After leaving the restaurant that looked shabby on the outside but served quite impressive food, we drove for about three more hours before arriving in Modesto. The further north we went, the more the temperature dropped, making the phrase “the north within the north” feel fitting.
The capital and southeastern regions were still in summer. Artenbach had just finished a month of summer and was now entering autumn.
‘I thought Artenbach was the north, but this is the real north.’
Outside the window, I could see trees wearing white snow hats. Rublion had his face pressed against the window so much that it seemed he might break through it as he gazed at the scenery.
The carriage, which had been carefully moving along, soon came to a stop. The road was not visible due to the heavy snow.
“Did something happen?”
At my words, Rublion, who had been startled, opened the window and poked his head out to examine the outside. The inside of the carriage instantly became cold.
“The road is not good. Let’s send a signal.”
Askal wrapped a fur cloak around himself and got out of the carriage. He talked briefly with the coachman and then got back in.
Not long after, Baron Tirel’s carriage also stopped. He was dressed in colorful fur clothes from head to toe, an outfit that clearly showed his excitement about going to Modesto.
“Your Grace, the village chief will be here to pick us up soon.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of a dog barking could be heard in the distance.
Our family got out of the carriage, dressed in thick winter clothes. A few accompanying knights dismounted from their horses and stood close by.
“Lord!”
A young man with a sun-tanned brown complexion appeared, pulling a dog sled. Several more sleds appeared behind him.
Rublion’s mouth slowly opened.
“Big dog!”
It seemed to be his first time seeing a dog bigger than himself. I exclaimed in admiration as I watched the panting sled dogs with their tongues hanging out.
‘Wow, a dog sled in this world?’
The dogs must have liked people because they were wagging their tails vigorously. They were well-trained, so even while showing their excitement, they stood in line obediently.
“Cool… They’re really cool.”
Rublion muttered as if enchanted. The person who had come to greet us laughed heartily upon seeing the child’s reaction and said,
“Please get on the sled. These fellows will guide you to Modesto, young lord.”
The man, who introduced himself as the village chief’s son, assigned each of us a sled to ride on. And so, we were able to enter Modesto, the land of snow where the snow never melts all year round.
[This is the timeline separator]After receiving a brief welcome from the villagers.
“My lady, I must go straight to the government office. I will return as soon as I finish my work.”
Askal brought me and Rublion to the village chief’s house and left. Baron Tirel comforted me, saying he would finish as quickly as possible and not to worry.
“Mom! I want to go see the dogs.”
As soon as Askal disappeared, Rublion, who had been sitting still, suddenly stood up and spoke. Dmitry, the village chief’s son, laughed and took the child out.
Left alone, I sat in the quiet living room, staring at the fireplace and relaxing. The sound of burning firewood made my body and mind feel limp.
“Duchess, would you like to try this?”
An old woman with pure white hair and wrinkled hands held out a cup to me. She was the village chief’s wife.
“It’s tea made by drying and steeping a fruit called Junos. You could say it’s a specialty of our village.”
I sat up straight and took the cup. The steaming hot tea gave off a citron tea aroma.
‘I haven’t been able to eat much because my stomach isn’t feeling well.’
As soon as I smelled the sour aroma of the tea, my mouth watered. I blew on it carefully so as not to burn my tongue and took a sip.
“It’s really delicious.”
I meant it sincerely. I even felt like my lost appetite was coming back.
“I’m glad you like it. Hoho.”
The village chief’s wife slowly went to the kitchen and came back with something in a bowl.
“These are Junos chips that have been dried thoroughly and are good to chew on.”
I put down the cup and popped a Junos chip into my mouth. It was so delicious that I wondered if such a food existed in the world.
“Do you have more of these?”
I asked, holding out the empty bowl to the woman. She smiled contentedly and replied,
“Yes, we have plenty, so please eat as much as you’d like.”
The village chief’s wife was about to take the empty bowl to the kitchen. Then, feeling like I was making the elderly work, I stood up and said,
“Where is the kitchen? I’ll go.”
“Oh no, not at all. Please stay seated, Duchess.”
She insisted that I do nothing, but I told her that one bowl wouldn’t be enough and I should eat a lot, so she reluctantly showed me to the kitchen as if she had no choice.
[This is the timeline separator]Askal did not return all night. Rublion, who had been waiting for him, fell asleep in front of the fireplace from exhaustion.
“I will go lay the young lord down and come back.”
Dmitry scooped up the child and went upstairs. The village chief’s wife was nodding off while knitting in a rocking chair.
It seemed like everyone couldn’t fall asleep because I was awake.
“It looks like the Duke won’t be coming until dawn.”
