Thud.
Thud.
The vibrations pounding the ground reverberated not only throughout the castle but across the entire Barlock territory.
Far and wide, even beyond the ice wall where the Grace Worm had once emerged.
Thud.
The faint tremor that shook the ground made even the enormous shadow crouching beyond the ice wall tremble.
The area beyond the ice wall was a zone that people could never cross.
There was neither light nor sound, nothing left.
Yet, for the first time, something touched that place where everything seemed to have stopped.
Thud.
It was a feeble reverberation, but there was no stimulus more intense beyond the ice wall where all senses had been blocked.
Thud.
The meager vibrations that shook the ground tore through the darkness, and the stillness opened its eyes.
It was then that Gillian’s head turned towards the distant north, facing the ice wall.
“Ah.”
The man exhaling icy breaths as white as his drained face was doing just that.
Is this really okay?
For the first time, Bianca had doubts about the wedding because of Julie’s words.
A wedding that had never been held in history.
The Duchess of Barlock who had banned social gatherings.
Compared to the duke’s house’s previous appearance, which was thoroughly ascetic and secluded, Bianca had been openly opposed.
Even if it wasn’t intentional!
Her head was throbbing.
The attitude of Elizabeth, who had called her a princess and elevated her, now made a little more sense.
Her scolding and angry tone weren’t unreasonable.
‘Duchesses throughout history have never stepped out of the bedroom once the Wave begins.’
A voice filled with resentment echoes loudly in her head.
She thought it was a fiasco, but Bianca did not feel like giving up her wedding with Gillian at all.
That’s why her head hurt.
‘When spring comes, I’ll fill this place with white Lycianthus.’
The man’s words, promising to commemorate the day they would be together, were too sweet for her to ever let go.
Just the two of them?
Quietly?
Idiotic thoughts called ‘alternatives’ kept popping up in her mind.
In fact, Bianca knew.
This wedding should never happen.
Although deviating from the behavior of past duchesses would be a major flaw within Barlock, the bigger problem would be attracting the attention of the royal family.
Especially when Gillian had already angered ‘my wife’ and destroyed a palace on his way back.
In this situation, if they suddenly had a grand wedding, who knows what might happen.
“……”
Hmm.
The breath she let out was heavy and stale.
“It’s not easy, is it?”
Bianca looked up at the sound of Hailey’s voice.
It was then that Bianca realized she had been choosing wedding dress materials.
That’s how the worries started.
“Ah……”
“It’s really difficult.”
“……”
“The pros and cons of each fabric are so clear, it’s hard to choose. If you opt for sheen, you sacrifice warmth; if you keep the warmth, the colors become dull.”
The words accompanied by a light rubbing of her chin showed deep contemplation.
“A wedding dress……”
“Yes?”
“Do we really have to?”
“You can’t give up already.”
Hailey did not hide her serious expression, seemingly thinking Bianca’s concerns matched her own.
“Shall we call the merchants then?”
“Them?”
“Yes, they are designers from the northern territories. While they are skilled, they are still behind the capital in trends. However, merchants traveling across the continent are different.”
But……
“I heard about what happened yesterday. Maybe because of what you realized yesterday, today will be better?”
I’ll be there today as well.
If she was so worried about diverging from the past Duchesses, should she fit a wedding dress and hold the wedding? She should have asked that.
Now.
To Hailey.
However, Bianca didn’t stop the bustling Hailey.
She knew it was a cowardly act, but her lips remained sealed.
And soon, the merchants entered.
Unlike yesterday, there were quite a few people, and they all behaved cautiously.
Thanks to this, Bianca was able to get the information she wanted quickly and confidently today, unlike yesterday.
It was a perfect ‘conversation,’ devoid of any subtle tension or cunning manipulation.
What was left in Bianca’s hands was a piece of fabric with a warm texture and a lavender hue.
“It’s a fabric widely used in spring. It’s soft to the touch and elastic, so it doesn’t wrinkle easily. The yarn is strong, making it easier to shape.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it’s commonly used for spring party dresses.”
The merchant spoke with confidence.
“It’s a fabric handled in Cartan. It’s not imported in large quantities, so it’s always in high demand among ladies. I think there’s no better choice than this.”
“Ahh, Cartan.”
Everything that came from the land of abundance was of outstanding quality.
It goes without saying, but Bianca was a princess.
She hadn’t experienced it herself, but she had seen and heard a lot.
Listening to the merchant, dresses made from Cartan fabric flashed through her mind.
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.”
