As Hershis approached, she slowly unbuttoned her jacket one by one. Her rough gestures and the quickly narrowing distance were quite threatening. Liz thought this man would knock her uncle to the ground.
In the moment of hesitation, contemplating whether to stop or let it be, he quietly draped his jacket over Liz’s shoulders.
“…….,”
His large and delicate hands gently removed the jacket from Liz’s shoulders, handing it to the following commander of the Imperial Guard.
While Hershis dressed Liz in her clothes, the commander, wearing a sorry expression, handed the jacket to the Grand Duke.
With an amused smile, Grand Duke Montaner accepted the jacket, “I seem to have inconvenienced you. I mentioned it because I thought it wouldn’t be a good idea to be unaware… I apologize, Your Imperial Majesty, and Your Imperial Highness.”
There was a subtle disdain in his courteous words.
Liz wanted to wrap up the situation with words of assurance, but Hershis did not give her the opportunity.
“I know my uncle’s sincerity, and so does the Empress-to-be.”
“…….,”
“But people may think differently. It’s worrisome if your uncle, who willingly conceded the throne to his nephew, is perceived as a petty person. Right, Your Majesty?”
Hershis spoke in a warm and gentle voice.
“Please refrain from excessive interest in the person who will be your future consort and her family. Uncle.”
Liz curiously raised her head. Then, Grand Duke Montaner appeared in her line of sight.
His expression was as gentle as Hershis’s calm voice, but Liz noticed a subtle closeness in his calm gaze.
“Did I misinterpret?”
“Is it a request? In such cases, you simply give orders, Your Majesty, when they don’t understand the language.”
“Orders are given when there’s a lack of understanding. With a wise and discerning uncle like you, there’s no need for that, right?”
Laughter was evident in her voice. After finishing her words, Hershis lightly bowed.
“We’ll take our leave now. Please take care, Uncle.”
Liz couldn’t breathe properly until he removed his arm from her shoulders and turned her around.
She felt like she would suffocate in the tense atmosphere.
She recalled that she didn’t even greet the Duke. However, she didn’t dare to look back.
She was afraid to meet the eyes of the Grand Duke, whose completely crimson eyes had become a deep scarlet.
“Wasn’t that too much?”
Liz, whose heart was caught in the gaze of the Grand Duke, asked.
“I regret being too lenient.”
“…….,”
Hershis, who supported her head with her hand behind her neck, closed her eyes tightly. In contrast to Liz, who couldn’t stop fidgeting, Hershis seemed like someone who had come to a resort.
In contrast to Liz’s restless state, Hershis’ utterly calm attitude made Liz tilt her head.
She got up from her seat and approached the window.
Outside the window, the scene of turning heads happened once again. Twenty pitiful Imperial Guards were lying on the garden floor, their heads thrust.
“Please just let them go. How can a mere Imperial Guard like Montaner Grand Duke be stopped? Until just a season ago, he was the lord they defended…”
“So, I let it slide.”
Hershis spoke gently, like the calm surface of a lake on a clear day.
“If it weren’t for that, I would have killed them.”
Looking at Hershis with the shadow of long eyelashes beneath his closed eyes, Liz thought.
‘Kane wasn’t this ruthless. Kane was much…’
At that moment, Hershis opened his eyes. Staring into Liz’s eyes with golden pupils that seemed to pierce through the abyss, Liz involuntarily twitched her shoulders.
“Come over here and sit.”
Hershis said.
Feeling sorry for comparing him to Cain, Liz obediently followed his words.
“Yes……”
“I won’t let the same thing happen again, so rest assured.”
Firmness permeated Hershis’s kind words.
“It’s okay. I wasn’t very surprised.”
Liz wanted to conclude this matter as it reminded her of more important tasks.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty.”
“…….”
“Why didn’t you talk about it? It’s about Lillia.”
“What difference does it make?”
Laughter faded from Hershis’s face.
“It’s our family matter.”
“Your in-laws now refer to you as Marquis Morsen.”
“But as long as I follow Verium Castle, my origin doesn’t change.”
“Then maybe we should just detach Verium Castle.”
“…….”
“Speak up. What castle do you want? I’ll attach the one you like. No, it might be better to hurry with marriage.”
“Your Majesty.”
In response to Liz’s sigh-mingled call, the glint that briefly appeared in Hershis’s eyes turned cold again.
“Leave the future of the Verium family to me. Don’t worry about it.”
“No.”
This time, Liz couldn’t step back.
“Please leave it to me.”
A shadow of stiffness crossed Hershis’s brow.
“Why? The Liz I knew wanted to escape from the family, not someone who embraces it. Why did suddenly develop affection?”
“Affection isn’t for the family, it’s for Your Majesty!”
“…….”
It was a thoughtless remark slipped out unintentionally. Liz was startled after saying it.
‘Why did I say such a thing?’
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.”
