When I turned my head, Askan had an expression that seemed to say he didn’t understand. Soon, he silently followed my steps from behind.
Looking back at Askan, who was following one step behind, I said,
“No matter how much you say you’re okay, I don’t like it. Standing for a long time can hurt your legs.”
Whether it was an unexpected reason or not, he seemed slightly surprised. Soon after, he put on a gentle smile and said quietly,
“So, are you going so fast because you’re worried my legs will hurt?”
“Of course, what are you asking for?”
Askan responded to my answer by touching his forehead with one hand and smiling.
His soft laughter sounded pleasant, and perhaps because of that, a smile formed on my lips as well.
Suddenly, Seruna stopped her pursuit of Tanasia.
Even though Tanasia might have said everything she wanted during today’s meeting, Seruna still had things to say.
She had intended to grab Tanasia and say the words left unsaid, but she accidentally witnessed the affectionate scene between Askan and her.
It was unbelievable.
While Askan entering the Imperial Palace was reported and known, witnessing such a friendly scene was beyond anything Seruna could have imagined.
Seruna had known Askan for a long time. However, today was the first time she discovered that he could smile like this.
‘This is the face of a man in love…’
Even without anyone telling her, she could naturally feel it.
Standing there like a dazed person, Seruna was approached by Yurella, who had noticed her.
“Empress, is something the matter?”
“Ah—.”
Only then did Seruna come to her senses and returned to the tea table where she had been sitting.
While Seruna remained silent, Yurella, following her, asked with a puzzled expression.
“It’s about Brelof Young Lady’s words. Something seems off. Even if you didn’t drink the tea, why isn’t the incense affecting you either?”
“… Well, at first, I thought it might not have been properly inhaled, but it was still ineffective even after some time passed.”
“It’s really strange. I’ll investigate what happened.”
“Maybe it’s because of the perfume that my father took from the Chief Guard. Perhaps he found a weakness in the fragrance.”
“That’s impossible. No one can discover the scent made by the Manoco family.”
Yurella flatly denied the possibility of such an event.
Seruna was about to say something but closed her mouth again.
In fact, she was talking about hypnosis, but her mind was filled with Tanasia’s words from earlier and Askan’s smile.
— I just want to make a choice that will make me happier.
Happiness…
How many noble couples are there who haven’t entered into strategic marriages?
Getting married to someone you love was truly like a dream.
Although Seruna had briefly fantasized about it when she was young, as she grew older, she realized the reality and gave up on it first.
‘Are the Chief Guard and Brelof Young Lady in love with each other?’
If anyone had seen Askan’s relaxed smile a while ago, they would have known. Perhaps the two of them were already in love with each other.
If that was the case, Tanasia might not have known that her desired marriage partner wasn’t Helsion but Askan.
‘Ha, love…’
It was hard to believe that she chose love, ignoring Helsion’s tremendous marriage conditions.
I really don’t know what Orlando is up to. Seruna couldn’t accept letting her daughter do as she pleased.
Unconsciously lost in thought, Seruna faintly heard Yurella calling her.
“Empress?”
Responding to that call, Seruna, deliberately pretending to be indifferent, said, “Bring me some warm tea.”
“Oh, yes, Your Majesty. Are you worried because of Brelof Young Lady?”
“It’s nothing. Just…”
She wondered what kind of path she had not taken.
As Seruna mumbled her words, Yurella discreetly lowered her head. Then, as ordered, she moved to bring a new cup of tea.
So far, Seruna’s married life had been like politics. She concealed her true feelings and made efforts to gain more.
She never experienced the emotions of giving love to someone and receiving love in return.
If there were a man like Askan who looked at Seruna with warm eyes, she couldn’t help but imagine it.
If she married such a person and built a family, would she be happy?
The answer was unknown. It left a lingering doubt in her heart like an echo.
After a while, Yurella returned with warm tea. Carefully handing Seruna a teacup, she opened her mouth cautiously.
“Your Majesty, if you’re worried because of Brelof Young Lady, should I contact Viscount Manoco and suggest her visit to the palace?”
Seruna couldn’t answer readily. It wasn’t an issue that could be easily decided.
She couldn’t entirely believe Tanasia’s words from earlier. Initially, she considered them lies to deceive Seruna, but the credibility increased after seeing Askan’s smile.
However, it was just a feeling; there was no clear evidence.
Leaving aside the emotional aspect, Tanasia’s warning before leaving today was undeniably threatening.
“Brelof Young Lady told me to make a choice, but… It doesn’t seem likely that someone who can send assassins after receiving such a warning exists.”
Dealing with a lifelong enemy like Tanasia, distributing magic engineering weapons, was terrifying even to imagine.
Especially now, with Helsion recently becoming the emperor, the power struggle among nobles was intense.
Even if Tanasia took time to become the empress, the issue related to the successor was a long way off, and immediately giving hostile forces access to magic engineering weapons could collapse the tower built over the years.
“In that case, Your Majesty’s words…”
“For now, it’s more troublesome for hostile forces to obtain magic engineering weapons than to have an enemy like the empress.”
“Understood. I will handle all the assassins meant for Brelof Young Lady.”
Whether to believe Tanasia’s words or not was not crucial. The decision made for now was to observe the situation and wait for the future.
If she were really lucky, she could have rejected the position of empress and disappeared from the Kalua Empire.
The problem was that it wasn’t easy to do so.
Sipping on hot tea, Seruna muttered quietly, “Brelof Young Lady doesn’t really know the Empress yet…”
Even if Seruna no longer aimed for Tanasia’s life, Helsion’s ambition did not change.
It didn’t matter where Tanasia’s heart leaned.
If Helsion had decided to make Tanasia the empress, there was a possibility of achieving it by any means necessary.
Therefore, judging that removing Tanasia was the safest option.
Seruna smiled and murmured, “But out of jealousy, I won’t give any more hints. Experience firsthand what kind of future awaits.”
If Seruna had to take someone’s side between Helsion and Tanasia, she would naturally be on Tanasia’s side.
If Tanasia really intended to reject the position of empress, Seruna could only hope that things would go well according to her wishes.
Yurella asked with a puzzled expression, “Huh? Hints?”
“No. Before it’s too late, immediately contact Father as well. Tell him not to touch Brelof Young Lady for a while.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Yurella disappeared from the room, having moved to contact Rufilmo as per Seruna’s order.
Alone, Seruna continued to sip on the hot tea.
Somehow, today felt unusually quiet. She usually scolded the noisy employees, but now no one was in sight.
‘Love…’
Perhaps it was because of the sight of Askan and Tanasia a little while ago.
Ironically, she felt a bit lonely.
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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