Aria’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Friends?”
“Yes,” Luke replied gruffly.
“I would prefer to give her more time to adapt, but there’s a children’s social gathering held around this time every year.”
“I’m aware of that,” Aria responded.
She, as Elodie, had attended countless such gatherings.
It was also at one of those events that she had met the real Aria.
“…”
Reflecting on their first encounter, Aria fell silent for a moment. Luke observed her.
‘The swelling in her eyes is gone.’
Despite her tears the day before, she looked normal by the next morning, which he found somewhat unsettling.
…In fact, everything about Aria Hilton was starting to irk him.
‘If it weren’t for Bonita, I’d have sent her away long ago.’
He inwardly scoffed.
“Normally, a lady accompanies the child to these events, but Bonita doesn’t have a mother…”
Luke’s tone trailed off when he mentioned Bonita’s mother.
Even after six years since her death, he still couldn’t escape the shadow of his beloved wife.
“Are you suggesting that I take on that role?”
“…I plan to accompany her as well.”
“I’d be delighted to!”
Excitement twinkled in Aria’s eyes.
‘A children’s social gathering with parents!’
Just the thought of it brought a smile to her face.
‘I honestly wasn’t expecting this.’
Such events were usually dominated by ladies. Fathers rarely attended, except in rare cases where a woman led the family.
It seemed even the Duke hesitated to attend such a quaint and adorable tea party alone.
‘Well, that makes sense.’
Imagining Luke attending a children’s party alone, Aria let out an awkward laugh.
A 2-meter-tall Duke among tiny children would certainly cause a stir. The kids would probably cry, and the ladies wouldn’t know how to handle the situation.
Luke appeared to have similar thoughts, judging by his slightly haggard expression as he sipped his tea.
“Anyway… it’s customary to start participating in social gatherings from a young age. For Bonita’s sake, we must attend this event.”
“I agree.”
The social circle was ruthless.
Although no one would dare mistreat the daughter of a Duke, it was impossible to suppress everything with power.
There were other noble families, not just the Duke’s house, with deep political ties or immense wealth like the Rotweil family.
Being acquainted with children from such families would undoubtedly benefit Bonita in her future role as Duchess.
‘Our child can’t be left behind!’
The two united in their resolve for their child’s future.
“Oh my!”
“What’s the matter?”
The Duke of Hyacinth tilted his head curiously at his wife’s exclamation.
‘Lady Hyacinth seldom gets startled. This is unexpected.’
Lady Hyacinth, known as a paragon among noblewomen, usually maintained a calm demeanor. She sometimes showed her emotions in front of her husband, but mostly she wore a serene smile.
Now, she read a letter with wide eyes. Her voice slightly heightened with excitement, she said,
“The Duke of Lysianthus has replied. They will attend the social event at our residence.”
“From Lysianthus?”
The Duke immediately understood why his wife was so surprised.
The young Lady of the Lysianthus family was currently the hot topic in the social circle.
A child lost and found after seven years.
In the kingdom, she was the only daughter of the sole Duke and the future ruler of the vast southern territories.
For the Hyacinth Duke, who had several sons, the young Lady of Lysianthus was an extremely attractive prospect.
Of course, other noble families would think the same.
‘Haah. I hope my sons don’t behave inappropriately around the Lady.’
The Duke sighed inwardly, thinking of his reckless sons.
The Lady was said to be seven years old.
Girls around that age can be sensitive.
He was seriously worried that his first and second sons, who were utterly unmanageable, might catch worms or something and show them to the Lady.
Only the third son seemed calm enough to get along with the Lady…
His thoughts were interrupted as his face turned pale.
“…Wait. Does this mean His Grace, the Duke himself, is coming?”
Even the powerful Hyacinth Duke, among the central nobility, was intimidated by the Duke of Lysianthus. It wasn’t a matter of one family against another.
‘It’s just that the man himself is scary.’
If there were a contest for looking fierce, the Duke would undoubtedly win first prize.
Grown adults trembled before his authority, let alone children.
“Waaaah! Scary!”
“Mommyyy! I want to go home!”
“He’s a monster! I’ll defeat him!”
“…”
The Duke swallowed hard, imagining the chaos of the tea party.
Seeing her husband’s distress, the Duchess of Hyacinth narrowed her eyes and spoke.
“His Grace said he would come in the latter half of the party. And he’ll be accompanied by Lady Bonita and Miss Hilton.”
“Hilton?”
That was an unfamiliar name to him.
Upon his questioning look, the Duchess explained with a click of her tongue.
“The Baroness who brought the Lady, no, rather, since she’s the only remaining member of her family, she could be called Baroness Hilton.”
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.”
