Captured by the Desert Tyrant (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
“I’m not going to the desert.”
“What?”
At her resolute words, Hades’s hoarse voice burst out.
“What about the gold ingot?”
Slowly lifting her head, she saw Hades’s expression—slightly startled by her swollen face.
“I won’t accept the gold ingot either.”
“…….”
A brief silence passed. During that time, she could feel Hades’s dark eyes fixed on her, burning with an odd intensity.
His sharp gaze made her feel as if every part of her was being laid bare, and she felt a flicker of fear—but the die had already been cast.
“You must be so shocked your mind isn’t working properly. I’ll call the army physician! Army physician!”
Hades truly called for the physician, apparently thinking she’d gone mad. That felt like a complete dismissal of her opinion, and frustration surged up inside her.
Latifa finally clenched her fists and forced herself to speak.
“No. I mean it. I’m giving up the gold ingot.”
“I wonder what your real intention is.”
“I have no hidden motive. I simply don’t trust you.”
“……You don’t trust me?”
“It was my fault for not reading the contract properly. But even if I followed you into the desert, there’s no guarantee I’d actually receive the gold ingot, is there?”
“I am a general of this nation. I don’t have time to toy with you idly.”
“How would I know? For all I know, you might be penniless out there.”
Zzit. At the word “penniless,” Hades glared at her sharply, clearly wounded in his pride.
“You dare call the thousand-year-honored Caleb penniless? You’ve got quite the nerve.”
“I don’t have the courage to risk my life crossing the desert for a gold ingot I might not even get.”
Most of the refugees previously held by the desert people had already fled into exile. With no captives left and the contract itself a fraud, there was no reason to grovel excessively before him.
Hades asked, his face hardened like stone.
“Then what does it mean that you’ve come back to help me now?”
“This is my way of repaying your kindness and goodwill. It’s true my leg healed quickly thanks to you, and our refugees have safely escaped as well.”
At her words, Hades curled the corner of his mouth into a strange, crooked smile.
“You knew you never intended to give me the gold ingot anyway—that’s why you deliberately wrote the contract in a way I couldn’t understand.”
Thinking back on it, the contract truly was absurd. How was she supposed to know where “Caleb’s private land” even was?
She bit her lower lip hard to suppress another wave of sorrow. Her vision blurred with tears again, but she refused to close her eyes—if she let tears fall after trying so hard to sound bold, it would look like total defeat.
‘He must have thought I seemed easy prey—a woman from a defeated nation.’
Had he found her pathetic for dropping her guard so quickly just because he’d shown her a little kindness? He probably enjoyed watching the day she groveled helplessly over the captured refugees.
“So from the very beginning, you only meant to toy with me?”
Now that she thought about it, even his talk of “value” and treating her leg wound had all been just to amuse himself by watching her dance in his palm.
Feeling sorry for herself for having been briefly moved by those gestures only made her eyes burn hotter with tears.
“No matter how foolishly our empire fell, I won’t let myself be toyed with by someone as despicable as you.”
Hades, silently staring at her, had firm lips that matched his deep skin perfectly—making him look like the very image of a strikingly handsome, strong man.
‘So what? He’s a mad dog who cheats people.’
Latifa thought the nickname suited him perfectly.
“So that nickname ‘mad dog’ wasn’t given for nothing.”
“What?”
“You hurt others without warning or regard for their feelings—that’s exactly what a mad dog does.”
“Ha! For a woman of a defeated nation, you certainly don’t hold your tongue!”
Hades snorted loudly in disbelief, pushed back his curly bangs, and glared coldly at Latifa. But she held his gaze without flinching.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t afraid of those black, flame-like eyes that had brought down her empire. But he’d trampled only the empire—not her. She wouldn’t let him play with her too.
How long had they locked eyes, those intense black orbs meeting her unwavering stare?
“……Fine.”
After a long while, his lips finally moved.
“Do as you please. Everything’s finished—leave this place tomorrow.”
With those words, Hades turned and walked away without a backward glance. Latifa watched him through tear-filled eyes and made a firm resolution.
‘Right. I’ll take this as a lesson. Since there’s no empire left to protect me, I must stay sharp and live properly.’
She kept trying to soothe herself with hopeful thoughts, yet the sorrow lingered for a long time.
**
After Latifa declared she wouldn’t accept the gold ingot, the one who flew into the most furious rage wasn’t Hades or even Latifa—it was Brenda.
“You’re insane! You should’ve thrown a tantrum if you had to, just to get it!”
“He’s a despicable, underhanded desert man—and a general at that!”
“So what?!”
“We were never in a position to stand against him in the first—”
“That’s because you’re stupid, Latifa!”
Brenda cut her off, erupting in fiery anger.
“You’ve been like this since we first met! What makes you so special that you act weak and innocent, sneak off like a coward, and just waste food like a fool?!”
“Br—Brenda……”
“You’re utterly useless! You should’ve offered your own body to capture the desert general! And now you’re spouting comfortable nonsense—look at the mess you’ve made!”
“I never expected this…… I’m truly sorry, Brenda.”
“Oh, you’re just brilliant! Really! You useless girl! Do you even know why I’ve stayed here all this time? Without that gold, are we supposed to sit begging on the streets of Roan Duchy?!”
