“Why are you silent? Are you afraid I’m conspiring with Duke François, is that why you’re holding your tongue?”
Words flowed from Ermedillin’s lips, wholly separate from her thoughts, even though she knew that couldn’t possibly be the case.
“No. Why would that be the case?”
“Then why, why the secrecy? Why?”
Ermedillin, overcome with emotion, abruptly stood up and moved closer to Pellio, as if about to grab him by the collar.
“I saw you relieved when the death sentence was not pronounced on Duke François in the courtroom.”
“What?”
Indeed, that had been the case.
Having recently arrived, and finding it hard to empathize, all she could feel was a modicum of relief that her own flesh and blood had been spared.
And now, to suddenly bring that up.
“Duke François is still the father of Her Majesty the Empress, isn’t he? So, you drag Her Majesty into this affair…”
“So what! He’s my father!! Why should your hands be stained with blood that should be on mine!! Did anyone ask you to do that?”
Ermedillin’s voice finally rose, her emotions peaking.
No matter her circumstances, Duke François was her father and part of her karma.
Ermedillin was angry at Pellio for taking on this karma, which was not his to bear.
“I never asked you to.”
Pellio’s head drooped down.
“I just, I just didn’t want to see Her Majesty’s hands stained with that foul blood.”
At Pellio’s words, Ermedillin could find no more strength to be angry.
What right did she have to have someone else bear the burden of that dirty blood?
Pellio bowed his head deeply and left Ermedillin’s parlor.
Ermedillin began to tremble uncontrollably, overwhelmed by her emotions.
Anger surged from the tips of her fingers to her toes.
She knew well enough.
She should first thank him for solving a troublesome issue.
Let alone expressing gratitude for rescuing everyone from a horrible accident, she was getting angry.
Ermedillin didn’t understand her own anger, but she couldn’t stop herself from seething.
Because this anger was not directed at Pellio, but at herself, who incompetently let her fastidious and obsessive hands be stained with that dirty blood.
Pellio was satisfied with his actions.
The moment Duke François melted away due to his own curse magic.
He could maintain a satisfied expression even as everyone present looked on in horror.
He was a public enemy and a criminal who dared to threaten the life of the Empress.
He would have eventually faced court and punishment, criminal that he was.
Of course, it would have been better if Pellio could have legally dealt with Duke François as his lawyer.
But what if Ermedillin’s life was at risk again in the meantime?
A terrifying thought.
Therefore, Pellio felt not a shred of regret for his actions.
He was already enduring the merciless kicks of his father, Duke Batistian, but at least his sense of moral unease had been lifted.
She was already soaked in blood.
A witch among witches, with innocent bloodstains engraved like tattoos onto her body, nay, her soul.
Even if that blood was her father’s, a few more drops wouldn’t make a difference.
And yet, Pellio did not want Ermedillin’s hands to be stained with blood.
A different Ermedillin than the one he already knew. She willingly performed mouthtomouth resuscitation on a baby who might have been infected with a contagious disease, forgave the boy who stabbed her, and cried along with the pain of a woman she met on the street, wanting to protect her.
“Do you have any thoughts of revenge? Why! Why! Why do you keep saving that woman!!”
Thud, thump!!
Pellio felt a piercing pain in his ribs as they were struck by his father’s sharp shoe tip.
“You could have dealt with both this time! Why are you ruining it!!”
Despite the overwhelming pain, Pellio still felt joyful.
He had removed the most potent threat to Ermedillin’s life with his own hands.
With each successive kick from Count Batistian, Pellio’s body bruised and bled.
But through the arm covering his face, a joyful smile was seen on his face.
Before leaving the palace, Henri, who had received Pellio’s report from Count Halshtein, felt peculiar.
The report briefly outlined Count François’ actions and stated that the important information would be verbally reported.
Of course, it was a great favor that the son of Duke Batistian, a member of the imperial faction, had secretly thwarted a great disaster.
He ordered the steward to award Pellio with an appropriate medal.
With the death of the troublesome Count François and the disappearance of secrets that could threaten his imperial power, everything should have been exhilarating.
But strangely, Henri was not feeling great.
This discomfort was not something he should feel after removing a dangerous enemy without getting his hands dirty.
That look, the look he saw at the scene, kept circulating in his mind.
As soon as Count François appeared in a terrible form, Henri naturally looked at Ermedillin.
But Ermedillin was looking at Pellio.
As if she knew that all this was Pellio’s plan, she looked at him first.
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.”
