“Ugh, ugh…,”
I groaned as I rose from my seat. My arms and legs ached as they touched the hard floor.
Momentarily disoriented, perhaps due to the effects of the teleportation magic stone, I quickly regained my senses and looked around. First, I had to check if we had arrived safely, and then…
“Judging by the tiles on the floor, this must be somewhere in the imperial palace.”
Where were Iscariel and Hades?
“Chancellor!”
I called out loudly for Iscariel, but there was no reply.
“Hades!”
Same here.
“Since we used the teleportation stone together, we should appear in the same location. Their absence suggests…”
Someone must have interfered.
Was it Altair who was there with us?
No.
Only a mage could interfere with the operation of the magic stone.
“…Liridel.”
I swallowed dryly. If it were Liridel, he would certainly have the skill to disrupt the magic stone’s operation.
But why? For what reason?
“…First, I need to find a safe place to hide.”
Without Iscariel to vouch for me, I would be nothing but an intruder in the palace. Iscariel would easily find me using divine power, so I just needed to hide until then.
My eyes squinted as I examined the tapestries hanging on the walls and the patterns on the floor tiles.
This was definitely a point in the game.
As long as I knew where I was, everything else would be easy.
The problem was, I had no idea where I was at the moment.
“Hallways like this are everywhere in the palace!”
I staggered to my feet. Thankfully, aside from the tingling sensation in my arms and legs, my physical condition wasn’t bad. If necessary, I could run or climb the walls.
“Your Highness, the Princess!”
Hearing the sudden voice, I quickly ducked between the tapestries and hid. Although it would be noticeable upon closer inspection, the busy palace personnel would likely not catch on.
“Your Highness, now is not a good time. The road to Donovan is cut off, and…”
“So you’re saying I should just stand by and do nothing?”
A voice tinged with anger echoed. There was only one person who could own that voice.
The empire’s first princess, Alicia Steinhardt.
“Croitner’s arrogance has crossed the line!”
“Your, Your Highness.”
Stuttering, the aide was probably her righthand man, Charlesford.
“Sending an envoy to Donovan now would only make us a laughingstock. Winter favors them too much…”
“When did I say to send an envoy? Neither the chancellor nor the viscount is currently in Donovan. Use them!”
My eyes blinked rapidly. I understood that the princess was furious, but I couldn’t fathom why.
‘Could it be that Iscariel has already made contact with the princess?’
If so, she would already know that Hades was in the palace.
“…I’ll have to ask Hades later.”
I stifled my breath and remained as still as possible, hoping they would leave.
“The audacity to send such an insulting letter…”
The sound of something being torn came from the princess’s hand.
“Does he think I have no honor just because he’s not here? How could he be so arrogant?”
“Weren’t the Dukes of Donovan always a bit peculiar in temperament?”
Charlesford tried to soothe Alicia.
“Your Highness, you are the daughter of the emperor who rules the entire continent, while he’s nothing but a rural bumpkin governing a barren land. Please contain your anger.”
I frowned. Charlesford wasn’t the type to grovel like that.
“Nevertheless, it’s unbearable. I’ll speak to Father and send an envoy to Donovan.”
“Isn’t the viscount already there?”
Alicia laughed out loud.
“This time it’s different. I’ll go myself.”
“But Your Highness, the road is cut off.”
Charlesford’s voice was trembling with fear.
“Why? What’s the problem? Just use the teleportation stone.”
“Only a very limited number of people can move using the teleportation stone!”
The sound of Alicia’s footsteps was heard. Judging by the direction from which her voice was coming, she had merely changed her position.
“Isn’t it enough if it’s just you and me, Charlesford?”
“Absolutely not!”
Now Charlesford’s voice was completely consumed by fear.
“If you wish to go, Your Highness, go alone! Why must you take me? The North is where demonic beings rush in like a flood! And it happens periodically.”
“Ah.”
There was a clearly mocking tone in Alicia’s voice.
“So Charlesford, you, a grown man, are afraid of demons.”
“That’s a perfectly natural fear.”
“Don’t worry, if the demons charge at you, I’ll personally protect you.”
“…”
“Your Highness…”
Fortunately, they left after that conversation. Judging by Alicia’s suggestion to take a knight or two if Charlesford was that worried, they were really planning to go to Donovan.
‘This is bad.’
I swallowed hard. I didn’t know what Hades was thinking when he provoked the princess, but it had brought the worst possible outcome.
‘Hades needs to find out about this quickly…’
If Charlesford couldn’t stop the princess, the entire duchy could fall into her hands in just a few days after the defeat of the demon king.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
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.”
