candles wafted through the air, causing Serdis to wrinkle his nose.
“A series of surprises.”
The next thing that surprised him was the red light emanating from the hundreds of candles surrounding the room. It was an inexplicable and eerie sight.
Serdis casually observed the woman leading him inside.
Inside, she took something like a white chalk and began drawing a magic circle on the floor. Her movements were quite familiar.
“Since when have you been familiar with magic circles?”
As the magic circle neared completion, Serdis inquired.
Without stopping her hands, the woman answered.
“For a very long time.”
“Even before you started searching for your family?”
“Probably around that time.”
He did not pursue further questions after her dry response. Shortly after completing the magic circle, she sighed briefly and stood up.
The carriage had arrived at a building in a quiet alley.
Now, the woman glanced at Serdis with amethyst-like eyes revealed when she slightly lifted her robe, exposing her face. It felt like the shell of desire covered by conscience was peeling off as they met each other’s gaze.
“No. That can’t be.”
His body moved involuntarily. Carrying Annette in his arms, he walked into the magic circle.
Stopping in the middle of the magic circle, he gently laid her down. Serdis looked at Annette’s face, glowing even on the dirty floor, with a sticky gaze.
“Can this erase all memories related to Annette’s abilities?”
“If it succeeds, then yes.”
With an ambiguous answer, Serdis stared at her with eyes that seemed to want an immediate answer.
“Answer properly. Can you do it or not?”
“As I said before, I can only cast a spell that eliminates divine abilities. I can’t freely adjust memories.”
She responded without any hesitation. Between the candlelights, the woman in the robe had a sophisticated aura. Serdis finally averted his gaze from Annette and approached the woman drawing the magic circle.
“So, that’s it. Just make sure not to make a mistake with that.”
His rough breath touched the woman’s robe and fluttered.
“I’ll do my best.”
Only then did Serdis’ anxious expression soften a bit.
“That’s right. That was the answer I wanted.”
He pushed her back and guided her toward the magic circle. It was a signal to proceed quickly, but his disrespectful touch showed no respect for the woman.
The woman, with her gaze fixed on Annette quietly breathing like a corpse, smiled coldly so that no one else could see.
“I sincerely hope this endeavor succeeds.”
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.”
