Count Diove looked at his daughter, blinking her green eyes coquettishly. Could she have forgotten all he did for her? She was always his obedient, good younger daughter.
“How’s the estate? And your sister?”
“Don’t get me started. Where does she wander off every night… I swear, if I catch her, I’ll break her legs.”
Count Diove grumbled, expressing his frustration. It’s said no finger hurts when bitten, but some hurt less. Unlike her successful younger sister, the elder one was a constant worry.
Now, he only had Selina to rely on. His eyes lingered around the room, filled with valuable antiques and art. Perhaps the Emperor had given her some jewels?
But Selina seemed to have no intention of handing anything over to him. He left with a lingering sense of longing.
‘But no matter. Bigger things are coming our way.’
Even now, people crowded around his mansion, each eager to meet Count Diove, bearing gifts. His steps quickened as he left the palace.
The festival was approaching.
The Astrid Empire’s Foundation Day was usually a grand 5-day event. However, this time, due to the war, it had been shortened to 3 days and scaled down.
This year’s Foundation Festival was akin to an event to boost the morale of soldiers soon to march into battle. The capital was lively with officers in uniform appearing everywhere, and the atmosphere was filled with light-heartedness.
Despite the overhanging rumors of war, festivals were always a source of joy.
The bustling laughter and chatter in the square spread even to the royal palace. Some of the attendants took their saved-up leaves to join in the festivities outside.
Rinette purposefully opened the windows of the office wide, hoping to bring in some of the cheerful atmosphere.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been to a festival,” Rinette mused, leaning against the window, watching groups of young attendants gathering. She seemed somewhat forlorn looking outside.
“I can have fun too…”
“Rinette. Did I just hear you talking to yourself?”
“Ventriloquism. Please ignore it.”
“You’re talented in interesting ways. Then a reward is due.”
Eliade finished signing the last document with a resounding tap of her pen. She had completed planning and signing off on the upcoming Queen’s coronation ceremony and subsequent events.
A reward? Rinette was visibly tense, but Eliade spoke in an upbeat tone.
“Let’s go.”
“Excuse me?”
“To the festival.”
Rinette couldn’t believe her ears. Was the workaholic Empress actually suggesting they go to the festival?
“Your Majesty… I never thought you’d suggest it first. You must be really tired…”
Typically, Eliade’s idea of rest was a brief nap or a stroll. What brought this change? Rinette covered her mouth, trying to contain her emotions.
“I just wanted to do it like old times. Remember when we sneaked out to watch the fireworks?”
“Don’t even mention it. I still get chills thinking about it.”
Before becoming the Crown Princess, back when the Melpiram family was still prominent, they shared these memories. Both were momentarily lost in nostalgia.
“Let’s sneak out like then, but make sure we come back early.”
Was it just her imagination, or did Eliade’s face carry a sense of solemnity, like a person on a mission that couldn’t afford to fail?
The sky over the square was a vibrant display of colorful flags and paper fireworks. People moved like waves, spreading out and then converging again.
Someone spontaneously played a tune, and festival-goers clapped, danced, and sang along, as if savoring the joy that might never return.
Vendors held balloons and fireworks, attracting people. Whistling straws were already in the mouths of roaming children.
A child ran into the crowded square holding a newly received balloon, heading towards someone who shouted about showing magical tricks learned from the Eastern Continent.
Rushing to secure a good spot, the child squeezed through the crowd of adults.
“Ah!”
The child’s grip loosened, and the red balloon slipped away, soaring upwards before it could be caught. The child’s face turned gloomy in an instant.
A man caught the balloon and pulled it down. His gestures were casual, but the way he handed the string to the child was gentle.
“Thank you!”
Though his face was hidden under a hood, the man was tall and imposing. The child looked up at him admiringly.
“Be careful.”
Adults here really lack consideration. The man muttered quietly, tying the string securely around the child’s wrist.
The child beamed a bright smile, bowed his head, and then disappeared into the crowd. The red balloon floating above the people signified the child’s safe passage.
“Commander Rebel.”
The man turned around. Compared to his last visit to the capital, the crowd had grown larger. Among them, a slightly older-looking man approached Rebel.
“The mission is all set and ready.”
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
