Joseph V initially intended to kill Elise according to the queen’s wishes. However, his heart was gradually softening towards Elise, who came to greet him outside his bedroom every day even though he refused to meet her.
Above all, Elise was carrying a child of the Pelur family.
By giving birth to a healthy and sturdy royal heir alone, she would be fulfilling her role properly. It would be even better if she could use her head a bit instead of her foolish son.
Joseph V waved his hand to dismiss Lucas, and conveyed his intentions to Christine. Christine listened to her husband’s words with a smiling face, but inside she was seething.
‘Men, as always…’
Would her husband’s mind have changed if Elise hadn’t been pretty?
Christine thought not.
A beautiful and pitiful woman coming to greet him every day, saying she was carrying his son’s child, must have made his heart flutter.
‘That bewitching thing.’
Two months since Elise entered the palace.
An assassin sent once mysteriously lost contact, and poisoned tea was sent but she didn’t die.
‘What on earth is going on?’
If she were afraid of poison and not eating anything, she should be withering away, but Elise was becoming more and more vibrant. Whenever she saw Elise smiling near the main palace, she felt sick to her stomach.
‘I didn’t want to stoop this low for fear of losing face, but…’
Christine decided to try a method used by noble ladies when they disliked their daughters-in-law, although it was a bit old-fashioned.
‘I wonder if she’ll still be able to walk around smiling after this?’
+++
The view of the Ulpena River from the Litten Salon was beautiful. It was also fun to watch the shops along the riverbank and the people walking between them.
Now that the weather had warmed up, there were many couples strolling along the riverbank. The sound of children playing could also be heard.
Elise unconsciously placed her hand gently on her swollen belly. Every time she thought of her child growing rapidly inside, a smile naturally spread across her face.
It was the only moment she could genuinely smile in her bleak daily life where she had no allies.
‘At least you will be on my side. Even if I can’t give you anything, you’ll be on my side.’
Elise stroked her belly while staring at the cooling teacup.
‘How much longer does this woman need to pretend to be expensive?’
Madam Histin of the Litten Salon.
She had invested a large sum just to get in her good graces. When she personally visited with fans and ornaments, she was told, “Madam is a bit busy today.” It was the same the next day, and the day after that.
She had no choice but to hand over the fans and ornaments to an employee and leave, but there was no news for days until today when she finally received a letter asking to meet.
She had rushed over so quickly her skirts were flying, but now she had been waiting for an hour.
Her insides were boiling, but there was nothing she could do. She doubted if she had invested in the wrong place, but at this point, she couldn’t ask for the fans and ornaments back.
After all, as the crown princess, it would be too undignified to give a gift and then take it back.
Swish-
At the sound of the curtain being drawn, she turned to see a middle-aged woman with elegantly twisted black hair. Her slightly downturned eyes and faint smile made her look graceful and delicate.
“Madam… Histin?”
“Yes, Your Highness. Please forgive me for not visiting and greeting you earlier due to my poor health.”
As Madam Histin curtsied politely, Elise’s irritation subsided. Moreover, though she had expected an incredibly intimidating woman, her appearance and manner of speech seemed quite soft.
‘Of course, she might just appear that way on the outside while hiding a knife inside.’
Being the one who best utilized her delicate appearance, Elise didn’t fully trust what she saw.
“I’m glad to meet someone so difficult to see. Please, sit down, Madam.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Still, every time Madam Histin addressed her as “Your Highness,” Elise’s heart melted. The palace people who didn’t recognize Elise as the crown princess tried their best not to address her at all.
“Did you receive the sentiments I sent?”
“Yes, you sent something very precious. I was deeply moved, Your Highness.”
The rumor that Madam Histin liked fans seemed true, as beautiful fans were decorating various parts of the salon. Even in this room, the farthest corner of the salon, a fan studded with several jewels hung on the wall.
“It saddens me that no one appreciates someone with such a warm heart. What can I do for Your Highness?”
“Oh, you don’t need to do anything. I just want to be good friends with you, Madam.”
“That would be an honor and a blessing for me. To be friends with someone who will one day become queen. The current queen doesn’t favor me, so I can’t even enter the palace.”
