By looking at someone’s belongings, you can learn a lot.
“Isn’t it scary now? Did the duchess tell you about my marriage?”
“I knew it from the decoration on your sword.”
Besides the imperial pattern on the sword, there was a decoration made of thread tied to the end. Such a delicate and beautiful piece wouldn’t have been gifted by the emperor, and even less likely by a subordinate.
Unless it was from a wife.
“What if you cut yourself with the sword your wife blessed for your safety?”
“I’ve only seen my wife twice anyway.”
I looked up at him, rolling the cloth in my hands.
“No, then you should have brought your wife here as well.”
Regardless of how tedious domestic fights are, leaving your wife alone like this?
“To live in this camp with my wife?”
“You should build a house to live in!”
“Making a fuss. It’s just a political marriage.”
His indifferent response made me nod my head vaguely. Suddenly, I felt a bit grateful to Hertian. Despite it being a contractual marriage, he took care of my wellbeing and lifestyle. It’s rather excessive, actually.
“My husband is the exact opposite.”
“Did you have a husband?”
He immediately asked back.
“Of course. Look at my beauty. Do you think men would leave me alone?”
I shrugged my shoulders. Then, he narrowed his eyes and opened them again.
“That’s true.”
I said it, but I didn’t expect him to accept it.
“I feel embarrassed if you answer so seriously to a joke.”
“I don’t lie.”
I laughed off his words as a joke.
“Are you two close?”
A question I hesitated over.
Even if we’re close, it’s a fabricated relationship.
“Um. We also have something like a political marriage.”
This time, I spoke honestly. Here, I am the duchess’s proxy.
(This is a time separator.)
Meanwhile, after finishing his business trip, Jackson’s jaw dropped as he listened to Gilota’s report.
“What? The madam really resold the herbs bought for 50 million gold for 3 billion?”
“Sh, shush! Keep your voice down, Jackson!”
Fearing the sound might leak, Gilota repeatedly restricted Jackson’s loud voice.
“It’s a secret from our lord.”
“Why? The contract has been written already. Didn’t you say you’d tell once the transaction is over?”
Gilota shook his head repeatedly.
“It’s not over yet. The people from Kursia demanded the madam to personally teach them the treatment method.”
“So the duchess accepted that condition?”
“Yes, she goes out every day to make that 3 billion.”
For the puzzled Jackson, Gilota explained in detail what had happened so far.
“I get what’s going on. But isn’t it strange?”
“What do you mean?”
“The reason the madam is passionate about business.”
No matter how he thought, Jackson couldn’t understand.
“Was the budget allocated to the madam insufficient?”
The life in the capital, let alone that of the duchess, was affluent.
It was a budget where she could get a dress fitted from the capital’s famous tailor every season and still have money left.
Then why? What was lacking?
“Actually…”
Just then, Gilota hesitantly opened his mouth.
“Gilota, just tell me honestly.”
Jackson tightly grabbed his shoulders, pressing for an answer. He had been unable to speak to the duke about it, and he felt like he was walking on thin ice keeping it a secret even from his direct superior, Jackson. Finally, the truth popped out of his mouth.
“It’s for the castle’s renovation.”
“Renovation? Oh, because the castle isn’t splendid? Well, it is quite old.”
“No, not that. The duchess isn’t even interested in decorations or such. She wanted to renovate because the castle is cold. But when I told her we don’t have the budget due to the Kursia expenses, she suddenly started this business.”
“To renovate the castle, she started a business…?”
Jackson mulled over the words several times. Then, something seemed to click.
“No, no.”
“Yes?”
“Think about it. Have you ever seen someone starting a business just because it’s cold?”
“Um…
Both Gilota and I have been living here for over a decade, yet we’ve never set aside a budget for castle repairs.
“Is that so?”
Jackson whispered, draping his arm over his shoulder.
“Would it be any different for the lady? Besides, the lady has warm rooms dressed in clothes made of rabbit fur, fox fur, squirrel fur. Would she engage in business just because it’s cold?”
“True, especially if we were to buy clothes.”
It was a fair point.
Who would want to do business just because they’re cold?
“There must be another reason.”
“Yes.”
Jackson, you’re right!
I’ve been perplexed by the lady’s actions, but now it all makes sense.
Gilota felt a weight lifted off his chest.
“So why do you think the lady is doing this business?”
“Listen carefully, Gilota.”
“Yes.”
Jackson steadied his trembling voice.
“Perhaps, the lady has even greater ambitions than the master.”
“Really?”
“Think about it. Even with her prophetic abilities, she could easily do business within the empire. Why go to the extent of risking it all to fleece 30 billion from the Kurushians?”
“I’m not sure… Ah!”
Gilota seemed to have a revelation.
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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