Esika scolded Sela in a stern tone.
“There must be no mistakes at today’s party.”
Sela nodded with a tense expression.
“And……”
“Yes, madam.”
“Never show that you know anything.”
Esika looked out the peaceful window.
As it gets dark outside, guests will arrive at the mansion one by one.
“The more enjoyment before welcoming tomorrow, the better.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Sela bowed her head as she answered.
A moment later, Callian knocked on the door to escort her.
As Sela withdrew, Callian approached Esika and his eyes flickered as he looked at her.
Esika, dressed in a blue dress, looked like a fairy who had just emerged from a lake.
Was her skin originally this fine and soft? If she allows, he wants to reach out and touch it.
Her clear sapphire eyes were dignified, and the plum-colored lips below her sharp nose looked sweet enough to bite.
“I no longer… love you.”
The words Esika had said once made his chest ache.
Esika’s attitude was still icy cold.
It’s understandable that she’s cold. It’s true that he did something terrible to her.
But Gaven Pelope said a woman’s heart is like water.
Even if greatly wounded, it quickly becomes yours again when warmed with gentle words and actions.
‘To turn her heart back to me…… there’s only one way.’
Even after falling in love with her, he still hadn’t slept with Esika due to a series of incidents.
Judging by the fact that she still doesn’t mention divorce, it seems she fortunately has no intention of divorcing Callian.
To soften her heart and make her love him again and accept being the Duchess of Klaus…… he should make her carry his child in her belly like Yuri.
“Esika, I’ve come to escort you.”
Today’s Esika seems to be in quite a good mood, so perhaps he could try to set the mood after the party when she’s slightly drunk.
Callian held out his hand to Esika.
Esika placed her hand lightly on Callian’s, with an inscrutable cool smile.
The sensation of her gathered fingertips touching his palm was dizzying.
There could be no wife who could enchant her husband like this.
Soon they left the room and walked down the corridor.
As they passed through the dim corridor, Callian spoke.
“Guests will be coming from the Grand Duke Heinz and Duke Hammel families. The imperial palace also sent a reply that they would send guests.”
“…I see.”
“Today we will show that Klaus is still solid and has deep family love.”
Callian said with a smile.
“After a series of incidents due to misunderstandings, there’s a need to correct the stigma surrounding Klaus that’s covering the imperial social circles.”
Esika laughed inwardly.
A stigma about Klaus, he says – stigma refers to falsehoods, but all the stories circulating were true.
That Riona Klaus was wicked and tried to kill her daughter-in-law out of jealousy.
That Riona and Esika loathe each other.
That Callian fell for his mistress’s tricks and falsely accused Esika of adultery, but it backfired.
In other words, the fact that Klaus is a family in shambles.
“I understand that you’re still very angry at me and mother.”
“……”
“But no matter what, this is the ducal family we’ll spend our lives with, and mother is your superior, so I hope you’ll make an effort today.”
There was certainly a change in Callian Klaus.
Before, he would have said it was unfair for Esika to even have negative feelings towards his mother Riona.
No matter how much Riona tormented Esika.
But now he understood the justification for Esika being angry at Riona.
“What if I don’t want to?”
Esika asked, twisting her lips.
Callian paused to look at Esika and said.
“……Esika.”
Then he moved his lips in a low voice.
“Please.”
It was a huge change for Callian himself.
But to Esika, even this change was just ridiculous.
To still ask her to get along well, even though his mother tried to kill his wife.
If the previous Callian believed Riona’s actions were absolute good, now it’s after accepting that Riona committed evil acts.
However, the objective fact is that it doesn’t hinder maintaining the appearance of a harmonious family.
Callian still had no intention of choosing anything.
**
Entering the party hall, Riona was already surrounded by many nobles.
Today is Riona’s forty-eighth birthday.
Dressed in a red dress, she looks no older than her late 30s at most.
The existence of Riona, a royal from the fallen kingdom of Smichen who suddenly appeared in social circles, became a big topic, they say.
No wonder, since it was a well-known fact that all the royals of Smichen had their heads cut off by the tyrant of the Kalman Empire, and she alone barely escaped and sought asylum.
The man who became the lover of the beautiful woman Riona was the Duke of Klaus from 30 years ago.
Although he was married and had quite complicated relationships with women, he was the man who gifted Riona the opportunity to stand at the center of social circles.
Not long after their relationship began, Callian entered Riona’s womb.
The Duke of Klaus rented a nice mansion in Torres for the two to live comfortably.
And not long after, the Turesian Empire was devastated by the Kalman Empire, allied nations, and rebels, but barely recovered.
Riona shared the experience of Smichen being trampled by foreign countries, helped and comforted the nobles, which highlighted her position in social circles and greatly helped her to divorce the Duke of Klaus and enter the ducal family in the future.
‘But even knowing all the facts, can they smile at Riona?’
A cold smile lingered on Esika’s lips.
Tomorrow, many things will be turned upside down.
So today’s party should be even more impressive.
The brighter the light, the deeper the valley of darkness.
“Mother.”
At Callian’s voice, the nobles turned to look at Callian and Esika.
The eyes of some who saw Esika became a little awkward.
They must have recalled the scandalous war between Riona and Esika.
“……”
Esika greeted according to etiquette with no expression, and Callian approached Riona.
Callian Klaus, he was Riona’s pride.
All nobles envied Riona because of Callian.
“Happy birthday.”
Riona gladly embraced Callian’s sturdy frame.
And lightly kissed Callian’s cheek.
“Duke. You look splendid today as well.”
Callian was congratulating Riona with a faint smile.
It seemed as if everything had returned to how it was before.
Although Esika standing in the back was bothersome, on such a pleasant day, that much couldn’t upset Riona’s mood.
“Thank you. The Duke’s congratulations are the greatest birthday gift to me.”
Callian nodded at Riona’s words.
And he greeted the nobles gathered for Riona’s birthday party.
“On behalf of the Klaus ducal family, I thank the distinguished guests gathered here to celebrate the birthday of the Grand Duchess of Klaus.”
Applause poured out along with fond gazes at Callian’s words.
No matter how much Riona’s reputation had hit rock bottom due to various rumors, Klaus was still Klaus.
The number of nobles filling the hall easily exceeded 50.
“Food and drinks have been prepared, so please enjoy the party.”
After finishing his greeting, Callian approached Esika.
“Esika, the music will start soon.”
“……”
“How about dancing with me?”
Esika stared blankly at Callian.
Brown hair and purple eyes, handsome features.
Tall height and broad shoulders… Callian Klaus’s appearance was still splendid.
But now what she feels when he approaches is.
“Actually, I didn’t sleep well last night… I want to rest.”
Terrible annoyance.
Even hatred requires interest to exist.
Because hating consumes more energy than one might think.
“If that’s the case… it can’t be helped.”
Callian’s eyes flickered as if regretful.
Esika just wished he would go far away and mingle with other nobles.
“It seems no guests have come from the Pelope Marquis family.”
“That’s a name not worth mentioning, Esika.”
Callian shook his head when the topic of Pelope was brought up.
“That person will never enter the ducal family again.”
He seemed to have decided to completely sever ties with his old friend.
“I’m going to greet some people I’ve met before.”
As Callian didn’t seem like he would leave her presence, Esika glanced to the side as she spoke.
Lady Helenia of the Merhin Baron family was visible.
She was one of the more decent women among the noble wives that Klaus associated with.
“…Do so then. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Esika nodded with an annoyed look and moved her steps.
Callian watched her retreating figure with regretful eyes.
He felt like he could hear his heart beating.
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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