Lucas’s voice still resonated low and languid.
“That night happened to be a full moon. And for some reason… when I saw the bright full moon, I thought of you.”
“Why… why me…”
“No one has ever treated me so coldly and insulted me in my life.”
Serena had nothing to say about that. She hadn’t been in this world for long when they had their engagement ceremony, and she didn’t know what she was doing.
When they arrived safely at Astel territory, even when Anna had said, crying, that she thought she would die that day, Serena was still doubtful.
“Of course, that’s not all. The thought crossed my mind that I wanted to see your face that suddenly came to mind. And then I realized why I had been so spiteful to you.”
Serena didn’t question him further and waited for his next words.
“It wasn’t you I was angry at; it was myself. I hated how much smaller and inadequate I was compared to the woman I had fallen for at first sight.”
It was a mistake anyone could make, especially a 14-year-old boy who had grown up as a noble prince. However, realizing and admitting that was not something everyone could do.
“I too… maybe I didn’t like myself.”
Hearing Lucas’s courageous words, Serena unknowingly opened up her heart.
“I’m a woman, yet taller and stronger than most men… and it’s not like that strength can be used for anything.”
She had always felt uncomfortable for being taller and stronger than others even before she became Serena in this story. No matter how much she wanted to accept and love herself, the eyes and mouths of others didn’t allow it.
“In the end, I had to accept that I was just a woman with a large build.”
She had many painful memories from her past life.
From a young age, she showed talent in physical activities and aimed to become a gymnast. However, her arms and legs ruthlessly grew, and she ended up remaining an awkward existence after hopping from one sport to another, eroding her self-esteem.
“That’s not true. You’re slender and beautiful. You stand out more than anyone.”
What made Serena the happiest after becoming her was the loving and affirmative gaze of Anna and the Astel nobility.
Granted, before she came into this world, Serena had tried to fit herself into clothes by going on extreme diets, but in those kind eyes, Serena had finally found a way to love herself.
“In my memory, you were always confident; maybe we were similar.”
“Perhaps.”
When she first realized she had entered an unfamiliar story, she thought she’d become a fragile and beautiful young lady like in a typical novel.
But ironically, Serena in this story harbored similar wounds to her past life.
“But now I don’t dislike all those facts.”
Was she to live with the same drawbacks again? The disappointment she felt then was deep.
Coming to this world arbitrarily and living as a non-main character, it was too harsh not to even be able to become a pure and gentle woman.
“I realized how foolish it is to live swayed by the judgments and evaluations of others.”
She was now thankful to be Serena. As Serena, who had the same pain, she learned to love herself beside good people, which felt like she had driven away all the heavy burdens and darkness from her heart.
“Indeed, we are a match made in heaven.”
Lucas too, on the cold battlefield, constantly questioned and pondered who he was.
“I just wanted to be Lucas, not just the imperial crown prince. And I dreamed of having you as my wife.”
Competing against his fiancée was a funny thing, but at that time, Lucas could withstand the cold nights just by having a goal.
“So… what about the time you tried to run away in three days?”
“I was packing my stuff secretly and stepping out quietly, then I saw the moon and thought of you. And then I realized. If I run away from here, I’ll never be able to have you, forever.”
At the sensitive age of 14, a young boy felt that the woman he fell in love with at first sight was the most precious thing in the world. And he daydreamed about standing beside her proudly both day and night.
“The next day, I ignored Cedric’s dissuasion and asked the knight commander to treat me just like any other soldier.”
“And?”
“He said it was impossible. There were no boy soldiers on that battlefield.”
Serena nodded in the darkness. The empire was already overwhelmingly powerful on the continent, so there was no need to send young boys into battle.
“However, the knight commander was quite a special person and made me another offer. He told me to train in practical skills for survival, not the elegant swordsmanship I learned in the imperial palace.”
From that moment on, Lucas and Cedric practiced on the field, swallowing muddy water and swinging their swords until their hands were raw, just like the other new recruits.
“Quite a remarkable knight commander. It must have been difficult to treat the Crown Prince like that, even if you asked.”
“Yes, truly like your father.”
Upon hearing the unexpected remark, Serena abruptly turned to look in his direction.
“My father?”
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.”
