Alicia and Eric turned their heads toward the direction of the voice.
Chase, who appeared quite timely, approached them with his characteristic casual laugh.
“Alicia. Did you find the book you were looking for?”
“No, it wasn’t there. They say logistics are backed up due to monsters lately, so it’ll be a while.”
“You’re still here, brother? You said you were busy but it doesn’t look like it?”
“I had some errands nearby, just ran into you coincidentally.”
“I see.”
Feeling slightly poked by Chase’s snide laughter, Eric nevertheless maintained a neutral expression.
“Anyway, Chase. Did you finish your work?”
“Work? What work?”
Before Chase could answer Alicia’s question, Eric looked back and forth between the two.
“Weren’t you two together?”
“We left together. But I had business at the Valua embassy. I just intended to watch the twins while Alicia went to the bookstore.”
“What about Ryan and Lyla?”
When Alicia asked, Chase glanced at Eric.
Concealing his discomfort under their gazes, Eric slowly opened his mouth.
“They’re at the Knights’ headquarters. Urgent matters came up, couldn’t wait for Chase to return.”
“I see. You could’ve said so, I would’ve been fine going a little later.”
Frustrated by Chase’s cheeky words, Eric glared at him.
Call it as you will, but what is this now?
“Is your urgent matter over? If we need to pick up the kids from the Knights’ headquarters, shall we go together?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll go to the Lancaster estate later.”
‘I’ll see you one more time, at least.’
Swallowing those words, Eric chuckled in disbelief at himself.
Although he was truly tired, he had never been so impulsively ‘lively.’
He couldn’t believe he was even thinking about meeting Alicia during this emergency.
‘I must be completely insane.’
Noticing Eric’s awkward expression, Alicia opened her mouth with concern.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You look extremely tired.”
“Shall I go? You do look tired.”
“No, it’s fine. Only authorized personnel can enter the Knights’ headquarters now, so I’ll go. You stay.”
As Eric ended the conversation to return to the Knights’ headquarters, Chase deliberately stopped him.
“The Princess of the Valua Empire is causing an uproar with her pending visit.”
“?”
“I discouraged it through the Valua embassy, given we are busy with the monster situation.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I thought you might suspect me of ulterior motives.”
“……”
Given he mentioned this in front of Alicia, Eric thought Chase must certainly have ulterior motives now.
“I never suspected such a thing.”
“Good to know. Then we have nothing more to say here. See you at the Lancaster estate, brother.”
“……Fine.”
Eric reluctantly replied and moved to return to the Knights’ headquarters.
He didn’t want to see Chase at the Lancaster estate, but as the one who left the twins at the Knights’ headquarters, he had no grounds to argue.
(This is a time separator.)
When he arrived at the Knights’ headquarters, it wasn’t Eric’s subordinates watching the twins, but Lord Edinbur.
Moreover, even if either Eric or Lord Edinbur’s subordinates tried to take them away, the twins would cry, making it impossible.
“Oh, how good you are. Peekaboo!”
“Heeheehee!”
“So fun!!!”
The twins clapped and laughed.
“Is this even possible right now.”
“How can they laugh looking at that face?”
“I was even scared just now.”
“Ah, Captain Russell?”
Making his way through the chattering knights, Eric arrived.
“Lord Edinbur!”
“Ah, you’re here.”
“Were the twins okay? Was it not hard for you?”
“The kids don’t shy away from strangers at all. I had a lot of fun too.”
“Really?”
Eric looked in disbelief, but just as Lord Edinburgh had said, the twins were cuddled up to him, smiling brightly.
‘What is this? This inexplicable sense of betrayal.’
Eric momentarily glanced at the twins, then snapped back to reality and thanked Lord Edinburgh.
“I owe you one, Lord Edinburgh. Thank you for granting my unreasonable request.”
“Not at all. I enjoyed it too. Are you taking the twins home?”
“Yes. I’ll take them home and then return.”
“I see.”
“Thanks for watching the kids.”
“No problem. Skipped the meeting because of it.”
“Oops.”
At Eric’s awkward expression, Lord Edinburgh laughed heartily.
“Forgot about that, did you? Did you solve what you went to do?”
“Everything’s been sorted out.”
At Eric’s small smile, Lord Edinburgh nodded with a smile.
“That’s a relief. You’re the most relieved face I’ve seen recently.”
“Ah.”
At that comment, Eric awkwardly coughed.
“I should go now.”
“I’ll accompany you to the carriage.”
Lord Edinburgh, cradling the twins in his arms, followed him to the carriage and carefully seated them.
“See you later, kids.”
“Goodbye.”
“Byebye.”
The twins waved their tiny hands at Lord Edinburgh, and as Eric climbed in, they sat down quietly.
The door closed and the carriage took off.
Soon, the twins, perhaps exhausted, grabbed Eric’s arm and softly fell asleep.
“Ryan, Laila. Aren’t you two being too carefree?”
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.”
