Can an Enemy Become Salvation? (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
“Why on earth do we have to attend to someone from Aodin?”
“Exactly what I was thinking.”
“Well, I guess I’m the only one who actually has to go fetch her myself.”
Jena’s eyes, fixed on the direction of the dining hall where Ivenel was, glinted with sharp contempt.
Though she had strongly protested why they had to serve her, Emil had firmly declared it was the Emperor’s command, leaving no room for defiance.
It was perhaps only natural that her resentment turned toward Ivenel.
She simply detested her very existence—the mere fact that they shared the same space, even breathed the same air.
“Isn’t she shameless? She walks around holding her head high when she should be on her knees.”
“That’s Aodin for you. Where else would that blood go? And don’t forget, she’s from the House of Duke Istella.”
“If it weren’t for the Head Maid’s orders, I’d have cursed her right to her face.”
Jena couldn’t accept the idea of bowing her head to Ivenel—it was a direct blow to her pride.
She wanted nothing more than to vent this simmering frustration immediately.
Just then, someone caught her eye—someone Emil had assigned to inform her of duties, and who, like Ivenel, was also from Aodin.
‘Her name was Lia, wasn’t it?’
Naturally, no one accepted Lia as a fellow maid. The moment she passed by, whispers already began to swirl.
Thus, it was only natural that the hostility meant for Ivenel also extended to Lia.
“Then shall we teach her a proper lesson this time?”
At Jena’s subtle nod, the other maids spotted Lia and smiled in unison, as if rehearsed. Jena then stepped forward and called out to her.
“Hey, you. Wait a moment.”
Lia, who had been heading toward Ivenel, approached Jena and her group upon hearing the summons.
“You called for me?”
“Come with us. There’s something you need to do.”
Without a word, Lia followed them until they reached a secluded corner of the palace, where a huge pile of laundry awaited.
“Get all this done.”
“All of this… by myself?”
Even at a glance, it was clearly far too much for one person to finish in a short time.
When Lia’s expression hinted she couldn’t manage it, Jena and the other maids instantly hardened their gazes.
“What? Are you saying you don’t want to do it?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“You only became a maid by accident, right? And yet you can’t even handle this much?”
They took pride in being palace maids. How could they possibly accept Lia—a mere outsider from Aodin with no qualifications—as one of their own?
“If you can’t even handle this, you don’t belong here. Don’t tell me you’re acting this way because you’re counting on your mistress?”
The moment they mentioned Ivenel, Lia frantically shook her head.
“No, it’s not like that at all.”
“Then do exactly as I say. Remember? The Head Maid told you to learn from me.”
With Jena pressing the point so firmly, Lia had no choice but to nod.
Besides, she wasn’t completely unaware of Ivenel’s current situation. She didn’t want to become a burden—least of all an obstacle—to her.
“Yes, I’ll do exactly as you say.”
“Good. Oh, and come find me as soon as you’re done. There’s more waiting for you.”
After assigning the task, the maids walked away. Once out of Lia’s sight, they finally let out the laughter they’d been holding back.
“That level of work is perfect for her. Not all maids are created equal, after all.”
They’d forced upon her a task that wasn’t even part of a maid’s usual duties. Her hands would surely be raw and blistered beyond recognition.
Meanwhile, left alone, Lia rolled up her sleeves with determined resolve.
‘Alright, let’s do this.’
Truthfully, ever since she’d started serving beside Ivenel at Duke Istella’s estate, this sort of thing had become all too common. Fellow servants had scorned and mocked her simply for attending to Ivenel.
“So this is nothing special, really.”
She steeled her will. If they thought she’d run away over something this trivial, they were sorely mistaken.
[This is the timeline separator]After finishing her meal, Ivenel headed to the imperial palace library Emil had mentioned. She planned to browse it briefly before her archery practice that afternoon.
‘Fewer prying eyes would be more comfortable.’
Upon arriving at the library Emil described, she found it brimming with books—enough to call it a small library. Sunlight streamed in pleasantly, and fresh air circulated freely, giving the space a cozy warmth.
It stood in stark contrast to the overall barrenness she’d felt throughout the imperial palace.
“So there really is a place like this.”
Ivenel slowly surveyed the bookshelves.
Among the varied subjects—politics, economics, geography—her feet halted before a section dedicated to the history of Caries.
‘History…’
Her fingers skimmed the spines until she pulled out one particular volume. Memories flooded back—countless accusations and resentful glances she’d received from many, including Suhel.
Yet she hesitated before opening it. She could already guess what lay within its pages.
“Maybe it’s better for me not to look at all.”
After all, ignorance is bliss.
But the moment she recalled Suhel’s furious black eyes, her hand turned to the first page.
Ivenel calmly read through its contents.
It detailed Caries’s founding and growth, the first appearance of demons, and the granting of power—all meticulously recorded.
When the narrative reached the point where relations with Aodin began to fracture, her hand, which had been steadily turning pages, suddenly stilled.
Nevertheless, with a slight tremor, she turned to the next page.
How much time had passed? After closing the finished book, Ivenel, as if entranced, reached for another.
