A scream?
Viscount Belkein briefly pondered the situation that had just occurred.
Soon, he realized the Countess of Siren had mistaken a leaf for a bug.
“Ah…”
“Why? Have you found something that stings upon reflection?”
At Ikar’s sarcasm, Viscount Belkein scoffed.
“I was simply trying to remove a leaf stuck to Her Grace’s dress.”
“A leaf?”
Ikar looked at Renev as if seeking confirmation.
“It certainly seems like there was a big misunderstanding.”
Renev, sighing with relief, cast his gaze somewhere for a moment and spoke.
“It might be best to change seats and continue our conversation.”
‘A love quarrel, perhaps.’
The Countess of Dürenburg furrowed her brow. It looked like the men were fighting over a woman.
The situation had made Princess Solti look quite foolish.
She, along with a few nobles, were watching the trio.
Among them were those who likely saw Princess Solti as the Emperor’s consort, if not the next Empress.
The Countess of Dürenburg glanced at Princess Solti.
The princess also seemed to struggle with maintaining her expression, looking rather pitiable.
Fortunately, the view of the trio was partially obstructed by tall trees.
‘I may have to change my plans…’
The Countess of Dürenburg reconsidered, pursing her lips.
It seemed unlikely that being close to Princess Solti would be beneficial to her family any longer.
She hadn’t foreseen the Emperor’s fickleness.
‘…!’
A sudden thought crossed her mind.
She was the one who had advised against inviting His Grace of Paradium to this tea party.
‘This is getting complicated.’
What if the Emperor doesn’t change his mind and continues to see His Grace of Paradium?
That would mean His Grace of Paradium would become the next Empress.
‘If it comes to the fact that I didn’t invite her to the next tea party…’
Only then did the Countess of Dürenburg realize the gravity of the situation, her face turning pale.
“Thank you for honoring my invitation despite your busy schedules.”
Princess Solti suddenly stood up and addressed the invited guests.
The nobles, who had been watching the trio, turned their heads toward the princess.
The princess smiled shyly, her soft pink hair gently swaying on her slender shoulders.
Her charming appearance captured the attention of the nobles.
“In Solti, it’s polite to give small gifts to our guests.”
The princess whispered something to a maid nearby and plucked a flower from a vase on the table.
“To make this day a memorable one for everyone attending…”
The maid handed her a small knife.
She swiftly cut a pink ribbon used for table decoration and quickly made a bouquet.
“…using items that were on this table.”
Holding her unique charming smile, the princess handed the freshly made bouquet to a middle-aged noblewoman nearby.
“Oh my… how lovely. Thank you, Your Highness. It’s been ages since I’ve received a bouquet.”
The noblewoman sniffed the refreshing scent of the flower and glanced at her husband sitting next to her.
“It’s just a small token, but I’m glad it pleases you.”
The princess moved on to the next table and made another bouquet from flowers she plucked from a vase.
The nobles attending the tea party were captivated by her actions.
Although her flower arrangements were more aggressive than typical ones, her ingenuity had energized the somewhat stale atmosphere.
The Bashuker nobles were keen on things new, fresh, and daring.
As the princess intended, the attending nobles would certainly remember this day for a long time.
‘Her improvisation skills are her strong point.’
The Countess of Dürenburg evaluated the princess in that manner.
And she reconsidered her hasty plan to distance herself from the princess.
The emperor had yet to publicly declare Paradium’s grace as his lover.
That meant he could change his mind at any moment.
Especially since they were not even engaged.
The Duchess of Dürenburg decided she could no longer underestimate Princess Solti as before.
‘But then again, how is the situation over there?’
After diverting her gaze from a lady happily receiving a bouquet, the Duchess of Dürenburg discreetly shifted her attention.
However, the three had already left the place.
“It would be good to cool the wound before it swells.”
Reneb applied a cold towel to Viscount Belkein’s swollen cheek.
Viscount Belkein slightly winced and let out a faint moan.
“Ouch….”
“Ah, does it hurt?”
Reneb bit her lip, not knowing what to do.
“Sigh… I.”
Ikar, who had been watching, let out a snort of disbelief.
Reneb glared at Ikar with a piercing look.
“Your Majesty, this doesn’t seem like a laughing matter.”
“The fuss you’re making, anyone would think you lost an arm.”
Looking at Ikar comfortably leaning back on the sofa, Reneb felt infuriated.
Beating an innocent person and acting so nonchalant, what’s the meaning of this?
“Why did you do that?”
Ikar, who had been staring at Reneb, suddenly turned his head.
“….”
Frustrated by his action, Reneb asked again as calmly as possible.
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.”
