Serena struggled to suppress her bewilderment and turned back to look at him again. It was strangely novel that she now had to raise her head to see his face.
“I don’t want anything from Your Highness. And I have nothing to offer you.”
Especially in his deep eyes, elegant nose bridge, and the lips pressed heavily beneath, it was difficult to find traces of the boy.
“No. I must receive compensation from you.”
There was no hesitation in Lucas’s words. His eyes gazed intently at Serena. Befitting his age of twenty, when blood runs hot, there was passion in his eyes as he looked at the beautiful woman.
“What compensation? I never promised such a thing.”
Serena looked up at him and argued pointedly. Then Lucas took another step closer, leisurely bent his waist, and met Serena’s eyes.
“You clearly did.”
Serena blinked slowly in confusion. With firm confidence, his solid black eyes were completely different from the man in her memory.
“I said it earlier too, that an engagement is a heavier oath than a promise.”
“Yes. That’s why it’s invalid.”
Serena opened her mouth while trying to maintain a calm expression. The strong scent of the man wafted in the blowing wind, but she couldn’t bring herself to show it.
“My feelings haven’t changed. Our engagement is invalid. Please forget it.”
“No.”
The low voice cut it off sharply, exuding authority naturally. He seemed to have become a man lacking nothing as the crown prince of this empire, not just grown into an adult.
“Your Highness.”
“Hmm? I think it would be more pleasing to call each other by name since we’re engaged.”
Lucas raised one corner of his mouth and smiled leisurely.
The ideal reunion would have been Serena welcoming the grown-up Lucas, but even if not, Lucas had no intention of giving up on her.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
Serena asked with a sigh. It was understandable to be frustrated when a forgotten fiancé suddenly appeared and talked about compensation.
However, Lucas was just as frustrated. It was disappointing how she treated him like a stranger when they had exchanged engagement vows.
“Why are you acting like this?”
Hoo, her words were blocked again.
“It’s the same. I can’t change my mind either, just like you. My intention to receive the compensation of making you my wife hasn’t changed at all.”
Should we duel? Then one side would die and be quiet. Serena had an impossible thought while looking at Lucas speaking shamelessly.
“I said I don’t want to.”
Serena spoke through gritted teeth, visibly chewing her words. However, far from being displeased, Lucas laughed as if something was amusing.
“You’re still the same. Just as I remembered.”
Perhaps this man has a slightly strange taste? Or did Serena’s words at the engagement ceremony have such a big impact?
Either way, Serena was exasperated.
“Your Highness, I don’t think further conversation will be meaningful.”
Even at Serena’s somewhat provocative words, Lucas nodded generously. While it was impossible to count all the ways he had changed, the most notable change was those pitch-black eyes looking at Serena.
As if looking at something very precious, or as if seducing, Lucas’s eyes leisurely gazing down at Serena exuded a distinctly masculine scent, just like his body odor.
“I’m busy governing the Astel territory as the acting duke, so I’ll take my leave now.”
Unexpectedly, Lucas nodded readily.
“Then, I hope the rest of your wandering goes safely.”
Serena paid her respects, mindful of his status. However, far from being disappointed, Lucas even smiled brightly.
“Don’t worry.”
Something gives an ominous feeling.
“I’ll be staying in the Astel territory for a while.”
Serena only blinked. She knew he had quite a temper, but she didn’t know he was originally this brazen.
“The Duchy of Astel is under imperial rule, so they’ll welcome the stay of me, the crown prince, right?”
Should it really end in a duel? Serena had another useless thought while looking at the sword on his waist.
“I’m expecting the loyalty and warm hospitality of the Duchy of Astel.”
When Lucas smiled brightly, his usually fierce eyes curved for a moment, making his face look friendly.
Well, it was of no concern to Serena now.
“Can I expect it?”
A duel is impossible. Serena muttered that fact to herself three times, trying hard to catch her breath.
“…Of course.”
There was nothing to fear about the engagement or personal issues between the two. But the Astel territory and its people that Serena loved must not dare to go against the empire. Lucas must know that very well.
“Head butler!”
Before Lucas could say anything more, Serena called out in a resounding voice. Her eyes glaring at Lucas while her mouth called for the head butler showed she was quite angry.
“Yes, my lady.”
“We have the glorious news that His Highness the Crown Prince will be staying in our Duchy of Astel.”
