After a few days, autumn suddenly deepened.
Mina warmed three cups of milk and added cocoa in moderation. Stirring with a spoon two or three times, the milk turned into a rich chocolate color, emitting a sweet fragrance.
“Auntie.”
Daon, leaning against Eunjo and half asleep, gestured for it quickly.
“Yes~ Here you go.”
Mina skillfully held three mugs in her hands.
The living room’s lighting was soft, and the TV volume was very low, creating an atmosphere that seemed to invite sleep instead. Eunjo and Daon, receiving the offered cups from Mina, shared identical smiles.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you.”
“Yes~ Please enjoy it slowly.”
Sitting on the floor near Daon’s legs in the living room, Mina suddenly felt very peaceful and happy.
For some reason, even during Daon’s previous recovery, and now, she seemed to be brimming with vitality, not only in her body but also in her spirit.
‘If only I could easily tell Unni everything…’
Since Mr. Kwon Jaeha left, Eunjo seemed quite depressed. Of course, she would never admit it, but from an observer’s perspective, she didn’t seem just a bit lethargic.
If she could say, “I’m pregnant” to her sister so easily, that would be abnormal. Mina looked at Eunjo, who seemed lost in thought, with a face that had strayed into another dimension.
“Why do you like it so much…?”
“What?”
Eunjo, who was looking out of the distant window with nothing to see, immediately responded to Mina’s muttered words.
“Oh, no. I just said something to myself. It’s frustrating.”
“Why are you frustrated? Just because you’re blessed…”
“Yeah, since I’m so blessed, let me talk about it. I’m going to New York for a short visit at the end of this month, about three days.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? Is that all? Why aren’t you asking why I’m going? What about Daon? Shouldn’t you be concerned?”
“Yeah, my pregnant little sister[Dash]I’ll ask her. You’re going because of school, or do you miss Mr. Seonwoo? Either way, don’t worry about Daon. Teasingly, Eunjo, who spoke in a teasing tone, chuckled.
“Both! Got it? And how can Daon not worry? Just go together. Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk about.”
“Auntie, can I go too? Wow!”
Huh?[Dash]Mina looked at Eunjo with an awkward expression. She had told Daon a long time ago that Jaeha had returned to the U.S. since the family was there.
“Daon, is it okay? You won’t see Mom for three days?”
Eunjo may have had second thoughts, but the child seemed unbothered and said it easily.
“Auntie said the three of us should go, so Mom can come too!”
“Ah… Mom has to go to work? Our puppy has to go to daycare, right?”
“……Huh?”
The disappointed expression on Daon’s face seemed to say, “What should we do about work and daycare?” as she thought about it.
Eunjo gently stroked the child’s hair. The inevitable was slowly approaching.
“…Mina, bring Daon with you. That would be better.”
“Wow!”
“Yoon Daon, Mom is suggesting you visit the United States, not talking about Lily or Kyle. Do you know how much bigger the U.S. is compared to Korea?”
“98 times.”
“Yeah, almost 100 times! It’s incredibly vast. Where Lily lives is too far from where Aunt is going.”
Hm[DASH]Mina, struggling to sprinkle unwarranted comfort due to the child’s innocent wish, sipped lukewarm milk from her cup without saying a word. Eunjo, also without a word, pressed her nose into the cup and blew on the tepid milk.
“Grandma invited us to visit New York. Mom told you, didn’t she? What Grandma said in English, huh?”
Eunjo’s eyes widened in astonishment, unable to hide her confusion. Despite her remarkable intelligence, sometimes her memory worked beyond necessity, causing her trouble.
“Da, Daon, listen~.”
Mina looked at Eunjo’s small face, wrapping it in her hands and turning it toward herself. Ugh[DASH]the child seemed to express dissatisfaction, making a sulking face.
“How about our Daon becoming a doctor like Mr. Seonwoo when she grows up?”
“No, I’m going to be rich like Mr. Kyle! I’m going to drive a Lamborghini!”
The child pointed with his finger at the yellow toy car at the end of the living room.
“Awesome! Haha[DASH]you’re really, a smart kid.”
Mina looked at Eunjo, who seemed helpless, with an awkward smile.
At dawn, lying in bed, Eunjo fiddled with a small piece of paper.
It was the business card Janice gave her. The mobile phone number, home phone number, email address, and even the personal secretary’s contact information were written on it.
Janice’s energy while handing her the business card still seemed palpable. Her vibrant voice, gestures, and, despite being over seventy, her beautiful expression of overflowing confidence and vitality were just right.
Beautiful as a woman, of course, but more like[DASH]as a human being[DASH]her confidence and courage about life and existence were extremely beautiful.
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.”
