Tarek nervously spoke as he set down his water pipe, and Hades leisurely stretched before rising from his seat.
Then he loudly addressed the crowd gathered in the stadium.
“It’s already this late. Are you all tired? I hope the food and drink were to your liking. They are gifts from the Sultan; how could they possibly taste bad?! Hahaha! Ah, if by any chance they weren’t to your taste, direct your complaints to the palace, not me.”
The relaxed and slightly intoxicated guests applauded, praising the efforts of Prince Khaled, the host of the banquet.
“Now, you must be curious. What will Hades, the acknowledged lunatic at the center of all the scandals and gossip of this Grand Bazaar, choose as his Frau?”
The crowd responded with laughter as Hades referred to himself as a lunatic. Savoring the reaction, he continued with a bright smile.
Though Hades was undoubtedly a fearsome lunatic, he was an individual overflowing with charisma and charm that captivated people.
“A Frau ceremony is not a childish event where only pups of noble breeds or famous horses from the northern region show off their tricks. I express my deepest gratitude to my guests who have endured the shame of attending such a place.”
“Enough with the nonsense.”
Tarek grumbled beside him. Hades briefly shifted his eyes and turned his head towards Tarek.
“Common and mediocre? Such adjectives absolutely do not suit Hades Caleb Ignite. Maybe they suit you, Prince Tarek, but I wouldn’t know. Hahaha!”
“Hades…!”
Tarek furrowed his brow deeply and gripped his golden goblet tightly.
Clink. The fruit wine in the golden goblet overflowed slightly, and Hades cheekily asked for forgiveness.
“Would Prince Tarek, famous for his fiery temper, be angry over such a comment?”
Finally, General Serzha, one of Tarek’s supporters, intervened.
“General Hades. Your words may be witty, but we are not here to listen to your banter or enjoy the banquet. We are here to see your Frau. Look at the people; aren’t they all expecting something?”
At this, Hades’ eyes curled into crescent moons.
“Oh. General Serzha, you too are impatient. Very well. Let me present to you my [Dash].”
Before Hades could finish, a loud, robust roar echoed from beneath the stadium.
[Dash] Roooaaar!Soon, a large lion with a deep ochre mane appeared, slowly walking out.
“It’s a lion!”
“My God, protectors of the desert! It’s a golden lion!”
“Isn’t the golden lion the largest and fiercest of lion species?!”
Then Hades’ pupils contracted as he quickly scanned the surroundings.
A lion appearing in the stadium was not part of the plan. Moreover, the lion was neither caged nor chained.
“Ha! You made such a fuss over bringing a lion? It’s just a big house cat!”
Tarek snickered beside him.
“It is a bit disappointing. The food and drinks from the Sultan seem better, General Hades.”
General Serzha also clapped politely but sided with Tarek’s comment.
Hades sharply rolled his eyes, scanning the area.
Fortunately, the lion was in a relatively low stadium, distanced from the people, and did not appear to be hungry.
It was inexplicable why the lion, supposedly sent back to the livestock market, was now loitering in the stadium. However, Hades didn’t show a hint of confusion.
The only thing bothering him was,
“Where is Latifa right now….”
Hades bit his lower lip, his eyes darting around.
Then Tarek threw a chicken leg at the lion with all his might.
[Dash]Thud.The chicken leg hit the lion’s back precisely before bouncing off the ground.
[Dash]Roar!The lion roared as if angry, but Tarek just laughed at it.
“Haha! Upon closer inspection, it’s just an old, weakened lion! I had high hopes because it’s a Frou! Well, it’s cute, General Hades! Hahaha!”
“PrPrince Tarek, that lion doesn’t even have a collar; it looks dangerous. Please refrain from taking risks…”
Serdis, visibly scared by the lion’s roar, tried to stop Tarek. Yet, Tarek carelessly laughed it off and threw another piece of fruit at the lion.
“A strong man of the desert wouldn’t be scared by a house cat! Surely its teeth are all gone by now. Didn’t they release it without a cage?”
[Dash]Roar!As Tarek continued to provoke the lion, it started jumping around, causing chaos in the front rows of the stadium.
“Ah! The lion is going berserk!”
“Run! The lion is trying to climb up!”
The highly agitated lion struggled to climb over the low wall of the stadium, slashing the air with its large claws.
Hades looked at the chaos momentarily before reassuring the crowd loudly.
“Everyone, calm down! We have Prince Tarek here, who’s proficient with a sword!”
“What?! Me?!”
Tarek, who had been laughing at the chaos, suddenly jumped up at Hades’ shout.
“I was originally going to handle it, but can’t you, Prince Tarek, valiantly subdue such an old lion?”
“Ha! You cheeky…”
Feeling deeply insulted and already drunk, Tarek unsheathed his scimitar and headed down to the stadium floor.
“I’ll finish off Hades’ pet cat in one stroke!”
Having reached the edge of the stadium, Tarek lunged at the lion that was still climbing the wall.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
