The Blackened Second Male Lead’s Wife - Chapter 48

The Empress Dowager held the olive tree close to her and said.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never had a calm conversation with you. Since you’re here, let’s have a cup of tea.”

“Would that be fine?”

“Aren’t you an essential and precious being to the Empire? You are deserving of this.”

“Then, can I bring in Lady Pernia and have her join us?”

The Empress Dowager’s face turned cold hearing my name come out of Lucian’s mouth.

Clearly, hearing that made her recall the incident that she had forgotten for a while.

Lucian lowered his eyebrows and said to the Empress Dowager, who could not readily answer him.

“Now that the three of us have met, I want to resolve the relationship between the Empress Dowager and us. ……Would that make you uncomfortable?”

“·······!”

Faced with Lucian’s deadly stare of two twinkling eyes, the Empress Dowager had no choice but to surrender.

The Empress Dowager said with her eyes wide open.

“Of course you can! Lady Pernia. What are you doing over there?”

Hearing the Empress Dowager’s charismatic invitation, I approached her and Lucian. I made eye contact with Lucian as I sat next to him.

Lucian smiled, lowering his eyes gently.

‘I did a good job, didn’t I?’

I thought he was just a softie who didn’t know the ways of the world. I didn’t know he had the skill to use his looks like this!

I nodded and furtively raised my thumb.

───── 〔✿〕─────

The Empress Dowager meticulously cared for Lucian.

It felt like she had changed from a mother of a chaebol house in a morning drama to a grandmother from a warm neighborhood in “Human Theater.” (Note: Human Theater-인간극장 is a real South Korean show.)

Thanks to that, the banquet was very peaceful.

Erica, who attacked me with all her might, went into a corner with a sour face and could not be seen. I think she was crying from how her body was swaying.

‘This is why you can’t fight me. I’m a 10,000-year-old extra villain. No matter how hard you try, you can’t beat me.’

I clicked my tongue and enjoyed the feast leisurely.

Lucian was also enjoying himself.

Lucian sat with a straight back and talked to the Empress Dowager. He even greeted any woman who came near us.

Both in name and appearance, he was the flower of today’s banquet.

By the time the banquet was over, it had become a venue for Lucian’s fan meeting.

“Then I’ll be on my way.”

When Lucian got up from his seat to leave the banquet hall, the Empress Dowager looked really disappointed.

But she didn’t commit to her rude character and told him to stay. Instead, she hugged the olive tree and spoke softly.

“Lord Kardien, I had so much fun today. I think I’ve been misunderstanding you this whole time. Let’s meet again next time.”

Lucian was the best knight in the Empire, but he had many enemies because he rarely attended banquets; and although he was a commoner, he never approached the royal family and aristocrats in a friendly manner.

However, he no longer had such a reputation.

Since he has an amazing fan club president named the Empress Dowager.

“Sir Kardien, please attend more banquets in the future!”

“I’ll send an invitation to Lady Pernia, so come with her if you have time. Promise!”

Even a huge number of fan girls said so.

I asked as I left the banquet hall.

“What happened? I was so surprised that Lucian came all of a sudden.”

Lucian replied with a soft face.

“The Emperor said that if I really want to protect the lady, I should go out and draw the Empress Dowager in. Because that would surely work on her.”

The Emperor really said such a thing about his mother. That’s talent.

“Did it help?”

I nodded vigorously at Lucian’s words.

“Yes. You saw how everyone was so kind to me.”

It was due to Lucian’s intervention, but it was important that they were on my side no matter where I went.

Most of all, he appeared at the right time and the Pew belittlement case was buried.

Having Lucian as my boyfriend greatly benefited me.

I stood on my tippy toes and whispered.

“But don’t do this again. I don’t want those women to really fall for you. I know you only have me in your heart, but I still get jealous.”

Lucian smiled brightly at my words.

Like he heard the happiest words in the world.

───── 〔✿〕─────

What a coincidence.

As I was walking down the street for a bit of air, I found Lucian and his aide, Paul.

‘Darling!’

I was about to run to Lucian, but I changed my mind.

Because I wondered what he was doing in my absence.

Lucian was at a shop selling women’s accessories. I giggled as I saw him stand in the middle of all the pink.

‘You must be here to buy me a present.’

This was the first time I got to see him choose a gift.

Lucian had sent me so many things. So I thought he was just picking things at random.

….But it seems like he wasn’t.

