Dinner time arrived. The Crown Prince, having rested in his room during the afternoon, appeared in the hall majestically, dressed as flamboyantly as a peacock. Amy, along with the butler and chef, brought out the meticulously prepared dishes one by one to the main table.
Contrary to expectations of him being petulant, the Crown Prince quietly ate and drank. As Martin had suggested, he seemed too weary from the journey to pick faults. However, the relief was short-lived. Having eaten his fill, he eventually found fault.
“Why does the Northern wine taste so poor?”
The Crown Prince slammed his goblet down, causing Amy to soothe him with a smile.
“The wine here is less sweet due to the climate. Please understand…”
Instead of calming down, he seized the opportunity to scold her more loudly.
“I am pointing out the host’s attitude in welcoming guests. At least you should have known my preference. Is this how a Duke welcomes guests? Will you make the same excuses at the upcoming Grand Duke’s coronation feast?”
He continued without giving Amy a chance to intervene.
“How can you manage a country if you don’t know these things? Bring me the wine from the Cammoa region tonight. I insist on having it.”
Amy clenched her teeth, her jaw bulging. With eyes ablaze, she restrained Noah from stepping forward. She had no intention of letting her lord bow down to the Crown Prince.
Taking a deep breath, she smiled again. The Crown Prince looked slightly taken aback.
“We will prepare it right away, Your Highness.”
“Very well.”
The Crown Prince responded grudgingly. Having vented, he seemed to come to his senses upon seeing Amy. His eyes flitted nervously towards her. However, Amy turned and strode out of the hall.
‘I’ve never seen him drink Cammoa wine at the Crown Prince’s palace.’
It was an excuse made up to trouble Noah. Grinding her teeth, Amy whispered swiftly to the following Melvin.
“Call Sir Bradley from the guardhouse.”
Suddenly, someone emerged from behind a pillar near the door, blocking their path. It was Sally, a red-haired woman with freckles across her nose, one of the Crown Prince’s attendants, whose presence had surprised them upon her arrival at the castle.
“Sally?”
Surprised by her sudden appearance, Amy checked for onlookers before dragging Sally to a secluded corner.
“What are you doing here?”
As Amy pressed, Sally giggled nervously.
“Er, Amy. Have you been well…”
“Now’s not the time for that. Why are you here?”
“I… I missed you…”
Sally’s demeanor changed as she realized Amy’s softened tone, quickly looking up to chatter.
“I saw it, but then my father gambled…”
“Oh…”
Sally had been a maid at the Crown Prince’s palace around the same time as Amy. While Amy was meticulous and strived for perfection, Sally had a knack for messing things up.
Whenever Sally made a mistake, Amy would clean it up, to the point where it was expected. Despite this, they maintained a surprisingly good relationship.
‘Her good-for-nothing father has ensnared her again.’
Amy looked at Sally with sympathy. Both had commonalities of growing up in loveless homes and being exploited by their parents.
After Amy’s return, before going to the Second Prince’s palace, she left a bit of money and a letter for Sally. The letter advised Sally to quit her job as a maid and return to her hometown.
‘I have to leave before the effects of the rebellion in the capital catch up.’
Unaware of Amy’s complex feelings, Sally blithely continued.
“You saw, didn’t you? The Crown Prince still waits for you, Amy. If you go back now…”
Sally, despite her hardships, longed for a fairytale-like love and happy ending. She hoped Amy and the Crown Prince would end up together.
“Nonsense,” Amy retorted sharply. Despite repeatedly saying such a thing would never happen, her naively optimistic friend remained unchanged. Glancing at Melvin waiting behind her, Amy added, “I don’t have time for this right now. We’ll talk later.”
“Wait a moment!” Sally caught Amy’s arm as she was leaving.
“It’s, uh, about Cammoa?”
“Cammoa.”
“About that wine…”
Sally stammered out a story. They heard on their journey to the North about the high alcohol content of Cammoa’s wine, and that the Crown Prince wanted to try it.
‘Just as I thought…’
Amy’s eyes flashed coldly. Sally, sensing her intent, hurriedly continued.
“So, uh… you can bring any wine and say it’s from Cammoa. He won’t know.”
Amy thought it was a decent idea. Even if the Crown Prince later drank the genuine article and realized he’d been fooled, there would be nothing he could do by then.
‘But he’s petty enough to seek revenge.’
Amy began to formulate a rough plan in her head. She would send a message to the nearby Earl Coleman to bring some wine, then intercept it midway. Thankfully, the critically ill Earl was a wine enthusiast…
“I’ll handle it, so don’t worry.”
“But still…”
Amy gently shook off Sally’s clinging hand and joined Melvin. Sally looked at her empty hand, then clenched her fist.
Just as Amy was about to explain her plan to Melvin, someone else suddenly appeared.
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.”
