A party was held to commemorate Prince Khaled’s first visit to the Kingdom of Ronica.
After the party started, Velia made her entrance hand in hand with Khaled as his partner.
Despite the murmuring that ensued due to the repercussions from the recent welcoming ceremony of the second prince, they did not care at all. After all, this was what they had wanted.
When Velia and Khaled danced the first dance, signalling the start of the party, people couldn’t take their eyes off them.
Their appearance, adorned in matching red dresses stitched with golden threads, looking at each other and smiling in their black uniforms, was the talk of the day among the aristocrats who attended the party.
Everyone thought their contrasting images wouldn’t go together.
But the picture of them together wasn’t as discordant as one might think.
“Sis.”
At the sound of her name being called softly, Velia turned around to see Cloje, dressed prettily with a sulky expression.
“What is it?”
In the short time that Khaled was away having a conversation with the king of Ronica, Cloje sneaked up on her and pouted.
“What did you talk about with Prince Khaled that day?”
“We didn’t talk about much.”
Velia evaded her answer.
Cloje found it very interesting to see her sister make a secret from her.
So she asked another question with a playful grin.
“What did you two do when you went into the room alone?”
“Just talking.”
“A very, very deep conversation?”
Cloje asked, giving her a mischievous look.
“What the heck are you talking about?!”
How on earth do kids these days come up with this kind of talk?!
Velia exclaimed, taken aback.
“Hmmm?”
But Cloje narrowed her eyebrows, seemingly more suspicious of her sister’s reaction.
“Did you sleep?”
Velia quickly covered Cloje’s mouth.
“Uuuub!!”
“Promise me you won’t say a word. Then I’ll let you go.”
Cloje nodded vigorously.
Only then did Velia remove her hand and spoke quietly.
“You… I need to have a chat with you later.”
“Are you going to talk about the second prince?”
Cloje showed no signs of repentance.
Just as Velia was about to scold Cloje,
“Princess Velia.”
Raul appeared.
Velia stiffened her expression.
“May I have a dance with you?”
Raul extended his hand politely.
She wanted to dismiss his hand, but too many eyes were watching.
Velia sighed lightly and took Raul’s hand.
When on earth did he arrive? If she had known, she would have been somewhere else beforehand.
And at this very moment when Khaled was not around.
“I wanted to dance with you.”
“Haven’t we danced together before?”
“Yes. It was the first day I came to the Kingdom of Ronica.”
I should have said I was sick and gotten out of it then!
Regretting her past self, Velia walked to the center of the hall, holding Raul’s hand.
“I fell for you at first sight the day I first saw you, Princess.”
Velia did not respond.
She was a little tired of Raul’s behavior now.
“I thought you felt the same way about me.”
“No.”
“I’m sure you did. Every time you looked at me, there was warmth in your eyes.”
Raul gripped the hand he held with Velia a little harder.
His voice hardened slightly.
“But, why did your heart change suddenly?”
“People’s hearts always tend to change. To be honest, there were times when I was slightly swayed by you.”
Velia said calmly.
“But that small curiosity has disappeared. So please, stop pouring your heart out to me, your highness.”
“Is it because of Khaled?”
“…It’s not entirely because of that. I just don’t want it.”
As Raul moved his feet in tune with the music, he whispered quietly into Velia’s ear.
“Princess Velia. I will not retract my marriage proposal.”
“Your Highness.”
“You should think carefully about the Kingdom of Ronica. What it means to reject the first prince’s marriage proposal.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“I dare not threaten you, Princess. I wouldn’t. I’m just informing you.”
Raul smiled kindly.
And then, he did not speak to Velia anymore.
So they danced in silence, repeating a few movements to the music, and exchanged greetings when the song ended.
“Princess Velia.”
Raul, who was about to return to his seat after the dance, stopped Velia.
“Do you have more to say?”
“You’re going to regret it.”
“What will I regret?”
Velia asked back in surprise.
“Not choosing me. And also the fact that you chose Khaled instead.”
“No. I won’t regret it.”
Velia shook off Raul’s hand and trotted back to her seat. There stood Khaled, who had momentarily left his seat for a conversation with the king.
“What did you two talk about?”
Khaled asked.
“It’s not worth hearing.”
Velia ruthlessly assessed the recent conversation.
Khaled, who was watching Velia’s mood subside, chuckled and extended his hand.
“Would you like to dance one more song with me?”
He was wearing a gentle expression that didn’t suit him.
Velia stared at the hand he offered for a moment.
‘Regret…….’
In all the ways Velia could think of, marrying Khaled and dismissing Raul was the best method to move without suspicion.
But would it be right to tie him down because of her selfish desires?
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.”
