‘When was it? When an event like this happened.’
It was a summer day when the air was still warm.
There was a day when Lina, who used to serve him tea, accidentally broke a teacup.
[What the[Dash]!] [Sorry, Your Lordship. It was just an accident…]Lina, who broke the teacup, foolishly worried only about the broken dish, not caring about the burn on her hand, just like the woman in front of him now.
Velige still couldn’t move, holding the woman’s wrist who was anxiously looking at the broken dishes. Then, as if a lie, a refreshing energy slowly rose from her fingertips.
The familiar and missed energy made him realize one fact.
The woman in front of him. That she was Lina, the one he had been desperately searching for.
It was more shocking than being betrayed by a subordinate in the past war.
‘It’s unbelievable.’
The Duke looked at the woman with clearer eyes than before.
Why didn’t he know?
Why did he realize this now?
He thought they didn’t resemble each other at all. But with a clear mind, he noticed many similarities between Lina and her.
All the worries seemed absurd now.
The colors were different, but the slightly trembling gaze when their eyes met and even the habit of biting nails when anxious.
It was right in front of him. The one he had longed for so much.
It was not suspicion but a strong conviction.
‘I’m in trouble.’
When he saw Velige, who entered with a drawn sword, Lina’s immediate thought was,
‘I should have left right away.’
Lina swallowed her regret, clenching her fist inwardly.
She regretted staying here, not trusting the doctor’s words. She regretted waiting quietly until he left from another room, thinking he would leave immediately when he regained his senses.
But then, she accidentally knocked down a book placed on the table, revealing her presence to the Duke.
Never thought that she would expose herself with such a foolish mistake.
Lina, looking at the knife edge thrust in front of her, sighed dryly.
‘What should I say? No, rather, does he recognize me?’
She already had a previous encounter with the Duke when she was in the human trafficking organization. If Velige remembered that incident, he might inquire about the reason for her presence here.
‘Is it necessary to catch him by saying he mistook the person? Or maybe…’
Looking at the blue sky on the sharp end of the sword, she was busy thinking about an excuse to tell the Duke when he asked. Then, the Duke, who had been staring at her for a while, finally sheathed his sword.
“Who are you?”
“…Pardon?”
“Could it be, are you the one who brought me here?”
An unclear gaze and an indifferent voice, making it impossible to know what he is thinking. In response to the man’s words, Lina inwardly sighed with relief.
“He doesn’t remember.”
Contrary to Lina’s concerns, the man was treating her as if he were seeing her for the first time.
“Well, that day was dark, and he only saw my face briefly.”
Thinking so, Lina barely held back a smile forming on her lips.
But she couldn’t let her guard down. Just in case, she spoke to Velige in a slightly higher tone than usual.
“The person who picked you up after you collapsed on the street brought you here.”
“The person who picked me up?”
“Yes.”
Did he hear something from the doctor? The Duke, seemingly understanding, nodded as he asked.
“What’s their name?”
“I… It’s Leia.”
Why was he asking for a name? Without thinking, she answered without any thought, choosing the first name that came to mind.
“My name is Leia.”
Was the change in the Duke’s expression a mere illusion? Although she felt some inexplicable anxiety, she dismissed it lightly, considering it her own groundless suspicion.
‘But why isn’t he going back…?’
Looking at the clock, it was 9 PM. Outside the window, the sky was pitch dark.
Contrary to what she expected, that the Duke would immediately return to where Lawrence and Philip were once he regained consciousness, the current Duke showed no signs of returning at all.
Moreover, the Duke said, “I want to eat for now.”
“…Excuse me?”
Suddenly saying he wanted to eat. Lina, with a dumbfounded expression, mumbled in astonishment.
Of course, there was soup in the kitchen that had been prepared for the doctor, but…
‘Why on earth…?’
It was an action that was not like the Duke, who was suspicious and had a strong sense of caution.
‘Did he happen to notice something?’
Glancing at the man’s face again, although she felt a lingering unease, the Duke’s gaze remained indifferent.
‘It’s just unnecessary worry, right?’
Yes, it must be an unnecessary concern. After lying in bed all day, it was natural to feel hungry.
Thinking so, Lina nodded her head lightly.
“Be careful; it’s hot.”
Having seated Velige at the dining table, Lina placed a bowl of hot soup in front of the Duke. As soon as she did, he emptied the soup without saying a word.
‘He must have been really hungry.’
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.”
