“This ship is so vast that even on the deck, you could conduct maritime training. If Fabel does something, a multitude of people will gather, making it bustling. The chance of me encountering the Grand Duke there is very low. It’s not like the god of probability is playing a prank… right?
“Miss Arti!”
However, as soon as I reached the deck, I heard a lively voice calling my name. Without turning around, it was Shailo Silverlode.
I thought I should greet him, but as soon as that crossed my mind, Merem called me this time.
“Leo. You promised to spend today with me.”
“Uh-huh.”
“During our date, I don’t like you greeting other guys. Okay?”
He stopped, then Merem, who was hugging me, pressed his nose against my shoulder and made a sniffing sound. It felt strangely peculiar, and I involuntarily shivered.
“Miss Arti?”
From over there, the handsome Grand Duke called me with a puzzled expression, while over here, a large beast was acting cute.
It was a dilemma, but in the end, I didn’t turn to the Grand Duke.
I decided to pretend I didn’t hear anything.
‘Can’t be helped. With so many people around, even if I didn’t hear, he won’t blame me.’
Seeming satisfied, Merem made a scratching sound with his throat.
I looked up at Merem and chuckled.
“Is it that good?”
“More than you can imagine.”
“I don’t know what’s so good about me. There are many girls your age.”
Actually, I hadn’t made much effort to introduce Merem to girls around his age.
Honestly, with such a charming appearance, there must have been a lot of girls interested in Merem.
However, Merem didn’t properly answer anyone who approached him, regardless of their gender.
Girls his age didn’t even get a glance, and older ladies treated him with restraint.
Since his answers were limited to ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ the conversation never continued.
So, the evaluations of Merem among the nobility were extreme.
As far as I knew, half thought ‘he’s so cool,’ and the other half thought ‘we must immediately drive such a rude brat out of our country.’
“You taught me the piano. And other instruments too.”
“That’s because you learn quickly when you want to, and it’s fun for me to see that.”
“You also taught me how to draw.”
“Come to think of it, are you still drawing these days?”
There was a separate art studio for me in the Imperial Palace.
Having taught Merem there and realizing that he could roughly grasp the form and apply colors, I created another studio for Merem.
Of course, I only built it for him, and I never went inside to see if he was drawing anything.
“I am. I sketch in my free time.”
“That’s a good thing. It will help you relax.”
“I tend to draw while tense. I only draw Leo.”
“What?”
I knew that the first picture Merem completed was a portrait of me. But since then?
“I only draw you. I’m not interested in anything else.”
“Even so…”
“A painter draws things or people they’re infatuated with.”
“That’s true, but…”
There was nothing wrong with what Merem said, so there was no need for me to respond.
‘When did he become so articulate?’
I glanced at Merem’s profile with unfamiliar eyes. He didn’t look at me but instead wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close.
Despite the growing crowd, thanks to Merem, I could avoid being pushed by people.
And right then, a loud voice echoed from the center of the deck.
“Now, we will start the Charm Display Contest!!!”
Startled by the cheers, I turned around to see Fabel standing on top of a stacked box with his arms wide open, enjoying applause like the leader of a cult.
“The first game is Dart Throwing! The winner gets a big teddy bear! It’s a great opportunity to give a present to Her Majesty the Empress! Everyone, please participate!”
…Wow, it really sounds like he’s selling something.
I marveled while silently watching Fabel.
Perhaps he’s standing on the box, and the teddy bear is inside… The problem was this.
What if I don’t like teddy bears?
“Do you want it?”
“Huh?”
“To look at.”
Already, people were lining up to participate, forming a crowded line.
I observed the scene with a pending response and noticed something strange. I couldn’t see the dartboard anywhere.
‘Could it be they’re planning to play darts in a devilish way.’
Well, it’s been a while since that happened…
“Now, behold the target!”
Fabel enthusiastically shouted. At the same time, soldiers brought out men with their faces covered with flipped cloths.
They were the ones emitting a strong magical aura, the guys I had buried.
“These men are standing here for the crime of offending Her Majesty the Empress! From now on, apples will be placed on their heads, and the one who hits and drops all the apples will be the winner of this game!”
The excitement increased at Fabel’s announcement.
Well, one could easily end up piercing someone’s head with sharp dart tips.
“Brave ones! Only those with courage and skill should remain!”
Fabel looked down at the crowd and chuckled.
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.”