At my words, the woman’s eyes widened. My prediction was correct.
“Where should I sleep?”
“Come this way.”
The village chief’s wife got up and led the way. The room was cozy, probably because the fireplace had been lit beforehand.
“This is the largest room in the house. It should be no problem for you to use it with the Lord.”
She walked over slowly and placed a kettle of water in front of the fireplace. Then, placing a basket of Junos chips that I had been munching on all day by the bedside, she said,
“Have a peaceful night.”
I bowed my head in gratitude. I was left completely alone.
I got up from the bed and poured myself a cup of warm water.
‘There are some signs of a cold.’
The ceramic cup was pleasantly warm.
‘And my appetite has subtly changed.’
I was someone whose menstrual cycle was like clockwork. So tomorrow, this suspicion would turn into certainty.
Perhaps I was pregnant.
[This is the timeline separator]I couldn’t sleep a wink all night, either because I was troubled or happy, I wasn’t sure. Rublion, unaware of my feelings, snuggled into my arms from the morning.
“Hehe, Mom is warm.”
“Rublion is warm too.”
I gently patted the back of Rublion, who was rubbing his forehead against my chest. There was no need to worry already when it wasn’t even certain that I was having a sibling.
After finishing breakfast with all sorts of worries, Rublion and I decided to take a tour of the village with Dmitry. Rublion came out with a sled dog named Naro, whom he had befriended yesterday.
Outside, it was quieter than I thought. This was because there was some distance between the market where the people of Modesto gathered and the residential areas of each village.
When we arrived at the market riding the sled led by Dmitry, people who recognized the village chief’s son greeted him brightly.
As a result, those who learned that I was the Duchess and Rublion was the young Duke of Artenbach called us the benefactors of Modesto, shaking our hands and giving us armfuls of goods they were selling.
“It’s lively.”
The residents’ expressions were brighter and the atmosphere was better than I expected.
“It is, isn’t it? This is all thanks to the Duke.”
Dmitry continued, recalling memories from his childhood.
“Without his help, Modesto would have disappeared into history. It’s not easy to find food here except for hunting.”
I listened to his story about the past while looking around the market. In the meantime, with people intervening to greet us, my hands were soon full of gifts.
“Hahaha, I will carry them.”
Dmitry laughed and took the gifts. I smiled softly instead of expressing my gratitude in words.
And so ended our second day in Modesto.
Due to the effects of going to bed late the previous day, Rublion fell asleep early in the evening, and I returned to the room after briefly meeting the village chief, who was bedridden, and chatting with the village chief’s wife.
‘Should I wait one more day? Or would it be better to see a doctor?’
Meeting with the family doctor would be the best option, but unfortunately, there was no family doctor here.
I did see a small clinic at the market during the day…
‘It would be best to tell Askal, right?’
But what if it turned out that I wasn’t pregnant and my period was simply delayed due to stress?
Worries followed one after another. In the end, I spent another sleepless night.
The next morning. After receiving news that the work at the government office was almost finished and having breakfast, I saw Rublion off as he went out to play with Naro and returned to the living room.
As I sat gently in a chair, the village chief’s wife offered me Junos tea as if she had been waiting. I thanked her and took the cup.
“Duchess, is something troubling you?”
The village chief’s wife sat across from me and asked cautiously. Surprised by her insight, I shook my head.
“It’s nothing.”
“You look like you haven’t slept a wink. Is the bed uncomfortable?”
“No, not at all. Thanks to you, I’m staying very comfortably.”
I tried to smile forcibly, but she had already seen through me.
“Please feel free to speak comfortably. I haven’t wasted my years for nothing.”
The village chief’s wife’s dense wrinkles crinkled more as she smiled kindly. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should speak, and then opened my mouth.
“It’s my first time experiencing this…”
As if enchanted, I poured out my condition. The village chief’s wife listened to my story seriously and then said with a smile,
“Being a small village, we don’t have a hospital. But there is someone who does something similar.”
The village chief’s wife came close and slowly clasped my wrist. I could faintly feel her ailment, hyperhidrosis.
“Duchess, you enjoyed eating Junos. Do you usually eat sour foods well?”
“If they’re available, I eat them, but I don’t go out of my way to have them.”
“Do you feel a stabbing pain in your breasts?”
“It started a little yesterday, but…”
A chill ran down my spine. The village chief’s wife’s expression hardened and then softened.
“Duchess, congratulations. You are indeed pregnant.”
The top of my head tingled at the old woman’s smile. I wasn’t sure how to feel about this.
“What?”
At that moment. A familiar voice was heard in the living room where I thought we were alone. I turned around to see Askal standing there, stiff as a board.
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.”
