A sense of accomplishment greater than when she first resolved the princess’s command enveloped Olivia. She felt as though she’d encountered a new world beyond discussing dresses, shoes, or emotions.
Edwin, who saw the arrogance spreading over Olivia’s flushed face, smiled slightly without her noticing. Then, his sharp eyes stared piercingly beyond the glass window.
“What is it?”
Olivia looked beyond the glass window following Edwin, as if curious. There was nothing special in the wilted garden.
“No, it’s just that the moonlight seems too sharp. Shall we retire for the night for tomorrow?”
It was a cheerful offer.
Olivia chuckled and placed her hand in Edwin’s. Simultaneously, Sobel silently drew the curtain. So tightly that Madelreine’s carriage, standing far at the gate, was utterly unseen.
(This is a time separator.)
“You’re considering attending the noble conference?”
In the duke’s reception room. The duke nodded his head, as if to ask if there was a problem.
Even when Sobel relayed the news, he hadn’t believed it. Winstor looked at the duke with cold eyes.
He hadn’t listened when those in the duke’s household who wished him to confront the emperor more actively persuaded him to attend the conference.
The duke smiled slowly.
“I thought about it, and I didn’t particularly like that the emperor gets fat on the money we earn.”
Winstor nodded vigorously. Howard, who was next to him, spoke with a worried face.
“It might be a decision that distances us one step from the white crystal mine.”
“So I’m going to woo the princess again.”
The corners of the duke’s mouth rose.
“Keep watching the mine, but also investigate the princess’s movements again. The royal family will never know its worth. Someday, it will be Vicander’s share again.”
Howard’s mind raced. So far, the princess’s behavior had been mostly smooth. Her properties and the territories she managed were on the cleaner side.
But now that the duke had ordered special attention, the princess’s actions would once again be crushed in his hands.
As always, Duke Vicander would seize victory.
(This is a time separator.)
The feeling of happily going to bed continued even when morning came. Olivia thought that the whole day would be splendid.
If only there hadn’t been the sudden conference attendance letter from the palace.
“The morning conference talks about marriage. The conference notification is really fast.”
“The morning conference?”
At Edwin’s languid voice, Olivia’s eyes widened. There was less than an hour left to the conference time.
Even if they hastily prepared now, rode the carriage, and went, it would be impossible to make it on time for the conference.
Unlike Olivia, whose heart was throbbing, Edwin nonchalantly shook the letter as if it was someone else’s business. Olivia was the only one becoming anxious.
“Edwin, get ready quickly. How will it be if we are late for the first meeting attendance?”
“Doesn’t Olivia take a little time to get ready?”
“What?”
Olivia blinked her eyes. Edwin pointed to a part of the letter.
At the command to attend from Princess Madelleine, Olivia’s face turned pale. Dressing and makeup, and even Edwin’s attire would take time. What to do, she was becoming anxious.
“Don’t worry, Olivia. So what if we’re late?”
“Even so.”
“If we’re late, it’s the Emperor’s fault for notifying us late,”
Edwin unhesitatingly blamed the Emperor. Olivia involuntarily chuckled at Edwin’s demeanor, even though he spoke words that could amount to a royal insult.
Casually setting the letter aside as if it were nothing, Edwin smiled broadly and looked at Olivia.
“And the protagonist always appears last, doesn’t he?”
Edwin spoke nonchalantly, but Olivia couldn’t understand what he meant.
“So Olivia, finish your tea. You don’t like cold tea, do you?”
Strangely, there was an odd force in Edwin’s voice.
A hopelike force that it seemed everything would go well.
“……Then I’ll just finish my tea and get ready.”
In the end, Olivia sat back down in front of Edwin. Edwin’s eyes curved as if he was pleased with what he had done.
(This is a time separator.)
Meanwhile, at that moment, a strange aura was circulating in the Emperor’s council chamber.
“They haven’t arrived yet.”
Of course, they had only been notified about the meeting a short while ago. But the Emperor looked disappointedly at the empty seat and said to Duke Madelleine.
“It seems that the conversation with the princess didn’t go well.”
“……I apologize, Your Majesty.”
As Duke Madelleine bowed his head, someone from the noble faction spoke in a derisive manner.
“It seems that Princess Madelleine is overjoyed. I couldn’t believe the rumor that she was indiscreetly at the Duke’s residence, but to be late for a meeting that Your Majesty personally invited her to. Oh.”
It was Earl Etel. The Emperor looked at him with amused eyes.
He hadn’t yet announced the engagement between the Crown Prince and Maria Etel, but Earl Etel was already stiffnecked as if his daughter had become the Crown Princess.
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.”
