“You’ll explain if you want. I’m just waiting.”
Unbelievable. Ash thought.
“I saw your daughter… a maid coming out of your room.”
He expected Cedeloi to be surprised by now, but it didn’t happen. Instead, Ash was the one taken aback by Cedeloi nodding so numbly.
Ash asked again, “Did you touch that maid?”
At that moment, Cedeloi, for the first time, looked away from the documents and stared at Ash. It was a sharp gaze, warning him like a blade.
“Ash, watch your words. What do you mean by ‘touch’? Be careful with your words, especially while teaching the kids.”
“Oh my.”
Ash burst into a hollow laugh.
“I’m thirsty only now.”
Muttering to himself, Ash downed the half-cold tea in one gulp. Cedeloi finally put down the documents and pushed the empty cup aside.
“You probably weren’t unaware of it.”
With a scoffing laugh, Ash replied, “Well, of course. The way you act, even someone with half a brain can guess. It’s not a conviction but a certainty.”
“But why make such a fuss?”
“A fuss? Did I say such a thing? The other party is a maid, Cedeloi.”
“That’s not the point. It’s your daughter’s maid, Cedeloi.”
Cedeloi’s tone was excessively calm. Of course, Ash wasn’t someone bound by noble blood and obsessed with status. But that was a different story when it came to others. Cedeloi was not only one of Ash’s few precious friends, but there was also no one in the kingdom who didn’t know the name Balterminester. That was the problem.
“Of course not. But Cedeloi, think about how difficult your life will become if this becomes known. What about Dawson? How would his life be? It would be bone dry.”
Cedeloi, with an interesting gaze, looked at Ash.
“Are you worried about how her life might get twisted because of me? This is a truly refreshing experience.”
Ash burst into a bitter laugh.
“I suppose you have no intention of listening to my advice, right?”
“What you’re worried about won’t happen, Ash. Aren’t you more worried about what Cloph and Harman will lecture you about when they come, rather than this?”
Ash, as if remembering just now, tapped his arm with an annoyed expression. However, it was a typical gesture for him. Ash was always grumbling; it was part of his daily routine. However, soon a question arose in his mind.
“Cloph seems to shoot anywhere, that’s typical, but what’s going on with Harman? He seems disgusted with going outside El Rautica.”
Cedeloi turned his gaze to the remaining documents, giving a meaningful smile.
“He’s coming to fulfill an important role. After all, he’s His Highness, the Prince.”
“What important role?”
“You’ll find out when Harman arrives.”
Although Ash complained discontentedly, Cedeloi didn’t offer any further explanation.
Alt Marquisate, located to the east of Balterminister Duchy, was surrounded by vast wheat fields on both sides. The local farmers sang while carefully sowing seeds in well-chosen fields. Occasionally, they would wave hands or pretend to tip their hats toward the marquis’s carriage, showing a greeting.
Ariante and Swan entered the marquis’s hall holding hands. The outer walls looked like a castle from an old fairy tale, painted in bright gray. However, the interior was sophisticated and quaint. The tall steward came out to politely greet the two young guests, and unexpectedly, a familiar voice was heard from above the railing.
“Ariante! You’re here.”
“Sailorus!”
Ariante, letting go of Swan’s hand, swiftly climbed the stairs like a squirrel. Hugging Sailorus as if meeting a long-lost brother, she alternately greeted him with her sheep-like cheeks.
During that time, Swan, exploring the unfamiliar interior of the marquis’s residence, slowly crossed the hall. At that moment, Marquise Alt, wearing a shiny blue dress, revealed herself.
“Come on in, you must be Lord Glordon’s son, right? Am I right?”
“Yes, I am Swan. It’s an honor to meet you, Marquise Alt.”
Marquise Alt, momentarily surprised by Swan’s polite greeting, soon laughed in a cheerful, girlish voice. Seeing Swan’s bewildered expression at an unexpected reaction, she quickly extended her hand and explained.
“Oh, dear. I’m sorry. I didn’t laugh to tease you. We are the same age as Sailorus, aren’t we? You’re greeting so courteously.”
“You flatter me.”
At that moment, Sailorus and Ariante came down the stairs together. When the marquise greeted first, Ariante also spread her dress wide, bowed elegantly, and lowered her head gracefully.
“Thank you for the invitation, Marquise Alt.”
“Not at all, my lady. Sailorus couldn’t wait for today. He was so excited last night he couldn’t sleep.”
The lady spoke affectionately and glanced at Sailorus. He blushed at his mother’s words but didn’t deny them.
The marquise said, “Now, let’s go upstairs. Tea and cakes should be ready by now. Sailorus, guide your guests to the reception room.”
“Of course, mother.”
Sailorus took Ariante’s hand and gestured for Swan to follow.
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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