“What’s the matter? A rootless country girl has nothing to say. I’ll make sure to fix your bad habits!”
“Why a rootless country girl ended up here, you haven’t thought about it, have you? Have you ever thought that she might have thrown someone into the well or stuck them in a haystack before running away?”
“What, what are you saying?”
“I assure you, I’m not joking. If you want to confirm whether it’s true or not, come and slap my cheek.”
Jocelyn’s usually indifferent eyes shook for a moment. It was a subtle tremor that others might not notice, but for Jocelyn, it was as strong a shock as being beaten with a log.
Pushed aside by a young maid who was probably not even twenty, Jocelyn stumbled.
Since Meiana confronted her, and Cedelloy revealed such Meiana and covered for her, it was the first shock like this.
Jocelyn, now grasping her chest, took a deep breath. As if someone had pricked her heart with a sharp needle, the unbearable pain seemed to pierce through her.
Ivie stared at Jocelyn, who was catching her breath, and casually approached the well to fetch new water. Jocelyn hadn’t recovered from the aftermath of the pain until then.
Ivie said, “Miss Meiana told me not to get involved with you as much as possible. So, if Madam Steward, you don’t do anything to me or to others, I won’t do anything either. She said you’d be a good child. But I can really make you fall into the well. I’m very strong.”
Jocelyn’s ears were almost deaf to Ivie’s words. She tried to grab Ivie as she passed by, but as soon as she reached out, severe pain rushed in again.
“Ugh…!”
Ivie disappeared into the gate. At that moment, Korsa, a housemaid coming out with a handkerchief to wipe her nose, noticed Jocelyn. Her swollen face turned as red as if it were on fire.
“No, Madam Steward! What’s going on? Goodness, why are you like this? Should I call a doctor?”
“Forget it… Forget it! I said, forget it.”
Shouting, Jocelyn went into the house, forcefully tearing off Korsa’s hand. Korsa, who was dragged into the situation without understanding, looked at Jocelyn’s back with a face that seemed to say she didn’t know what to do.
“Tsk, tsk, is dementia setting in? I’m not that old yet. Usually, bad things spread quickly. Anyway, it’s a problem one way or another. Oh, my goodness. Maybe it would be better for the Duke to move to another mansion.”
After receiving Meiana’s letter, Cedelloy entrusted the issue of Swan to King Elmerat and the second prince Harman and returned to the Duke’s residence. There was one more day until Arianthe’s tea party.
As soon as Cedelloy returned, the first thing Arianthe did was proudly show off what was missing.
“Look, Father! My tooth fell out! I didn’t even cry much, and there’s not much blood!”
Cedelloy alternately looked at the small tooth in the box and the missing spot with a surprised expression. When his reaction was delayed, Arianthe became slightly sulky. When Cedelloy suddenly hugged Arianthe and spun her around, she brightened.
“You’re brave, Arianthe. You really didn’t cry?”
Arianthe nodded with a bright smile. Cedelloy lightly kissed the cheek of the raised child.
“Growing up well. Keep this tooth safe.”
“I will!”
Arianthe answered with an excited voice.
The employees, who were watching the women going up to the east while chatting, soon began to murmur about Steward Jocelyn.
She only briefly came out to greet Cedelloy when he returned, and immediately afterward, she went straight back to her room, claiming that she wasn’t feeling well.
The maids speculated that the steward has been frequently unwell lately, suggesting it might be a significant illness. Some even didn’t hesitate to suggest that her mind might be wavering.
Of course, Ivie didn’t tell anyone about what happened in the courtyard. However, Meiana, upon hearing the story of Jocelyn being bedridden, seemed to sense that something had happened.
It seemed like something had greatly disturbed her emotions or provoked her…
“Ivie.”
Ivie, who was carefully touching a decorative ceramic piece with a blue bird engraved in sapphire, turned her head towards Meiana.
“Why are you like this, Miss Meiana?”
“Did you by any chance not run into Steward Jocelyn at the courtyard yesterday during the sponsorship event?”
Once again, Ivie blinked slowly. According to Meiana’s observation, that seemed to be her habit. Though not lazy or dull, Ivie strangely appeared dazed as if she were less awake when she opened her eyes than when she closed them.
“How did you know?”
As expected. Meiana sighed softly with her fist clenched.
The only people in the mansion who could really irritate Jocelyn, apart from Arianthe, were the four maids working in the east. Venti, of course, would quickly avoid her or slip away before getting caught if there were any signs of her appearing. Bridget, from the start, rarely went to places where Jocelyn often appeared.
Even if they happened to encounter her, they would smile and politely greet her, then quickly move away with brisk steps, avoiding her gaze.
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.”
