Moreover, even the nobles—nobles of the imperial faction—were showing interest in Leopold’s constant opportunities for wealth.
Even the loyal servants were slowly showing signs of division amidst this situation. If Ermeldin independently established her power, Henri’s position would become very precarious.
After Viscount Halstein left the office, Henri, holding an ink bottle, threw it towards the portrait of his father, the former emperor.
As the ink bottle shattered, black stains flowed down the beautiful face resembling Henri.
“Darn it! Filthy human! You never helped me to the end.”
All these frustrating situations now only existed because he lacked the legitimacy of his predecessor, not to mention the absence of other bastards.
To think that the sovereign of a nation would lightly tease his successor, leaving such a burdensome baggage.
Compared to this sect, financial ruin would seem cute.
Suddenly, Valier came to Henri’s mind.
Habits are frightening things.
No matter how estranged their feelings were, whenever his heart felt empty like this, her face always came to his mind.
As Henri expected, Valier’s face appeared before him, and she grimaced in a pitiful way.
Even the maids who didn’t like her were glaring at Henri as if they found him unpleasant.
In fact, it was a natural reaction.
What woman would look at a man who imprisoned a woman who had once held her child, not with comforting eyes but with resentment?
Moreover, Henri never once visited Valier or sent a letter during that time, despite living in the same palace.
Henri also knew that his actions were very heartless, so he accepted their gazes relatively calmly.
“Why have you come all of a sudden?”
Valier’s voice, once like the chirping of birds he had loved, now contained only a cold chill.
“Just wondering how you’re doing.”
Henri tried to lift his hand to stroke Valier’s cheek with a slightly disappointed smile, but he lowered it again.
Her pale, lifeless cheek wouldn’t allow his touch anymore.
“You came quickly. I felt like I was going to die during that time, but now I’m living as usual. Even if I cry more, my dead child won’t come back.”
Valier was a bit disappointed that the child wouldn’t bring what she desired, but she had never longed for a child she had never felt kicking.
But what couldn’t she say if it was to hurt Henri?
Even in her past life, she had thrust a knife into the neck of an innocent, let alone intentionally hurting Henri, who had caused her pain.
“I was too indifferent.”
In response to Henri’s words, Valier didn’t answer; she just turned her head, exhaling as if dismissing him.
Valier began to feel anger slowly bubbling up.
Thinking about Leopold’s meaningful smile, she had suppressed her emotions, but seeing Henri’s face unleashed an uncontrollable burst of emotions.
Although Valier was considered cruel, she was now only a twenty-year-old woman. No matter how cruel her first love may have been, even if she came to hate him for it, her feelings toward him didn’t just disappear.
Perhaps if there were no emotions towards Henri in her heart, if she had seen him only as a tool for her social ascent, she might have handled it more shrewdly.
At least, she wouldn’t have behaved so emotionally in front of Henri, making herself appear lacking in affection.
Henri sighed, feeling drained as he openly observed Valier, who was ignoring him.
Everyone in this world, even his lover who he thought would be on his side forever, was ignoring and despising him.
What was the reason for becoming an emperor?
Why was this position so lonely and desolate?
If Henri had a little more emotional space in his heart, he might have realized that Valier’s cold behavior stemmed from the fact that there were still remnants of her feelings toward him.
But he didn’t have the luxury of emotional space.
He just needed immediate comfort.
To Valier, who was not in good terms, he came without thinking.
After Henri left, Valier, looking at Leopold’s gifted jewels as usual, tried to soothe her heart.
As an immature adult who didn’t even know where her anger was coming from, she continued to repeat that she no longer needed Henri.
“Recently, it seems Lord Leopold often hosts social events. Do you plan to attend?”
Countess Brienta asked, holding up a necklace adorned with countless brilliant pearls to Valier.
“In fact, I’ve been hesitant to attend too often.”
“Hesitant? Why?”
“It seems my status made me noticeable.”
“Status? What does that mean? The flower of the ball is a beautiful lady. I’ve never seen a lady as beautiful as the Marchioness at any extravagant ball in any royal palace.”
“Is that so?”
Valier smiled shyly at the words spoken by someone she didn’t know well.
“Of course.”
“But what’s the point of being pretty? After all, I was just part of the emperor’s government. But not anymore.”
Valier, who had been examining the pearl necklace held in the hands of Countess Brienta, raised her head with a confident face.
“That’s right. Now you are Lady Belian, aren’t you?”
The Countess’s reply brought a somewhat innocent yet meaningful smile to Valier’s face.
“As a noble, I should try some social activities, right?”
As Valier denied her feelings and immersed herself in new possibilities, while she was being watched by the Countess with a kindly face, a glint of ashen eyes appeared and disappeared.
‘The emperor’s government is so immature. Well, thanks to that, his plan seems to be easily coming together. That lord is no fool, and there’s no need to deal with the emperor’s abandoned bastard like me who is tired of the emperor, isn’t there?’
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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