A Different Husband Every Night (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
Levanfel, unable to suppress his anger, slipped out of the main palace and mounted his horse.
He gripped the reins tightly, as if clenching his teeth to hold back his fury.
He had nearly ruined everything he had painstakingly endured and worked for all this time.
“Damn it.”
The place where Levanfel’s horse halted was the northern tower of the imperial palace. Dismounting, he hurried forward with heavy, damp steps toward the abandoned tower.
After ascending the throne, Levanfel had executed all manner of vicious criminals within this northern tower. Even the executions of the ministers—half of whom he had reportedly killed—had all taken place here.
Thus, no one dared set foot in this place anymore.
Chilling rumors circulated that, near the northern tower, the stench of blood still lingered—never fully dried—and that somewhere within, a woman’s desperate screams for mercy could be heard.
Since Emperor Levanfel himself had never ordered anyone to tend to the place, it was gradually becoming a land of death.
Pushing through the neglected, disordered area where no one had walked for a long time, Levanfel stepped inside.
Wherever he walked, the fragile seedlings that had barely managed to sprout were already withering and dying.
Creeeak.
Levanfel pushed open the northern tower’s door, which barely opened at all. Bloodstains that could never be fully wiped away remained vivid, as if the events had happened just yesterday.
Levanfel passed by every trace with familiar indifference. He headed straight for the deepest underground floor of the northern tower.
His footsteps swallowed the silence. Even in utter darkness where nothing ahead was visible, Levanfel moved without hesitation.
As he descended the stone stairs, the faint sound of a woman sobbing began to reach his ears.
The deepest underground floor of the northern tower.
Inside that iron-barred cell, untouched by human presence.
“You’re still alive, Mother.”
The former emperor’s consort—and Levanfel’s mother—was imprisoned there, her hands and feet bound by heavy chains.
“Uuuuhhh!!!”
At her son Levanfel’s arrival, his mother shook the iron bars with her bony arms. Her tongue had been cut out, so all that escaped her open mouth were incomprehensible, guttural cries.
“I was worried you might recklessly take your own life—thankfully, that didn’t happen.”
Levanfel tossed water and stale bread through the bars into her cell. His mother, who had been wailing and shaking the bars, hastily gathered the food and devoured it.
“I must see to the end just how hideous the monster you created truly is, Mother. That’s why I kept you alive instead of killing you.”
Levanfel’s eyes flashed as he stepped closer to the iron bars. Emerging from the shadows into the moonlight, his figure became starkly visible.
His mother, who had been frantically shoveling bread into her mouth, froze in shock upon seeing Levanfel’s face.
“What’s wrong? Surprised that my hair color looks normal?”
“……!”
“Yes. I’ve finally found her. It took so long… finally… finally.”
Muttering to himself, Levanfel looked down at his mother—who stared at him as though he were a monster—with utter contempt.
“I heard an amusing story, Mother.”
“…….”
“They say some mothers will go to any lengths, ignoring fire or water, to take their child’s side and even fight in their stead. Quite admirable, isn’t it?”
“…….”
“You’ve never once shown me such devotion, Mother. You only ever made me into a monster.”
“…….”
“But it’s fine. Now that I’ve finally obtained the person I’ve long desired.”
A greedy obsession, unseen until this moment, flickered within Levanfel’s golden eyes.
His mother trembled in terror at that spine-chilling sight.
“Since she’s now in my hands.”
Levanfel’s mad eyes gleamed as he clenched his palm tightly—
as if he could never let go, even in death.
His upturned lips sent shivers down the spine.
“I’ll never let her go.”
‘Teriella.’
Levanfel closed his eyes, swallowing that radiant name into the depths of his soul, stained black with desire.
The underground floor received not a single ray of light.
Darkness imprisoned him.
‘Why am I even doing this here?’
I blinked with vacant eyes.
“After the state council meeting, it’s such good fortune to encounter you on my way back, Your Highness. I even brought tea, hoping I might meet you… and it wasn’t in vain.”
“…Indeed.”
