The carriage set off.
Opposite her, a man sat, and a fresh wave of anger subsided as reality sunk in.
Sharing a carriage with a stranger she hardly knew. Such an impulsive act was unlike her.
Still. That man was just as odd. Swiftly fetching the carriage at the suggestion to go to the imperial palace with a woman he barely knew.
Yet, despite all that, she felt strangely at ease with him. Perhaps it was his thoughtful actions. He had even lent her a robe when they left the coffee house. No one must have known that she was Princess Adel Madeline.
Olivia touched the black robe covering her knees, and again her mind was filled with the bouquet and card.
Gifts impersonating Leopold. So many flowers and gifts, enough to fill an entire room.
How dare, who. What could be the purpose? Who had impersonated the honorable Crown Prince?
How dare someone.
To make light of Madeline, and of me?
“Take this.”
“What?”
In the blink of an eye, the man held out a purple velvet box.
Olivia, who had taken the box in surprise, paused for a moment.
“Where did this come from?”
“Well, inside this carriage?”
“What is this?”
“Open it, and you’ll see.”
With an inscrutable smile, the man escaped her question. Confused by his wordplay, Olivia opened the box. Inside the box was.
“Gloves?”
Olivia muttered, captivated by the unique and pretty design.
Woven lace sparkled whenever it caught the light.
Cough, cough, the man cleared his throat. Looking up from the gloves, Olivia met his eyes, and the man winked at her playfully.
“This should prove that I don’t take my words lightly. If it’s something valuable, I have it all, just say the word.”
A gift, perhaps? Olivia was about to put on the gloves, smirking, when she noticed a scratch on the back of her hand.
Could he have seen it?
Quickly, Olivia put on the gloves. She had been worried about the size, but her hand slipped into the glove perfectly. It was as if it was tailored just for her.
As she held up her hand to admire the glove, she noticed the man over her fingers. Their eyes met, and an inexplicable feeling overcame Olivia, so she closed her fingers.
The man’s gaze remained on her, though unseen, and it continued to linger.
Before long, the carriage turned onto the road to the imperial palace. Instead of the bustling streets, the sturdy walls and the armed imperial knights met Olivia’s gaze, and she spoke in a soft voice.
“Let me off a little distance from the gate.”
“As you wish.”
The man relayed Olivia’s request through a small window connecting to the coachman’s seat, and the carriage headed toward a spot a little away from the royal gate. Gradually slowing down, the carriage stopped.
It was neither too close nor too far to walk to the gate.
Without being asked, the man pulled his robe’s hood down fully, obscuring his face. Thus, he looked like a knight of the family.
He stepped out of the carriage first and offered his hand to Olivia, escorting her. Unaccustomed to being escorted, Olivia hesitated for a moment before lightly raising her hand.
Over the thin layer of lace gloves, the man’s hand felt much more robust, bigger, and warmer than she had expected.
The imperial knights were approaching. Olivia glanced back at the man.
“…I’m Olivia Madeline. That’s my name.”
“Olivia. It’s a pretty name.”
The man’s words sounded as if the surname following her name was insignificant. It sounded as if he already knew she was a princess.
The man’s attitude gave Olivia a little more courage.
“Will you tell me your name when I come out?”
The man didn’t answer. Olivia added softly.
“…I won’t be a bad draw to you.”
The Madeline family was strict in their response.
More definite in their revenge.
“While it would certainly be a marvelous draw, unfortunately, it won’t be possible today.”
She thought he would reply affirmatively. The man who had been kind drew a line. Olivia concealed her surprise as best as she could.
Certainly, here’s the translated passage:
“Yes, then. Thank you for your help.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you my name. But I have to leave now.”
Olivia finally recalled what I had said, with a regretful tone in her voice.
“Will you tell me your name when I come?”
How did she think that man would naturally wait for her with such confidence?
Her face seemed to blush with shame, and Olivia tried to pull her hand away.
The man’s hand, which had touched her as if escorting, did not let Olivia go. When Olivia turned, the man spoke in a voice mixed with laughter.
“Next time. Next time I’ll definitely tell you my name. Along with the most precious gift.”
“There probably isn’t a gift that a princess like me can’t get, right?”
“Then, it must be something so precious that everyone would be envious. For example.”
The man dragged out his words.
“A sword that is the only one in the world, combined with a gem.”
“…I’ll look forward to it.”
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.”
