The relentless snowfall showed no signs of stopping for days on end.
Unprecedented blizzards wreaked havoc throughout the capital.
Snow removal was futile.
The snow shoveled from rooftops not only filled the backyards but also spilled onto the streets, piling up enough to make carriage travel difficult.
Creak.
A sinister sound echoed from the roof, unable to bear the weight of the snow.
“Ha, is it the end of the world or something? What’s up with this blizzard in winter?”
A merchant, who was shoveling snow, sighed and threw down his broom in frustration.
The harvest season was not yet over.
But it had been snowing in the capital for over a fortnight.
Although the empire in the northern hemisphere was accustomed to long winters, this year was exceptionally early.
A full month remained until the onset of the real winter.
Perhaps the only relief was that the harvest of major grains had been completed.
Though the collection of crops like tubers and tree fruits was pending, they could be harvested even in deep winter.
Reflecting on the fact that the early snow did not lead to food problems felt like luck.
Still, the incessant snowfall was horrific.
It was hard to remember how many days it had been.
“Ah, really…”
The merchant, his hands now red from the cold, looked up at the sky and trudged back into his house.
Creak, groan.
The roof wailed under the weight.
“So what’s the plan?”
The emperor’s voice, ringing through the conference hall, was irritable.
However, no amount of yelling could resolve a natural disaster beyond human control.
The nobles lowered their heads, silently waiting for the tedious meeting to end.
“Why is everyone silent! Are we just giving up?”
The emperor’s voice grew louder, filled with fury.
Yet, no one in the hall dared to speak.
The silence was more profound than that of a tomb.
Just then.
Knock, knock, knock.
Startled by the slightly urgent sound, the chamberlain behind the emperor moved.
After a brief exchange through the slightly open door, the chamberlain returned.
“Your Majesty. I apologize for the inconvenience, but please review this.”
The emperor scowled at the thin piece of paper handed over.
Nonetheless, he did not dismiss it, as he seemed to recognize its importance.
It was a yellow note.
News from the north.
He had ordered that any news be brought to him immediately.
Ecliff had thought that killing Sairus would free him from Barlock, but after his death, he had to devote more time to Gillian Barlock.
‘Don’t forget. Barlock fights with something greater than just destroying a palace.’
‘Ah, you no longer have any princess left, do you?’
It was because of the more wretched Gillian Barlock.
Since when did Barlock overflow with such charisma that he could take the nascent princess as his wife and give me such a trivial warning?
Even the sight of the yellow color, resembling Barlock’s golden eyes, made him sick.
“Ha…”
Ecliff let out a long sigh.
Lately, he missed Sairus.
Looking back.
While Sairus had a knack for irritating people, he wasn’t as disrespectful as Gillian Barlock and was an extremely capable individual.
If he had been around, he would have resolved both the endless snow and the torrential rain that made it hard to breathe.
By whatever means necessary.
Though he would have grumbled with his stony, unfeeling face, at least he wouldn’t have sat there quietly, like a useless idiot.
But who could have known there would be regret?
Ecliff clenched his teeth.
He remembered the smile Sylas had shown just before his execution.
A face filled with what seemed like relief and joy.
That memory had long troubled Ecliff.
It felt as if Gillian Barlock, who had gained Termina, would be set free—just as if Sylas had been set free by gaining death from Termina.
As if he owed it to Sylas, who had obediently died.
He had no regrets.
Absolutely none!
Abruptly unfolding the note, Ecliff’s face paled in horror.
“Ah!”
“Your Majesty? Are you alright?”
Though the startled chamberlain approached to ask, Ecliff heard none of it.
His eyes, wide open, were solely fixed on the note in his hand.
‘7th castle collapsed, repairs ongoing after 1st wave’
The castle had fallen.
The castle of Barlock, which had never wavered since its founding, had crumbled to monsters.
At that moment, Bianca flashed in Ecliff’s mind.
Bianca Termina, who had been sent to Barlock.
Her royal lineage, her family name.
Suddenly, a prophecy came to mind along with the image of his unapproved daughter.
‘Barlock, who obtains Termina, shall finally be freed from long captivity.’
Why did the prophecy come to mind at this moment?
The emperor, trembling lightly, declared a meeting adjourned and hurriedly left his seat.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know.”
Watching the emperor hastily withdraw as if struck by lightning, the crown prince asked, but the chamberlain too was equally clueless.
“Tsk.”
After a brief moment of contemplation, the crown prince followed the emperor.
The emperor was an arrogant and conceited man.
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.”
