“I’ve come to kill you.”
The voice proclaiming death was gentle. However, it was nothing more than a voice delicately crafted to sound gentle, lacking sincerity or emotion.
Feeling her chest tighten at the pure threat, Ibi, without revealing her distress, stared at the snake.
In response, Ente also willingly met eyes with Ibi, then grinned playfully. It was an obedient smile, just like when pretending to be a maid.
“Me? Why?”
So, Ibi intentionally retorted boldly, similar to when she wore a wig.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Well, a lying imposter trying to become a saint?”
Ente replied with a playful tone. Other than the dripping blood, he seemed quite pleasant.
With the nonchalant attitude, Ibi questioned more intensely.
“But you want to kill me? Don’t you know what happens if I’m gone?”
Ente burst into laughter at Ibi’s not-so-threatening threat. Then, he approached Ibi, who was trapped in his arms.
Ente’s fair face, seemingly about to touch Ibi’s cheek, brought a stronger scent of blood. Ibi unconsciously took a step back, but her back was already against the wall.
As Ibi tried to escape, Ente, biting his lip, whispered affectionately into Ibi’s ear.
“I know. Very well. Probably better than anyone in the world.”
“…Knowing that, why would you want to kill me?”
“Because God wishes it.”
God? It was the most absurd and annoying answer.
With dry lips, Ibi contemplated Ente’s words.
That white hair. But he revealed his face.
Objective. Not just hindering me but killing me.
Why? No need to use me?
Who benefits from killing me?
God? The true God who created the world? Unlikely. Otherwise, maybe…
…some capricious savior who saved you.
Ibi recalled what Ente, as a maid this morning, had left her with.
“To you, even if it’s capricious, it’s salvation.”
With that statement, Ibi’s mind became tangled. Countless speculations spread in seconds and soon converged on one hypothesis.
“…Then your faith is pathetic.”
So, Ibi forced a smile.
“Why not kill me right away? Why play games? Saying it’s what God wants.”
In case, Ibi provocatively challenged Ente and waited for a reaction.
However, just like before, Ente simply laughed happily.
“In the meantime, do you have the luxury to discuss such things?”
“Not that I have the luxury, it’s just to bide time.”
Ibi replied irritably to Ente’s question. Despite his genuine complaint, Ente only grinned, but it was already too late.
From somewhere, an arrow flew, piercing his shoulder and pushing him away.
The impact of the arrow caused Ente’s body to tilt sideways, and in the meantime, Ibi quickly ducked. Several arrows flew over her head.
The sound of arrows hitting continued. Therefore, Ibi, without daring to look back, continued to run.
“Hey! Is it you?”
Someone shouted from the other end of the corridor.
The mercenaries that Ibi had earlier encountered were the ones manipulated by Geumhwa. Just in case, she had them on standby, and they arrived just in time upon hearing the sound of the door breaking.
However, rather than feeling relieved at their appearance, Ibi, rushing forward, warned them.
“Run, it’s the Night Clan!”
After shouting to the mercenaries, Ibi crossed the corridor in a frantic manner. Despite having her mask taken away, she had no way to hide her face.
‘I have to go to Viscount Montra.’
Surviving against that snake takes precedence now. To achieve that, she had no choice but to reveal her identity to Cassel, seek protection, and use all available forces to capture the snake.
It was when Ibi endured her breath, rushing forward.
The moment she entered the passage connecting the outer and inner areas, Ibi collided with a man and fell.
Without any sign, the man who appeared caused Ibi, who had fallen back, to reflexively raise her head. She then stiffened upon seeing the man in front of her.
He was one of the mercenaries who had shot arrows at Ente earlier.
Why is the person who was behind me here?
Before Ibi could fully understand the situation, the mercenary spoke.
“Using me as bait, I can’t forgive you.”
Ibi felt a chill down her spine.
Blocking Ibi’s way was Geom’s mercenary, but behind him, a faint voice could be heard.
Then the voice, laughing, added, “But it’s okay, revenge is impossible when you’re already dead.”
At the same time, the mercenary’s body crumpled like a wet blanket, collapsing.
Afterward, a young man wearing a black cloak appeared. It was Ente. Despite having been hit by several arrows just moments ago, he was dreadfully grinning.
As Ibi breathed while scanning Ente’s body, he willingly spread his cloak. The cloak was riddled with arrow holes.
“It hurt quite a bit. I got hit properly.”
It can’t be…
Even if torn apart, Ente’s appearance continued like a nightmare. Without knowing it, Ibi sighed.
Her heart started pounding. As fear poured into the already busy heart due to the rapid footsteps, her whole body pulsated as if it might burst.
As Ibi turned pale, Ente slowly reached out his hand.
“You’ve suffered from running away.”
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.”
