Only then did Odette recall the situation before she closed her eyes.
From attending the Count of Sabvier’s party, to the strange carriage that Regis had overstepped his authority to call, and the eye contact she had with Elodie through the gap in the door.
And finally…
“…Duke Ertman.”
Up until when Walter had lifted her up.
Unconsciously mumbling to herself, Odette threw off the covers and got out of bed.
A silk nightgown was revealed, and of course, it was a strange one as well.
What had happened while I was asleep that I’m wearing strange sleepwear in a place that’s not the Imperial Palace, and using a strange bed?
‘I shouldn’t have fallen asleep there…’
The moment she saw Walter, she had totally lost the tension she had barely been holding onto.
It was pointless to blame her own weakness now.
It seems I owe Walter unnecessarily.
Odette sighed and looked around.
‘Where is this?’
It looked like the mansion of a noble family, probably owned by the Count of Clovis.
If Walter had taken care of her after she collapsed, he probably would have asked Louis to take her home in a reasonable manner.
And since Louis was a stranger and she was the Empress, he couldn’t have taken Odette home.
He must have moved her to one of the family’s mansions.
‘So… is this a mansion owned by the Count of Clovis?’
The question was soon answered.
“Oh my, you’re awake?”
Just then, a woman who seemed to be a servant of the place gently opened the door.
The rather amiablelooking woman smiled and approached Odette with a trot.
“Did you sleep well? I was wondering whether I should wake you since it’s almost lunchtime.”
“…It’s already lunchtime?”
“Yes. By the way, my name is Emma. If you need anything while you’re staying in Ertman, just pull the bell cord.”
“Ertman? Not Clovis? Then, this place is…”
Just as Odette was about to ask if this was a mansion owned by Duke Ertman, Emma smiled and nodded.
“Yes! It’s the Duke Ertman’s mansion, Your Highness.”
My goodness.
Something unbelievable had come out.
Odette’s mouth fell open in shock, and Emma chuckled as if amused.
“I’ll leave the wash water here and go. There’s someone who said they would guide you when you wake up. I’ll bring them.”
She spoke briskly and really left Odette alone.
As Odette was washing her face in bewilderment and straightening her appearance, the door burst open again.
And this time, a truly familiar face appeared.
“Your Highness! You’re awake!”
“E, Ellie?! How did you…?”
“Duke Ertman contacted the Selvia mansion, so I reported it first thing in the morning and rushed over!”
Ellie squinted her eyes as if to say, “Didn’t I do well?!”
Of course, her face immediately changed back to one filled with excitement.
Thanks to that, Odette’s head started to hurt a little.
Waking up in Duke Ertman’s mansion was strange enough, but now Ellie was here too.
“Ellie, what exactly happened while I was asleep? I didn’t sleep for several days, did I?”
“Phew, of course not. Do you know how long I’ve waited for you to wake up? There’s such exciting news, and I couldn’t hear it!”
Regretting that she should have somehow obtained an invitation, Ellie vented her frustration.
Ellie’s family, the Selvia, was a humble one, so they didn’t receive an invitation.
Odette already had Louis with her, so Ellie couldn’t go along either.
However, unlike the regretful Ellie, Odette’s reaction was a little uneasy.
“Exciting… news?”
She was anxious that some problem related to her might have arisen while she was asleep.
“Surely Count Sabvier hasn’t done something again…”
“You knew! It’s Count Sabvier, that guy!”
At Ellie’s words, Odette’s heart sank.
However.
“Probably everyone in the capital is chewing him out by now? He got what he deserved!”
“…Huh?”
He got what he deserved?
Odette blinked in confusion, and Ellie chuckled, pulling something out of her bag and handing it to her.
The daily gossip newspaper that carried news of the nobles.
The important thing was the headline that adorned the first page.
[‘Returning Tango’ Count Regis Xavier, in an affair with an actor of the Rettel Theater?](Time separator here.)
“Everything is going back as Your Highness has handled it. There’s no need to spread rumors, thanks to Count Xavier generously hosting a grand banquet.”
“I was planning to spread rumors about the 4th Princess, so I prepared grandly.”
Walter cynically replied, fastening the cuff buttons of his wrist.
A slightly annoyed, or perhaps tired expression, with slightly furrowed brows and a languidly lowered gaze.
And an indifferent low voice had an oddly sensual aspect.
If it had been anyone else, they might have observed him closely, perhaps even wanting to learn from him, but to Russell, it was a familiar sight.
No, rather, his mind was occupied elsewhere, so he had no time to look at that.
‘I didn’t know you were preparing like this.’
Russell’s eyes turned briefly to the neatly compiled report.
There was nothing in Walter’s past actions written there that Russell didn’t know.
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.”
