The news of Canaria’s pregnancy had struck the archipelago.
It had captured everyone’s attention, as it was a prince born to the Emperor who had been without an heir for so long.
Even those who had cursed Lexus as a madman were interested in him now.
It was the same with those gathered in the square.
“A prince for the Emperor. Does that mean the child will become the next Emperor?”
“It will happen unless something goes wrong.”
“But the identity of the Empress……. tsk.”
“A maidservantturned Empress. I do wonder how well she’ll raise the child. Wouldn’t it be better to bring in a welleducated noble lady as the Empress and have her raise the child?”
“That is true. It would be nice if Empress Lenisha were here at a time like this.”
“Ah. There was such talk, too. That Lenisha was driven away because she couldn’t bear a child.”
“Ha! As if that could be the case. Bearing a child isn’t the most important duty for an Empress! The Empress discusses politics with the Emperor and governs the country! Surely the Emperor can’t be so thoughtless.”
But the gazes at Lexus and Canaria were cold.
The Emperor’s pregnancy was a cause for celebration, but the aftermath was the problem.
Duke Denvers, mingled among the merchants, chuckled to himself.
Lenisha’s calculations always add up.
She had asserted that Canaria would never be welcomed, even if she became the Empress.
That once Lenisha, who had been the center of the mad Emperor, was gone, the people would wander, searching for someone to rely on.
But what would happen when they found out that there was no longer anyone in the palace they could depend on?
That would be the departed Empress.
The voices calling for a wet nurse for Canaria’s child were growing louder.
It was time for Duke Denvers to make his move.
(This is a time divider.)
Duke Denvers, along with the nobles who held power, stormed into the palace.
Both the Emperor’s supporters and the opposing noble faction had gathered together.
The palace servants were startled at the sight.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. It looks like real chaos.”
The people stepped back to clear the way.
The newly hired chief servant hurriedly opened the door to the office.
Lexus stopped what he was doing and gazed at the assembled nobles with a calm face.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you all together like this. Is it to celebrate the birth of a prince? We’ll have a banquet soon, so it wouldn’t be too late to talk then.”
“Your Majesty, we have something to say, so we have come like this.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“A prince has been born, so it is natural to hold a banquet in celebration. However, the empty seat next to you is a problem.”
“The envoys from other countries will surely make it an issue.”
Lexus scanned the faces of those gathered.
They were all important figures who were said to carry some weight in the empire.
Even if Lexus was considered mad, cutting off their heads in this place would be too much.
It would shake the empire.
An Emperor must have a country to rule, after all.
Lexus covered his face with one hand and sighed.
They had come with their minds made up. Prepared to achieve what they intended.
“Speak what you want to say.”
Lexus commanded coldly.
“We believe it would be appropriate to raise Canaria to the position of Empress.”
“Yes, raise Canaria to Empress. It will be a problem if the Emperor’s seat is vacant. Will the foreign envoys take it lightly? And are you intending to make the child, who will inherit the empire, a bastard? That is not right. It’s the one to inherit the empire.”
The nobles poured out the same words like a carousel.
A successor had been born to Lexus, who had no heir.
It meant that even if they made their daughter or niece the Empress, the next opportunity might never come.
Especially considering Lexus had been without an heir for so long.
Then, the decision to push Canaria, a puppetlike figure, into the Empress’ seat was deemed beneficial to all.
Duke Denvers successfully united them with his smooth tongue.
The nobles were insisting that Canary should be made the empress.
Lexius’s expression broke.
“Canary as the empress?”
Lexius let out a hollow laugh.
“What will happen to Lenisha then?”
The nobles looked puzzled at Lexius mentioning the empress he had expelled.
Lenisha had already left and become another man’s wife.
“Madam Lenisha is now Lady Rotera.”
“Is that correct? Wasn’t that marriage directly commanded by Your Majesty?”
“Why are you suddenly mentioning her…….”
While everyone was confused, only Denvers was smiling.
Lexius had gone mad.
He was so mad that he couldn’t even read my emotions correctly.
It was too late to fix it, and where his confusion had started was unknown.
After all, Lenisha had drawn a sword at Lexius.
“She will not return, Your Majesty.”
If Lexius is having a pipe dream, shouldn’t someone wake him up?
“Madam Lenisha will soon be going to Hiloshain. She will be going far away from the territory.”
Lexius leaned on the armrest with his hand.
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.”
