A brief silence fell between Yurik and me.
‘Ah, did I give it to him too suddenly?’
My outstretched hand felt awkward, and I tried to pull it back. At that moment, Yurik took my gift. His lips were slightly parted as if he hadn’t expected the present, looking still stunned.
But he seemed happy. There was a great deal of anticipation in his eyes as he gazed at the gift box. His expression looked just like a child who had received a gift from Santa.
“……Can I open it?”
“Huh? Of course.”
Yurik began to unwrap the paper.
‘Why am I trembling?’
I hid my shaking hand behind me, feeling worried about the object inside the box despite knowing what it was. What if there was a scratch, or a gem had fallen off?
“…….”
The wrapping was completely torn off, and a small box appeared. As Yurik opened the box hesitantly, a sparkling rabbitdecorated ring revealed itself.
Contrary to my worries, the decorative ring was even more dazzling and glamorous than when I saw it in the jewelry shop. The rabbitdecorated ring, without a single scratch, gleamed more than when I first saw it, perhaps because of the twilight.
Among them, the innocent expression of the rabbit caught my eye. I had chosen it, but I thought I had done well in buying it.
The problem was Yurik Penton. Would he really like it?
“……There was only one left. It’s for children, but……we are still young.”
I stumbled over my words, observing his expression. Yurik, after examining the ring in a daze, finally took it out of the box.
A faint smile gradually spread across his face, as he looked at the object in his palm several times. It was a faint smile.
Yes!
“Is it okay? Do you like it?”
Seeing his smile, I asked confidently.
“……How did you buy it?”
“What do you mean how did I buy it? I went into the store and picked it out.”
“No, it looks like an expensive item.”
Yurik looked inside the box, discovering the logo belatedly with a start.
It was a “Mermaid’s Tear” logo.
Then he put the ring back in the box and handed it to me, all traces of his smile gone.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t accept this.”
“What? You don’t like it?”
“It’s a ‘Mermaid’s Tear’ product. How can I accept it?”
Price was the issue. As Yurik had said, for a tenyearold child to give a gift, “Mermaid’s Tear” was indeed a highend product. It was naturally burdensome.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t buy it. I picked it out, but.”
“What do you mean?”
“I happened to meet Mrs. Penton in the jewelry shop. She asked me to give it to you. You’d only get unwanted gifts because of your grandfather staying at the mansion.”
“……Mother?”
He looked at the box again. At the words that it was a gift from his mother, he retracted his outstretched hand.
Yurik’s wavering attitude about whether to accept it or not irritated me. His behavior was a little frustrating.
“But I’ve already received a gift from Mother……. ”
“What?”
“I already received a book set.”
“But that’s not what you wanted, is it?”
“…….”
“Sigh. Give it to me!”
Watching Yurik, lost in thought with the gift in front of him, I snatched the box.
“Do you have anything?”
“Anything?”
“Anything! Hurry!”
As I hurried him, he fumbled in his pocket and pulled out an item. It was a bunch of keys.
Finding the right item, I attached the rabbitdecorated ring to the key bundle and showed it to Yurik. As the keys moved, the jeweled rabbit gleamed. Perhaps it was the light, but the rabbit’s expression seemed almost alive.
“How about that?”
“……It’s cute.”
“Use it like this. You can hang it on your key bundle as it is now, or on something precious to you. You understand, right?”
He looked up at the key bundle he had received from me.
“It’s really beautiful.”
A bright smile was drawn on Yurik’s lips. Seeing his truly cherished appearance, I was as joyful as if I had received a gift and laughed along with him.
“Really? Is it really beautiful?”
“Cute. Did you really choose this?”
Yurik was slightly excited. To his question, I nodded several times.
“I thought of you as soon as I saw it. I thought you would like it.”
“What?”
“You like it, don’t you? This kind of character shape. Actually, me too.”
Yurik’s cheeks were slightly flushed. He was embarrassed.
“Thank you so much.”
I shyly thanked Yurik. Feeling his sincerity, I wanted to give him a gift several times.
“But once again, I didn’t buy it, so thank the lady.”
“Still, thank you. I was rude to you…”
He was still holding on to what had happened in the park.
“I usually forget about such things quickly.”
“When is your birthday?”
Yurik suddenly asked.
“Me? Birthday?”
“Yeah.”
“……”
I closed my mouth.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s far away. It’s in September.”
“Really?”
Yurik looked disappointed.
“But I’ll definitely remember.”
“Hmm.”
“Really.”
“Alright, I believe you.”
I laughed, and Yurik also followed with a smile.
‘A birthday.’
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.”
