Of all times, it had to rain now?
Worried, I glanced sideways at Noxia Brellof—sure enough, rainwater was seeping into her wound, making her wince in pain.
Though emergency treatment was urgently needed, I feared that if I left her there, she might remain soaked in the rain and suffer until I returned.
So first, I quickly grabbed Noxia’s uninjured hand and moved us beneath a pillar where we could at least temporarily escape the rain.
Noxia’s eyes widened in surprise at my sudden action, but she obediently followed me without resistance.
“Are you okay?”
To my question, Noxia forced a smile and nodded.
“Yeah, it’s bearable.”
“Can’t you use your ability to block the rain?”
“I can’t stop the rain entirely, but I could create something like an umbrella to shield just you and me from getting wet. Right now, though, I’m too exhausted. Don’t worry about the wound.”
Though Noxia told me not to worry, seeing rainwater mixing with blood as it trickled from her injury made it clear she was in terrible pain.
Helpless, I tore off the hem of my dress. Noxia’s eyes widened in shock at my unexpected action.
“Uh… Sister?”
“For now, use this to cover your wound so no more rain gets in. I’ll go quickly and bring people back.”
Flustered, Noxia could only gape silently, staring at me with wide, startled eyes.
Leaving her behind, I dashed alone into the rain. Right now, every second counted—I had to get her wound treated as soon as possible.
Strangely, the mansion seemed unusually empty today. I ran for quite a while before finally encountering some maids.
I hurriedly summoned a physician, and only after watching Noxia receive emergency care in a warm room did I finally feel relieved.
‘What if I hadn’t passed by that spot?’
Though her injuries weren’t life-threatening, imagining Noxia suffering alone made me feel fortunate that I’d found her.
Once things settled down, I noticed the blood smeared on my hand.
It must have transferred when I held Noxia’s hand in the rain.
I entered the powder room to wash my hands. As I rinsed the blood away under running water, I overheard maids chatting outside.
“Did you see Miss Noxia Brellof’s injury? Why did she suddenly get hurt?”
“I heard from others earlier—apparently Miss Tanashia Brellof pushed Miss Noxia Brellof from behind while she was practicing her ability.”
“What? Seriously?”
“Well, Miss Tanashia Brellof did look pale when she went to call the physician. She’s hardly the type to care for Miss Noxia Brellof like that.”
No wonder my ears felt itchy—so the maids attending Noxia were gossiping about me behind my back.
I almost flung open the door to set the record straight. But as my hand touched the doorknob, a sudden thought made me hesitate.
‘Considering what the original Tanashia Brellof would’ve done… they’re not entirely wrong…’
What goes around comes around.
Though I hadn’t tormented Noxia, I could somewhat understand why the maids might suspect me.
It felt absurd to proclaim my innocence now, and even if I did, their perception of me wouldn’t change. Better to let it go in one ear and out the other.
After all, I already knew my reputation was infamous, and I didn’t care much about what strangers said.
‘Right. Better to turn a blind eye than stir up trouble.’
The problem was, I’d missed the perfect moment to leave the powder room, so now I was stuck wondering how long I should wait.
Just then—
An unexpected commotion erupted outside.
“What are you talking about? My sister ran through the rain to get me treated! How dare you say such things without knowing the full story!”
It was Noxia herself.
“M-Miss Noxia Brellof!”
Even from her voice alone, I could tell the maids were utterly flustered.
Apparently, Noxia had happened to overhear their conversation as she passed by.
“But Miss Tanashia Brellof has always tormented Miss Noxia Brellof! Our sweet lady was once again—”
“Enough!”
There was firm resolve in young Noxia’s voice.
In the novel , Noxia was gentle and adorable, but she never compromised when she believed something was wrong.
“I must have misjudged you all. I thought you were just worried about me before, so I let it slide. But this time, you’ve crossed the line.”
“Miss, that’s not—”
“You’ve spread false rumors within the mansion. I’ll consult the steward and decide on appropriate punishment. Consider it settled.”
“Oh dear, Miss—”
“Everyone leave. I want to be alone right now.”
I heard the maids’ footsteps retreating under Noxia’s stern command. Thanks to her, I wouldn’t have to wait here much longer.
‘Good. I’ll just wait a little longer before stepping out.’
As I thought this to myself, suddenly footsteps stopped right outside the powder room, followed by Noxia’s voice.
“Sister, you’re in there, aren’t you?”
“…!”
I hadn’t expected her to know I was here.
Startled into silence, I said nothing—and Noxia, sensing this, continued speaking.
“I’m sorry. I was looking for you after you disappeared, but I never expected to overhear such talk. Let me apologize on their behalf. I think the maids have been overprotective because I’ve been too spoiled lately.”
Just from her voice, I could vividly picture Noxia with her ears drooping like a guilty puppy.
Now that she knew I was here, there was no reason to stay hidden.
I slid open the powder room door—and just as I’d expected, Noxia stood outside, looking utterly deflated.
“It’s not really wrong, so you don’t need to apologize.”
Considering how the original Tanashia Brellof had consistently tormented Noxia, I could somewhat understand the maids’ suspicions.
Noxia shook her head vigorously.
“No, I’m truly sorry. And… thank you.”
Her words of gratitude made me glance at the bandage wrapped around my hand. Thankfully, the physician had finished treating her wound.
“No need. I don’t care about it, so neither should you.”
“How can you say that? I’ll be more careful so this never happens again. If I hurt your feelings, please forgive me.”
Her sincerity made me chuckle despite myself.
“I really don’t care, so stop worrying. More importantly—why were you practicing your ability alone? You should’ve brought a maid with you.”
“Well… even if they’re curious or entertained at first, watching the same thing repeated for hours gets tiring…”
“Hours? You practiced that long?”
