Edith couldn’t remember how she returned to her room after she kicked Walter out of the Portrion mansion.
She had walked briskly, not daring to look back, driven by the thought that she shouldn’t let him see her cry.
‘I had run into Cassius midway and asked him to check on Walter.’
She hadn’t forgotten to give him enough money for his expenses.
Then she collapsed on the bed and wept for a long time. Now she had awoken, having slept only a few hours.
Lying in bed, she curled up.
Then she felt an unfamiliar ache all over her body, as if the new sensations Walter had ignited last night were still smoldering within her.
As she mulled over each ache, every moment Walter had tenderly tried to melt her body and soul flashed through her mind.
‘I spent the night hoping he would remember me, but I remember Walter more.’
Why was that man so perfect at night, leaving her with regrets and lingering thoughts?
Today, the biting wind was strong enough to shake off even the clinging leaves. She had given him money, but she couldn’t help worrying about Walter.
‘The only people he knows outside the mansion are Helen and her mercenaries. He must have gone there.’
Visualizing Walter surrounded by armed mercenaries calmed her anxious mind a bit.
She didn’t know who Elizabeth might conspire with to send assassins, but as long as Walter had allies, he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.
He is strong; he will be fine.
“…….”
But she couldn’t erase the image of Walter’s crumbling face when she told him to leave, that she couldn’t save him.
‘I must have hurt him.’
Still… she wanted to save him.
Edith thought this as she covered herself with the goose feather duvet. It felt less cozy than when he had meticulously spread it for her last night.
‘Can’t believe I picked this twig in the midst of all this.’
The sedic tree, which had shed all its leaves in preparation for winter, was a crucial herb that could decide the outcome of the campaign, but now it only made her scoff.
That afternoon, the memorial prayer for the deceased, which was the last part of the funeral, passed in a blink.
All throughout, Edith fumed at Lord Portrion, who had abducted her to this place, as she stood at the spot arranged for the deceased lady.
As people started to leave, Isajel spoke to Sophia and her accompanying lawyers with icy eyes.
“Don’t think you can conveniently execute the lord’s will just because the funeral is over.”
“……”
“How about we go to the lord’s office right now and meticulously discuss the prerequisites for inheriting the estate? If you’re confident, you shouldn’t refuse.”
Sophia glared at Isajel with hate-filled eyes but did nothing more.
“Public opinion is very bad, my lady. I don’t know how rumors have spread so much in a single day….”
“The public’s judgment on whether you’ve fulfilled your duties as the lady is crucial.”
The lawyers she had nurtured for a long time all agreed that the situation wasn’t favorable.
Sophia knew why; she had tasked Jane to keep track of rumors both inside and outside the mansion.
‘The relationship between me and Whitman has spread in one day.’
It seemed like someone had intentionally leaked the letters from Whitman.
Not just that.
‘From embezzlement to adultery, everything’s come out.’
‘The money meant for repairing the downstream dam, the two of them embezzled together.’
‘In this situation, impressing the fourth wife who has an heir is more important.’
It was as if someone was intentionally ruining her reputation; public opinion worsened each day.
Now the only person Sophia could trust was Edith.
People still knew that thanks to her taking off her shoes and inviting Edith to the mansion, Fortrion had the chance to carry on the family line.
“Edith, are you sure you don’t need to rest?”
Sophia kindly looked after pregnant Edith, oblivious to the fact that it was Edith who had damaged her reputation through the circus.
“Yes, I think I’ll be fine.”
“……”
Sophia postponed the work, claiming Edith needed to be careful given her condition, but Edith was no fool.
Because Elizabeth was also pressing to resolve the inheritance issue immediately, the four viscountesses, lawyers, and main employees of the mansion gathered in the viscount’s office.
The cleanest-looking lawyer among them placed a sealed document in the center of the table.
“This is the last will and testament that the viscount drafted.”
It was customary for heads of decent families to regularly update their wills, or modify existing ones, to ensure the family wouldn’t falter even if they died suddenly.
Therefore, even Nicholas, who had been unexpectedly attacked, was able to leave his will intact.
The lawyer began to read the will carefully.
“To the dedicated wives who have worked hard for Fortrion, the assets listed from 1 to 4 in the asset list will be fairly distributed. If among them, there is one who is pregnant with the family heir, a 10% bonus will be added.”
It was then stated what would be passed on if an heir to the family appeared.
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.”
