Far away, the sky was painted with red clouds like a watercolor, but there was still a lingering blue aura. However, darkness had already fallen on the promenade of the estate where they walked together.
Thanks to the low, shining lights along the promenade, it was fortunate that it didn’t become completely dark.
In the moments spent with this man, she had never found the darkness frightening. Even without the lights, it wouldn’t have mattered much because she never thought about it.
To avoid getting lost in thoughts, Skaha consciously blinked her eyes and echoed the words he had spoken just a while ago.
“Is it important…”
In response to the question about whether he remembered Maha’s name, he asked with an indifferent expression and a subdued tone if it was an important issue for Skaha.
Still, his large hand, held in Skaha’s hand, remained on her swollen belly without resistance.
There was no particular reproach in his colorless tone. In fact, there was no immediate response until he checked again. Therefore, she had no choice but to stand still until he checked again.
“Aren’t you anxious about losing the child to me?”
Skaha knew very well what he was talking about.
Kasar de Blachnat would make Skaha, this woman, his queen and take away the child of the Blachnat family in her belly.
At a time when she didn’t expect him to know Skaha’s identity at all.
When she was confined in the Pfalz Palace, everyone, including Emperor Attila, Agnoman Eonae, and Skaha, thought so.
It wasn’t exactly a happy conclusion to find out that he deliberately pretended not to know. If the reason he had to do that was to prevent the child from being taken away from her.
“…Back then, I thought you brought me for the child.”
“And now?”
“Now…”
It seemed like a faint smile appeared on her lips as she said those words.
He laughed.
It had been a long time since such a pleasant smile appeared on this man’s face.
A refreshing breeze, carrying the coolness of the evening, swept in from the dense forest surrounding the outside of Count Conwell’s estate.
He gently took Skaha’s hand. When the small hand seemed to slip away, he readjusted his grip with interlocked fingers.
Not in the manner of an escort to a lady but rather like young lovers on a date.
As Skaha arrived at a small lake near the edge of the forest, she was captivated by the clear scenery of the lake with large, bright yellow daisies forming clusters in the shallow water.
“Do you like it?”
“…I didn’t know such a place existed.”
“Next time, I’ll plant some freesias.”
Next.
It was a delightful thing to hear about the future from this man, even if it was a near future that did not reach one year.
“Then… I want Maha to come with us next time.”
“Sure, let’s do that.”
In response to the cheerful answer, Skaha tilted her head with a puzzled expression. While looking at Skaha like that, he smiled again.
“Why do you keep smiling?”
“Because you’re beautiful.”
“If you’re that beautiful, I should give a proper response, shouldn’t I…”
Anyway, he would probably just laugh it off.
Skaha, who had let go of her hand, which was complaining without malice, relaxed her grip and turned her body to admire the lakeside.
He grabbed Skaha’s hand again, which was trying to escape his grasp, and gently bent down, placing a kiss on her lips.
“Skaha.”
“Ah… Surprised me…”
Even though they had just mixed their bodies a little while ago, a light kiss seemed to raise her temperature.
“I have something for you.”
“…?”
Skaha, looking at him with an unrealistic face as he carefully placed something in her hand, stared at the item.
What was attached to the ring finger of her left hand was… a diamond ring with a deep yellow color resembling Freesia, somewhat similar to Skaha’s eyes.
“Is this… mine?”
“I wanted to give it to you before the engagement ceremony.”
If Skaha’s mind wasn’t preoccupied with things like the will, she might have shed tears of joy.
“If you have to return it after a year, I won’t take it.”
Still not considering the ring hers, she challenged him with a defiant look and opened her hand with a challenging gaze.
However…
Though she refused as if to convey her rejection, the ring was still not hers, he still took Skaha’s hand and kissed her lips challengingly.
“Ask to return it.”
Skaha, with her lower lip slightly bitten, looked deep into the man’s eyes that had separated.
“I don’t want to have only the ring without you…”
As if fearing that Skaha might distance herself, he quickly grabbed the lapel of the jacket he was wearing. When Skaha pouted with a face that looked like she might cry, he seemed to be holding back his laughter.
In fact, he already knew that he was weak against such a face from Skaha.
“Don’t just laugh…”
“Skaha, tomorrow, the engagement announcement of Kasar de Blachnat and Erwin del Adne will be registered at the church.”
“Even if it’s for a year…”
He looked at Skaha, who was sticking her lips out provocatively, as if enjoying her playful behavior.
“The position of the Grand Duchess is like that.”
“…?”
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.”
