At that moment, a rustling sound was heard at the door.
Both of their gazes were instantly fixed on the door. Matthias was about to speak aggressively, but…
“Come in.”
…He quickly changed his expression to a warm one, thinking of the faint footsteps outside the door.
The only person who could be standing outside the door, avoiding his senses, was Cyan.
The girl’s footsteps were too soft; they could hardly be heard without focusing.
And his guess was correct.
With a gentle smile, Cyan, a fifteen-year-old girl, entered.
“I came to give snacks to Dad. Are you busy?”
“It’s been a while, Cyan.”
“Hello, Duke!”
Sebastian inwardly rolled his tongue at the Duke’s pretentious side.
“Cyan, is Dad busy? What’s going on?”
Sebastian skillfully hid the documents in his pocket, and Matthias, pretending to tidy up the table, swept the dangerous documents into the drawer.
Cyan, capturing that sight with her eyes, happily presented a dish.
“Tada! Let’s eat delicious fruit!”
A seemingly peaceful day disguised in camouflage passed.
After a few days, Cyan’s upper level.
All the merfolk who were running around to collect information diligently had gathered. I examined each of their faces and spoke.
Yesterday, after hearing my dad’s words, I immediately selected two trustworthy and nimble individuals from among the upper-class people and called them separately.
And I ordered them to hide near the palace and the temple respectively, to gather rumors and information.
So today, I called them again.
“Now, tell me from the left. How is it near the palace?”
The first was a merchant who had divided the front of the palace.
“The Crown Prince’s actions are definitely suspicious. Openly showing movements allied with the temple, there were talks about seizing children with divine power for a new academy.”
I gestured towards the informant dispatched to the temple.
“Next, what about the temple?”
“There were no specific issues. However… they seemed to be engaging in volunteer activities, opening the temple for free to attract worshippers in the outlying areas.”
It was a usual course of action. The temple had been quiet for the past five years without the Pope. I was about to nod in agreement when I looked to the side and hesitated.
“And also…”
“Why? Let me see too!”
“Why is Delphia unni here?”
Delphia stroked her chin and shrugged.
“Well, why not? Can’t I be here? I’ve gathered information too, Cyan!”
I looked at Delphia unni and nodded, slightly lowering my head.
“Did they threaten our friends again?”
“They did… but I still found something good!”
“I’ll listen.”
Delphia unni said cheerfully.
“The temple seems to be doing nothing, right? No, voluntary activities are what boosts the temple’s influence, our cute little master.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Oh, there are many people who don’t know… Should I tell you?”
“Yes!”
I brightened my eyes, and Delphia chuckled.
“Then, as a reward, a kiss.”
I furrowed my brows.
“I am undeniably the master of this upper level. Delphia unni treating me like this makes me lose my dignity!”
After gesturing to the informants to leave outside the door, I whispered lowly to Delphia unni.
“Alright. I’ll tell you, and then you can kiss me.”
…Well, there’s no helping it. She did say she’d tell me if I shared the information.
Delphia chuckled as she playfully pinched my cheek after hearing my agreement.
“The temple’s divine power, you see. It’s based on people’s beliefs. The more people believe in the gods and love the priests, the stronger the divine power held by the priests against their adversaries, especially the Pope.”
“Is that possible?”
“Of course. So, increasing the number of devotees who serve and love the temple, believing in themselves, is undoubtedly a clever strategy.”
After hearing her words, it seemed clear that the temple was preparing something.
I sighed quietly. Although small pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, I could still feel the inadequacy of our information.
Certainly, having a proper informant would be better. The thought that there must be a proper informant in this world crossed my mind.
And, of course, there was.
It was none other than the Dark Guild Leader, Lilith.
‘The Dark Guild Leader Lilith knows everything in the world. That’s how curious she is. If you have any questions, she digs into them as if she’s gone mad. Once you trust her, she never betrays you. However…’
However, there was no way to lure the elusive Dark Guild Leader.
I sighed and pressed my forehead against the table. Well, even if I press my forehead against the table, there’s nothing more I can do…
“Alright, thanks, Delphia unni.”
“Why? What are you planning to do?”
“Well, for now, let’s challenge with the information we have.”
I sighed heavily.
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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