Edmond, annoyed, furrowed his brow and looked out the window again.
I glanced at Edmond and decided to change my strategy.
‘If sympathy doesn’t work, then flattery.’
Ahem, I coughed and laughed behind my fan.
“Since the Count is out today, the nobles you accompany on your outing will return without a glance.”
Edmond gave me a cool look and averted his gaze. He had no intention of engaging in trivial conversations, just like when we first met.
“Considering Lady Lirien’s beautiful appearance, I anticipated the Count’s handsomeness, but you are truly exceptional. Like a male reincarnation of the goddess of beauty from myths.”
Edmond’s eyebrows twitched. His gaze was incredulous but briefly met mine without much reaction.
Hmm. But he’s listening, so it’s not bad.
I continued praising him as if reciting sacred doctrines.
His eyelashes sparkled like stars stolen from the dark night sky, his silver hair shone like moonlight, his golden eyes were enchanting enough to capture the hearts of many women…
Suddenly, Edmond sighed deeply and massaged his temples.
“Do you always talk this much?”
Oops, that backfired. I held the fan with both hands and smiled faintly.
Indeed, there’s a limit to flattery.
Excessive praise could backfire, and as a married woman soon to be divorced, it could be misinterpreted as throwing undue advances, drawing disdain.
“I’m sorry. I got excited upon meeting Count Edmond Miphidian, the renowned commander of the Empire—”
But then, I noticed something. Edmond, who was gazing out the window, had his neck flushed red.
His jaw muscles bulged from gritting his teeth, and his furrowed brow showed a man enduring embarrassment.
It seemed improbable that Edmond, of all people, would be such a bashful man. Yet, even upon closer inspection, the blush on his face was evident. It felt like discovering a rare gem, filling me with exhilaration.
After all, he had spent the last nine years in the forest, immune to such flattery.
Busy hunting down dark figures, he surely hadn’t been exposed to such praise.
Living solely for the purpose of regaining power for his sister, he likely had no interest in beauty or even realized the worth of his own appearance.
A mischievous smile crept onto my lips.
‘Feeling this embarrassed, it almost makes me want to tease him more. Or maybe use this approach to drive him away whenever he follows me for surveillance?’
Forgetting my wariness of Edmond, I reveled in these playful thoughts. Then, suddenly, the carriage stopped.
Edmond hastily got out, almost as if escaping, and I followed, chuckling under my breath.
As I was about to step down from the carriage, I paused. Edmond awkwardly extended his calloused and scarred hand. He glanced at me and frowned.
“……You do realize you’re wearing a surprisingly gentlemanly expression, right?”
Oops, I need to manage my expressions better. I narrowed my eyes and smiled softly.
“You misunderstand. I’m simply admiring, wondering if there’s even a flaw in such a person.”
As I took his hand to step down, Edmond quickly let go and walked ahead.
“There is a flaw.”
“A flaw?” Intrigued and hiding my mouth behind the fan, I followed him eagerly, but he clammed up.
Well, who would reveal their flaws to others? I felt a bit disappointed.
“Do you have a location in mind?”
“Right here.”
I pointed to the area on the lawyer’s flyer I got from Rail the day before, highlighting the biography of Rainbutton.
After Edmond checked the address and confirmed I was following, he abruptly turned into an alley.
A girl crossing our path gaped, unable to take her eyes off Edmond.
Tsk, tsk, look at that poor girl, spellbound by her first crush. If it were me, I would’ve at least winked. I thought it a pity for Edmond’s handsome features to go unnoticed like this.
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.”
