“It was a horrible place. Always frustrated they couldn’t devour me. Even after I’d won them over, the mistrust in their eyes never waned. It felt like their glares were strangling me. The citizens of Dongryeong were the same. They all must be so suspicious since they have such a ruler. Every day felt like living in hell.”
Disgust always filled Rachel’s face as she spoke of her life in Dongryeong.
Since she had been indoctrinated from a young age, she seemed to still misunderstand Dongryeong, even now that she had returned.
She had always thought that Dongryeong was a place where everyone looked at each other with suspicion, guarded against one another, oppressed travelers, and greedily sought opportunities to steal from others.
She had expected it to be difficult just to enter the city gates, but the soldiers guarding the gates not only let her in easily but also spoke kindly.
“Are you running an errand? Isn’t it hot in this weather?”
Ariana had her hood pulled low due to her noticeable hair color. She shook her head as she quickly passed through the city gate, clutching her cloak.
From behind, the sound of the soldiers conversing reached her ears.
“You know how kids their age hate being told what to do. I don’t know how much trouble our older sister has because her child won’t listen.”
“True. My kid has been getting more stubborn lately. He made a fuss about wanting to swim in the lake last winter, of all times.”
Being seen as a disobedient child wasn’t too bad. It was better than being regarded as a suspicious girl who had come from Seoryeong.
Elleus City, the capital of Dongryeong, had well-paved roads. The clean, wide roads could accommodate two carriages side by side.
The buildings lining the roads were taller than those in Seoryeong, and most were a light gray, giving off a bright feeling.
As Ariana moved farther from the gate, there were more buildings and people. There were many who tried to attract the attention of travelers, but none approached Ariana, seemingly considering her a child running an errand.
Various goods were displayed on tables in front of shops, and many people stopped to look. However, Ariana paid no attention and kept walking.
Ariana, her hood pulled low and walking briskly, noticed a kind-looking old man and walked toward him. The old man seemed to be an herbalist, arranging herbs on his table.
“Excuse me, sir.”
“Hm? Are you running an errand?”
“Yes. Is there a Braden Bank around here?”
“Braden Bank? Ah, for that you’ll have to go straight down that road and turn left at the intersection. Be careful; there are a lot of pickpockets near the bank.”
“Thank you.”
Ariana nodded and headed in the direction the old man indicated.
The Braden Bank, like the other buildings, was light gray and had a large sign that read [Braden Bank]. As she entered, a neatly dressed person approached her.
“What brings you here?”
“I want to check my account and withdraw some money.”
“Please, follow me.”
The bank employee was polite even to Ariana. She handed over her account certificate and spoke the password. After checking some documents, the employee spoke.
“You have a total of 35 gold.”
“What? How much?”
“35 gold.”
35 gold.
The amount Ariana had deposited was 22 gold. It was impossible for such interest to have accumulated in just one month.
‘Could it be Louis…?’
When Louis spent time in Rozalin, he always gave her trinkets as payment for running errands. If all of those were converted into money and deposited into Ariana’s account, this would be the amount.
To withdraw money, you needed both an account certificate and a password, but to deposit, only the account number was necessary.
‘Darn it. My debt has increased again.’
Feeling as though she’d received too much from Louis, Ariana now felt a sense of guilt.
The bank teller, seeing Ariana’s silence, asked with concern.
“Is there an issue with the deposit amount?”
“No, I’ll just withdraw 5 gold.”
“Alright, one moment.”
Ariana carefully pocketed the five gold coins and left the bank.
Recalling the herbalist’s warning about pickpockets, she hurriedly moved away from the bank’s vicinity. Thankfully, it seemed no one was following her.
Ariana paused for a moment to gaze at Chase Castle in the distance.
‘Now.’
Towers built of white bricks with green roofs came into view. Even from a distance, its majesty was palpable.
‘That way…’
Just as Ariana was about to move, someone brushed past her, grazing her cloak.
Feeling a slight unease, Ariana turned her head and caught a glimpse of a man in a hunting cap hurriedly moving away. She instinctively reached into her pocket to find the gold coins gone. Ariana hastily followed the man.
Noticing Ariana on his tail, the man picked up his pace. Weaving through the crowd, the man ran, but Ariana skillfully followed him.
Her breath became short, and her legs heavy. The man began to pull away.
‘5 gold…’
She considered giving up, but she couldn’t just let that amount of money go in uncertain times. She gathered her resolve and made a final sprint.
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.”
