“What’s going on?”
Bridget approached Meiana without any suspicion, tilting her head.
She had been in the mansion around the same time as Vainty and was somewhat senior among the maids, but she had a rounded appearance and a personality without many rough edges. Therefore, even when everyone was gossiping about Meiana, she took it in one ear and out the other.
“Do you have something to tell me?”
Meiana cast her gaze down the opposite end of the hallway, confirming that no one was there, and then questioned Bridget.
“You just talked to Grete, didn’t you?”
Bridget’s round eyes widened even more.
“Were you spying on me?”
“I didn’t spy on purpose. How could anyone spy in a place like this?”
Convinced by Meiana’s argument, Bridget quickly agreed. Indeed, it didn’t seem possible to spy on anyone in the open hallways of the mansion. At least, that was what Bridget thought.
“But why Grete? Why are so many people looking for her today? This morning that ill-tempered Vainty came and asked where Grete was. Ugh, I had just woken up, how would I know?”
Meiana quickly nodded, cutting off Bridget’s complaints.
“Bridget, did you notice anything strange about Grete? Heard anything odd… or not?”
“Something odd? No, nothing at all. Ah! She did say she fell in a mud puddle. I wonder what she was doing to end up like that.”
“It didn’t rain yesterday, though.”
Bridget tilted her head.
“Oh? You’re right. Where could she have gone to end up falling in a mud puddle? Although, now that I think about it, she didn’t even look like she fell in one.”
“It didn’t look like it? Then why did the mud puddle come up?”
“Well, a very strange smell was coming from Grete. So, I asked if she had fallen into a mud puddle and she said yes.”
Meiana furrowed her brows and mulled over Bridget’s words. A strange smell, what could it be…?
Fortunately, Bridget continued to chatter, looking puzzled.
“Now that I think about it, it’s really strange? There shouldn’t be a place for such a smell to come from… It was like rotten fish, and it also stung the nose. Did she fall in a toilet, perhaps?”
Bridget chuckled at her own words. However, Meiana remained serious. The smell of rotten fish, a stinging smell…
What was that about falling in a toilet? Where could Grete have gone? As far as Meiana knew, there was no such place within the estate. She hadn’t smelled anything bad the last time she visited the village.
“Bridget, are there any other villages near the estate?”
“Of course, there is. The closest is Negrian, but you shouldn’t go there even by mistake! They greatly dislike the estate’s people. Besides, it’s a poor village with nothing much to see. Many suspicious people as well.”
“Have you been there?”
“Once. I took a wrong turn while returning home and ended up there. The stench from tanning leather was terrible. And why are the alleys so complicated?”
Lost in thought, Meiana spoke.
“So, estate servants rarely go to that village, right?”
Bridget shrugged.
“That’s true, but there were some who frequently went. Negrian has a lot of dubious herbalists. They sell things like ointments that erase unsightly features overnight, or creams that lighten your skin. One girl even bought a strange potion for her pale lips. And what happened the next day? Her lips swelled up and a terrible rash spread all the way to her chin! It was quite a scene.”
Meiana leaned slightly against a pillar, maintaining her silence. Bridget’s chatter continued, but it no longer reached her ears. Only one sentence had seized Meiana’s consciousness. “There are many suspicious herbalists in Negrian.”
“And also…”
“Thanks, Bridget. That was very helpful. I’ll steer clear of the area near Negrian, just like you said.”
As Bridget beamed with pride, her cheeks puffed out near her jaws.
“Yes, that’s wise! You’re getting the hang of this place.”
Meiana smiled faintly and nodded.
“Of course. Listen, Bridget, could you not mention this to anyone? Especially to Grete. I’m not sure what happened, but it doesn’t seem to have been pleasant. She might be upset if she hears that rumors are spreading.”
“My, Meiana, you’re more thoughtful than I realized. I won’t say a word. Promise!”
Saying so, Bridget bent and straightened her pinky finger. Meiana had never seen such a gesture, but it seemed to mean she’d keep her promise.
“Thank you, Bridget.”
Gently patting Bridget’s soft, plump shoulder, Meiana turned away and drew a deep breath. The neighboring village—full of suspicious herbalists. Grete had surely been there.
Bridget had said that Grete smelled of rotten fish and something that smelled “like a toilet.”
Could they be selling fish in that village called Negrian? Quite possibly. Not just in the duchy, but all around there were big and small lakes. And a bit northward from the duchy, there was also the upper stream of a river.
‘And that stinging, toilet-like smell… it must be ammonia. Bridget said the smell of tanning was strong. Clearly, there are many tanneries in that village. That’s why it smells of ammonia…’
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.”
