Watching her confidently explain about the holly, I imagined the potential scenarios if the banquet hall was decorated with it.
‘People from the desert countries believe they can eat everything in the banquet hall. In their culture, it’s polite to eat everything when invited as a guest.’
It’s not a country where flowers bloom abundantly, so there’s no need to decorate the banquet hall with flowers. And it would be strange to decorate it with cacti just because there are many.
Traditionally, desert countries decorate their banquet halls with fruits or fruit trees.
It gives a fresh feeling and allows guests to eat fresh fruits whenever they want, which was perfect.
‘But the berries of our dear holly are poisonous.’
Eating them unknowingly can cause vomiting and dehydration…
‘Wait?’
Does she know about that culture and is doing this on purpose?
To heal everyone with the saintess’s power when they’re all in pain?
“Look! And this is a list of foods the Emperor… no, Your Majesty dislikes and likes.”
I was increasingly intrigued by what was going on in her little head.
Honestly, if it wasn’t related to me and Enrique wasn’t in the middle. If I had met her when I was not a human but a demon… I might have actually liked Helene. Cunning humans are interesting.
I laughed softly without even glancing at the paper.
“I can’t tell if you’re a saintess or a courtesan. If you’re a courtesan, such behavior deserves praise, but as a saintess, it would be better to care for the needy instead of this. Didn’t your great god tell you that?”
“Huh?”
“Whether you’re a saintess or a courtesan or doing both, it’s time to stop playing the Empress.”
I whispered sweetly and stroked Helene’s pink hair. She widened her eyes in surprise and confusion.
“No, play? I never did that! I really wanted to help… I worked hard, that’s all.”
Her voice trembled as if she was wronged.
I laughed heartily like a young girl, tucking Helene’s hair behind her ear.
“Oh dear, taking a joke so seriously.”
“!”
“Here, would you like some peach? It’s a precious fruit for this season.”
I picked up a fork and pierced the soft flesh of the fruit. For a brief moment, Helene’s reflection bit her lower lip in the convex surface of the polished silver fork.
But when I offered the peach, Helene put on an innocent face, as if she knew nothing and was completely unbothered.
Her appearance was like a peach, with blushed cheeks and eyes that seemed on the verge of shedding tears like peach juice.
Such a face was utterly different from mine when I was a demon, and even from the current ‘Leonarda’.
I looked at Helene quite anew.
‘Enrique loves something weaker than him.’
This rather unflattering thought wandered through my mind and then disappeared.
It didn’t hold any particular meaning.
“Um, Your Majesty the Empress.”
After several minutes of trivial conversation about the sweetness of the peach or whatnot, Helene, seemingly having thought of a cutting remark, suddenly put down her fork and spoke earnestly.
“I believe that the gods will look after Your Majesty the Empress. I truly do.”
“Sure, that must be why I’m still alive.”
I replied disinterestedly, deliberately putting a stop to the flow of the conversation. Helene, undeterred, clasped her hands tightly, apparently gearing up for a significant attack.
“And… I don’t want to be jealous or fight over Enrique. He is really important to me.”
Enrique…
Come to think of it, I always called Enrique ‘Nike’, as he was my victory and glory.
Back then, engulfed in war, victory and glory were the most precious things to me, so I wanted to give him such a nickname.
‘But recalling all this now, what’s the use?’
I looked at Helene indifferently. She appeared quite flushed, her petal-like lips quivering slightly.
“So… that’s why I’ll talk to Enrique and tell him to consummate with Your Majesty the Empress soon! As a friend of Your Majesty.”
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.”
