Captured into the Bedroom of the Enemy Emperor (1 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 1
“I ask again—Crown Prince Patrick?”
“…….”
The captive clad in silver plate armor gave no reply.
“Remove his helmet.”
Emperor Har Chen Eint Karl Berk of the Karsik Empire commanded.
He had just emerged from his bath, where he’d been leisurely sipping spirits while listening to a lute performance. Water dripped steadily from his damp black hair. He tied the sash of his black silk robe and sat down on the sofa.
Held firmly by two knights on either side, the captive was noticeably smaller in stature than both knights, even at a glance. Deputy Commander Kalip removed the captive’s closed steel helmet.
“Ah!”
A collective gasp escaped everyone present in the reception room adjoining the emperor’s bedchamber.
As Kalip pulled off the helmet, he tugged the hair ribbon along with it. A cascade of thick, wavy golden hair spilled forth like a sudden golden flood, swaying as it fell.
“Haah, Crown Prince Patrick?”
A servant behind the emperor, drying his wet hair, leaned forward and whispered quietly into the emperor’s ear.
“Your Majesty, it seems this is a woman.”
The emperor rose swiftly, grasped the sword hanging on the wall, and drew it from its scabbard, pressing the gleaming blade against the captive’s throat.
“Yes, it couldn’t possibly be Patrick. I know well enough his pitiful swordsmanship. Judging by the skill with the blade, this isn’t Patrick.”
The Karsik Emperor grabbed the coarse linen bandage wrapped around the captive’s neck—it had been applied by a field medic after treatment with medicinal herbs.
He brushed the wound with his left hand. As the cloth tore away, droplets of blood clung reddish onto his knuckles.
The emperor tilted the tip of his sword upward. The sharp point pressed against the slender, pale neck, drawing a faint red line on the smooth white skin.
“Speak—tell me who you are.”
“Kill me.”
“Whether I kill you or spare you is my decision. Answer my question—who are you?”
“…….”
Even the plate armor he wore was suspicious.
“A woman? Then why pretend to be Patrick?”
“Kill me.”
The emperor shifted the sword tip from the neck to beneath the captive’s chin and spoke calmly to Kalip.
“Remove the armor.”
Kalip unfastened the segmented plate armor piece by piece—the fauld, pauldrons, and couters that covered the shoulders and torso. When he removed the gauntlets, delicate, slender wrists and pale hands were revealed.
Such slender wrists!
The emperor grew irritated.
Partly due to his own lapse in vigilance, but that moment returned to him vividly—when he had lost a sword duel against a woman. He recalled the blind crone’s prophecy from the bath, which he had dismissed as mere delusion.
“Today, Your Majesty must yield your bedchamber to a maiden who resembles the sun.”
A lady who looked exactly like Patrick.
Haah, what madness.
And then, sealed memories surged forth—the graduation banquet at Tane Academy, the incident on the dim terrace. He had thought it impossible, a mere illusion to be forgotten. But it hadn’t been an illusion after all.
Ah, so it was you.
*
The early summer sun rose with haste.
“It will be a long day.”
Tension swept through the misty Tamir Valley.
“Today, we capture Tane’s commander!”
The battle that began at Panaho was fiercely contested. For four days, they had ceded territory around Panaho as Tane’s troop strength remained undetermined.
The front line had been pushed back to the foothills of Victor Mountain, which actually favored the Karsik soldiers who had trained there.
While reorganizing at the camp below Tamir Valley, twenty thousand soldiers deployed to the northern Kaosan Gold Valley arrived.
The previous night, they had captured a group of Tane soldiers moving through the darkened foothills. From them, they extracted the information that their commander was Crown Prince Patrick.
“The one clad in plate armor is Tane’s commander. I shall grant a whole gold mine to whoever captures him. Bring him to me—his head alone will suffice.”
The emperor spurred his black warhorse, Khan.
“Forward!”
A horn blared, and the valley trembled with the thunder of hooves and drums.
So it’s Patrick…!
If it truly was Patrick, the emperor—though left-handed—could overpower him using only his right hand. Leading his elite Black Chain Knights, he pursued the silver-armored figure with ferocity.
