“‘What a fine day for a wedding.’
The sun was bright.
I had been awake for quite a while, but the tardy morning sun wasn’t too bad.
“Miss! You mustn’t shed tears at the ceremony!”
Betty devoted all her strength to my preparations with a serious look in her eyes.
Because of her, I was in a state of disarray. I had no concept of how time was passing. Once I came to my senses, I found myself in the bride’s waiting room.
“Anette. Listen well to your father. Men are more at night than at day….”
And there, in front of me, were my father and mother.
“What are you saying to the child!”
“But it’s time she should know.”
“She’s past the age for that. If you cared about her education, you should have done it sooner.”
At my mother’s scolding, my father stuck out his lower lip.
“If it’s cold, your illness will worsen. Always dress warmly.”
My mother constantly worried about my health.
“I have plenty of winter clothes prepared with the lady’s help.”
“Keep the heating on, so you don’t get cold.”
“I will.”
As I nestled in my mother’s arms, the events that had occurred to me felt distant.
“Ah, I want to sleep with mom.”
It felt like if I slept and woke up, things could return to the way they were.
“Without your father?”
“Of course, all three of us together.”
Being held in my father’s sturdy arms gave me some strength. I thought I could withstand even foreign lands for my family.
Outside the bride’s waiting room, from which both my parents had departed, guests were gathering in groups.
Most were nobles I didn’t know.
And the eyecatching wedding decorations around were very noticeable.
“Quite a costeffective business.”
A wedding of this scale, elegantly decorated with a mere budget of 20 million gold.
There was nothing lacking in the venue.
In the distance, I could see the carriage of the Blanche family.
‘After the wedding, we’ll head north…’
The cold north, a place I’d never visited.
I pretended to be strong, but the reality that was now approaching made me feel small.
And then, that moment came.
“Miss.”
A little guest entered the bride’s waiting room.
“Lucky?”
A slight bow.
This 10yearold boy, bowing with a small body, was Lucky, the young artist my mother had been sponsoring for the last 3 years.
“Lucky, it’s been a while. How have you been?”
“Hello, Miss Anette.”
Chubby cheeks, adorable overalls, and a matching bread hat.
Lucky, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, looked much better than before.
“I’m lucky to see you today. It’s my lucky day.”
“Are you making a joke with my name again?”
“Hehe. Lucky, I’m so happy you’re here.”
I adored this cute Lucky.
I adored Lucky, who was born under a poor father and had an innate talent for drawing.
“Yes. Thanks to the lady, I eat three meals a day, and I’ve drawn a lot.”
“So that’s why I haven’t seen you for a while.”
I got up, dragging my heavy dress, and bent down to meet Lucky’s eye level.
“I was invited by the lady because you’re getting married. She said there’s a lot of delicious food, so I should eat my fill.”
“That’s right. Take some delicious food home and eat with your brother.”
Lucky nodded slightly. His chubby cheeks flushed pink. And then, he handed me a large frame he had brought with him.
“It’s a wedding gift.”
“Really?”
The picture was wrapped in crisp paper and couldn’t be seen.
“You must have put a lot of time into this. Are you sure you want to give it to me?”
“I drew it to express my gratitude to you. I can easily make another one.”
Lucky straightened his narrow shoulders and spoke. I knew how sincere and devoted he was to his art, and I was moved by this first picture gift I received.
“Lucky, thank you. I’ll display it in my room.”
“Okay.”
“I’d like to talk more, but I should go now.”
It was time for me to leave. After lightly pecking Lucky’s cheek, I rose from my seat. Then, Lucky gently caught the hem of my dress.
“Miss Anette.”
“Hmm?”
Lucky was not looking at me. His gaze was fixed on the hem of my dress.
“Be careful.”
“What for? Ah, the dress? Thank you. I’ll have to hold onto it well.”
She seemed worried about tripping over the hem of her dress.
“Not the dress, but the Duke.”
The Duke?
“Why should you be careful of Duke Blandyche? If you’re worried because of rumors about the Duke, don’t. He’s a good person in reality.”
It seemed she was scared of the Duke who was known as a warmaniac.
Seeing such a cute Lucky, I spoke.
“I hope you look favorably upon the Duke.”
“He’s similar yet completely different from Miss. Be careful.”
Lucky left those ominous words behind.
Had he heard some strange gossip?
Or had he met Hertian in person?
Seeing Hertian through the eyes of a young child, he might have seemed gigantic and scary.
“Live happily, Miss.”
“Ah, right, Lucky.”
I called out to Lucky who was about to turn around after saying goodbye.
“Can you do me one last favor?”
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]Jackson barely held back his tears in front of his subordinates.
“It’s a perfect wedding.”
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.”
