Around 2 in the afternoon, they arrived at the border and dismounted from the carriage to survey the area.
“Is this the path we must take to reach the Kingdom of Orwol?”
The winding road was narrow enough for only two carriages to pass, and right next to it was a habitat for magical creatures.
“We’ve just cleared this road recently. Before that, both Mazel and the Kingdom of Orwol were completely isolated. Now, shall we have a quick lunch and begin our hunt? A hunting ground will appear once we pass this magical creature habitat.”
Hazen took out some leftover meat pies from the basket he’d brought from the mansion. Yet, the gourmet Lapellian suddenly requested something from Luella.
“I would prefer to eat the meat you gave me earlier, Luella. Could you bring that out?”
Upon hearing Lapellian’s request, everyone clamored to eat the meat they had tasted earlier.
“Ah, we should be conserving this. It’s a low-level buff food, you know.”
Luella awkwardly reached into her bag and clicked on the meat.
“What is this?”
Shuna looked startled, making Luella realize that she’d seamlessly integrated with the group without considering that Shuna didn’t know about their current situation.
Carefully, Luella handed Shuna a piece of meat from her bag.
“Shuna, have you ever heard of ability users?”
“No.”
“Or magicians?”
“I’ve heard of them in old stories.”
“Old stories?”
Was being an ability user so legendary it appeared only in old tales?
Luella tilted her head, and Shuna clasped her hands, her eyes shining.
“Yes. People who fly freely through the land and sky alongside dragons are called magicians, right?”
Although Luella found it odd that they were being equated to legendary figures, explaining the concept of ‘game mechanics’ to Shuna seemed too complicated, so she simply nodded.
“Yes, that’s right. We are those kinds of magicians.”
Shuna looked utterly shocked.
“Did you jump out of an old tale?”
“No, no. We can simply use magic like the people in those stories.”
While Luella found the concept of riding carriages and dragons equally fantastical, Shuna likely viewed it differently.
Still puzzled, Shuna listened as Luella spoke.
“You’ll understand as you see more. For now, just eat. As long as you’re not surprised later, you’ll be fine.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Shuna seemed to prefer the meat pie made by Emma over the grilled meat by Luella.
However, seeing Shuna eat hungrily, Luella handed over her own meat pie, making Shuna look awkward.
“Are you not eating, Miss?”
“I’m fine. I ate plenty this morning, and if I get hungry later, I can cook something with what we catch at the hunting ground.”
Reassured by Luella’s words, Shuna resumed eating. Watching this, Hazen murmured.
“Luella is actually sharing food. Isn’t this an extraordinary event?”
“Indeed, it is surprising.”
Lapellian paused his eating to agree. Avoiding their astonished gazes, Luella turned away.
Not only was it due to Shuna’s enthusiastic eating, but also because Luella realized that she could cook if they just obtained the ingredients, lessening her earlier obsession with food.
Luella surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings, lost in thought.
The unfamiliar environment and the declaration of hostility from an absolutely powerful enemy had instilled in her a sense of unease and fear.
Why wouldn’t it be? The people I’ve come to know as comrades have only been around for a few days. Although I know they care and worry for me, I’ve realized from yesterday’s events that my country and its citizens must come first. Therefore, I couldn’t fully rely on them.
Luella was lost in a thought that frequently occupied her mind. The notion that one goes through life alone.
After reassuring her cooling emotions, Luella spoke to Michel, who seemed to have finished eating.
“Michel, shall we go ahead and clear the path?”
“Sure.”
They entered the monster habitat that was blocking the hunting ground.
“Miss, let’s go together.”
Turning around, she saw that Shuna had set down the meat pie he was eating and was intending to follow.
“Shuna, we are skilled individuals, right? Michel can handle the monsters here by himself, so don’t worry and stay put. This habitat is not a place for ordinary people.”
Luella made a request to the people remaining in the carriage.
“Please take good care of Shuna.”
Hagen and Raphael seemed to understand and waved their hands, while Tien wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and followed them.
“I’ve finished eating. Let’s go.”
As they stepped into the blackened land that indicated a monster habitat, strange wailing sounds could be heard.
“Why can’t we see anything? What’s this sound?”
Usually, when one sets foot in a monster habitat, monsters would rush at them. However, this place was eerily quiet.
Creating a sense of unease, the wailing sound was heard again. While they were paying attention to where it was coming from, mournful violin music began to play.
“Isn’t this the sound of a violin?”
As they moved closer to the source, both the wailing and the violin music grew louder.
“Stop.”
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.”
