As early April arrived, spring winds began to blow in Gania.
The holy knights dispatched from the Grand Temple to Kanta finished exterminating the demonic beasts. Now only the work of the priests purifying the land contaminated by demonic energy remained. Though the newly formed rift in Kanta still existed, once the priests’ purification was complete, it would not spew out demonic beasts for some time.
Earl Casar Hugh Pelur, the official second son of Joseph V, was designated as the governor of the colony of Kanta. Regardless of how Casar felt about suddenly becoming Kanta’s governor, a festival was held to celebrate his departure while also welcoming spring.
Elise also came to the capital city of Atanta to enjoy Gania’s festival and attend the royal palace party.
Once again, Elise’s lodgings were in the Jade Palace within the royal palace.
As the lord of Kingteren now, she could have rented a mansion elsewhere. But wanting to be close to Lucas and see if any women were approaching him, she deliberately chose the Jade Palace as her accommodation.
Fortunately, it seemed there were only the king’s mistresses in the Jade Palace as before, and no women brought by Lucas.
“The women of the Jade Palace are saying bad things about you. I want to kill them all.”
Hunter growled after surveying the Jade Palace. Elise lowered the corners of her eyebrows and gently stroked his cheek.
“Don’t do that, my love. I already knew people would say bad things about me. Being from the colony of Kanta, and with my father having died under false accusations…”
She trailed off, pretending to choke up, and Hunter embraced her waist as if he couldn’t bear it.
“Just give the order, Elise. My sword exists for you.”
Bringing Hunter into the bedroom was the right answer. Not only did the upright man swear loyalty to a woman he had been intimate with, but he was also incredibly passionate and hot in bed. His rough scent and movements, incomparable to Lucas, gave Elise ecstasy she had never experienced before.
He desired Elise every day, and she didn’t mind his voracious appetite. He craved Elise at all hours but didn’t show excessive obsession, understanding when Elise brought other men to bed to achieve her goals.
He was a lovable and clever man. One she wanted to keep close even after becoming queen.
“We have to be careful while here. You know we can’t let the crown prince find out about us, right?”
“Of course, my lord.”
As he playfully replied and devoured Elise’s lips, there was a knock at the door.
“His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived.”
At the maid’s announcement, the two hurriedly separated.
Before Elise could answer, the door flung open and Lucas strode in. He didn’t even glance at the guard standing in the corner. The guard was not someone the crown prince of this country needed to pay attention to.
So Lucas, failing to notice the subtle scent lingering in the room, embraced Elise and kissed her greedily. As Elise received Lucas’s kiss, she signaled with her eyes, and Hunter silently left the room.
After a long kiss, Lucas caressed Elise’s cheek and said,
“You don’t know how worried I was about you. But it seems you’re doing very well. The people of Kingteren are all praising you… How did you win over those stuffy people?”
Elise inwardly scoffed.
‘Of course they’d praise me. Do you know how busy I’ve been for that?’
But without revealing her thoughts at all, she clung to his neck and said in a fragile voice,
“What do you mean, how? I just worked hard thinking of Your Highness. Perhaps everyone took pity on me and looked upon me kindly. Even though I still lack in so many ways…”
“Lack in many ways? Thanks to the road construction, jobs have increased and surveying costs have been reduced. And I hear you’re importing materials very cheaply? Even Father was quite pleased when he heard.”
That statement about Joseph V being pleased was more gratifying than a hundred praises from Lucas. Elise widened her eyes in disbelief and asked,
“Really?”
“Yes. He said it was a good decision to place you in Kingteren. He might even grant you a title soon.”
There were several types of lords, the most representative being those who owned and had authority to rule and manage territories. Of course, such lords still paid taxes to the king, but otherwise they had full authority and didn’t need to report every little thing to the king unless a major war broke out.
Elise was not that kind of lord.
She was just a lord entrusted by the king with management rights and power to operate. Elise could manage Kingteren, but all the income from it belonged to the king. All Elise could use personally was the salary she received from the king and some bribes people gave her on their own.
But if she received a title, her authority would increase. Someday Kingteren might even fall into Elise’s hands.
‘Even if not Kingteren, having my own territory would increase my power.’
Elise was already elated as if she had obtained land, but without showing it, she buried her face in his chest.
