A man with long auburn hair stepped forward and almost collapsed, kneeling in front of me. As he did, the sound of cheap fake gems dangling from the man’s clothes made a clinking noise.
“My name is Sukrel. Please remember it. From today onwards, I am honored to serve you, Your Majesty!”
In terms of appearance, he suits my taste much better than Gabriel. He’s a splendidly handsome man with long eyelashes and well-defined cheekbones.
“I never dreamed I would be chosen. Being able to live in such a splendid place, I felt like I might faint, and I couldn’t sleep at all last night.”
Well, the flattery is a bit excessive, but those ambitious auburn eyes are quite appealing, so I watched what Sukrel was doing.
“Sukrel is a male entertainer from the Seven Kingdoms. The only foreigner among the three. Although of humble birth, as you can see, he is full of enthusiasm to serve Your Majesty.”
His name sounded unusual; he wasn’t a person from Nix. Well, this transparent auburn iris is something I’ve never seen before.
I reached out and held Sukrel’s chin still. His smooth skin, without any sign of beard growth from the beginning, was intriguing.
“If you’re a performer, you must be good at dancing.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I was more of a fan dancer with a fan.”
“Were you in a traveling troupe?”
“When I was young. As I got older, I was in charge of the biggest performances in the troupe.”
His fluttering tone, coupled with an endearing charm at the end of each sentence, added sweetness.
‘Is there anyone more fitting for the name “government”?’
With the dramatic rise in social status, combined with the stories that would circulate among the nobles, it was a tale that would surely spread like wildfire.
‘Good. Even if I bring him into the government like this, the Emperor can’t say a word.’
Sukrel, to be honest, seemed to have a very unpleasant personality.
Well, if he lived such a difficult life from a young age, it wouldn’t be an ordinary temperament.
Just surviving until now was quite impressive.
“Someday, I want to see you dance.”
“I will prepare diligently and happily for you, Your Majesty!”
Sukrel laughed cheerfully. While doing so, he casually nudged the couch where I was lying at an angle. I took note of the calloused part on his long, slender fingers.
Probably traces of holding a fan for a long time.
‘He probably has a strong desire to win, and surely he’ll reveal his sharp temperament in places I don’t see.’
Timid Gabriel seemed to be overwhelmed by Sukrel’s energy.
If the third person could mediate between the two, it would be good.
Thinking so, as I shifted my gaze, there was a young man with hair shimmering with a blue hue.
Although he had the least presence among the three, judging by his posture, he seemed to be of noble birth.
“I greet Her Majesty the Empress.”
As he received my attention, the young man made a courteous gesture to greet me and then proceeded to introduce himself.
“My name is Therion Oclaire. As the third son of the Oclaire self-made artist, I have taken the family name and stand before you.”
The calm demeanor of the young man seemed somewhat cynical. With a slim figure that seemed to lack any visible muscles and pale blue eyes, his distinctive feature was his elegant fashion sense. Perhaps due to his slender body, his fashion sense seemed well-refined.
‘And he seems to have a sense of style.’
Among the three, Therion was the most well-dressed. Wearing a cravat, supporting a vest, and donning polished shoes, although scrutinizing each item revealed they weren’t luxurious, the combination looked convincing.
If properly groomed and sent into high society, he would likely captivate the hearts of many young ladies.
‘After some training, I can send him into society to gather information easily.’
It became clear why Phaibel chose him with such thoughts.
I loosely opened my mouth towards Therion, who was bowing his head.
“The Oclaire family?”
“It’s nothing more than a small house in the western region; I’m ashamed of it.”
“I already know that, so it’s not interesting. Is there nothing you’re proud of in your family?”
“Proud…”
As if his words got stuck, Therion bit his lips. Then, as if hastily spitting out an answer, he continued.
“While my family is only a regional lord in the Hanmi region, we have been researching demons for generations.”
“Demon research, huh… Do you happen to know anything about a demon encyclopedia?”
“My grandfather compiled the first demon encyclopedia. Since then, my father inherited the work, adding new demons and republishing it. Now, the youngest son has taken over the job.”
So, the eldest son manages the territory, the second son is engaged in demon research, and the third son, Therion, seems to have had nothing particular to do.
“You seem to like reading.”
“Oh, yes. I like… reading. Other than that, due to frequent illness when I was young, there wasn’t much else I could do.”
“Until now, there was no separate study in the Empress’s palace, but it’s well-established now. If you manage the library, it should be fine.”
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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