“Lise?”
I had to meet Roger.
It took at least an hour to get to Roskoff Village. In my haste, I rode in the carriage without any hesitation, and my mother and siblings followed behind me.
“Lise! Where are you going?”
Someone called me from behind, but I ignored it.
“Lise, calm down! Not just Roger, your affairs are important right now! If you don’t speak about that ridiculous will now, you will…!”
Rodney blocked my path. My other siblings stood next to him as if seizing the opportunity.
“Brother’s right, Lise! Roger will be fine! So don’t worry, you have to confront Father now!”
“The lawyer is definitely on Father’s side too. You’ll be at a disadvantage if this continues.”
“We agreed not to part ways, remember?”
“Lise.”
After Rodney, my siblings each said a word. I lowered my head, overwhelmed by emotion.
“…It’s enough.”
I decided to let go of my ambitions. I’m not suited for the Follong family.
“I want to go to Roger.”
The fact that I didn’t actively discourage my parents’ divorce, and pretended not to know about the plans to include my name in the Follong family, was all because I was an illegitimate child.
I wanted to follow my mother and siblings.
‘Can I really go?’
Leaving the hellish Marsen mansion, I felt less elated than I’d thought.
It was a relief not to see Father’s face, but that was all.
The mansion where my mother and siblings resided felt awkward and uncomfortable. I couldn’t be stubborn there, nor could I be disgusted.
‘…I often receive letters from the Follong family.’
Every morning I saw a young postman outside the window. The color of the letters he delivered to Betty was always the same. It was yellow, the representative color of the Follong family.
Felicia and Bernard’s school and twin tutors were already sorted out.
My mother and siblings could leave Hosha village and go to the Follong family right now.
But I knew the reason they didn’t go was that the Follong family didn’t recognize my illegitimate existence.
I pretended not to know. Perhaps I would have done the same had the Follong family been understanding a hundred times over.
“What does that mean, Lise?”
“I’m staying in the Marsen family.”
Upon hearing my words, the comforting gestures of my siblings froze.
“Lise?”
“Lise!”
Silke and Felicia bent their heads to look directly into my eyes.
From the beginning, my position as an illegitimate child was unfair, and I resented both my siblings and parents. I didn’t realize that maintaining this much closeness with my mother and siblings was a great fortune and happiness.
“I don’t want to go to the Follong family.”
I was the person who brought great unhappiness to my siblings and mother.
“I just want to stay in the Marsen family. I’m sure I’ll be miserable in the Follong family. I might be ostracized and humiliated. Even if not, I’ll always feel it. So, I’ll stay in the Marsen family.”
“What are you talking about? Who would reject you? Staying in the Marsen family, Father might harm you!”
“Swel’s right, Lise. There won’t be anyone humiliating you. If there is, your siblings will protect you this time.”
Swel and Bernard tried to snap me out of it with a stern tone.
“We’re not separating forever. We can occasionally visit the Follong family. We’ll bring our favorite toys and sweet treats. If things go bad with Father, you can pack your bags and stay at the Follong’s for a few days.”
“Does that make sense?”
Felicia choked up.
“I won’t just suffer at the hands of Father. I won’t leave the problems within the Marsen family unresolved either.”
“Lise!”
“Just come with us, okay?”
Despite my firm words, my siblings gripped my arms tighter.
“No, I want to stay in the Marsen family. I want to stay.”
“Hey, you stubborn mule!”
Felicia grabbed both of my cheeks. But my stance remained the same.
“…Is that my decision?”
“…”
“Are you confident you won’t regret it?”
Then my usually quiet mother spoke. I gave a small nod.
“I see.”
“…”
“We have nothing to force upon you. Do as you wish, Lise.”
“Mother!”
Rodney called out to Mother. Without sparing a glance at Rodney, Mother kept her eyes on me.
“Rodney. And you all, respect Lise’s wishes.”
“……”
“But Lise, let’s make one promise while we respect your wishes.”
She walked past my brothers and stood in front of me. Her cold hand caressed my cheek.
“Even if you stay with the Marsen family, never turn your back on us. I am your mother, and Rodney, Bacchus, Felicia, Swell, and Silke are your siblings. We’re family.”
“……”
Mother seemed to understand why I had made such a decision.
“And if you ever suffer injustice from the Earl, I’ll bring you back to Polong Manor. Even against your will.”
“……”
“Promise me you won’t resent my decision.”
I laid my hand over the back of Mother’s hand on my cheek and smiled faintly. Seeing my smile, my brothers who had been stubbornly resisting finally relaxed their shoulders.
“What is this……”
They still hadn’t accepted that I would remain with the Marsen family.
“Yes, I promise.”
“Now let’s go. Roger must be waiting.”
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.”
