Harman, raising his shoulders, turned his gaze.
“I don’t know. I know that the late Duchess Balteminster and his mother were on bad terms. When Cediloin was born, the duchess was almost as vigorous as ever. Until she recovered, that is. I remember she wasn’t like that when she gave birth to Verbo…….”
“Is it because he witnessed her from the prison cell that affection is inevitable? Is that it? Even though our mother was really cold to me.”
Clop sneered in a sarcastic voice, and Harman didn’t respond.
After wandering through the bushes and catching all sorts of insects—later on, even things whose names couldn’t be known— the children finally emerged into the open garden after a full hour. The gardeners sighed secretly as they looked at the chaotic bushes, but the dirt-covered children were still thrilled.
Swan and Silurus comforted each other, boasting about who caught more insects, and Ariante, carrying two bulging pouches full of spoils, ran towards the table where Chroni, Umbrose, and Sisi were sitting.
“Look at this! Swan and Silurus caught a lot of grasshoppers for me!”
Then Sisi, running away from under the chair with a shout, yelled, “Don’t bring them! I hate it! I said don’t bring them!”
Chroni also withdrew silently with a sad face. Umbrose showed some curiosity, but after peeking into the open pocket, he covered his mouth and shook his head.
“No, Ariante. I don’t want to see it.”
Ariante pouted her lips.
“It’s not scary at all.”
“But you’re like that!”
Sisi shouted back loudly. Ariante shook the pouch, looking for Maiana. As a responsible Maiana who had seen what the kids were doing in the bushes, she wanted to cry with a sad expression similar to Chroni’s, but… It was an inevitable situation.
“Ariante, look at this!”
Ariante, who was about to spread the pouch, was stopped by Maiana, who exerted the utmost agility by holding the child’s two hands tightly.
“Did you catch a lot of grasshoppers and ladybugs?”
Ariante’s eyes sparkled innocently.
This gaze is familiar. Maiana thought. It was a gaze she had seen from the dogs and cats she raised in her past life.
A gaze full of various gifts gathered from the fresh air and clear water of the countryside, a gaze that she would often give to Maiana…….
“Lady, wow……. you must really like it. But don’t open this pouch……. Here, hold it tightly like this. No, no. Don’t untie the string.”
Maiana cautiously received the pouch.
“I’ll give this to the steward who manages the chicken coop.”
“I’ll give it! I want to give it! Even the earthworm!”
That darn earthworm. Maiana sighed and looked down at the metal container of bait. Thankfully, the earthworms didn’t have a mass escape, but honestly, she didn’t want to touch the container, let alone open it.
Seeing Ariante bringing a pouch full of earthworms, Cediloin, with an expression that was not pleased, escaped to the study, saying there was still work to be done—Maiana was determined not to forget this. Eventually, as it had been so far…….
“Ariante, are you going to feed the chickens now?”
While Ariante was busy calming down one mountain after another, other kids rushed in. Maiana, seeing that Swan and Silurus’ shirts were soaked with grass stains, let out a deep sigh, replacing the Alt Viscount’s laundry maids.
Maiana said, “Well……. first, you should wash your hands. Of course, Lady and the young lords too. Then, let’s go to the chicken coop. However, the feeding will be done by the steward. Everyone is just here to watch. Don’t even try to touch the chickens; it could be a big problem.”
Everyone except Ariante nodded agreeably. Sisi, while brushing the back of her hand as if shivering at the thought, didn’t say she wouldn’t follow, either.
That’s when it happened.
“Maiana! What are you doing there?”
It was Vainty. Swan, seeing Ariante’s eyes shining, pouted at Vainty with a pitiful expression. However, his efforts were in vain……. Vainty approached the children with an empty basket.
“Hello. Miss, and young lords. My goodness, what have you all been doing? Your clothes are a mess.”
“Vainty, would you like to open this?”
Ariante extended the bucket—captured by the earthworm prisoners—towards her. Vainty took the bucket with a puzzled expression and glanced at Maiana. As if asking, “What is this?”
“Open it quickly!”
Ariante urged. Maiana turned her head, ignoring Vainty. And no matter what happens next, she decided to grant at least one thing Vainty wants.
“Aaaah!!”
A loud scream shook the vast garden of the aristocrat’s residence.
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.”
