The three days passed in the blink of an eye. The Lotus Palace, where eleven candidates resided, was bustling day and night with preparations for the banquet.
This banquet, signaling the start of the final competition, was like a second debut for the candidates. Its scale had grown tremendously, and its outcome could dictate the rise and fall of a noble house, even of a kingdom, except for that.
The event was the focus of the top families representing the empire and kingdoms of the continent, but more importantly, it was the day the ladies would have their official first meeting with the Emperor.
Each candidate would have a chance to dance once with the Emperor, and the Emperor could choose one candidate he favored to dance with again at the end.
Although dancing twice with the Emperor didn’t guarantee additional points in the competition, being favored by him certainly meant having an early advantage.
Even the judges, sworn to fairness, couldn’t ignore the Emperor’s preferences.
To become the star of the evening, the ladies practiced their unique charms in front of mirrors.
Princess Lilybet puckered her trademark large, plump lips, dramatically lifting her fan-like eyelashes to reveal her blue eyes.
Meanwhile, the youngest daughter of Count Hawthorn gathered her enviable bosom, sprinkling glitter and deeply bowing in greeting.
Lady Grace, still holding a book, prepared to attract the Emperor’s attention with her extensive knowledge and humor, while the Princess of Chatelet showed off her superior dancing skills with swan-like graceful movements.
Even busier than the ladies were their maids, polishing, dressing, and styling their ladies to stand out, ready to become the Empress’s first-choice maids.
Dressed in the most beautiful and ornate gowns brought from their families, and styled with the latest hair and makeup trends from the continent, the candidates looked stunning.
“Miss, it’s time to go to the banquet hall,” Dina informed Arabel, who stood in front of the mirror, as Vera gave her dress a final check.
“Don’t be nervous at all, understand? Don’t tremble,” Vera said to Arabel, clenching her trembling hands, trying to smile.
“You’re so beautiful, there’s no need to be intimidated. As soon as you enter, all those babbling mouths will shut,” Dina exaggerated, readjusting the small flowers in Arabel’s hair.
Arabel smiled gently, looking at herself in the mirror.
Her hazelnut brown hair, braided long and draped over her left shoulder, was adorned with dozens of small lavender silk flowers, twinkling softly among the braids.
The boat-neck, light green dress revealed her neckline and collarbone, accentuating her slim waist and falling cleanly without exaggeration.
The short, puffed sleeves covered her shoulders and arms, which might otherwise look too thin, and her cream-colored gloves, adorned with crystals and woven finely, sparkled in the light.
Vera and Dina looked at Arabel, standing there smiling awkwardly, with motherly smiles. The small, thin girl they first met had become noticeably prettier day by day.
As Arabel put on shoes made of silk matching her hair ornaments, Dina asked Millie,
“Did you remember the handkerchief and dance shoes for the Miss?”
“Yes, it’s here. I just put a final shine on it.”
At that moment, Rosa rushed in, handing a velvet pouch containing the shoes to Millie.
The dance shoes, provided by the palace for fairness, were the same for all candidates. Millie’s lips curved into a faint smirk as she held the pouch.
“Shall we try them on again and practice dancing?”
“There’s no time. The other ladies are already boarding the carriages.”
At Dina’s words, Rosa quickly shook her head, and Vera nodded in agreement.
“It’s okay, you’ve been practicing with the shoes until now. We shouldn’t be late; let’s hurry.”
As Rosa said, upon arriving at the front of the palace, the other ladies were already boarding the eleven small carriages sent from the royal palace.
“Millie, take good care of her.”
“Don’t worry.”
Vera reaffirmed with Millie, who replied while avoiding eye contact.
“I’ll do well.”
Arabel steadied her trembling voice and waved to her trio of maids.
“Let’s go.”
The eleven silver carriages left the palace, heading towards the royal palace.
The Crystal Ballroom, the second banquet hall of the royal palace, was a symbol of the wealth and power of the Helterd Empire.
The vast interior, circular rather than rectangular, with a high ceiling adorned with fresco paintings reminiscent of heaven, was immense.
A 7-ton crystal chandelier in the center of the dome ceiling, with three hundred and sixty long candles, and eight smaller chandeliers spread around it like petals, brightly illuminated the hall.
The golden marble floor, tinged with red, sparkled under the reflected light from the ceiling. All walls were made of glass, creating an illusion that the massive artificial waterfall and the garden of ancient god statues outside were part of the banquet hall.
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
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