“Lati…”
Under the sky that produced a beautiful twilight mixing pink and purple as the hot sun set, Luhan sat absentmindedly on the castle wall.
“Was she a slave from Caleb’s territory? Probably a trophy that Hades personally took from the empire.”
Luhan quietly murmured to himself.
“Hades has no interest in women, so she must be a thoughtlessly acquired slave. Perhaps I could negotiate a good price to take her.”
But what next?
What would he do after bringing Latifa here?
If Luhan brought her to the palace, the best she could hope for was to serve as his maid.
Her status would be akin to that of a prisoner of war who lost her country, and as a prince, there was nothing he could do.
The Sultan was aging, the princes were grown, and the eyes of the world were on who the successor would be.
A prince of a nation wanting to take a woman from a fallen country, who looked distinctly different? It would be an enormous scandal.
“The proud desert people won’t accept me, and Iotawa and Tarek would love to tear me apart.”
Beyond the wall, the bustling streets of the Grand Bazaar appeared busy even as the sun was about to set.
People were welcoming the night cheerfully in the alley bustling with vendors selling roasted leeks and grilled lamb, pepper bread with sauce, and fruit liquors made from various fruits.
That was the precious everyday life that Luhan had to protect in the future.
Feeling the warm air carrying delicious scents all over his body, Luhan quietly muttered to himself.
“Everyone’s busy. I’m just standing still, but everyone’s busy.”
—Everyone at the Grand Bazaar was busy flowing along.
Remembering the time when Latifa blinked and looked up at him at the market, Luhan gently closed his eyes.
When he met Latifa, he felt as if everything had stopped. He smiled faintly, recalling that tranquil feeling, as if the world had gone silent and only the two of them were tied in a unique space.
“Latifa. The sun of the Grand Bazaar sets peacefully today as well. May your night be peaceful until the sun rises tomorrow.”
A tender yearning deeply tinged Luhan’s twinkling hazel eyes.
[Star Icon][Star Icon]In the far corner of the inner grounds of Caleb’s stronghold was a large clearing.
Latifa pushed the steamed rice she had brought for dinner to one side of the silver tray and walked back in front of the lion’s cage.
A day would pass and it would be the Frau appointment ceremony that General Hades had mentioned. She couldn’t possibly have an appetite in this situation.
Got closer to the lion?
That was vague.
Even among humans, conversation was different from being friendly with the person.
[Bring me more of that fragrant wood, you puny human.]The lion’s spirit appeared and disappeared unpredictably. It was the most distinct spirit she had ever seen, but also the most arrogant.
“It’s you who got caught by this puny human, you know…”
Latifa grumbled as she tossed him a new piece of fragrant wood.
[I could swallow a human like you in one bite if I were out of here.]Someone with black hair overlapped with the lion’s laughing words, but Latifa deliberately ignored it.
That someone with black hair had not shown his face near the lion’s cage for a long time.
“Ugh. So how did you get caught, Lord Lion?”
The lion’s slender yellow eyes flashed as they looked at Latifa. The sense of threat was a bit lighter, maybe because she had been trying to win his favor.
Latifa took a courageous step closer to the cage.
[I had eight lionesses and ruled the largest territory as the Emperor. But some young male, even before growing a proper mane, challenged me as I grew old. He took over my pride after a humiliating defeat. I was caught by you humans while I was injured and left my pride.]The lion growled low and long as he stared intently at Latifa. Focusing on the lion’s voice echoing in her head, Latifa spoke.
“I’m sorry for capturing you. Well, it wasn’t me who did it, but I’m sorry I can’t set you free.”
The lion snorted loudly and lay flat on the ground inside the cage.
[It doesn’t matter. I lost everything before I lost my physical freedom. My territory, my lionesses, and cubs. All the glorious things of an Emperor. I was their Emperor, once.]The lion looked somewhere with a vacant gaze and started pacing within the cage.
[So what happens to me now?]This was the first time the lion had asked Latifa anything.
[Do I have to spend the rest of my life eating dead meat, being the spectacle of you frail humans, whose throats I could easily sever with my teeth if not for this fence? Is my only comfort the fragrant wood you throw in this confined space?] “I’m no different from you. My home has turned into ruins and disappeared, and soon I will be nothing more than a spectacle here. By tomorrow, people will flock to gawk at you and me.” [It seems our survival is their entertainment.]The lion let out a groan, revealing its large four fangs.
“I have something I need to do. I would appreciate your cooperation for that.”
[Is that your request, or is it the request of that male human behind you?]“Huh?”
Latifa was taken aback by the lion’s words and looked behind her. But there was no one there.
“There’s no one there?”
The lion’s yellow eyes twinkled with interest, and it straightened its back, took one step at a time, and pushed its head closer between the bars.
[Come closer. Speak with me, you wretched yet fascinating human.]Slowly, Latifa took steps and placed her hands on the wooden bars.
[A little closer. I want to see your face.]Swallowing nervously, Latifa observed the lion. The lion sat quietly inside the cage and showed no signs of harming her.
Having no other choice, Latifa cautiously poked her face through the bars.
Suddenly, the lion swiftly raised its large and menacing front paw.
[Roar!]Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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