It’s been so long since we met, and only now I’m introducing myself.
‘It’s been a long time. I almost forgot my own name.’
No one called me by my name, Marian, so it’s natural that I started to forget it. I was contemplating my name, which felt like mine but also not quite mine, when Hadel asked me something.
“……Not Kyu Kyu?”
“That was just a name you gave me!”
“Ah, right.”
Hadel nodded as if he just realized it. I couldn’t nod back.
‘A little more time and I would have started believing my name was Kyu Kyu.’
Self-awareness is a relative concept. There’s a saying that the opposite of ‘me’ is ‘you.’ My self-perception is reflected in how others see me, and ultimately, the name others call me becomes my name.
Wondering what he was thinking, Hadel tilted his head, then frowned and asked:
“Why could you only say ‘kyu kyu’ if you were a person? If you had spoken, I would have realized your existence sooner.”
Look at him. If I could have spoken differently, I would have. I was the one who was most frustrated with just saying ‘kyu kyu.’
But I could only make ‘kyu kyu’ sounds because I was a ferret.
“A ferret.”
Hadel’s forehead creased even more at my answer.
“A ferret and not a person? So, are you a monster?”
A ferret capable of transforming into a human would be closer to a monster than an animal. Wary of being misunderstood, I quickly waved my hands.
“No. I was originally a human. For some reason, I became a ferret… Well, I can only become human when I absorb mana, so I guess it’s more accurate to say I’m originally a ferret.”
My explanation even sounded strange to my ears. Hadel didn’t respond at all. I smiled awkwardly and added:
“In my past life, I had the same flame attribute as Hadel. So, it seems I turn into a human when I absorb Hadel’s mana.”
“I’ve never heard of such a case.”
“Me neither.”
I looked down, feeling awkward even talking about my own story.
“……I think I died from mana overproduction in my past life. That’s all I can explain about this phenomenon. I don’t know everything since it’s all new to me.”
“That so.”
Hadel cut short my lengthy explanation with a brief response.
‘Does he believe me?’
I sneakily glanced at Hadel.
‘You’d be gullible to believe such a far-fetched story, Hadel. But please believe me. It’s true.’
My thoughts were a mix of contradictions. If Hadel believed too easily, it would make me worry about his and the northern region’s future under his care. But being constantly doubted and questioned would be tiresome.
‘And I suspect he pretended to be unwell and collapse just now.’
Was I caught in some sort of trap?
I frowned, feeling perplexed. Hadel, as if to distract me, asked something completely different.
“So, how long can you stay human?”
“Until the mana runs out? I’ll probably turn back into a ferret soon.”
“So you can stay human only as long as the mana you absorbed from me lasts.”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t accurately confirm the duration as I hadn’t experimented with it.
Hadel’s eyes narrowed as he heard my response. He asked in a slightly complaining tone:
“But why did you keep stealing my lips? Is the housekeeper right about you being in heat?”
At that, I felt like I’d been hit by a hammer. I stared blankly for a moment, then blushed furiously and shouted:
“What are you talking about!”
In heat, indeed. As if I’m trying to court Hadel!
Definitely not!
It’s not like that!
“I kissed you because that’s how I could absorb a lot of mana! It wasn’t some kind of courtship! I wouldn’t have thought of absorbing mana if you weren’t suffering.”
“Was there no other way than kissing?”
“I don’t know. As far as I can tell, no.”
I didn’t even want to think about other methods. That would mean having to try all sorts of things…
‘I can’t do that.’
Hadel seemed a bit dazed at my firm answer, blinking for a moment before tilting his head slightly and asking me:
“What about holding hands?”
“Then I would have transformed into a human every time you carried me.”
“That would be problematic.”
“Right?”
If mere touching could turn me human, I would have been declared a monster long ago.
‘Maybe Hadel would have been accused of harboring a monster too. Since mana only transfers when I touch Hadel.’
I nodded as if I knew this would be the answer, and Hadel pointed at me with a look of mild exasperation.
“It’s you, not me. Kyu Kyu.”
“It’s Marian!”
Call me by my name once you know it! Stop using that ridiculous name, Kyu Kyu.
Hadel gazed at me intently. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were warm, so I wasn’t really scared. He sighed in relief and added softly:
“It’s a relief you don’t transform just anytime.”
He must have been really worried about me. I frowned. While I appreciated him listening to me calmly, the whole situation was still bizarre.
“……Why aren’t you shocked? I thought you’d immediately accuse me of being a monster and lash out.”
“Well.”
Well? What’s the reason for so easily accepting this absurd truth?
As I focused on Hadel’s voice:
“Huh?”
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.”
