“It seems the horse didn’t hear you. Try again.”
“Elya!!”
Following the clear cry of the small friend, who the horse could even ignore, Arital lightly kicked the horse’s side, and the horse finally started to run forward, following the traces of the other envoys.
“See. If you speak a little louder, it works, right?”
“Yes!”
It was Arital’s consideration, wanting Evelia to believe she had achieved it herself.
While they were galloping on the horse, he looked out for any fear the young friend might feel, but it was clear that it was a needless worry.
‘Who else could she be but the child of Artina?’
With the wind in her hair, her golden locks flying, her young friend’s mouth was wide open in delight, her eyes filled with the ocean, sparkling with curiosity.
“Here, hold this and run.”
Arital lifted Evelia’s small hand, which had grabbed his arm, and put it on the reins.
Although he handed over the reins, just in case, he supported her on the horse with his strong legs, wrapping the small friend from behind.
“Keep your waist straight. Look forward.”
Forcing a friend to give up what they want because it’s dangerous was not his way of caring.
“Good. You’re doing well.”
Yes, let her do everything she wants.
I can simply remove all the dangers that get in the way.
“Hehe. I’m happy. The world is beautiful. The horse is big.”
“…….”
The young friend brought on the illusion that even the world reflected in his eyes was beautiful.
Such a common sight was beautiful.
No, even for a moment, he had feelings of appreciation for this hateful world.
‘This is troublesome.’
Arital had to open his eyes wide at this unfamiliarity.
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]On the second day after departure.
All the envoys ran quite hard yesterday, so they were planning to reach the gate by this evening.
The members who were secretly worried that the young princess might hold back the envoy, had to completely overturn that thought on the first day of departure.
“Jerky! Anyone who wants more jerky or fox hands!”
Believing she could not be the only one to become food, Evelia had been helping with food supplies since last night.
“Undine! Check if there are any villains around!”
She had also called Undine to scout the area, showing firsthand her desire to be helpful.
“Thief! If you don’t want to die, hands up!”
In fact, when the mountain robbers that everyone had anticipated showed up last night, she bravely drew her sword.
Additionally, Enril, who thought he couldn’t make his sister do all the work, also helped with snacks, running somewhere to bring back tree fruits and catching small rabbits.
“This puppy is quite smart.”
“It’s not a puppy, it’s a fox. I heard the princess cherishes it.”
Hearing the word ‘cherish’, Enril suddenly stood up straight and puffed out his chest while holding a tree fruit in his mouth.
‘Cherish……! I am a great dragon that my sister cherishes!’
Thus, Evelia and Enril monopolized the cuteness of all the envoys and established themselves as the mascots of this envoy.
Thanks to them, during the smooth journey towards the gate, they took a break at a nameless low mountain range.
Rustle.
“Kueek!!”
It’s common to encounter thieves or monsters during travel, so no one was surprised when an orc, with a human torso and pig’s head, blocked the road.
Evelia, when she first encountered a monster in the world, was an exception.
“Eh? Oink?”
When a pig’s head popped up from the bushes, she cheerfully exclaimed,
“Oh, a pig! Get ready for barbecue!”
But as the body followed the pig’s head, Evelia rigidly froze, rubbing her eyes in disbelief.
“……”
What’s that? What’s that?
The head is a pig, but why does the body look like a human?
“Oink.”
The sound made it seem like it was a pig, not a human.
With their mouths wide open and shaking their heads, the small child made everyone, from Hugo and Agares to all the members of the envoy, observe Evelia’s condition with a mix of worry in their eyes.
“What is that……”
Her head, drooped down, seemed out of place.
Her tightly closed eyes seemed to express fear.
As Evelia’s small hand stealthily gripped the hem of Agares’ robe, Hugo and Agares immediately drew their swords.
“A mere orc.”
“Scared my little one? How dare you?”
Just as they were about to execute the orc that had scared their daughter, their little friend.
Evelia’s small mouth slowly opened.
“…Maybe I should just eat the head.”
“…?”
…Eat what?
“Because it’s shaped like a pig’s head.”
Her deadly serious tone could be believed even if she were a chef researching an irreplaceable ingredient.
“Yup. Cut off that mutant pig’s head and Undine!”
As the envoy had resolved their meals with simple jerky and soup to shorten their travel schedule, Evelia, who had pork in front of her for the first time in two days, was salivating.
[Yup, contractee!!]“I’m going to cut off that pig’s head and roast it. Let’s go!”
Everyone present saw it.
The spirit was flustered.
[What…What are you going to eat?!]“Let’s go!”
[Wait, isn’t anyone going to stop her? This chick is going to hunt a monster!]Agares, finding the little one’s bluff about hunting a monster amusing, laughed and said to Hugo.
Of course, he only said this because he thought Evelia’s words were not sincere but just a bluff.
“Babysitting the little one must be tough. But this should be manageable?”
Hugo slightly tilted his head, wondering what he meant.
“When my daughter really cuts off and eats an orc’s head.”
“…?”
“That’s when parenting really begins.”
Hugo pointed towards the bushes with his chin.
“Rescue Eve before she touches that filth, demon.”
Could it be.
Was she really serious about cutting off and eating the orc’s head…?
As Agares slowly turned his head, he saw their little friend, who had suddenly jumped up and was running towards the orc, arms stretched out in front.
She looked as if she would truly grab the orc’s head with just a few more steps.
“Little one!! That’s a monster!!”
A rare sternfaced Agares scooped up the little friend into the air, and Hugo muttered,
“Hmm, just like her mother. During the war, Elysia would also wonder if orc’s heads tasted the same as pig’s.”
‘What the hell. What is this family?’
Even if placed with demons, it felt like they’d devour anything without leaving any leftovers.
“You, little one, you… that’s not food!”
“It’s a weird looking pig, though?”
“That’s not a pig, it’s an orc. We need to study the monster manual when we get back. There are a lot of things in the world you shouldn’t eat. Wait, Undine… you’re here.”
[Ah! Save Undine!]As Agares shook off Undine, who he’d caught, on a handkerchief and wiped Evelia’s small hand, Hugo, who had been watching with satisfaction, added as an afterthought.
“She has the right constitution. I’ll be relying on you in the future, nanny.”
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.”