“Isn’t the fragrance lovely? It’s tea brewed from dried rose petals. Just a few decades ago, it was commonly enjoyed—but these days, it’s as rare as plucking a star from the sky.”
I half-listened to the product-description-like words coming from ahead and lifted my teacup to take a sip.
‘…Feels like I’m chewing on flowers.’
Sitting here leisurely drinking tea like this was something I could never have imagined before.
I had always been too busy just trying to fill my empty stomach. Even when Karayan used to call me over to teach me how to drink tea properly, I was always too busy eating bread and cakes.
Only recently had I begun drinking tea, and as someone still adjusting to mild flavors, this dried rose petal tea felt far too intense.
“What do you think? I brought this tea myself—it seemed perfectly suited to a princess as beautiful as a fragrant blossom.”
The man before me, Viscount Liranef, interlaced his fingers and smiled with smug confidence.
Just as dawn broke, I had been about to head off to ask Counselor Jaerim or Lady Marina—who teaches imperial etiquette—about Viscount Liranef.
But, of all things, I ran into Viscount Liranef himself along the way. That was the root of my trouble.
The viscount, emerging from the garden, recognized me instantly the moment our eyes met. He then latched onto me like a hyena that had been lying in wait for its prey.
‘No matter how many times I refuse, he just won’t let go… ugh.’
I absentmindedly scraped my thumb across the rim of my teacup as I sized him up.
Last night, Levanfel had warned me not to get close to the viscount. He wasn’t the kind of person to say such things without reason.
Therefore—
Viscount Liranef was someone to be wary of.
Misinterpreting my sigh, the maid behind me cautiously approached and whispered worriedly,
“…Your Highness, would you like me to switch to your usual tea?”
She must have assumed I sighed because of the bitterness, not knowing I simply couldn’t stand this tea. Her gesture seemed to irritate Viscount Liranef, as his brow furrowed.
“Your Highness, one must establish the hierarchy among servants right from the start.”
“Yes?”
“A servant who intrudes into a conversation without being summoned—how insolent, beyond mere ignorance.”
Viscount Liranef lashed out at the maid with sharp words. Startled, she quickly bowed her head and retreated backward.
“Oh…”
She must have stepped forward out of concern for me, but to someone unaware of the situation—like Viscount Liranef—it probably looked disrespectful.
I gave an awkward smile and stepped in to clear up his misunderstanding for the maid.
“I suppose her worry for me got the better of her, causing her to act rashly. Since she’s under my care, I’ll speak with her later so she won’t make the same mistake again.”
“…Oh dear. How soft-hearted you are, Your Highness.”
Viscount Liranef sneered. His laughter carried a dismissive contempt toward me.
“Even though you’ve come from a foreign land, such lack of discernment is troubling.”
“…….”
“After your wedding, you’ll become Empress of the Grand Empire. If you continue keeping such lowly attendants by your side…”
Viscount Liranef clicked his tongue disdainfully at the maid, then turned his sharp gaze directly at me.
His eyes held the same scorn he reserved for his servants.
“It’s common for the mistress herself to suffer the same gossip.”
The warmth that had been in my eyes while looking at Viscount Liranef vanished.
I knew people like him all too well—clever, powerful, and never satisfied with what they had because they were all too aware of their own greatness.
They looked down on others, trampling them without hesitation.
I’d seen plenty of them back in the Lupeon Kingdom.
Those who set up the naive and foolish royal family as mere puppets while pulling the strings from behind.
“Isn’t it about time you selected your personal maids and guards? If Your Highness permits, I could provide some sharp individuals…”
“Hey.”
I cut off Viscount Liranef mid-sentence and leaned back slightly. The maid, who had been scolded for speaking out of turn, stood with her shoulders slumped in dejection.
“Hey.”
When I called her again more firmly, she lifted her startled head. Upon meeting my eyes, she hurriedly approached and bowed deeply at my side.
“Y-yes? Your Highness? D-did you call me?”
“Go fetch my usual tea. This one may be fragrant and expensive, but…”
I tilted my head as I looked straight at Viscount Liranef.
