When Eric raised his head, he saw his reflection in the mirror.
Thud.
Unbelieving his own eyes, Eric unintentionally dropped his clothes.
His appearance, with his messy bed hair resembling a crow’s nest, short limbs, and a small body clad in pajamas, was disastrous.
‘I’ve seen myself at my worst.’
He had often shown his flustered side to Alicia, but at least his external appearance was never compromised.
‘Why did Alicia have to walk in at that moment? Why did the kids have to cry at that exact time? Why did I have to lose my mind then?’
Eric covered his face with his hands.
‘Why on earth! Why did they have to crawl all the way here to sleep after I told them to go sleep!’
Eric’s head dropped without him even realizing it.
Eric, now tidied up, ran into Alicia as he was descending the stairs.
“Where are the twins?”
“Edward and Emma are watching them.”
“Ah, come to think of it, it’s been a while since I’ve properly seen Edward and Emma. I couldn’t even say hello earlier.”
“Eric.”
“Huh?”
She might have been reminded of his terrible appearance earlier, which worried him, but surprisingly, Alicia had a bright smile on her face.
“I feel like you’re more relaxed now.”
“….”
Someone once said it’s comfortable to give up.
Thinking it’s laughable to keep up appearances in front of Alicia after showing that nonsensical side of himself, he let everything go.
“Is it strange?”
“No. I like it much better this way.”
“….I’m glad.”
Alicia’s smiling face caught Eric’s eye.
Feeling awkward, Eric turned his head away and went back down the stairs, with Alicia following behind.
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]Knock. Knock.
As Alicia, who was reviewing documents at her desk, heard the knocking sound and raised her head, she smiled.
Eric was already standing, leaning against the open door.
“You’re supposed to knock before you open the door.”
“It was already open.”
“That’s a lie.”
“It wasn’t locked though.”
Eric came in with a playful smile on his face and sat down on the sofa.
Indeed, he had become more relaxed in his words and actions since that incident.
“There’s a tedious task I wanted to discuss.”
“Huh?”
“It’s an invitation to a tea party. Including us.”
“When is it?”
“The Saturday after next.”
“There’s not much time left. Who invited us?”
“The royal family.”
“What? Then it’s not just a simple tea party?”
“They’re not serving alcohol, but tea? It’s in broad daylight.”
“….That’s not what I meant.”
When Alicia glared at him, Eric swiftly averted his gaze and asked.
“Will you be okay?”
“Are you worried about me now?”
“You said it was hard to follow your mother around. Moreover, the royal family is also attending this time.”
“It’s something we agreed upon in the contract, and I’m fully prepared to fulfill it, so don’t worry.”
“You’re surprisingly diligent.”
“Surprisingly? I always approach things diligently.”
Flipping the final document she was reviewing, Alicia got up from her desk and sat opposite Eric.
“Have you ever met Prince Harry?”
“Prince Harry? Me? Never.”
“Really? Or has your parents ever mentioned anything?”
“If it was my grandfather, maybe. But I’ve never heard my parents mention having close ties with the royal family. They didn’t even like going out.”
“I see.”
“But why are you suddenly asking about this?”
“Ah, just because. Anyway, don’t worry. I’ll be by your side the whole time, so nothing will happen.”
“Worry?”
Despite Alicia’s puzzled look, Eric just smiled and didn’t explain any further.
Besides, there was something else that worried Alicia more at the moment.
‘This is a royal invitation, and we have to maintain the dignity of the ducal family, so we can’t just show up casually. This is an unexpected expense.’
Until now, she had not paid much attention to her clothing at the smallscale gatherings she had attended with the Duchess.
Calculating her spare change in her head, Alicia fell deep into thought. Eric, watching her, opened his mouth.
“Ah, and also.”
“Huh?”
“Mother says she wants to see you in the dressing room tomorrow.”
“Dressing room?”
“It’s the first official event attended by the whole family, and she’s very excited. She said she’s definitely buying us our clothes.”
“….I see. I hope it won’t be a bother.”
As Alicia seemed excited but worried at the same time, Eric shrugged and responded.
“Don’t worry too much about my mother’s wishes.”
“If that’s the case, I understand.”
“And one more thing. This is my wish.”
“Huh?”
“I absolutely refuse to entertain my mother’s tastes. She started talking about couple outfits, but I just rejected it straight away.”
“…”
“Ah, right. I probably had the same expression then.”
“Couple outfits, you’re joking right?”
“Do you think my mother would joke about such a thing?”
“…I see.”
“So, I’m planning to strongly object, so don’t side with my mother.”
“I understand. This time, I won’t interfere at all.”
They exchanged determined glances.
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]It was a bright day.
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.”
