It was a victory party for the commander and officers who led the conquest war of the Southern Three Nations.
As the Grand Commander, Aaron was, of course, the protagonist of today’s triumph celebration.
Everyone wanted to talk to him, and everyone wanted to greet Aaron Bergen, the Grand Duke.
Many nobles were trying to seize the opportunity, glancing at Aaron’s reaction.
However, Aaron skillfully ignored them, casually shaking his wine glass.
Even as he downed the glass of wine, the dreadful feeling did not dissipate.
At the moment of raising a toast while celebrating the empire’s victory.
She, like any other noble, responded gracefully and confidently, lifting her wine glass.
Aaron’s mood, looking at the crimson wine flowing into her red lips, plunged into an abyss of indescribable despair.
Eventually, she appeared at the victory party.
She earnestly hoped not to appear.
The woman, whose rumors about the Emperor were abundant, officially revealed herself.
Appearing with the Emperor, she captivated everyone’s attention instantly.
Adorned in a dazzling dress and jewels gifted by the Emperor, she stood by the Emperor’s side in the center of the party.
With a splendid and elegant appearance, she shone more like the protagonist than the Grand Commander Aaron.
Casually standing there, she raised a toast to congratulate Iorenti’s defeat.
It couldn’t be true.
She was unmistakable, yet she was doing something she could never do.
Like swallowing a burning ember, his throat felt dry.
Did I see it wrong?
If not, where is the real Delia?
His deep, sunken ashen eyes darkened with confusion.
“Greetings to the Grand Duke.”
Someone pulled Aaron, who was deeply immersed in contemplation, back to reality.
“I am Abelene, the Viscount of Valencia.”
Eying the seat next to the Grand Duke, the ambitious noble with a strong scent of perfume approached Aaron.
“Why are you alone when the Grand Commander, who led the conquest war of the Southern Three Nations to victory, is here?”
Even with Abelene’s sweet words, Aaron continued to focus on one place, sipping his wine.
Approaching Abelene gazed at the enchanting sight of red liquid flowing into his lips.
The sensuality of the light flowing down his strong jawline was breath-taking.
Abelene moistened her dry lips with her tongue and spoke cautiously.
“The glass is empty. Let me replace it for you.”
Abelene deliberately brushed her fingertips as she exchanged Aaron’s empty glass.
A tingling sensation spread through his spine, leaving a sensual impact.
“Are you still holding onto the past events?”
Abelene, who had only watched from a distance until now, couldn’t help but think, considering the Grand Duke’s unyielding nature.
However, the unheard-of news, not to mention a political marriage with the defeated country’s princess, brought back the gloomy atmosphere of the time. Unable to watch any longer.
Abeline delicately curled her lips, adorned her expression, and refined her voice.
“Not knowing the Duke’s efforts for peace and betraying the empire. Iorenti should disappear from the map.”
Only then did Aaron’s deep gaze shift towards Yeong-ae.
Abeline appeared cheerful at the Duke’s reaction.
“I heard that the Duke was trying to conclude the war with a peace treaty.”
It was a story that had made the entire empire clamorous.
Aaron Bergen, who had been the Grand Commander, abruptly stopped the war and signed a peace treaty with the authority of the commander.
“And to solidify the treaty, he pursued a political marriage.”
The Grand Duke, who had had no contact with any woman until now, was pushing for a political marriage with the princess of Iorenti.
The news of the unexpected marriage threw the noblewomen, who had admired the Grand Duke from families with daughters, into panic.
Naturally, the attention of many was drawn to the peace treaty with Iorenti and the Duke’s impending marriage.
Excessive interest led to various rumors.
The Grand Duke quickly concluded the war and aimed to strengthen his power to challenge the imperial authority.
He schemed not to subordinate Iorenti to the empire but for the Bergen family to monopolize it.
Rumors included falling in love with the beautiful princess of Iorenti.
Countless fabricated stories circulated among the nobles.
However, the abundant rumors vanished in an instant due to one simple fact.
Iorenti’s betrayal.
“But Iorenti betrayed the Duke and formed an alliance with Pfevere.”
Iorenti used the peace treaty as an excuse to halt the empire’s military attacks.
Now, by promoting a political marriage, she deceived the empire, while at the same time, she formed an alliance with Pfevere.
The empire’s nobles were engulfed in anger at Iorenti’s duplicitous attitude.
“We never thought they would so easily discard the promises between nations.”
Pfevere invaded under the pretext of the alliance, claiming to be Iorenti’s ally.
As a result, many imperial forces stationed in Iorenti had to shed blood in a war with Pfevere.
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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