The thin organza rustled around the thighs. Even though there was no reason to be nervous, she couldn’t help but feel the surrounding gazes and adjusted her shawl.
She walked slowly, surrounded by maids and knights.
No one dared to speak, and only the crisp sound of footsteps filled the air.
When they all stopped simultaneously, the only sound vanished. The knights and maids dispersed to both sides, creating a neat gap through which Cloe walked.
A door adorned with splendid gold was welcoming Cloe.
Standing in front of the door, Cloe hesitated for a moment. The knights and maids standing motionless were watching her.
She took a deep breath silently, firming her resolve, and clenched her palm.
Then, as if to knock with her clenched hand, she hesitated.
“You can just go in.”
The head maid in the front row spoke.
Cloe looked at her clenched fist, then nodded gracefully.
The confidence she had barely regained vanished. After spitting into her dry mouth, she finally found the courage to grasp the doorknob.
She applied a little force to the handle, and strangely, it smoothly turned.
The red and yellow room she entered was vibrant and created a luxurious atmosphere.
Scattered rose petals seemed to guide her. Cloe moved along the path.
The path ended at the front of the bed, as if commanding to wait on the bed.
Cloe hesitated and sat on the bed. Her buttocks sank into the plush and soft mattress.
It was a moment of silent waiting. A murmuring sound was heard from outside. It was the sound of people who had been waiting restlessly.
Before long, the wall that blocked their path opened.
The subtly changed temperature brushed against her toes. The tiny toes twitched, maintaining their round shape.
Unlike her floating feet in the air, the other party walked forward without hesitation.
A moderate pace, unchanging precision in century and stride. Without a doubt, it was so.
Tuck.
The last step was somewhat blunt.
“Good evening.”
“……. ”
“That’s right, Cloe.”
Finally, Kun revealed himself in front of her.
The form was a question, but the conclusion was low, like someone making a judgment on their own.
Eventually, he grabbed Cloe’s wrist. The grip on the handle was as if there was still plenty of space.
How many times had he done this, yet he still made such an awkward bone. With a nonchalant gaze, he soon pulled her towards him.
Cloe’s hand circled around his waist. Graceful fingers settled on the knot of the gown.
“I should untie it.”
It was a statement heralding the beginning of the night.
Cloe carefully untied the knot. The strings gently descended, and finally, the gown opened.
A broad chest, wide enough to be captured at a glance, caught Cloe’s attention. When she shyly raised her eyes, well-developed shoulders met her gaze, and when she turned to the side, thick forearms captivated her sight.
Even though it wasn’t the first time Cloe had seen a man’s bare body, she felt surprisingly embarrassed.
Unaccustomed to such corrupt thoughts, Cloe quickly averted her gaze.
However, Kun followed her twisted gaze and leaned forward. Despite her intentions, the muscular chest, pleasingly outlined, came into view.
“Is the shawl covering it up because it’s cold?”
“……Ah.”
The momentarily reddened earlobe cooled down a bit.
As if wetting the gown, Kun, instinctively like her, was about to unwrap the shawl that she had been wrapping around herself.
“Or perhaps, are you hoping that I take the initiative?”
In response to the following question, Cloe hesitated.
Nevertheless, considering that it was better for her to undress than for him to do it, Cloe hurriedly moved. The hand that was not easily moved also followed the urgent situation.
“Is it done…?”
Although her shoulders should feel normal when being undressed, various places felt warm as if blossoming with heat. Perhaps it was due to the persistent gaze of the other party.
The thin silk draped over her body looked plain compared to the gorgeous dress she had worn at the banquet.
Apparently, the other party admired her appearance. Like appreciating a piece of art crafted with a craftsman’s delicate touch, the extraordinary gaze of Kun explored Cloe.
Contours emerging beneath the elegant face like freshly bloomed white hydrangeas. The graceful curves prompted the observer to indulge in dizzying imagination.
Afterwards, he silently extinguished the surrounding candles. Gradually, only the one by the bedside remained lit.
She, noticing the signal, leaned against the headboard first. Perhaps due to tension, she unintentionally maintained a stiff posture.
The approaching figure seemed to have a subtle smile.
“Uh…”
Cloe opened her mouth as she saw the figure ascending towards her. Instead of responding, the figure merely brushed down her reddened earlobe.
“Are we… holding a wedding night?”
They had hosted a celebration with the formality of a wedding, but they had not actually married. Therefore, there was no need to have a wedding night, which typically signifies the first night after marriage.
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.”