Lucian looked at the hairpin on the shelf with the most serious face in the world.

He looked at the pin next to him with a troubled face. Then, he looked at another pin next to him with a more disturbed face.

After a long look at all the pins, Lucian said with a stress-filled face.

“I think this, that, and that would all suit her.”

Paul, standing next to him with hazy eyes, answered skillfully as if he had heard those same words many times before.

“Then let’s buy everything.”

So Lucian bought all the hairpins on display.

The store owner, who sold a week’s worth of pins at once, said with a capitalist’s smile.

“Everything you bought was a popular choice! I’m sure the gift recipient will love it!”

Lucian’s eyes lowered gently at those words.

“I hope so.”

That smile was so pretty.

My heart was pounding, so I couldn’t pretend to not know Lucian that day.

That was a few days ago.

I’m thinking about it now. This was the biggest worry of mine since I became Pernia.

Lucian’s birthday was just around the corner!

‘It’s my first boyfriend’s birthday since we started dating!’

What would he like?

I’ve received so much from Lucian while I haven’t given him many presents.

Should I get him the cake that he often bought, or do something like taking him to the shop and buying him clothes?

In all honesty, all of those things are my desires, so it wouldn’t be purely for him, and therefore, it wouldn’t really be a gift.

‘This time, I have to give him a proper gift. Something he would really like.’

I was furious, thinking about how to celebrate Lucian’s first birthday.

However, it was not long before I hit a cold wall of reality.

‘Money, I don’t have money!’

I was so busy going on dates every day that I didn’t even know I spent this much money. There was nothing in my piggy bank, nothing in my wallet, only air.

‘Should I ask father for more pocket money?’

Finances had always been a sensitive issue for father.

Whenever I ask for more pocket money, my father would say, ‘Hahaha. I’m sorry, Pernia!’ and he would cry.

So I couldn’t do that.

‘And I can’t borrow money from Lucian like I used to.’

There’s nothing more ridiculous than borrowing money from him to buy his present.

But as an outsider in this area, I had no one to borrow money except him.

‘If I can’t borrow money, I’ll make it. There’ll just be a difference in quality in my gift.’

My room was full of all sorts of precious things.

These were gifts from Lucian.

Selling even a small gem would make quite a fortune.

Holding a necklace and smiling grimly, I soon shook my head.

‘What are you thinking, Pernia? They’re all precious children given by Lucian. Even if the Marquis goes bankrupt, you have to keep it.’

In fact, even if I have money, it would not be easy to choose a gift that would satisfy Lucian.

Lucian was a remarkably materialistic man.

If there is something he wants….

“Wouldn’t it be me?”

Argh! What did I just say?

My hands and feet squirmed because I couldn’t stand what I said.

But it’s true.

Lucian only wanted me.

I mumbled looking in the mirror with a red face.

“Then I’ll give him a gift that he’ll be most pleased with.”

So I decided on a present for him.

───── 〔✿〕─────

Today, I paid more attention to my makeup than usual. I applied white powder and light pink eyeshadow around my eyes. The long eyeliner and my cat-like eyes were the highlight of this look.

Anne clapped her hands as she looked at the completed makeup look.

“As expected, you’re good with your hands.”

I didn’t know how to do anything, but I was confident about makeup.

I smiled and said to Anne.

“Now, do your thing.”

Anne nodded vigorously.

Anne braided my curly purple hair to one side and decorated it with numerous small flowers.

Afterwards, she put on a flower-shaped ornament made of diamonds on my head.

Anne said with a proud face.

“You look really beautiful, Miss. I’m sure Sir Kardien will be pleased!”

“Really?.”

“Of course!”

With Anne’s support, I headed to Lucian’s mansion.

It was Paul, his aide, who greeted me.

Paul greeted me without surprise because I had already told him about this.

“Welcome. Lord Lucian is out as scheduled. He’ll be back in the evening.”

I said, nodding delightedly.

“Thank you for letting me know, Paul. You may leave.”

No matter how loyal Paul may be, the sweetness of leaving work early was unbeatable.

Paul rambled on, packing his bag.

“I’m leaving because the lady asked me to. It’s not an unauthorized leave. You must tell Lord Lucian that part.”

“Okay, I’ll tell him that Paul would never leave work early, and that I dragged him in the ear and kicked him out.”

So please leave!

That’s how I got rid of this mansion’s only other presence.