Ariadne’s sudden obedience surprised the Marchioness and Duchess of Chibo, but not as much as Queen Marguerite, who remained unshaken.
“Why are you refusing this treasure?”
“Well… Isn’t it the glory of the family?”
“Indeed, this is a treasure that exceeds the family’s heirloom.”
However, compared to the Duchess of Chibo, who was completely clueless, the Marchioness seemed to have caught a slight hint.
Leaving behind the two ladies whispering quietly, Ariadne, still kneeling, made a desperate plea to Queen Marguerite.
“Treasures that do not fit their owner’s status can harm the owner. I came with flowers instead of hair decorations because I didn’t have jewelry that matched my outfit today. I am not even worthy to possess such a generous item, nor do I have the ability to protect it! Your Majesty the Queen, please pity me and look at me with mercy!”
Queen Marguerite’s lips were firmly sealed.
“Ariadne de Mare. I know why you’re doing this.”
Although the queen looked at her with pity, the cold look on her face did not disappear.
“But this is the king’s command. I can’t help you.”
She got up from the queen’s chair, helped Ariadne stand, and handed her a black jewel box containing ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea.’
The queen’s support, and the ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea’ might be a glorious honor for someone else, but for Ariadne at this moment, it was as threatening as life itself. She just looked pale.
“Let me give you a piece of advice. The ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea’ is indeed too precious for you to own. However, it is too big for anyone to possess except the king. There will be many who covet it. Let them balance each other out. If you alone do not have the ability to protect the ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea,’ let multiple people covet it at the same time. It’s not an easy task, but there’s no other way.”
Ariadne bowed her head. Her bowed head was incredibly polite, but honestly, she wanted to shout, ‘If you can do it, why don’t you do it, Your Majesty the Queen!’
However, objectively, Queen Marguerite was indeed bestowing kindness beyond what she had to do for Ariadne.
Strictly speaking, she was under no obligation to come here in place of the king and have a conversation with Ariadne, nor was she obligated to accept Ariadne’s refusal to receive the ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea,’ which was tantamount to throwing a tantrum, and she was under no obligation to offer precious advice.
And in fact, if King Leo III didn’t change his mind, there was no measure that went beyond the advice of Queen Marguerite.
Ariadne decided to hope that the already generous queen would be a little more generous. She lifted her head as pitifully as possible, locked her gray eyes with Queen Marguerite’s, and asked desperately.
“Then, Your Majesty the Queen, would it be too presumptuous to ask for one more favor?”
‘Please, please say yes…!’
The queen lowered her thick eyelashes and looked down for a moment, then looked straight at Ariadne with a hint of curiosity.
Ariadne quickly sensed the faint sign of acceptance in Queen Marguerite’s eyes. She quickly got up and went straight to the queen, whispering a few things in her ear.
After hearing all of this, Queen Marguerite nodded with a thin smile on her lips.
“It’s not an unreasonable request.”
‘It worked!’
While Ariadne was trying to contain her joy, the queen added one more thing.
“Moreover, I have already prepared a similar ‘gift’ for you.”
The queen squinted at Ariadne.
“You foolish thing. But it’s not one favor, but two, isn’t it?”
Ariadne simply chuckled, unable to come up with a response. Suddenly, the tense atmosphere in the reception room was completely diffused.
From behind, the Marchioness and the Duchess Chibo, who had been watching with wide eyes, laughed out loud, and even the Gallico maids of the Queen followed suit with smiles.
“Your Majesty, it seems like you treat this child too well.”
The Marchioness laughed aloud and halfcomplained to the queen. The queen lightly chided the Marchioness with a relaxed laugh.
“You also look fifty years younger than me. You’re young and cute, so I’m fond of you.”
“It’s like watching your majesty’s youth.”
“You’re clever and wellbehaved, just like you.”
The Gallico maids of the queen laughed heartily and spoke. The queen laughed and replied.
“Hearing you say that, it seems so. She should have a different fate than mine, though.”
At the queen’s words, the lively atmosphere in the reception room once again settled down.
[This is the time separator]Ariadne returned carrying the gift from the queen.
The ebony jewel box containing the ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea’ was as tall as Ariadne’s arm, and its width and depth were only slightly shorter than Ariadne’s full arm’s length. It was excessively large even for Ariadne, who was tall for her age.
However, this object was too valuable to entrust to others.
In the end, Ariadne managed to bring the ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea’ home, carrying it as if it were a chest rather than a jewel box.
“Ariadne, open it up!”
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.”