Whoosh, Lucas raised and lowered his shoulders with an annoying expression.
“It is a great honor that His Highness the Crown Prince will be staying.”
The head butler skillfully paid his respects, reading the situation.
“Have the servants immediately clean the guest house where he stayed yesterday.”
It meant that no matter how much he used his status as crown prince, she would only offer yesterday’s guest house.
“If Your Highness needs, we can provide servants or maids.”
“Yes.”
Serena glanced at Lucas. Her eyes seemed to ask if he was satisfied now.
“Then, Your Highness. Though our Astel mansion is humble, I hope you have a comfortable rest. I’m busy, so I’ll be going now.”
Before Lucas could hold her back, Serena paid her respects and disappeared like the wind.
“Hmm.”
Lucas, left standing blankly, cleared his throat, conscious of his still aching solar plexus.
“Are you the head butler of this mansion?”
“Yes. My name is Peter.”
“Are you from Astel?”
“I originally served the Duke of Astel, and now I follow the young lady.”
Judging by his calm and polite response and careful demeanor, he seemed fitting as the renowned head butler of Astel.
“Does the duchess really govern the territory?”
“That is correct.”
His head tilted quizzically.
“Directly, like other lords do?”
“Yes.”
Lucas furrowed one eyebrow. It was a habit that came out when he was thinking about something.
“What exactly does she do?”
“She does everything related to the territory on behalf of the Duke of Astel.”
Another noble lady might have scoffed, but he had clearly seen the gallant Serena with his own eyes. She might indeed be capable of directly governing Astel.
“Even now?”
His words, referring to Serena’s too-quick disappearance, were tinged with disappointment.
“Yes. She’s very busy with the upcoming Astel Harvest Festival.”
“Harvest Festival?”
“After the harvest season, the young lady personally holds the Harvest Festival.”
The head butler simply bowed deeply without further explanation.
“I see.”
It seemed that to learn anything, he would have to see and hear for himself.
“To avoid unnecessary commotion, tell the territory that a knight of high status and his attendant have arrived.”
“Yes.”
It would all become rumors in a few days anyway, but today he wanted to explore Astel on his own.
“Bring out two horses immediately, and don’t worry about my return, I’ll manage on my own.”
“Yes.”
“Ah, I almost forgot.”
Lucas, about to leave the reception room, sat back down on the sofa.
“I need to send a letter, so prepare writing materials and carrier pigeons first.”
“Yes. How many carrier pigeons should I prepare?”
“Two, no, three will do.”
“Yes.”
Peter bowed politely and quietly withdrew. Lucas was still furrowing one eyebrow, recalling the whirlwind reunion.
[This is the timeline separator]The rumor that a noble wandering knight had come to the Astel territory spread quickly. Serena smiled bitterly upon hearing the news but didn’t bother to correct it.
“My lady, what will you do?”
“What can I do? It’s an honor that His Highness the Crown Prince is staying in our Astel.”
Serena said, looking at the distant sky. She hadn’t expected her fiancé to return like this, but she was glad she had prepared in advance. She had pleaded with the Papal State and the imperial family for six years, so the evidence was perfect.
“More importantly, did he send three carrier pigeons?”
“Yes. He said he would release them himself, so I didn’t even have a chance to peek.”
“Whatever it is, it won’t be good news for me.”
Peter smiled awkwardly.
“Don’t worry. We have nothing to hide or be ashamed of in our Astel.”
That was Serena’s pride in having run this territory for the past 6 years.
“It would be the same even if His Majesty the Emperor came instead of His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Astel had nothing to hide or conceal. It was natural since Serena had nurtured the territory with pride from the beginning.
“But His Highness clearly came looking for you, my lady.”
“It’s alright.”
Serena waved her hand at Peter’s worried words. As always, her expression was calm and composed.
“When I came to Astel, I had already abandoned my fiancé.”
It was a simple decision. Serena had no intention of getting married and chose instead to prove her existence.
“Nothing will change.”
Serena gazed straight ahead. A better life than the futile death of her past life was now before her eyes.
“My heart won’t change.”
Even as she said this, the image of Lucas, so different from her memories, flickered before her eyes. The mature scent that emanated only from him still seemed to tickle her nose.
“Yes, absolutely.”
No matter how much that little boy of a fiancé had grown or become manly, it was no longer Serena’s concern.
She hoped so.
__________
“Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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