Felix, holding back a sigh, stared intently at Ibelia. It seemed she was not in a state to properly hear any words of comfort or discuss matters directly. However, bringing up the main topic directly might also not reach her ears.
Eventually, Felix leaned back in the chair, as if drained of energy.
“It’s tough everywhere, everyone is struggling, but you need to gather strength to face it.”
He uttered a complaint that was almost a soliloquy. At that moment, Ibelia flinched faintly. It was a reaction he hadn’t expected at all.
Turning his head back, Felix looked at Ibelia. Only then could he meet Ibelia’s gaze directly.
“…Why did you come?”
Ibelia asked in a blunt voice. It wasn’t a pleasant tone, but that sound couldn’t have been more welcome.
Speaking bluntly itself revealed emotions, and at least Ibelia had some determination toward something, more than Khalif’s lack of will.
Without hiding his joy, Felix pulled his upper body towards her. Then, with the most cheerful voice he could muster, he spoke.
“The Prince’s Palace is gloom personified.”
The subsequent words, despite being spoken in a cheerful tone, did not suit the content at all. However, it was precisely because of that, it stimulated curiosity.
Khalif waited for Ibelia to ask about the reason. However, no matter how long he waited, her response did not come. Eventually, he, who had been worn out, asked her first.
“Aren’t you going to ask about the reason?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“…Even if I ask, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Ibelia spoke in a listless manner. With such a face, a strong sense of self-loathing surfaced vividly.
Felix stared at Ibelia with mixed emotions before letting out a short sigh.
“Well, my thoughts are a bit different.”
“…”
“The key to resolving the situation is all in your hands. But if you act so helplessly, what should the person waiting for your choice do?”
Felix delivered a seemingly lighthearted but absolutely serious story. Whether she understood the meaning of the words or not, Ibelia’s eyes shook noticeably for a moment. However, it was short-lived.
Her indifferent face, immersed in contemplation, glanced at Felix with disinterest.
“I don’t know what the key is, but I’ll give it to Felix if you want it. So, if there’s any way to solve the situation, please help instead of me.”
It was a truly irresponsible remark. That’s why Felix seemed to be slightly annoyed.
He turned his lips into a faint smile and asked Ibelia.
“How do you want to solve this situation?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“You’re asking me to solve the situation. Doesn’t that mean you’re hoping that the situation will be resolved by borrowing me?”
“…
“Tell me. What do you hope for in resolving the situation? Do you happen to know? If the outcome you desire suits my liking, I might consider fulfilling your request.”
He said mockingly. In the midst of his clear mockery, Ibelia furrowed her brow. However, on the other hand, his words at this moment were oddly welcoming.
Hastily, Ibelia parted her lips, fearing that Felix’s mood might change.
“Take me out of the Imperial Palace.”
“The Imperial Palace? Who?”
“That person.”
“Are you talking about Khalif by any chance?”
Ibelia remained silent. She knew that not answering was sufficient as a response. However, for some reason, Felix’s complexion, who understood her silence, started to turn unusually cold.
With an increasingly chilly gaze, he looked at her, scrutinizing with a fierce glare.
“Why should I do that?”
“You’re the one who asked Felix what you wish for. But why are you getting angry with me?”
“What you’re saying is just absurd. Take Khalif out of the Imperial Palace? Are you telling me to do that without hearing the reasons he risked everything to come this far, the reasons he has not told anyone?”
Felix’s eyebrows, usually indifferent, crinkled like a piece of folded paper. Ibelia felt increasingly annoyed by Felix’s petty attitude, but she couldn’t say anything.
She knew why Khalif had risked everything. He had explained it explicitly to avoid any possible misunderstanding. How could she not know why?
Because of that understanding, she asked him to take Khalif out of the Imperial Palace. It was the only way she could protect him.
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.”