“It simply doesn’t suit my taste—I won’t be able to drink it.”
“Y-yes, right away.”
The maid bowed low and swiftly departed. Viscount Liranef listened until her footsteps faded, then calmly asked,
“The tea didn’t agree with you, I take it.”
“No. It seems it’s not suited to me.”
He must have understood perfectly what I meant, yet Viscount Liranef showed no change whatsoever.
His smile remained, as did the pleasant tone of his voice—exactly as before, as if everything he’d shown me from the start had been a carefully crafted facade.
“Tea is often like that—it feels unfamiliar, unpalatable, and alien at first. But if you spend more time with it, it won’t seem so strange. Try enjoying it a few more times.”
“I’ve heard that forcing yourself to enjoy something that doesn’t suit you will make you ill.”
“With a bit more patience, you’ll grow accustomed to it.”
“Unfortunately, I’m not particularly patient.”
“Without even that small measure of patience, you’ll struggle to enjoy fine tea for the rest of your life.”
“That’s fine. There are still many types of tea I haven’t tried yet.”
Just as Viscount Liranef was about to retort, the maid returned. He pressed his lips together tightly and took a sip from his own cup of tea.
A silence as harsh and biting as climbing a frozen mountain barefoot stretched between us.
The maid quickly set down a fresh teacup and poured my usual tea. Its gently brewed, sweet fragrance wafted around my nose.
“His Majesty doesn’t enjoy tea, which I always found rather regrettable… and now it seems our tea time with Your Highness is drawing to a close as well.”
“How unfortunate. I’ve never actually drunk tea before.”
“Won’t you regret that?”
Viscount Liranef smiled benevolently, but his piercing eyes were sinister.
“This tea is exceedingly rare. Consider it a bit more, Your Highness. You might not get another chance later.”
“…….”
“Everyone desires it, yet few can obtain it easily. What I’m offering is precisely such tea—given directly to you, Your Highness.”
The sharp blade hidden behind his smile gradually revealed itself.
If I refused his offer—his thinly veiled request, using tea as an excuse, to join his side—his friendly facade would surely vanish.
Just as I was about to speak—
“Your Highness and Viscount Liranef.”
A sacred voice slipped between us like light piercing through darkness. I turned my head to see Elihu, smiling like warm spring sunshine.
“I happened to pass by and was so delighted to see you both that I took the liberty of greeting you despite the impropriety. If you’re still enjoying your tea, may I join you?”
For the first time since our meeting, Viscount Liranef’s expression changed—his brow furrowed. After a moment, he clicked his tongue and stood up abruptly.
“Oh—has it gotten so late already? I was so engrossed in our conversation, Your Highness, that I lost track of time… I must take my leave now, as I have another engagement.”
“I see.”
“Oh dear, what a shame, Viscount. I’ll be staying in the empire for a while—if your estate ever has any malevolent forces or if anyone requires a blessing, please don’t hesitate to summon me anytime.”
“…I’ll do that.”
Viscount Liranef turned away from Elihu as if avoiding something distasteful, his brow still knotted in displeasure.
“Oh—Elihu. Since Her Highness seems unfamiliar with the art of tea, perhaps you could stay and accompany her.”
With those words, Viscount Liranef boarded his waiting carriage and departed. Elihu watched the spot where he’d left for a long moment before whispering softly,
“Viscount Liranef smells of malevolence. If you’re deliberately associating with him, that’s your choice—but otherwise, I’d advise you not to get near him.”
“…Malevolence?”
“Yes.”
Did he mean he literally smelled foul?
Elihu sat down across from me with a gentle smile. Our eyes met directly before I could stop myself.
“Just as a pleasant floral scent seems to emanate from you right now, Your Highness.”
Oh no.
Elihu had helped me momentarily forget. This man was far more dangerous to me than Viscount Liranef.
“What exactly is this fragrance I sense from you, Your Highness? It’s almost as if…”
Lowering his voice so no one nearby could hear, Elihu slowly reached out his hand.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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