Brenda shoved the apologizing Latifa away, as if flames were shooting from her mouth.
“You didn’t get a single coin? Really?”
“We’ve already received food and goodwill—that’s enough, Brenda. We’re no different from any other imperial citizen now.”
“No! We’re not the same!”
Latifa eventually lost the courage to face Brenda, who kept raging uncontrollably despite all attempts to reason with her.
Even though they’d been swindled, this contract had originally had nothing to do with Brenda anyway.
Right now, they were alone only because Brenda had volunteered to care for the injured Latifa—not because Latifa had asked.
And had Brenda ever actually taken proper care of her when she was hurt?
‘If not for General Hades’s medicine, my injury would’ve worsened instead of healing.’
Resentment toward Brenda grew steadily. Latifa had done her best for Brenda’s sake, yet Brenda neither acknowledged her efforts nor showed any understanding—just blind, unreasonable anger. She couldn’t bear it anymore.
“I’m just as upset about not getting the gold. But Brenda, you have no right to take your anger out on me like this.”
Finally, Latifa barely suppressed her own anger and tried to leave the tent.
“Wait, Latifa!”
Suddenly, Brenda’s strong hand grabbed Latifa’s long hair.
“Kyaaah!”
“You must’ve already gotten the gold ingot and are lying because you don’t want to share it with me, right? That’s it! Otherwise, how could you stay so calm?!”
“Brenda! No! That’s impossible! Ahh! Let go! It hurts!”
“Give me my gold ingot! Hand it over, you shameless girl!”
It felt as if her scalp was being ripped off by Brenda’s fierce grip.
Her already thin body swayed limply in Brenda’s grasp. She lost her balance and fell, yet Brenda kept shaking her hair, demanding the gold.
‘Why……’
Even desert soldiers had shown concern for her swollen eyes—how could a fellow imperial citizen treat her like this? Latifa couldn’t understand it at all.
“Ugh! Brenda……!”
The pain from Brenda’s rough handling hurt more than the physical ache in her head. Disgust at Brenda’s twisted greed slowly choked Latifa’s breath away.
In the end, she closed her eyes helplessly.
—Kwang!
“Uwaaah!”
With a loud crash, Brenda’s hand gripping her hair was instantly torn away.
‘What… what’s happening?!’
Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Brenda sprawled on the floor—and Hades standing over her, sword drawn.
“G—General Hades……?!”
Hades looked down at Latifa with an emotionless, icy voice.
“Now you understand what happens when you bring in the wrong subordinate.”
His black pupils, sharpened like the blade he held, flicked toward Brenda. Under his murderous glare, Brenda, collapsed on the floor, began whimpering and pleading.
“Hic…! P—please spare me! L—Latifa, quickly say something in the desert tongue!”
“H—Hade—”
“Shh.”
Before she could say anything, Hades let out a low “shh.” Though it was merely a quiet breath, the sheer pressure silenced Latifa instantly.
Hades slowly stepped forward, sword in hand, until he stood directly before Brenda. He pointed the tip of his blade right at her nose and spoke.
“This woman neglected her duties, acted lazy, and shamelessly coveted and tried to steal what belonged to her superior.”
“H—heeek!”
Though Brenda couldn’t understand Hades’s desert speech, his murderous aura and overwhelming presence turned her face pale, and she began trembling violently.
“Like a sack full of holes—no matter how much you fill it, it never closes its mouth. Instead of honoring those she should serve, she harms them. What should be done with such a person?”
“Please… hrrk… have mercy…!”
“For this crime, nothing is more fitting than death.”
In that moment, the general’s cruel nature—briefly forgotten while working together—was fully revealed. Before Latifa could intervene, Hades raised his arm and brought the sword down.
—Pwook!
“Hrrgh!”
“Kyaaah!”
The blade plunged straight past Brenda’s head into the bare floor. Brenda convulsed as if struck by lightning, then fainted.
“Oh… thank goodness.”
Relieved that Brenda hadn’t been killed, Latifa stood dazed—until Hades approached her.
He gently ran his fingers through her silvery bangs, carefully inspecting them—probably checking for injuries.
It didn’t hurt, but the memory of his recent cold brutality made her instinctively push his hand away and step back.
Hades’s dark hand, which had been examining her head, froze midair.
“Thank you for your help, but I’m fine now.”
“Is it because of the gold ingot?”
At his coldly spoken words, her head automatically bowed deeply.
This was the worst possible moment.
She’d defended greedy Brenda all this time simply because they were fellow imperial citizens—and now, to be exposed in such a raw, ugly scene was unbearably shameful.
And worst of all, it was in front of that despicable mad dog—the last person she wanted to see.
‘After all that pride, acting so haughtily while refusing the gold ingot…’
Overwhelmed by shame, she squeezed her eyes shut and fidgeted with her arms—when suddenly, she heard Hades’s voice, soft and warm, as if for the first time.
[Good thing you don’t seem hurt.]Immediately followed by his usual, mocking, annoying tone.
“So you wouldn’t listen to my advice—look where it got you.”
“……?!”
Startled by these contradictory voices, she lifted her head—and an unprecedented sight unfolded before her.
‘This… this is a spirit!’
The silvery spirit, which only appeared when speaking with animals, faintly fluttered above the crown of Hades’s head.
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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