Stella looked at Darin and Lian, who were heading to Conpano with spinach, with a regretful look and said, “Go and sell it well.”
“Yes, Princess. It’s really delicious, so it will sell like hotcakes, just like last time.”
Lian, who was filling in for Bryn, who had to dress Stella today, seemed quite excited. “I’ll sell it quickly and come back.”
Darin also seemed confident. It was understandable since the spinach they had was fresher and tastier than any they had eaten before. Darin planned to take two bags full of spinach with him.
Although it was just spinach, selling it was fun. It would be even better to go in person, but today was an important day.
It was the day Mila had been eagerly anticipating, the day they would attend the party hosted by Lady Melissa Frentium, the event she had longed for.
As soon as the two left for Conpano, Stella’s dressing session began.
Stella had brought a total of ten dresses.
Among them, there were about four dresses suitable for wearing to the party. The remaining dresses were beautiful enough, but for a special party like today, they were too ordinary.
“How about this dress, Princess?”
Bryn brought a satin dress in a deep sea blue and asked, “Do you like this dress?”
“I like it.”
“No, no. How about this dress?”
Bryn quickly changed her mind and brought a dress as white as snow, asking, “How about this one?” The dress, with pearl dust lightly sprinkled on the hem, shimmered brightly whenever it swayed.
To Stella, both dresses looked wonderfully beautiful, but Bryn was carefully choosing the one that would make the princess stand out even a little more.
“That dress is also beautiful.”
Staring through both dresses, contemplating, Bryn seemed to make up her mind and chose the white dress. Now it was Bryn and Mila’s time.
The party hosted by Melissa took place in the Ruby Hall of the Imperial Palace.
Although it was a detached building, Melissa, who was not of noble descent, hosting a party within the Imperial Palace was an official acknowledgment of her importance to the emperor.
Especially, the Ruby Hall had been used for grand banquets by empresses for generations, so nobles had no doubts about Melissa becoming an empress.
“Marquis, thank you for the invitation.”
Approaching Melissa after receiving an invitation, Luciel greeted her brightly with a smile.
“Thank you for attending. I hope you have a pleasant time.”
Luciel was the illegitimate daughter of the Marquis of Marlon.
After Melissa responded with her usual formal smile, she left. Luciel, who had approached like a friend, stiffened her face as she observed Melissa’s cold reception, which was no different from how she treated others.
Luciel firmly believed that the world revolved around herself. Among the very few who firmly believed that Melissa was nothing more and nothing less than a friend of the emperor, Luciel was one of them.
Luciel felt like turning around and returning to the crowd adoring her, but she held back. It was because she had something to talk to Melissa about.
Swallowing her pride, Luciel followed behind Melissa and asked in a discreet voice, “Marquis Melissa, is there a reason for inviting the princesses from the Plant Zone to the party today?”
No one among the noble maidens interacted with the princesses brought as caretakers. There was no need to build friendships with them, and there was nothing significant to gain from the princesses of a minor country.
“It’s good to get along with everyone.”
Contrary to the anticipation of having a special insight, Melissa’s response was ordinary and formal. However, Luciel wasn’t about to give up.
“But there are princesses from other zones, and you chose the Plant Zone.”
Although they all seemed to be brought as caretakers, the treatment of princesses varied depending on the country’s status. Among them, the Plant Zone had the most princesses from minor countries.
As Luciel spoke with a somewhat disparaging tone, Melissa looked directly at her and replied.
“It’s the princesses of various countries. If, by any chance, they tarnish the honor of the empire due to a lack of manners, not only would I be disappointed, but I believe the emperor himself would be deeply regretful.”
In response to Melissa’s circumvented words, Luciel replied with pursed lips, “Even if that happens, you’re still in the position of a caretaker.”
Luciel was an aristocrat one year younger than her. At the age of nineteen, she was full of vitality, yet she behaved like an immature child. Despite having a child, it wasn’t surprising at her age. Nevertheless, Luciel continued to act like a stubborn child.
Melissa, seemingly with nothing more to say, nodded to Luciel in acknowledgment and moved to another place.
While her relationship with other aristocrats wasn’t particularly good, talking with Luciel always brought out an irritation that wasn’t there before.
“The princesses from the Plant Zone have arrived.”
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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