“Since His Majesty the King looks upon me favorably, I only feel I should work harder. I’ll do my best until I can be recognized.”
“Don’t overdo it to the point of harming your health. Remember that your health is most important above all else.”
Elise felt relieved at his warm consolation.
Thank goodness. Lucas still loves me. The only woman reflected in this man’s beautiful eyes is me.
‘My approach was right. If I had remained in the Jade Palace fretting, he would surely have grown tired of me and turned his gaze to other women.’
Becoming the lord of Kingteren was thanks to Retrochika’s advice, but Elise had now completely forgotten that fact. It seemed as if everything was due to her own cleverness.
“Ah, I heard the person Knaif sent has arrived. They’re scheduled to enter the palace tomorrow, would you like to meet them together?”
‘Knaif?’
As Elise tried to recall where she had heard that name before, she remembered it was the name of the king of the Hoburn Islands where Roxiana had been sold.
Knaif Zeron.
An old pervert famous for his vigorous sexual appetite despite his advanced age.
For a moment she felt like bursting into laughter, but she barely suppressed it and said, pretending to be sad,
“I’d love to see them together. I wonder if the princess is doing well.”
“You still call that woman a princess. Even after all she did to you…”
“But… if I don’t call her princess…”
“There’s no one left to mistreat you now. Stop acting the way they brainwashed you.”
“But… if the princess is still…”
“Well, I’m not sure if that woman is even alive. From what I’ve heard, the king of Hoburn is truly cruel to women. They say he does unspeakably terrible things, beyond what you could imagine.”
Once again, Elise almost burst out laughing. In the end, she hid the laughter threatening to escape by lowering her head. But she couldn’t hide the trembling of her shoulders.
Lucas stroked Elise’s shoulders as if pitying her.
“Don’t cry, Elise. There’s no need to cry for such a woman. She’s just receiving back what she did to you.”
Lucas believed that Roxiana and her family had treated Elise very harshly. Of course, he hadn’t seen it himself, but Elise always subtly led his thoughts in a different direction.
For example, bursting into tears when caught coming out of Roxiana’s room by Lucas, or whimpering as if she had heard harsh words from Roxiana when Lucas was nearby.
With just a few such simple methods, Elise had won his heart. And because of those few simple methods, the Franche royal family had been killed.
‘My lovely and easy-to-handle prince.’
Unaware of Elise’s true nature, Lucas simply stroked her back as if worried about and adoring the woman in his arms.
Elise loved his gentle touch so much she could hardly bear it. She was overjoyed at the reality of being cherished and embraced by the man everyone in this country looked up to and every woman desired.
‘But not you, Roxiana. I wonder. Whether you’re alive or dead. I hope you’re still alive and suffering, if possible.’
The envoy from the Hoburn Islands would also bring news of Roxiana. Elise wanted to hear news of her as soon as possible. She wanted to know how terrible a hell Roxiana was living in, or if she was dead.
Thinking how she wished tomorrow would come quickly, Elise fell back onto the bed, pushed by Lucas.
+++
The two knights in charge of guarding the Lily Palace today were crouched in the garden with Roxiana. Digging the ground with a small trowel, Roxiana said,
“It’s raining again today.”
Torkan in April was already starting to get hot. It rained often, and even on days without rain, dark clouds covered the sky, making it stuffy. The air was extremely humid with a particularly strong smell of the sea, so after being outside, one always had to change clothes upon entering.
“Yes, the rainy season will end soon. It usually lasts about 2-3 weeks.”
Said Mateo Seld, the vice-captain of the Golden Lion Knights. Seated to Roxiana’s left, he was holding an umbrella for her.
“But what are you planting?”
The one who asked in a cheerful voice was a young knight named Aaron Fix from the Red Spider Knights. Floyd had taken the Spider, Bear, and Eagle Knight Orders on the expedition, but not all the knights of those orders had gone along.
“Herbs. There are herbs that grow well in this weather. They have a nice scent, and when added to drinks, they enhance the flavor.”
“Oh!”
As Roxiana shared information she had heard from the earth spirits, Aaron and Mateo nodded in admiration.
Recently, Roxiana had become popular among the knights remaining at the Grand Duke’s palace. One of the pastimes Roxiana had taken up was cooking, and among them, the drinks Roxiana made herself had caused a sensation among the knights.
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.”
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
