“Yes, that’s correct. He retired due to an injury he received while protecting the Duke in battle, but still swore to serve him as a steward.”
Astel had a robust and formidable order of knights. Though not numerous, each excelled in swordsmanship and was as loyal as those in the imperial knights.
Thanks to Peter’s loyalty, he became an inspiration for the Astel knights, and the position of captain remained vacant as the deputy captain led the knights.
“Young knights like Sir Cedric would admire a retired knight who enjoyed prosperity with his lord and upheld his loyalty.”
“You intend to use Peter as a confidant?”
“No. Even if he’s young, he’s the retinue knight of His Highness. He won’t be fooled by such a simple ploy. However, if we converse as knights, perhaps he’ll share his experiences with his lord?”
Anna wanted to say that was precisely what using a confidant meant but just nodded. No one could stop Serena when her eyes shone like that.
“I’ll mention it to Peter.”
Serena continued to grin mischievously as she nodded.
Lucas added a few items to the small notebook he always kept in his inner pocket. It was a habit that had greatly helped him organize his thoughts and learn, a method taught by his tutor since he was very young.
“Again, so much to write?”
As Cedric saw the familiar sight, Lucas nodded and continued to write.
“There’s no end to my curiosity about Astel.”
He had seen wealthy and fertile lands while traveling the continent, but Astel was the first with such an unexplainable and definite structure.
“Speaking of which, when will the messenger return?”
Snapping his notebook shut, Lucas asked.
“Sent yesterday… it’ll take at least four days for a complete return. However, the palace is not far, so perhaps as early as tomorrow.”
“No. I don’t want to open the missives one by one.”
Lucas had decided he would challenge Serena when he had received all three responses. The two who were arguing about marriage were so alike that it was oddly amusing to outsiders.
“More importantly, I need to verify that disgraceful rumor I heard yesterday.”
“Yes?”
“The rumor that Duke Farel proposed to the young Duchess!”
Youngsters who didn’t know any better were enthusiastically talking about the Duke’s tearful proposal, showing off just how amazing the young Duchess was.
“Duke Farel won’t acknowledge this based on the testimony of common children.”
“Exactly, which is why you should find out. Engage in casual conversation with the young Duchess’s entourage and coax them into revealing it. Naturally, of course.”
Unbeknownst to the actual parties, what they were attempting to do was rather similar.
“I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything. I’m not much of a talker.”
“Today, I have scheduled to spend time with the Duchess, so naturally, you should step back from assisting me and find someone suitable to converse with.”
“Yes.”
Lucas stood by the window and looked at the bright autumn sky. Perhaps it was just his mood, but the autumn sky over Astel seemed more beautiful than any other. Maybe it was because the beauty of its owner was reflected in it.
“Sedric.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Was the Duchess like this during the engagement ceremony as well?”
At the inexplicable question, Sedric blinked a couple of times.
“She was wearing formal attire then.”
“No, I mean, was she like this then… I mean.”
“Her height seemed similar to now.”
“I know that. That’s not what I’m talking about, I mean a bit more…”
He had initiated the conversation but failed to get his actual question out.
“I only saw her wearing a veil at the time, so I can’t be sure.”
Lucas knew that under the veil Serena wore at the engagement, her features were delicate and her complexion was fair.
That’s why he felt even more insignificant next to her, and lost his temper for no reason. Moreover, due to the height difference, they had kissed each other’s hands instead of lips, and the memory had now become vague.
“Why do you ask, Your Highness?”
“Just.”
The image of Serena in a gradually deepening blue dress was still vivid. Initially, he had been so stunned by her entrance into the drawing room that he didn’t even remember what he said.
“It’s nothing.”
Lucas stumbled over his words. He had never before been able to ask Sedric if Serena had always been this beautiful and graceful.
“To be honest, I had thought that I might be disappointed when I saw her again.”
It was a discipline he had begun because he wanted to surpass her. Sometimes, he was anxious that upon achieving that goal and meeting her again, he might not feel anything.
“It turned out to be a needless worry.”
As he thought of Serena, Lucas’ lips curled into a smile.
Serena was exactly as Lucas had envisioned in his dreams. No, she was even more slender and elegant, and her face radiated such life that it felt exceedingly beautiful to him.
Just that was enough to feel that half of Lucas’ dreams had come true.
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
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