“I’m not going to the desert.”

“What?”

With resolve in her words, Hades’ voice, cracked, jumped out.

“The gold bullion?”

As she slowly raised her head, Hades’ expression, seemingly a little surprised, was evident on his swollen face.

“I won’t accept the gold bullion either.”

“…….”

A moment of silence passed. Throughout, Hades’ dark eyes, holding an enigmatic fervor, seemed to gaze at her.

Feeling as though his sharp gaze was dissecting her, a brief fear took hold of her. However, the die had already been cast.

“It seems the shock has rendered you unable to think straight. I’ll call for a military doctor. Military doctor!”

Hades, perhaps thinking she had gone mad, genuinely called for the military doctor. It felt as if he was blatantly disregarding her opinion, and irritation surged within her.

Latifa Glaesia, finding herself clenching her fists, had no choice but to voice out her thoughts.

“No. I’m serious. I’m giving up on the gold bullion.”

“I’m curious about your intentions.”

“I have no ulterior motives. I just don’t trust you.”

“…You don’t trust me?”

“It’s my fault for not reviewing the contract properly. But there’s no guarantee that I’d actually get the gold bullion even if I follow you into the desert, right?”

“I am the great general of a nation. I don’t have the time to toy with you.”

“How would I know? For all I know, you could be penniless there.”

Zing. At the word ‘penniless’, Hades sharply glared at her, his pride seemingly wounded.

“Daring to call the thousandyear honor of the Calebs penniless, you sure have guts.”

“I don’t have the guts to risk my life crossing the desert for gold I might not even get.”

By now, most of the refugees held by the desert people had fled. There was no reason to appease him excessively in the absence of refugees who had been scammed or taken as prisoners.

Hades asked, his face rigid.

“Then what’s the meaning behind your coming out to help again?”

“It’s a repayment for your kindness and favor. Thanks to you, my leg healed quickly. And our refugees also fled safely.”

At her words, Hades smirked, making a peculiar expression.

“You never intended to give the gold in the first place, right? That’s why you deliberately wrote the contract in such a confusing way.”

Upon reflection, the contract was absurd. How was she supposed to know where ‘Caleb’s territory’ was?

She bit her lower lip hard, trying to hold back the surging bitterness. Although her vision blurred with tears, she refused to close her eyes. It would seem like a complete defeat if she showed tears after standing her ground so boldly.

‘He probably saw me, a woman from a defeated nation, as easy prey.’

Did he think her foolish to let down her guard just because he had shown a bit of kindness? Seeing her prostrate because of the captured refugees must have been amusing for him.

“You intended to toy with me from the beginning, right?”

In hindsight, his talk about value, his healing of her leg injury, all of it was just a ruse to mock her.

She felt a pang of selfpity, thinking of how she had momentarily been touched by those actions, making her eyes burn even more.

“No matter how foolish our empire was to meet its downfall, I won’t continue to be toyed with by a despicable person like you.”

Without uttering a word, Hades just looked at her. His thick lips, which matched his dark complexion, looked strikingly handsome, the very epitome of a strong man.

‘So what? He’s a crazy dog that scams people.’
Latifa thought the nickname suited him perfectly.

“The nickname ‘Mad Dog’ wasn’t given for no reason.”

“What?”

“It’s just like a mad dog to hurt others without thinking or warning.”

“Ha! How dare you, a woman of a defeated nation, speak like this!”

Hades, snorting in disbelief, brushed back his curly bangs and glared intently at Latifa. But she met his gaze without backing down.

If she claimed not to be scared of his black, darkflamed eyes that brought the empire to ruin, it would be a lie. But he had only trampled the empire, and she couldn’t allow him to toy with her too.

For how long did they intensely lock eyes?

“…Fine.”

After a while, he spoke.

“Then handle it yourself. Since everything’s over, you should leave this place tomorrow.”

Hades said this and turned away without a second thought. Latifa, with tears brimming in her eyes, looked at him and resolved herself.

‘Alright. I’ll take this incident as a lesson. I no longer have an empire to protect me, so I must be vigilant and live on.’

She tried to console herself, but the sadness lingered for quite some time.

The one who was most upset after declaring she wouldn’t accept the gold bars wasn’t Hades or Latifa, but Brenda.

“You’re insane! You should have taken it even if you had to beg!”

“He’s a vile and lowly desert man. And he’s a general, too.”

“So what?!”

“We weren’t in a position to negotiate with him from the start.”

“That’s because you’re foolish, Lati!”

Brenda interrupted angrily.

The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)

Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.

The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”

Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!

Warnings:

• Male pregnancy.
• Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
• Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.

Link to read