Before the Wessex family became independent from the Harkinian Empire, about a decade ago, Emperor Frederick Louis Reines of Harkinian knew the value of the Wessex family and made great efforts to treat them with utmost respect.
Though the bestowment of a dukedom was already a significant honor from the empire, Frederick wanted to engage more actively with them. As part of this, Adrian occasionally received education alongside the eldest son of the Wessex family. Despite the inherent risks of sharing the empire’s highest education, designed for the apparent heir Adrian, with another, it was a testament to Frederick’s trust in both the Duke of Wessex and his son.
This trust was rooted in the belief that the Duke would not betray them and that his son would be the brightest of all.
Although the former trust was ultimately broken, that was the situation at the time.
Adrian and Laila first met on a day when Frederick invited the Wessex family for a banquet at the imperial palace.
“Ah, the entire family…?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Exhausted from his psychokinesis lessons, Adrian received the news from Meve.
Meve, the chamberlain of the late first Empress, virtually raised Adrian from a young age. She was almost like a nanny to him. After the death of Adrian’s mother, Meve remained in the Prince’s Palace, assisting him continuously.
The news Meve brought was that the entire Wessex Ducal family, who briefly visited the capital from their duchy, had been invited to the palace.
It was quite unexpected. Although the Wessex family had significant interactions with the empire, it was usually just the Duke, his heir, and occasionally a few sons who visited.
Considering the Duke had more children than could be counted on both hands, including infants, it was a lot. However, the youngest child they last saw had now grown to around five years old, making it feasible for the entire family to attend.
Thus, the banquet with the entire, considerably large Wessex family and the imperial household was arranged.
Adrian murmured with a hint of annoyance, “I wondered why it was so noisy coming in…”
“Please get ready, Your Highness. There, bring his new clothes.”
Meve forcibly lifted the reluctant Adrian from the sofa, called servants to change his clothes and tidy his hair, and even insisted on applying makeup.
Adrian grimaced at the sight of the powder, but Meve emphasized endurance since he would be appearing before many people.
“Among them might be your future fiancée.”
Adrian looked puzzled at Meve’s words.
“It would be the eldest daughter… What was her name, that one?”
“Miss Victoria, Your Highness.”
“Right, Victoria. If there’s going to be a fiancée, it’ll probably be her.”
Victoria Wessex was a young girl who occasionally followed her brother to the Prince’s Palace and pestered Adrian.
Adrian didn’t particularly like her. She often took accessories or decorations from his room, which he found quite impudent. The Duke and Duchess, if they were attentive and concerned, should have noticed and corrected their daughter’s behavior, but Victoria’s attitude hadn’t changed over the years.
As Adrian showed slight annoyance, Meve asked cautiously, “Do you not wish to go?”
Given Adrian’s exceptional intelligence, the fact that he couldn’t even remember the name suggested the question was somewhat moot.
“May I speak frankly?”
“Of course, you can with me.”
“If I have to marry her, I’d rather stay single.”
“That’s a serious statement.”
“But I’m not confident about loving someone in a marriage.”
That would just lead to mutual unhappiness, wouldn’t it?
Adrian was well aware that his marriage partner would likely be chosen based on political value rather than love. However, he did not wish for a marriage based solely on that. He wanted to marry someone with whom he could open his heart, someone he could come to love even after the marriage.
In this sense, Victoria Wessex was entirely out of the question.
Seeing Adrian’s true feelings, Meve looked quite troubled. Observing her reaction, Adrian vaguely thought that perhaps Victoria Wessex had already been decided as his match.
However, pretending to be unaware, he got up, using the excuse that he was ready.
“Should I go now?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Adrian walked out of the room, his expression stern. He began to harbor suspicions.
Could today’s banquet possibly be the announcement of his betrothal to Victoria?
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Inviting the entire Wessex Ducal family was unprecedented, and considering Meve’s insistence on make-up, it seemed likely that the current Empress and other royals would attend as well.
Adrian, accompanied by a few attendants, headed to the palace, muttering quietly.
“I really don’t want this…”
How could he refuse?
With these thoughts, Adrian arrived at the banquet hall in the palace.
Laila Wessex was wide-eyed at her first glimpse of the imperial palace.
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.”