They drove him like a rabbit all the way to Tamir Valley. While his knights engaged the silver-armored figure’s guards, the emperor closed in directly behind.
The silver-armored figure gave the emperor a brief glance, then sharply turned his head and galloped off.
Patrick. Could it be you?
The emperor yanked Khan’s reins. The massive black warhorse reared, then snorted roughly and charged forward, reaching the limestone ridge where the sounds of Tamir Valley’s waters grew clear.
The silver-armored figure, cornered at the cliff’s edge, dismounted.
The emperor also dismounted and removed his helm—revealing his face to the trapped Patrick.
He had intended to show his face as Har Chen, now Emperor, expecting Patrick to recognize him, lower his sword, and surrender—so he could be taken captive with due honor.
Patrick was his junior at the Tane Imperial Academy. Though two years younger, they had been quite close.
During their academy days, both had been crown princes destined to become emperors of the two great empires on the Arcan continent.
Crown Prince Patrick had never put down his books. He was dignified and gentle by nature—entirely unlike his war-mongering father, Emperor Kazan, in both character and disposition.
Patrick had preferred poetry recitations and debates over sword duels. His swordsmanship had been poor.
Patrick, I once respected you.
As the early summer sun set, crimson hues spread across the sky, and summer’s evening mist and darkness settled over the dense forest and valley.
The emperor paused briefly, gazing up at the reddened sky, then stepped toward his opponent. They closed the distance until they could see each other’s eyes through the open visor of the helm.
Suddenly, the silver-armored figure lunged with dazzling swordplay—an attack filled with venomous intent.
“Crown Prince Patrick, didn’t you once say war is the worst choice, destroying everything? That violence and war can never be glorified, regardless of victory or defeat? So your principles were cheaply discarded before gold.”
The emperor, unable to hide his disappointment, swung his sword sharply. After several exchanges of attack and parry, he realized Patrick’s swordsmanship had improved dramatically since their academy days.
The emperor blocked the opponent’s downward strike, subtly adjusting his strength as their blades met, and peered into the eyes within the silver helm.
They were sharp blue eyes, glaring with palpable killing intent.
The silver-armored figure broke eye contact and precisely aimed for the emperor’s throat—now bare without his helm.
“How dare you! Patrick, you dare strike me?”
He dodged nimbly, yet a jet of dark red blood spurted from his neck, causing him to choke.
Clutching his neck with his gauntlet, the emperor swiftly slashed with the sword held in his left hand.
Patrick, you’ve grown sharp without my notice. What changed you?
When the emperor deflected the clashing blade, the silver-armored figure retreated briefly, then quickly regained position and swung again. They stood locked in tense combat.
In a flash, the silver-armored figure raised his left gauntlet, extended his index finger, and spun it in circles toward the sky.
What signal is this?
He relentlessly struck at the silver armor’s exposed shoulder and flank. Even segmented plate armor restricted joint movement.
Just as the emperor’s blade thrust beneath the fauld covering the shoulder, the silver-armored figure countered.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew blue as their blades collided, locking in a test of strength before the silver helm. The emperor lifted his sword slightly, then swiftly twisted the blade to deflect it aside.
Clang.
The silver-armored figure’s sword fell to the ground. Having dropped his weapon, he spun around abruptly, ready to leap off the cliff into the valley below.
The emperor was faster. He lunged forward and seized the silver-armored figure by the waist.
Even through thick armor, the body felt frail and light under his grip.
Patrick?
Damn it!
The emperor frowned at the faint scent of the captive’s skin penetrating through the heavy armor.
“Your Majesty, are you wounded?”
Deputy Commander Kalip and three knights arrived, binding the silver-armored captive with black chains. Kalip quickly applied first aid to the emperor’s neck wound.
The wound wasn’t deep.
At the final moment, the hand holding the sword hadn’t been strong enough to sever his throat—infuriating. Patrick, you dared aim for my life with such feeble strength?
The emperor’s party descended to the camp below the valley.
