Reina placed her restless hand from under the blanket onto her knee and smiled awkwardly.
“Did you have a good talk with the knights?”
Arthur chuckled lightly.
“Sorry for leaving you alone.”
“No, it’s fine. Thanks to that, I was able to rest comfortably by myself.”
Arthur came and sat near the bed.
Somehow, she felt strange about him sitting next to her.
…Was that a dream in the dawn?
If only she had the courage to ask.
Shaking off that thought, Reina asked about something else.
“Um, have you… met all the relatives?”
“You seem concerned.”
Even if Reina said she was worried, there was nothing she could do and it would just seem hypocritical. So she just quietly said, “Just… ” and trailed off.
Arthur chuckled.
He then lightly tapped Reina’s head with his hand.
As if to thank her for her concern.
“……”
As the sunset light fell next to Arthur’s handsome face with a soft smile.
“How’s your condition? You said you couldn’t eat anything because you felt sick. Shouldn’t you at least have some simple soup?”
Her stomach was empty.
Upon hearing Arthur’s words, she suddenly felt hungry.
Maybe because she took the medicine a while ago, her stomach felt much better.
“Yes, I’m hungry……”
She hadn’t eaten anything all day because she was sick till the sun set.
She didn’t want just a mild soup, she wanted a proper meal.
And that would allow Arthur to eat something delicious too, right?
Because he always eats with me……
Reina timidly gathered her courage and said.
“…I want to eat something delicious, not soup.”
Arthur smiled.
“That’s good. I’m glad you seem to be feeling better.”
Reina smiled.
Arthur pulled a bell cord and requested a meal.
“Something that’s easy to digest and delicious. And soup too.”
A knight, who seemed to be Arthur’s subordinate rather than a maid, came in to take the order and left.
After the knight had left, Arthur seemed to remember something and added.
“Oh, and from now on, when I have to leave for work, the knights will guard outside the door. If a doctor or maids come, they’ll come inside and stay with you.”
“Ah……”
Reina answered with a small exclamation.
He continued.
“If you pull the bell cord once, a knight will come, so pull it twice if you need to call a maid. Unless there’s a separate order from above, I’ve told them no one else can come in at their discretion. Please keep that in mind.”
“Yes.”
Reina felt a thankful comfort.
Why? Even though she knew that it was just surveillance necessary for Arthur, it made her feel protected.
Perhaps because she thought the duchess wouldn’t come in at her own discretion.
Reina unknowingly smiled a shy yet thankful smile filled with sincerity.
“Where’s the handkerchief I gave you?”
Reina showed her wrist with a smile.
The handkerchief tied like a bracelet inside the sleeve was visible.
The setting sun dyed the white lace of the handkerchief with sunset hues.
“Um. Shall I use it to tie my hair?”
Arthur smiled.
“As you wish.”
Suddenly, Reina covered her surprised face with her hand.
“Ah, I remember I borrowed a handkerchief from Duke Tristan.”
And she looked around flustered, trying to find it.
Arthur chuckled.
“I returned it.”
[This is the time separator]The meal arrived shortly.
Reina did not decline Arthur’s assistance and held his hand to get off the bed and sit at the table.
As the meal was being served, she couldn’t hide her excitement, constantly pressing down the napkin on her lap and gazing intently at the dishes being served on the table.
Arthur was looking at her with a smile as if he found her cute, but Reina didn’t notice and kept looking at the food.
She was hungry and her body was recovering, so her appetite was returning.
Being able to order a hearty and delicious meal just by pulling the bell cord was one of the best benefits she felt as a standin for the lady.
But such a luxurious meal inevitably reminded her of her grandmother.
…I wonder if my grandmother is eating well?
Although she knew that the caregivers were taking care of her grandmother’s meals….
She wouldn’t be able to have such a good meal.
‘Always leftovers… It would be nice if my grandmother could eat with us….’
It occurred to her that she could ask about her grandmother’s usual meals when she meets Taylor.
Knock knock.
At that moment, one of the knights entered through the door that was open to bring the meal, gave a small report to Arthur in a hushed voice.
“……”
It didn’t reach Reyna’s ears.
Arthur gave Reyna an apologetic look and got up from his seat, asking her to start eating first.
Reyna followed his retreating figure with a puzzled look.
[This is the time separator]The Duke, who went to the private reception room where Arthur was said to be, was stopped by the knights guarding the corridor on the staircase.
The Duke, taken aback, squinted at the knight.
What is this……?
The Duke had never been stopped like this in his mansion.
How dare you stop me in my mansion?
“What are you doing now?”
The knight answered without blinking.
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.”
