Leaving his training clothes in my hand, Ronan simply left the training ground. I stared blankly at the clothes in my hand and sighed.
“……Ha.”
Why is it so hard to read the memories of Northerners?
“Such an embarrassment. Disappointed in the North, are you?”
The light smile vanished, and Laches’s face was filled with concern.
The expression of the woman he had seen earlier lingered in his mind.
“She seemed quite shocked.”
That horrified face when she saw the bare-chested knights.
A noble lady, used to a gentle life, wouldn’t understand men suddenly undressing in a crowded place.
Her trembling, rabbit-like body seemed on the verge of collapsing, stirring pity in him.
“If I knew it would bother me this much, maybe I should have tried to kill her myself.”
I let her do as she pleased, curious to see what she would do, but she ended up occupying more of my thoughts than expected.
“Why is she working so hard? Did she really come here because she wanted to experience real work?”
Her pitiful, trembling form made me want to protect her, yet ironically, it also stirred a desire to tease her more.
A noble lady, who probably never had to lift a finger in her life, collecting laundry?
“She must certainly think of the North as barbaric.”
I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
I was aware of the rumors about the North circulating in high society, but I never bothered to correct them.
Now, she might actually believe those rumors to be true.
“I haven’t even decided whether to kill her or let her live… yet she’s already causing me such concern.”
This new variable was both troublesome and intriguing, something completely unprecedented in the North.
It’s like late snow that has fallen on the North, out of season. It’s either melting the remaining snow of winter or an untimely spring snowfall.
Knock, knock.
“Lord.”
As I was wrestling with my complicated thoughts, the butler entered.
“As you instructed, we’ve started the construction work on the maids’ quarters. The servants’ rooms will be properly arranged.”
“Good. The people working in the mansion need to rest well for the place to stay clean. You’ve done well.”
“You’ve never paid attention to this before…”
“Don’t drag the construction out too long. She came suddenly and might leave just as suddenly.”
“It’s the first time I see you caring for someone else.”
“If she catches a cold and dies, I’d have to attend another funeral.”
“What?”
“And I’ve been contemplating whether to kill her, so I can’t help but be concerned. It’s a bit hard for me too.”
I tossed the sweaty training clothes to a corner, changing the topic.
“Did you prepare everything I asked for?”
“Yes. Everything is ready for the guests. But do you really think Count Deverty and Lady Palo will pass through here in a week?”
“What? Don’t you trust me?”
“No, it’s not that. But we haven’t received any messages about their visit, and we didn’t send any invitations. Should I send them an invitation now if you plan to enjoy a reunion of the Guardian family?”
“No need.”
Despite the butler’s advice, I was certain.
I stood up and opened the window.
The cold wind hit my bare skin as I had thrown off my training clothes.
“Count Deverty and Lady Palo will definitely be held up here as they pass by. Don’t worry.”
“What?”
I stood firm, as if I had experienced this situation several times before.
“It’s the first time the four of us will meet here.”
I wondered what would change this time.
A sharp light flickered in my eyes.
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.”
