For several days, Ermedillin had been brimming with enthusiasm.
Though the cost of materials demanded by artisans was being withdrawn from her account in realtime, she still found it joyful.
She had no desire to live extravagantly. All she wanted was to have enough money left to live a simple life outside the palace.
So she wanted to accomplish as much as she could while she was Empress.
When in a position to change the world, she wanted to leave her mark.
Thus, she thought it would be wonderful if her legacy remained beautifully when she eventually stepped down.
Of course, the ultimate outcome of all this would have to ensure her own survival.
Ermedillin made various plans, including for irrigation and marine relief projects.
“Shall I visit the orphanage construction site today? I’m curious about the progress.”
At Ermedillin’s words, Loony glanced at her and furrowed his brows.
“Just honestly say you’re frustrated. Stop making excuses every time you go out; you’re the Empress, aren’t you? How will it be if you can’t even go out freely?”
In principle, Ermedillin, being the Empress, should be busy with official duties, but Valier took charge of the founding festival preparations, and Emperor Angri did not come to discuss political issues.
Angri had never even asked for trivial opinions. The only time he had sought an opinion was for the founding festival, and even then, Valier’s idea was approved.
Contrary to her enthusiasm, she actually had quite a bit of free time.
“No, still. The security staff has to move with me as well…”
“That’s what they’re paid for! The people who leave the Empress’s bedroom accessible to outsiders are the lazy ones!”
Loony, mentioning the previous incident with Count Franshuar, sighed heavily, as if his anger was rising again.
“Still, it’s not easy to protect someone who has a lot of people wanting to kill her.”
Though she had steeled herself, two previous assassination attempts still left a scar in a corner of Ermedillin’s heart. She bit her lip bitterly.
When Ermedillin arrived at the orphanage construction site, Pellio, who was supervising the site, was there.
“Sir, you are here?”
Delighted, Ermedillin quickly approached him and greeted him warmly.
“I have been entrusted with this task; shouldn’t I thoroughly oversee it?”
In fact, Pellio had been practically living at this site every day.
Monitoring either personally or through people he sent.
Although he told the hired people it was to monitor the immoral Empress, his real aim was different.
His ulterior motive was to hopefully bump into Ermedillin whenever she visited.
Yesterday, Pellio had to endure three hefty slaps from his father, Duke Batistian.
Convinced that the flashy proposal would certainly be Ermedillin’s, he had lightly voted in favor of Valier’s opinion.
He thought that if a pandemic spread due to the chaotic founding festival, Ermedillin’s reputation would further decline.
But it turned out that the plan was Valier’s.
And his son was helping Ermedillin, who had planned the mask production.
Normally, Pellio would have immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness, but not yesterday.
Though his cheek swelled and blood dripped from his mouth, he defiantly stood before his father.
“If another major outbreak begins, the ones who will actually suffer are the citizens. Do you wish to be a ruler who ignores the citizens’ suffering due to personal feelings?”
A menacing glare was evident in his radiant silver eyes.
Duke Batistian was momentarily taken aback by his son’s intensity, but regardless, he was a minister of the Trebian Empire and a leading member of the Emperor’s faction, responsible for governing the country.
Pellio couldn’t help but feel victorious, standing up against his father for the first time that day.
However, he didn’t feel particularly proud of this achievement.
He knew very well the real reason why he was helping Ermedillin make her mask.
“Indeed, it was wise to leave it to you. When you refused my previous request to introduce someone, I misunderstood that you were a little arrogant, but you really are an exceptional person! I apologize for taking your busy time, but you’re the only person I trust… I’ll owe you for a while.”
‘You’re the only one.’
The happiest words he had heard recently.
No, had there ever been words that left such an imprint on his heart?
During Ermedillin’s second murder attempt, Pellio literally felt his heart freeze.
Since then, he had naturally been worried about Ermedillin’s safety.
But on the other hand, he was somewhat glad that everyone despised her.
He wished that she, who had no one else to turn to, would rely solely on him forever.
‘Was I such a contradictory person?’
He was happy that people recognized Ermedillin’s worth, but at the same time, he hoped nobody knew her true nature.
“There’s no need to owe me. Am I not the empire’s top talent? This doesn’t even count as extra work.”
Pellio gave a grudging response, revealing his weird feelings, but Ermedillin responded with a small laugh.
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.”
