Hmm…
Helena furrowed her brows as she got up. Beyond the open curtain, a round moon was visible.
It seemed she had slept through the night after fainting from the shock.
She wanted to continue sleeping, but her well-rested brain felt wide awake and eager to be active.
Rubbing her tired eyes, she looked around. Light was seeping through the cracks of the door.
‘Is Cal still awake?’
Come to think of it, Callis was not beside her bed.
The sky beyond the window was so dark it seemed to be swallowed by the abyss. What could her lover be doing instead of sleeping together?
Unable to contain her curiosity, Helena finally got up from her bed.
Holding a lantern, she saw Callis resting his chin on the table. His lonely eyes seemed to have aged him overnight.
Witnessing her lover’s state was heart-wrenching, yet also frightening.
“Cal…?”
Helena cautiously called out her lover’s name. Only then did a fleeting emotion appear in his previously empty eyes.
However, that emotion was so negative that she couldn’t believe it was directed at her.
Is this person watching her with resentful eyes really her lover?
Was this really Callis Argen, who used to kiss her lips and touch her skin?
Helena couldn’t believe it. It was the most disgusting and depressing reality she had encountered today.
“Cal…”
A scared Helena called out for her lover, her voice quivering.
She intended to emphasize her own fear, but the other party still didn’t retract his tainted gaze.
“Why did you do it, Helena?”
The quiet room was filled with Helena’s sobbing.
“What, what? Why are you doing this, Cal…”
“I believe you’re not feigning ignorance.”
“Is it because I made a mistake?”
“Mistake?”
Callis repeated flatly. His monotonous tone revealed his state of mind.
Startled, Helena’s shoulders twitched. She almost dropped the lantern.
“You call what you did a mere mistake? You copied Chloe’s work and claimed it as your own, and you call that a mistake?”
“That, that’s…”
“Why did you act so recklessly? Explain. Did you want to be praised? Why, why now of all times?”
Before she knew it, Callis was gripping Helena’s shoulders. She sensed his approach and quickly set the lantern on the floor.
Callis, admonishing her with a frightening face, was scary.
Praise?
He was right; she did want to be acknowledged and praised by those around her.
She also wanted to show up those who compared her unfavorably to the Duchess and make Chloe look bad.
But the biggest reason was…
“Marriage…”
“What?”
“I wanted to get married… Sniff, I really wanted to marry Cal… I thought doing something well might help with that…”
Helena wanted to get married.
Wearing a white wedding dress, holding a bouquet decorated with her favorite flowers, and swearing love under the blessings of others in a ceremony.
Like any other woman, Helena also wanted to marry the man she loved.
It was vivid. The first day she spoke with Chloe, she had spat harsh words at Helena.
Helena would never stand beside Callis with dignity, she said. Even if she had his heart, she couldn’t have his status.
Now, if only Helena had Callis’s wholehearted love, why was Chloe the one beside him?
“That woman already has everything! Cal, money, honor, all of it! So why is it such a big deal if I stole one idea from her?”
“Helena.”
“What could she possibly want more… I didn’t even know it was her idea. It’s unfair. It’s unfair!”
Finally, tears streamed down Helena’s face. Clear fluid flowed from her nose, and ugly sobs came from her mouth.
Seeing the woman he loved cry until her eyes were bloodshot.
Callis, who couldn’t control his emotions and was furious, suddenly snapped back to his senses.
The storm within him had finally calmed down, and Callis realized the horrible thing he had done to his loving partner.
His grip, once forceful enough to break delicate shoulders, had suddenly softened. He seemed flustered as he patted Helena’s back.
“I’m sorry.”
His voice, too, had become surprisingly tender.
Helena felt relieved by her returned lover’s change in attitude. Consequently, tears flowed even more freely.
“Sniff…”
“I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. It’s Chloe who blurted that out, not you. I was a fool to blame you. Stop crying, let’s move on.”
“Callis, I hate you… You got angry without understanding me… Sob, all I did was sacrifice for the both of us…”
“I’ll do something about the marriage.”
Just when Helena, who had been spilling tears and snot, began to calm down, Callis made a promise.
Her swollen eyes popped wide open. How beautiful her twinkling, pink eyes were; the lingering irritation in Callis melted away completely.
“Really?”
“Yes, after easing His Majesty’s anger, we can discuss it cautiously.”
“You should be able to do it, Callis. You’re close to His Majesty and also…”
“The hero who allied both kingdoms.”
“Yes! Callis is a hero! You’ll be able to do it!”
Helena closed her lovely eyes while still hugging her tear-streaked cheeks. Then she leaned into him for comfort.
‘Yes, I am a noble who gifted peace to His Majesty.’
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.”
