More striking than the unfamiliar title were certain emphasized words that caught her ears first.
“…So, you’re the one Winter mentioned.”
Should she have squeezed the chocolate a bit more? Or perhaps the candy?
“I had anticipated it.”
She didn’t blame Winter. Choosing between Kun and Cloe in the relationship between Kun and Cloe was a fair decision.
“Mischievous act? Just to alleviate Her Majesty’s concerns…”
“To alleviate Her Majesty’s concerns, are you justifying deliberately creating a secret?”
Cloe, who had been preparing to justify herself earnestly, abruptly sealed her lips. It closed off the very path her sentences would have followed.
“…It’s related to Jane.”
Eventually, she had no choice but to tell the truth. In fact, she had purposely kept her mouth shut, fearing that such a situation would arise.
Despite everything, the busy Emperor might personally come out to greet them.
“I was already considering it.”
“…Then, why did you inquire about secrets, suspecting whether it was a man?”
“Because I can’t be sure.”
“Yeah…”
What do you mean you can’t be sure? He looked more certain than anyone else. In the end, he was innocently deceived.
In her heart, Cloe lamented the injustice.
“Shall we go then?”
Kun, who had flipped his robe again, extended his hand this time. The appearance was no different from before, but the action felt different.
A robust hand with visible veins.
Cloe didn’t hesitate any longer.
The two wandered through the village in search of a carriage maker.
At first, they considered wandering around pretending to be interrogators, but there was a high possibility that the culprit would escape if the thief sensed them. After considering various options, the two ultimately decided to pretend to be a noblewoman’s maid and a knight.
They claimed that the noblewoman had a hobby of collecting antiques, and if they found something valuable, they would pay a significant amount for the villagers’ carriages. The two put on a convincing act; both were adept at improvisation and their performances were natural.
They first investigated the villages near the forest, but there were no conspicuous figures, so they moved on to the next target. The next place they arrived at was the Flower Village.
The village had a charming name that suited its picturesque scenery. Unlike the seasonal changes, many flowers and plants grew along the roadside. Cloe wandered around like someone visiting a botanical garden.
As they strolled through the cute landscapes, they spotted a house painted in pink. It was a lovely color reminiscent of rose petals. After Cloe took a deep breath, she knocked on the door.
“Who’s there?”
Soon, a middle-aged woman appeared and scrutinized them. Cloe greeted the curious lady kindly.
“Hello. We are attendants sent by Count Vahlront. Ah, yes…”
Although it became a somewhat subtle name, they wouldn’t go so far as to scrutinize the name of a mere count.
Next, the lady showed a puzzled expression. Her attitude seemed to convey the message, “What business does someone as prestigious as a count have in a rural village?”
“If Count Vahlront has recently developed an interest in collecting antiques, he’s particularly looking for an old-fashioned carriage… especially those made of hardwood.”
“By old-fashioned, do you mean ones made in the old style?”
“Yes, exactly. Traditional, not modern.”
Cloe emphasized the term ‘old-fashioned.’
“There probably is one at home. Well, I’m not sure if we’re selling it…”
“For your information, the Count is willing to pay a high price for it.”
Cloe urged the hesitant lady. In an instant, the two eyes that had been facing each other flickered.
Firmly, Cloe had nailed her stake in that place.
“He mentioned around 2,000 gold, didn’t he?”
“2, 2,000 gold?”
The lady exclaimed in surprise.
With that amount, comparable to several months’ living expenses, selling the carriage, which had been left untouched in the warehouse, was a tempting proposition.
If they could sell the carriage as they claimed, it would be a substantial dowry for their youngest daughter, who was dreaming of marriage.
“I’ll call my husband for a moment.”
“Sure, we’ll wait.”
The lady, who had swiftly entered the house, soon returned with her husband.
“Honey, these people want to buy our carriage.”
“What? Who would buy that old thing! It’s undoubtedly some strange folks trying to trick us… Tsk.”
Youngam seemed to think that his wife had encountered swindlers. After all, paying money for an old carriage that wasn’t even used as a storage container was beyond belief.
Cloe patiently explained to Youngam, who looked at them with a face full of distrust.
“…So, if we show you the carriage, you can examine it and decide whether to buy it?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Youngam stroked his somewhat faded white beard in skepticism.
“The Count who collects antiques won’t just let you go. Explain what you want.”
“Oh, an old-fashioned one made of hardwood…”
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
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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