She sank down against the bookshelf and began reading. Throughout, she never once looked away from the pages or uttered a single word.
It felt as if time had stopped in this library—only the soft rustle of turning pages broke the silence.
Unnoticed by Ivenel, the sun set and night fell, yet she remained in the same position, utterly absorbed in her reading. Around her, books she’d finished lay scattered in disarray.
Perhaps mirroring the state of her heart.
Only after closing the final book did she finally speak.
“What… is this…”
What followed was a hollow, weary laugh—soon fading into nothingness.
“I never even had the right to be angry in the first place.”
Part of her had felt justified staying in Caries—after all, though those past events occurred, she herself hadn’t directly done anything wrong.
She’d even been angry at being condemned solely for being from Aodin.
But the history between Caries and Aodin was far more brutal than she’d imagined—so much so that what she’d known before was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Just reading the descriptions of that era made her heart race; the reality must have been far more horrifying.
How many lives were lost due to Aodin’s betrayal? How much devastation had it caused? And how despicably Aodin had acted until the very end?
The fact that it was written from Caries’s perspective made it feel all the more vivid and immediate.
Even the bloody massacre Suhel had mentioned before was described in chilling detail—it felt as if their screams echoed in her ears.
‘I knew it would turn out like this.’
Her intuition had been right—there was nothing good to be gained from reading this. It was Pandora’s box, never meant to be opened.
“I shouldn’t have looked.”
Yet, ironically, she couldn’t stop halfway. This was something she absolutely needed to understand if she was to remain in Caries.
‘Can I really endure staying here?’
For the first time, an uncharacteristically weak thought crossed her mind. Had she known this cruel truth earlier, she would have fled at any cost—even if it meant risking her life.
To everyone in Caries, she was nothing short of an enemy. No, even that word fell short. Because of Aodin’s greed and betrayal, they’d lost families, friends, comrades, lovers, and homelands.
She could even understand those who’d screamed for her death.
‘If I were in their place… I might have done the exact same thing.’
Just then, a pair of black shoes entered Ivenel’s downcast vision. She slowly raised her head to find Suhel standing over her—she hadn’t even noticed when he’d arrived.
[This is the timeline separator]“Lady Ivenel…”
The moment Suhel returned to the palace, he immediately asked Emil about Ivenel’s whereabouts—after all, Emil was practically her watcher.
“She’s been in the library since this afternoon.”
“The library? All day long?”
“Yes, she even said she didn’t need meals.”
Visiting the library wasn’t inherently problematic—it was the reason behind her visit that puzzled him.
As Suhel turned to head back to his quarters, he noticed light spilling from a distant doorway. True to Emil’s words, she was still in the library.
He changed course and headed there, quickly spotting Ivenel seated against a bookshelf.
She sat there blankly, seemingly unaware of his entrance—as if her soul had left her body.
Only when Suhel drew near did Ivenel belatedly notice him and rise to her feet.
“Your Majesty… what brings you here?”
“That’s what I should be asking you. Why are you still here at this late hour?”
“Huh?”
Glancing out the window at his words, Ivenel was startled to realize night had already fallen. Uncharacteristically, she’d even forgotten her archery practice.
“It’s already this late…”
Suhel instantly sensed the shift in atmosphere compared to that morning.
“Emil mentioned you refused to eat.”
“Me? I’m fine…”
Ivenel had been so engrossed in her reading that she didn’t even recall Emil speaking to her, let alone her own reply. Though admittedly, she had no appetite.
After reading passages drenched in bloodshed, she wasn’t composed enough to eat calmly.
Suhel’s gaze then fell upon the books haphazardly scattered at her feet. He picked one up and checked the title.
“This is…”
He examined the others and confirmed they were all about Caries’s history.
‘So that’s why she’s like this.’
From his perspective, it was almost laughable. She hadn’t learned anything new—just confirmed what she should’ve already known.
“Why suddenly read these now?”
“Just… curiosity.”
That was all Ivenel could manage.
Her mind was overflowing with thoughts, and she had no idea what to say to him—the Emperor of Caries himself.
Suhel didn’t hide his cynical expression at her visibly troubled reply.
“You look quite shaken, judging by your face.”
“It’s just… I’ve never seen it described so bluntly before.”
“I suppose that makes sense. In Aodin, they’ve always hidden their own misdeeds while boasting endlessly about their greatness.”
If she’d only ever encountered histories written from Aodin’s perspective, her shock was understandable.
“I’m curious to hear your thoughts—after facing firsthand what your family and nation have done.”
Ivenel could only clench her fists tightly; she had no other answer to give.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (38)
they are sceptical about each others plans and just being careful
hohoho,you will regret touching lia now,everyone!!
she does not care about what you feel,she will gain power and leave
Inline Comments (2)
“After reading those books and hearing Your Majesty’s words, I can’t help but ad
Yas gurl give him a piece of your mind. He needs to know its not ur gault
Then, in the distance, she spotted a familiar figure—Lia.
Nah bro get out. You gonna get the pieci of my mind
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debban23
is being an innocent bystander a crime?she is just trying to stay alive