News of the landlords’ return had Lamein momentarily enjoying her leisure at the table.
She only stood up from her seat after completely draining the milk tea filled in her teacup.
“I’ll take a short walk and return to my room. Jane, take a break. I’ll go alone.”
Jane, who had tried to follow Lamein, stopped in her tracks.
With her parasol spread out, she started to walk along the wide garden walkway at a leisurely pace.
‘If Duke Roger is watching us, shouldn’t I show the best possible friendly appearance in front of him, just as Cedric wants?’
Contrary to her leisurely movements, her mind was bustling.
‘I guess Killian and Elina are the bigger problems.’
In the original work, the three people excluding Lamein had a very good relationship.
They often gathered together for tea and attended social gatherings together.
Considering the frequency of encounters, she had to pay more attention to Killian and Elina than the Duke and Duchess.
‘Isn’t it strange if I suddenly look too affectionate?’
She recalled her husband’s words, who was going to show great attention.
‘How will Cedric act in front of those two?’
She remembered Killian and Elina from the original work.
In the original work, Killian did not find Lamein, who carried scandalous rumors, enticing.
On the other hand, Elina, who had an angelic personality, tried to protect Lamein in front of such Killian.
‘No. Even if Killian doesn’t know, if it’s Elina’s personality from the original work, she might be happy if the two get along well. If Elina likes it, Killian will follow.’
Lamein slightly narrowed her straightly stretched eyes.
‘Elina? Elina…’
Cedric. How about being a bit more considerate to Lamein?
That was a phrase Elina often said with desperate eyes in front of Cedric.
Of course, it’s true that Lamein has a bad reputation and likes men. But if you try to be considerate, she could change.
But she always added a word or two afterward.
…Is this bothering only me?
Isn’t this going around in circles?
Is this really kindness?
Even though the readers, who were already in love with Elina, felt sorry for her,
‘What is her identity? Kind? Not kind?’
She couldn’t fully empathize with the readers’ reactions.
‘I’ll meet her soon and see what kind of person she is.’
Whether many readers will agree or her intuition will be correct.
She decided to meet Elina in person to confirm her identity.
The sun streaming through the flowing clouds seeped through the gaps in the parasol and stung her eyes.
She, who had been walking with a serious expression, slightly narrowed her eyes and stopped her steps.
“Madam. Hello.”
At the voice coming from the side, when she turned her head, gardener Kinder, who had been trimming the trees, descended from the ladder and bowed.
Kinder was the oldest servant in this mansion.
With deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes that seem to tell the passage of time. Sparse, whitish hair.
A faint smile appeared on the lips of Lamein, who had been looking at him softly.
‘I suddenly miss my grandfather.’
The person who raised her, who was even abandoned by her parents.
His eyes, smiling happily as he fed her a spoonful of rice with his big hands, were full of wrinkles like Kinder’s.
As she remembered the face of the person she loved in her memory, she nodded lightly in response to the greeting.
Lamein, who had been quietly watching Kinder’s back as he started trimming the tree again after climbing back onto the ladder, widened her eyes.
‘…Eczema?’
Kinder’s hand, which held the garden shears, was discolored.
She lifted her gaze from the back of his hand.
The skin of his neck revealed by the sun and his arm under his rolledup shirt were also reddish.
In places, the skin was peeling off, and hardened pus was visible on the wounds.
‘Atopic dermatitis? Sun allergy? At that level, it’s pretty itchy or hot.’
When she raised her eyes, the strong sunlight pierced her eyes.
The summer of this world was less humid than where she used to live, but the temperature was much higher.
If she used a parasol like now or walked along the tree shade, it was refreshing, but if not, her skin felt as if it was melting.
She, who had briefly lifted her gaze to the sky, approached Kinder.
“Kinder.”
“Yes, Madam. Is there anything you need?”
Kinder quickly descended from the ladder.
She slowly dropped her eyes meeting his.
“Can I take a look at your hand for a moment?”
“…My hand?”
Kinder, who was momentarily hesitant at the unexpected request, stretched out his hand.
“No. Not your palm. Show me the back of your hand.”
“Yes.”
The moment Kinder showed her the back of his hand, Lamein’s eyes narrowed.
Seeing up close, his skin condition was serious.
“Doesn’t it hurt?”
“…Yes?”
“Does your hand hurt? Your arm as well.”
Lamein moved her gaze from the back of his hand to the wrist exposed to the sun.
Looking at Madame making a pained expression, Kinder was slightly flustered.
“I’ve gotten used to it now, so it’s okay.”
Under the swollen, red blisters, the skin was rough.
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.”
