‘Estelle… She’s hurt a lot by the fact that she’s a commoner. So, I guess, being a noble, everything I did hurt her. I should have been more considerate as a friend…’
‘This scar, the one that kid has. But, Diana, it was an accident! Don’t think too badly of Estelle.’
With a heart that cherishes Miryu, Diana ended up resenting Estelle, who would become family. However, looking back, it seemed like she had believed too much in Miryu’s words.
Before long, Royum Mansion came into view.
Just before arrival, Diana, with closed eyes, uttered the words she had been pondering.
“…Duchess Blancchat, I apologize.”
“Yes?”
“I’m talking about what happened in the salon. I was incredibly rude when I first met the Duchess. I didn’t listen to her and acted recklessly.”
Estelle lowered her long eyelashes slightly.
“It’s a bit late for an apology.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t have the courage.”
It was tough for Diana. Miryu, who she had liked as a younger sister, might reveal her repugnant true nature.
“So, I tried to observe more about what you told me.”
“…”
“How much do you know about Lady Miryu since then?”
Since that day, Diana continued to notice odd things about Miryu.
‘Miss Miryu has been sharp lately. She even scolded the maids and…’
‘Every time she tidies up the bed, she seems sensitive. It’s not certain, but she reacts as if hiding something.’
“Honestly, I… don’t know well. I don’t know if everything I knew was wrong, and if it was, what should I do.”
Diana, shamelessly, felt like tears might fall.
“I said something strange. But [dash].”
“It’s okay.”
Estelle held Diana’s hand.
“I don’t think I was supposed to talk to the Duchess. I just spoke nonsense because I had nowhere to consult…”
As if understanding Diana’s complicated feelings, Estelle comforted her by patting her hand. Only then did Diana realize that she was shedding tears.
Diana, who had bowed her head, lifted it.
“Oh, now you see my face.”
“So…”
“Don’t think it’s shameful. I’m fine.”
Facing Estelle, who smiled kindly, Diana crumbled without reservation. Before this endlessly lovely and virtuous person.
Miryu’s wedding was imminent.
Miryu returned as Viscountess Juty and spent time with her friends. Her friends congratulated her on the upcoming wedding.
As befitting a new bride, Miryu smiled brightly.
“Thank you all for congratulating me. I still can’t believe the fact that I’m getting married.”
Then, a friend asked cautiously.
“But Miryu, what happened with Duchess Blancchat back then?”
“Yeah. I was worried about what might have happened to you.”
Miryu, holding a teacup, smiled casually.
“It was nothing.”
“But the Duchess Blancchat left crying. What on earth happened?”
At that time, Miryu couldn’t attribute the play to Estelle. The banquet was held to apologize to Estelle.
So, she skillfully diverted the attention.
‘Estelle seemed deeply hurt. She accidentally spilled wine.’
‘What about the broken wine bottle?’
‘Estelle accidentally… Maybe it’s because of her background; she often makes such mistakes. Don’t feel too embarrassed.’
But people didn’t react as before. Some showed a skeptical expression.
Queen Isabella openly expressed discomfort.
“Dear, are there really no lies in what you’re saying?”
“Really. Your Majesty.”
“Even if that’s the case, dear, you shouldn’t have behaved like that. She’s a guest we’ve invited with difficulty. There shouldn’t have been an accident like at yesterday’s party…”
Queen Isabella warned Miryu.
“Even if Hessen loves you so much, I can’t give you any more chances.”
It was clear that she had played a nauseating act, hoping for this outcome.
‘Did she think I would just take it lying down?’
At first, she was taken aback, but there was a way.
‘That girl is pretending to be loved in Libertan, too, right?’
For some reason, she probably didn’t want her wounds exposed.
‘I just need to threaten her in the same way. After all, she’s less capable than I am.’
Estelle was fundamentally more innocent and kind than Miryu to the point of being naive. If she pretended to take the lead again, she would easily be swayed.
Of course, she had to lie to the Royal Family of Royum before that.
“Let’s confess that she has been jealous of me since old times and caused mischief. The incident last time was a play to embarrass me.”
Then, no matter what Estelle said, they wouldn’t believe her, just like everyone else had.
“Sorry, everyone. I feel like we should end the tea party here today.”
Having stopped the party reasonably, Miryu immediately moved to Royum Mansion. Thanks to stopping the tea party as quickly as possible, she could arrive at Royum Mansion before dinner.
‘Perfect timing, as everyone is gathered.’
At that moment, Miryu noticed Hessen entering with flowers.
“Hessen!”
With a surprised face, Hessen asked.
“Weren’t you supposed to sleep at Viscount Juty’s today?”
“Yes. But I have something to tell everyone.”
“Something to tell?”
“Yes. It might be shocking to everyone, but I still want to reveal my pain before marriage.”
Miryu looked at Hessen with a pained expression, lowering her eyebrows.
However, with an ambiguous expression, Hessen said to Miryu.
“How about doing that next time?”
“What? Why…”
“There are guests at tonight’s dinner.”
Miryu’s nape chilled.
“Guests?”
“You’ll be very surprised when you see who the guest is.”
With a delighted face, Hessen took Miryu away.
‘Surely not.’
Laughter echoed from the direction of the dining room. For some inexplicable reason, Miryu’s head turned white with an unsettling feeling.
The luxurious dining room of the grand Royum Mansion.
Seated in the center were Queen Isabella and Princess Diana. And—
“Oh, Miryu!”
Estelle.
‘Why is she here? And why exclude only me?’
Queen Isabella and Princess Diana looked at her. However, unlike usual, there was a lack of greetings, and an uncomfortable atmosphere prevailed.
‘Already, in my absence…!’
Queen Isabella opened her mouth with a stern expression.
“Dear, I’m a bit disappointed in you.”
“What?”
“We heard everything. How could you…”
Miryu quickly knelt.
“Your Majesty, it’s all lies! You shouldn’t believe that woman!”
The atmosphere grew even colder. So Miryu became more anxious.
“Estelle has always been jealous and hated me. That’s why she did this, even this time, staging a play to ruin my wedding. Because she dislikes my connection with the Royum Kingdom!”
“Younger sister, what are you talking about?”
“I feel unjustly treated! Your Majesty, you’ve always watched over me. There’s nothing wrong with my background. Please don’t be swayed by such lies.”
Diana shouted at Miryu in disbelief.
“What nonsense is this! Suddenly entering and talking nonsense!”
Miryu’s head turned white.
‘Then what was she talking about?’
“We were discussing how the elder sister failed to resolve misunderstandings with the lady at the Apology Banquet. The Duchess continued to comfort the elder sister’s inadequate handling.”
Diana glared at Miryu, seeming puzzled.
“What kind of nonsense is that! Coming in suddenly and talking nonsense!”
Miryu’s head turned white.
‘Did she just come in and talk nonsense?’
“I didn’t[…]”
“What on earth did you do to say such things? And what about saying you hated me? We said we were close. Were all the stories we shared lies?”
Miryu, looking blankly at the angry Diana and the rigid Queen Isabella, met eyes with Estelle.
“I didn’t know you misunderstood me like that. I thought everything was resolved back then.”
Estelle bit her lip with a sad expression.
“Did you actually hate me?”
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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