Elise felt a sense of relief at the words that seemed to criticize the queen, her thorn in the side.
This woman dislikes the queen too!
The enemy of my enemy is my ally. She was a reliable ally.
The lonely Elise accepted Madam Histin’s words without doubt.
“It’s the same for me. The queen’s people watch me, so I can’t breathe when I’m in the palace.”
“Oh my…”
“I have no right to complain since I don’t have a powerful family to support me.”
“What does it matter if you don’t have a family? In the end, doesn’t the power of that family come from funds? If you solidly accumulate wealth, how many people would be willing to move for Your Highness?”
“But that wealth…”
“You accomplished so much in Kingteren. Isn’t that why you were able to give me such an expensive gift?”
Elise bit the inside of her lip. Madam Histin clearly believed that Elise had a lot of money. She couldn’t tell Madam Histin that she had no money.
‘What if she finds out I’m penniless and refuses to meet me anymore?’
So after some deliberation, Elise said,
“I need more, Madam. I want to increase what I have and become a great power in this Gania.”
“My goodness. You have such loyalty, yet the queen doesn’t appreciate your heart? Even though you only think of this country?”
Hearing those words, a surge of sorrow welled up. It was true.
I only think of this country. I’ve done so much for this country. How can everyone not see that?
Seeing Elise crying silently, Madam Histin was startled and moved to sit beside her, taking out a handkerchief to wipe Elise’s tears herself. Madam Histin’s hand rested on top of Elise’s. It was warm.
“Don’t cry, Your Highness. Don’t cry anymore, I’m here.”
“Madam… will you be there? Will you stay by my side?”
“Of course, Your Highness. Though I’m too lowly to reveal my existence, I’ll be Your Highness’s best friend. So please, Your Highness, don’t cry.”
The words telling her not to cry only stirred up more sorrow, and she burst into tears. Madam Histin carefully embraced Elise’s shoulders as she cried out loud like a child.
For Elise, who had to pretend to be okay and perfect even in front of her husband Lucas, this time when she could cry to her heart’s content was incredibly precious and sweet.
When Elise finally calmed down, Madam Histin whispered,
“I know of a good investment opportunity, but start by investing only a small amount. If you’re too greedy from the beginning, it might come back as a big disaster, so it’s better to watch the situation and gradually increase your investment.”
The advice to invest only a small amount inspired trust.
“I’ll introduce you to someone in a few days. They’re in the textile business in the Kingdom of Lauren, and there’s talk that the new fabric they’ve made will lead the nobility’s fashion for the next few years. It would be best if you meet them in person, examine the newly made fabric and the factory’s operation, and then make a decision.”
“Thank you, Madam.”
“But you haven’t gained anything yet.”
“Still, I’m grateful just for the fact that Madam is sharing this information without holding back.”
Madam Histin’s eyes reddened. She tightly grasped Elise’s hand.
“How difficult it must be for our Your Highness… My heart aches for you.”
After that, Elise continued to confide in Madam Histin about the hardships of royal life. After quite some time had passed, Madam Histin said apologetically,
“Your Highness, this room is reserved, so I think we need to leave now.”
“Ah, yes. Reserved.”
At the word “reserved,” a thought flashed brightly in Elise’s mind.
“Then I’ll finish my tea and leave. You go ahead, Madam.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll send someone to the Crown Princess’s Palace soon.”
After Madam Histin left, Elise stared at the fan hanging on the wall. A fan as long as two hands. Jewels densely set along the edges of the fan.
Elise swallowed hard, staring intently at the ornate fan for a while before reaching out. The fan, only lightly hung on a nail in the wall, came off easily.
Elise looked down at the heavy fan for a while, conflicted, then quickly folded it and hid it inside her skirt. Then she hastily drank the cold tea and left the Litten Salon.
+++
Elise had no one to quickly come and inform her whenever there was news in the palace. So as soon as she entered the Crown Princess’s Palace, she locked the door and took out the fan.
‘Someone would recognize such an ornate fan.’
So to sell it, she had to do so without revealing her identity. There were smugglers operating in the underworld, but she couldn’t be certain how tight-lipped they would be.
“Bugs.”
The Lanian hiding in the shadows revealed himself.
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
_____
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