Reneb recognized him at once.
When she had been the Empress, he had visited Paradium several times as an envoy of Bashuker.
She herself had entertained him at the time. Reneb looked at Icar with fascinated eyes.
Now that the real Dohan had appeared, how would Icar introduce him?
“This is… Vain. He can be called the Emperor’s secretary.”
“Ah…”
What to do now.
The real Dohan became Vain at that moment. Of course, the real Dohan’s expression became bizarre.
But that was momentary.
Not being completely oblivious, Dohan looked at Icar, demanding an explanation with his eyes.
Reneb had decided to turn a blind eye to Icar’s lie, but knowing the truth, the corners of her mouth kept twitching.
“Pleased to meet you, Sir Vain. I am Reneb of Seiren.”
“Nice to meet you. The Emperor’s secretary… Vain.”
Dohan looked at Icar, asking if this was okay.
“Go.”
Ignoring the obviously troubled Dohan, Icar took the lead.
Reneb looked at Dohan with a compassionate glance and moved on.
(This is a time separator.)
Dozens of horses surrounded the carriage that Reneb had ridden.
Reneb guessed they were Bashuker’s elite warriors.
Even though Icar’s combat ability was outstanding, the Emperor would not have come to an enemy country alone.
But the difference between what was seen and what was hidden was clear.
Because it caught the opponent off guard.
Imagining their hidden appearance mixed in the Paradium crowd, goosebumps sprung up.
While Reneb was looking at them and lost in thought, Icar whispered something to Dohan.
Dohan, who nodded his head, gave an order to the knights and then approached Reneb.
“From here, the road is rough and we must travel by horse. Your carriage will be sent back to the Count’s house.”
The road is rough?
Reneb cocked her head.
There was no significant difference between the road they had run so far and the road they had to go on.
“And for a moment, you’ll need to use this.”
Dohan held out a long, thin, black cloth. Reneb hesitated and took a step back.
‘Is he trying to tie me up? Now?’
Seeming to sense Reneb’s feelings, Dohan added with an awkward smile.
“I apologize for startling you, it’s just an ordinary blindfold.”
Hiding her anxiety, Reneb took the black cloth from Dohan and covered her eyes.
“Is this alright?”
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
How long had they been walking when Reneb’s anxiety reached its peak? Dohan said,
“You can take off the blindfold now.”
“……!”
When she removed the blindfold, Reneb’s eyes widened at the completely changed scenery.
The barren land where not a single blade of grass grew looked like a desert at first glance.
Reneb asked with a shocked face.
“Did you use teleportation magic?”
Icar nodded.
“You know well.”
There had been a slight sensation while walking, which must have been the point of teleportation.
‘To jump over a distance that would take a fortnight by carriage in one go.’
Reneb newly felt the gap between Paradium and Bashuker.
(This is a time separator.)
Three black horses galloped across the desolate land.
The horses ridden by Bashuker’s knights followed, raising pale dust clouds.
Dohan pointed to a distant city and said,
“This is the territory of the Bashuker Empire.”
“Bashuker is a bustling place.”
Icar raised his chin arrogantly at Reneb’s admiration. The pride in the city he built was felt.
“It’s only natural that it’s better than Paradium since it’s the capital.”
“That’s right.”
On the surface.
Reneb swallowed her following words and pulled the reins. She wanted to see the city up close as soon as possible.
“I fully understand your haste, but it’s dangerous to ride too far away from us.”
Since Bashuker was new to her, it seemed best to follow the guide’s advice.
“I’ll do that. But Dehan…….”
Reneb slowed her speech and turned her head.
But then.
“What?”
“Yes.”
Icar and Dehan answered simultaneously. Reneb bit her tender flesh inside her mouth to keep from laughing.
Icar looked at Dehan, furrowing his brow slightly, and Dehan, momentarily troubled, quickly opened his mouth to rectify the situation.
“Why are you doing that?”
Reneb asked, barely suppressing a laugh that was ready to burst.
“How much longer until we arrive at the Imperial Palace?”
“If we keep this pace, we’ll arrive at the Julevern Barony in the eastern part of Basukeer by evening.”
“I’ve sent a messenger bird to announce our visit to the barony, so we can rest comfortably tonight. Very warm and cozy.”
Icar, twisting his lips upward, turned his head toward Reneb.
It was clear he was teasing her about what happened in the cave, so Reneb stared straight ahead and replied.
“It seems you didn’t sleep well, Sir Dehan.”
“Of course. Due to someone groping someone else’s body since morning.”
Watching the bickering Reneb and Icar, Dehan shook his head.
Although she was a lady from a highranking family, she was excessively informal with the emperor.
There seemed to be no dissatisfaction on His Majesty’s part either. Above all, Dehan could not understand why His Majesty sold someone’s name….
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.”
