Guardo’s voice in response was no different from usual. Despite his calm response, Yustia bit her lower lip at the unexpected question.
It sounded as if he was not only doubting her but also ignoring her, making her feel unjustly accused.
“Of course. Regardless of the reason, if Riu personally ordered the release, isn’t it natural for me to follow through?”
“It’s surprising that the Empress thinks that way.”
Guardo raised his eyebrows, tilting his head with a sense of mockery. Beyond the suspicion, there was an attitude that naturally dismissed her.
Yustia’s lips, pressed against her upper teeth, trembled with embarrassment. Guardo, who was sipping water, passed by with a fleeting glance and noticed her face stained with shame.
Nevertheless, Guardo did not lose composure, calmly swallowing enough water to quench his thirst. Only then did he glance at Yustia and casually spoke.
“If my words offended you, I apologize. Regardless of the Empress’s intentions, the imprisonment of Nett Yungae must have been an unpleasant matter for Duke Dwayne, and I expressed surprise at the Empress’s thoughts.”
At the end of his words, Guardo moved his hand again and continued with his meal. On the other hand, Yustia couldn’t divert her gaze, which became even more rigid.
Despite the apology, his expression showed no remorse. Moreover, bringing up Dwayne’s story clearly indicated his intention to mock her.
The feeling of being scorned lingered. If scorn was what she felt from Dwayne’s attitude alone, Yustia would respond fiercely without relieving her distress.
“As you say, it must be unpleasant for my father, Duke Dwayne, considering Nett Yungae’s imprisonment. However, I am not such a foolish mother as to make my son’s dignity a laughingstock, so please refrain from such concerns.”
It was quite impolite considering the attitude towards the Emperor of the Empire. Whether it was an intentional provocation or not, Guardo stared at her sharply with a keen edge in his eyes.
“Since the Empress brought up the topic, I decided to talk about it.”
Guardo brought up the conversation in a suggestive tone. Initially, Yustia couldn’t dispel the rising tension. Guardo’s gaze towards her seemed fierce, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“What… are you talking about?”
Yustia asked with a trembling voice. Then Guardo, who had pulled his upper body towards the table and wiped his mouth, continued.
“It seems that Riu Lian has been frequently visiting the Crown Princess lately. Although I didn’t ask for the reason for the sudden change in attitude, there must be a clear reason for doing so.”
“…”
“As the Empress said, I hope you, as a mother who is not foolish, will respect Riu Lian’s choices and decisions.”
Guardo’s words, filled with his inner thoughts, were surprisingly straightforward. Guardo was not someone who easily revealed his inner thoughts to anyone.
In this situation, it should have been a moment to be touched, but Yustia couldn’t loosen her grip on her clenched hand.
Even his revealed inner thoughts were completely hostile towards her.
“Duke Dwayne has already taken control of the Empress. Trying to control even the Crown Prince, who will become the Emperor in the future, seems to be excessive greed.”
Guardo mentioned Dwayne again, mocking freely. Although her name was not included in that statement, it was clear that he was mocking her, intertwining her with Dwayne.
That alone made it impossible for Yustia to conceal her dirty feelings, but she reluctantly asked the question she had always been unable to erase.
“Do you have any intention of safely handing over the throne to Riu?”
“The question is strange. Riu Lian is the only one who inherited my blood, so isn’t it natural to hand over the throne to him?”
As if he heard the words he couldn’t stand, Guardo raised one eyebrow diagonally. In response, Yustia couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh.
Until now, it was Guardo who had taken the attitude of playing tug-of-war over the throne. But now, he’s saying that Riu Lian, who is the only one to inherit my blood? Yustia was flabbergasted.
“If someone who doesn’t know the Empress’s actions hears it, they might think of you as a father who dearly cherishes his son.”
The suppressed sarcasm flowed out as her retort. After uttering the words, she suddenly thought it was a slip of the tongue. However, she didn’t make any effort to pick it up.
She thought she would endure and let the unqueenly behavior be criticized. However, Guardo’s subsequent words were beyond Yustia’s expectations.
“I haven’t spared him. It’s just that…”
“…”
“Lately, he’s been quite commendable. It’s unbelievable compared to the Riu Lian I’ve watched over so far.”
A faint smile began to appear on Guardo’s lips as he spoke like that.
Yustia, momentarily surprised, stared intently at that sight with dilated pupils. Goosebumps crept over her. Guardo, who smiled while talking about Riu Lian, was an unprecedented sight, even in dreams.
It was fortunate that he was thinking of handing over the throne to Riu Lian safely, but somehow Guardo’s expression at the moment seemed unforgettable.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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