“Yeah. The academic festival is coming up soon.”
Academic festival.
In the novel , people with special talents gathered regularly every few years to exchange progress and improvements in their skills.
It wasn’t just a small event held solely in the Arwen Empire—it was a grand gathering attended by people from neighboring nations as well.
As far as I knew, Noxia was always ranked #1 in latent potential at the academic festival, and she was the talent who showed the most improvement in the shortest time.
As I stared at Noxia, recalling these novel details, she misinterpreted my gaze and spoke nervously.
“Um, I’m not trying to boast—I just meant to say I’ve been busy lately…”
“I know.”
For some reason today, Noxia’s flustered attempts to explain herself seemed oddly pitiful.
In truth, many—including the original Tanashia Brellof and Reiana—envied Noxia, yet they remained unaware of the effort she’d poured into maintaining her position.
The world was harsh toward #1. Or rather, the gaze directed at #1 was simply stricter.
It was true that Noxia received abundant praise for her extraordinary ability—but behind that admiration, many also waited eagerly for her downfall.
Just like how Reiana had tried to humiliate Noxia by setting off fireworks at the royal ball, Noxia attracted not only attention but also malice.
Come to think of it, even her twin sister—me—had hated her.
“You must be tired.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, always striving to hold onto your position.”
When a #2 becomes #1, they receive congratulatory applause—but when #1 remains #1, no one gives anything back. Only the surrounding murmurs of “as expected.”
Feeling sorry for young Noxia, I unconsciously reached out and patted her head.
At this gesture, Noxia’s blue eyes widened as she stared up at me.
“Uh, Sister… are you… patting my head right now?”
“Yeah. I’m impressed by how hard you’ve worked.”
“Wow—!”
Noxia exclaimed in delight, gazing up at me with sparkling, starry eyes. Her cuteness made me smile without realizing it.
Truthfully, I hadn’t wanted to get deeply involved with Noxia—but when she came bounding toward me like an affectionate puppy wagging its tail, it was hard not to feel my heart soften.
“First, replace the glass you were practicing with earlier—it’s too fragile. Use something less breakable, or you’ll get hurt again.”
“Okay. I will.”
“And just in case, bring a maid along when you practice. If that’s too troublesome, tell them your location so they can check on you periodically.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea.”
“And today—you rest.”
At my final words, Noxia hesitated, unable to immediately reply. Apparently, even with the rain pouring and her hand injured, she’d still planned to keep practicing her water-manipulating ability.
I lowered my hand from her head and flicked her forehead with my finger.
“Ah! Ouch.”
“Listen to your sister. Rest today. Practice tomorrow.”
Noxia was weak against me emphasizing my role as her older sister. I hadn’t wanted to realize it, but I couldn’t help noticing.
“Ah, okay. I’ll rest today.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard. You need to take care of your condition too.”
Even as I scolded her, Noxia grinned happily as if I’d said something wonderful.
They say the more you see someone, the more you grow fond. Apparently, Noxia’s subtle displays of affection were softening my heart.
After ensuring injured Noxia rested, I returned to my room later than planned.
Though it was slightly late for dinner, I ate anyway since Ascan was waiting.
Habitually picking carrots out of my plate, I sank into deep thought.
‘…Why do I feel like I’ve forgotten something important?’
Ever since meeting Noxia, I’d felt strangely unsettled—as if I’d overlooked something crucial.
Just as I was lost in my own thoughts—
Ascan, who’d been watching me from across the table, finally spoke.
“Do you dislike carrots?”
“Oh, right. I don’t eat carrots.”
I had the typical childish palate and was quite picky. If carrots were finely blended into the dish, I wouldn’t notice—but if I could see them, I’d pick every single one out before eating.
“I’ll inform the head chef.”
“Nah, no need to go that far. I’ll just pick them out myself.”
I said that, but truthfully, I avoided asking the head chef because I didn’t want anyone to notice my tastes differed from the original Tanashia Brellof’s.
Who would possibly suspect I’d possessed Tanashia Brellof’s body?
Due to my cautious nature, I chose to pick out the carrots myself rather than request their removal from the chef.
Ascan watched me quietly for a moment, then spoke in a low voice.
“Give them to me.”
“What?”
“The carrots. I’ll eat them for you.”
“Really? Do you like carrots?”
“I don’t particularly like them, but I don’t hate them either.”
“Fine. Works for me.”
I handed my plate—full of carefully picked-out carrots—to Ascan.
Not only did Ascan take the carrots I’d removed, but he also used a fresh fork to pick out any remaining carrots from the dish before returning it to me.
‘Oh ho, how convenient.’
I happily ate the now carrot-free meal with a satisfied smile.
Ascan watched me for a moment, then began eating the carrots.
As we resumed our quiet meal, something suddenly clicked in my mind.
‘Come to think of it—the academic festival?’
Like fog lifting, long-forgotten novel details suddenly surged back into my memory.
Clang!
I abruptly dropped the fork I was holding. Ascan, sitting across from me, looked up with a puzzled expression.
“Miss?”
“Good heavens! I completely forgot.”
Noxia and Rohel.
Their meeting, which began at the royal ball, was destined to continue at the academic festival.
I hadn’t recalled it immediately because in the original story, this was presented as a flashback—but they were definitely scheduled to meet again at the festival.
Moreover, was a reverse harem novel.
The future male supporting characters who would fall for Noxia were also set to appear at the festival.
‘…What should I do?’
Right now, with the original plot already twisting, it was impossible to predict how things would unfold.
When Noxia and Rohel—who currently treated each other like sworn enemies—met again at the festival, what on earth would happen?
‘This…’
Should I just leave it as it is?
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.”
