The servants, who thought Hades would rest for a few days, enjoying the banquet at the palace after honoring the Sultan, were surprised to see him suddenly arrive early in the morning, carrying an imperial woman on a single camel.
“Staring blankly while the master has arrived, do I need to kick your butts to recognize and serve me as Hades?”
“Lord Hades!”
Perhaps pleased to return home safely after a long war, Hades entered the main gate, shouting playfully.
Yet, beneath his playfulness, Caleb’s servants, overwhelmed by Hades’s unique intense charisma, ran out barefoot and politely bowed to their master, who had returned safely.
[Dash]Thud.Hades handed the limp Latifa over his shoulder to the maids, and then ordered them.
“Prepare everything perfectly, befitting to become my wife.”
Though the ambiguous command, ‘handle it well,’ was given, Caleb’s servants bowed their heads and moved efficiently.
Otherwise, they never knew when Hades might act like a mad dog again.
[Star Icon][Star Icon]“How is she?”
Hades asked the palace doctor, who had come to Caleb’s private property to examine Latifa.
“May I speak honestly to the great Ignite?”
The first message Hades’s messenger sent to the palace, arriving at Luhan, was ‘send a palace doctor skilled in women’s health.’
The female health doctor, Omar, who rushed to Caleb’s private property after receiving the prince’s command, was faced with Latifa’s white skin and silver hair.
For several days, Velia, who couldn’t even open her eyes, only breathed roughly and broke out in a cold sweat, her life hanging by a thread. Hades understood why he had been summoned by looking at the frail woman.
“Honesty is indeed the greatest virtue. I shall allow it.”
As Hades gestured his approval, Omar spoke seriously.
“To be honest, her condition is not good. Due to the prolonged loss of consciousness, she hasn’t been properly nourished, and her body temperature is constantly dropping due to the strong antidote.”
“The foolish physicians said that this medicine would wake her up.”
As Hades handed Omar a small vial, he took a drop, tasted it, and then explained to Hades.
“The military doctors are rough guys who usually deal with physically strong patients, so they don’t know the proper dosage when preparing medicine.”
“Omar.”
“Yes, Ignite.”
“What is it that you most desire and wish to achieve?”
Hades said, raising the corner of his mouth in a sweet smile. At the gesture that he would do anything if Latifa was cured, Omar whispered quietly.
“……Becoming the exclusive physician to Harem’s First Consort, Lady Iota.”
‘Of all things, Iota……. The most troublesome woman.’
Hades’s brow slightly furrowed.
Iota, the Sultan’s First Consort, was a beautiful consort with long, black hair and the real ruler of the harem.
The problem? Due to Hades’s extreme distaste for the harem and his bad behavior towards the consorts, his relationship with her wasn’t good?
To push Omar as her physician, she would have to swallow her pride. It was clear as seeing fire.
But what could he do?
If she were to open her eyes.
“I will make it happen.”
Hades continued, tenderly touching Latifa’s silver hair as she lay before him.
“If this woman wakes up, that is.”
“I will do my best, Ignite!”
Omar bowed his head.
Though the thought of Iota’s smiling face made Hades feel sick, he tore the flesh from his mouth and smiled back at Omar.
And perhaps, by planting his own man in Iota, there might be some use for him later on.
[Star icon][Star icon]The bed of the desert people differed quite a bit from the empire’s.
A wide and soft carpet with several layers of silk quilts and veils, supported by various large and small cushions for reclining, was their bed.
Because sitting and reclining on the floor was their culture.
For this reason, the weaving technology and the skill of embroidery had reached its peak, and they were famous for their light and soft silk.
Thus, in a strange and oldfashioned room with no clear distinction between the bed and the bedroom, Latifa lay as if dead.
Hades spent a sleepless night at Latifa’s bedside, leaning over and continually twirling her silver hair.
He held up his finger, which had twisted her silver hair, and slowly tapped her white forehead.
Her skin had become a bit softer due to the handmaids’ care but showed no signs of her blue eyes opening.
“How can you have such white skin?”
He touched her silver eyebrows, gently stroked her small, white nose, and muttered to himself.
It was less an affectionate touch and more pure curiosity.
Tap, tap.
Indifferent to Hades’s voice, his tingling yet boldly stabbing fingers clearly showed an interest and curiosity in it.
“……The body temperature is dropping.”
Recalling the words of the palace physician, Hades sighed a long, deep sigh and murmured,
“Here it is hot all year round in the Grand Bazaar, yet is even this warmth not enough for you?”
He carefully lay beside Latifa and embraced her back, trapping her completely in his warm embrace.
“Phew. You must be the only woman who truly uses me, a man who has earned the title of Flame among Flames, like a fire.”
Hades shared his warm body temperature and embraced her cold body all night long.
[Star Icon][Star Icon]“Glory to the Sultan!”
The robust shouts of men filled the palace banquet hall, and several servants were bringing in large silver trays lined with delicious food and fruits.
And in the center of the banquet hall, at the highest seat, lay a middleaged man with dark skin, wrapped in a grand and dignified turban, accepting the salutes of glory with a stern face.
“May the guardian spirit of the desert bestow blessings on you, who have shown our people’s spirit without restraint to those who dared to cross the desert. May there be infinite glory to you.”
Lying with a satisfied smile, Sultan Basil’s left ear was adorned with a large emerald green ear cuff, shaped like a leaf.
The generals kneeled to show respect, and soon raised golden goblets in the air.
The sweet fruit wine bestowed by the Sultan filled each glass, and the Sultan’s dancing girls pouring it were beyond beautiful.
Beside the Sultan was a concubine, Iota, with her black hair beautifully tied up, leaning her head on the Sultan’s shoulder, her face covered with a veil that hid her lower face.
“Now, General Manut, who has successfully led the parade and elevated the status of the Grand Bazaar’s army, come closer.”
Manut crawled on his knees to the Sultan and raised the golden goblet to him.
The Sultan then lazily rose from his seat, poured the fruit wine directly for him, and presented it to him.
“Glory to the Sultan forever. May the guardian spirit of the desert bless you.”
At those words, the Sultan laughed heartily, and signaled the musicians and dancers to dance and play, announcing the start of a banquet that would continue for three days.
“The palace maids these days are endlessly chattering about the brave, handsome, young generals. You unmarried ones must consider yourselves blessed.”
The Sultan joked with the highranking generals, including Manut, laughing.
“Yes, but where is the main hero who brought all this glory? I’m talking about Hades Caleb. He wasn’t seen in the parade, and I’m worried.”
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.”