Soldiers resting against trees and others preparing evening meals by campfires erupted in cheers at the sight of the silver-armored captive bound in black chains.
“Tane’s commander has been captured!”
“Hooray! Long live Karsik!”
“Long live His Imperial Majesty!”
“Har Chen, Har Chen, Har Chen, Har Chen!”
The soldiers chanted “Har Chen” with rhythmic accents, as if singing a refrain.
To them, “Har Chen” wasn’t merely the emperor’s dignified name—but a symbol to be revered like the sky, the sun, the moon, and stars.
As the emperor dismounted from his great black warhorse Khan and raised his sword high toward the heavens, silence fell instantly.
He approached the group of thirty bound Tane captives seated together. With a single stroke of his sword, he severed one prisoner’s ropes and ordered his deputy commander to provide the man with a horse.
“Go—there is your commander, and crown prince.”
He pointed his sword toward the silver-armored captive.
“Tell the Tane Emperor: if he does not propose terms of negotiation within three days, I shall hang the crown prince’s head upon the willow trees of Panaho.”
The emperor raised his sword high toward the southern sky—toward Tane.
“And furthermore—the war is not over!”
“Hooray! To Tane!”
“To Tane! Har Chen, Har Chen, Har Chen, Har Chen!”
Kalip suggested the emperor rest not in the field tents but in Panas Fortress near Panaho.
“Shall I?”
“Your Majesty, what shall we do with the prisoner? With the other Tane soldiers…?”
“Leave him alone. No—bring him to Panas Fortress.”
Kalip placed the armored captive onto a cart and tethered it to his own horse. The emperor’s black warhorse Khan set off, followed by three knights and the cart bearing the prisoner.
Not long after, the grand Panas Fortress came into view.
The emperor wished nothing more than to soak in a hot, fragrant bath, sip a glass of spirits, and sleep soundly.
Coincidentally, a wandering blind lutenist crone was staying at the fortress. Knowing the emperor enjoyed lute music, the steward had arranged for her to stay in a side chamber.
The emperor ordered Kalip to take the prisoner not to the fortress dungeons but to a guest room, treating him with the respect due to a foreign crown prince.
Provide warm food and a bath, he instructed—but bind his hands and feet to prevent self-harm or escape.
While listening to the blind lutenist crone’s music, the emperor drank green spirits—Pannean.
Truly, it was a melody of illusion.
The exhaustion from ten days of intense battlefield strain began to fade.
He had departed immediately from the capital, Liswan, upon hearing Tane’s countless soldiers had invaded Panaho’s borders without declaration of war.
At least it was Patrick—not the war-mongering Emperor Kazan—which allowed the conflict to end earlier than expected. Damn that Patrick.
Thinking of Patrick, a fierce sense of betrayal flared hot within him.
The lutenist’s present sight was pitch-black; she saw nothing. Yet the blind crone possessed eyes that saw the future.
When gazing into the future, colors appeared vividly, and she could even feel the fresh, damp touch of young grass blades.
Having finished two successive, sorrowful, delicate melodies, the lutenist turned her head toward where the faint sound of water flowed.
The blind crone bowed her head toward the emperor, who sat with eyes closed in the bath.
“Your Majesty, blazing flame of the empire, golden sun incarnate.”
“Speak.”
“Today, Your Majesty must yield your bedchamber to a maiden who resembles the sun.”
When male lead is the homewrecker
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
I’ve read the novel below twice already. Girls, I’m highly recommending it to you!
The female lead? Not a good person.
The second male lead? Not a good person.
The male lead? Willingly plays the third party, breaking up the female and second male lead’s relationship despite all the warnings from his friends—so yeah, he’s definitely not a good person either.
Basically, nobody in this novel is simple-minded or without scheming.
The female lead starts off as the male lead’s secretary, but don’t worry—later on, she takes over the company while the male lead steps back to support her. He won’t steal her spotlight, overshadow her, or dull her shine.
I love novels where men are out here snatching wigs, tearing each other down, and going to war just to win the female lead’s affection. And this is exactly that kind of novel. Most of Hai Dai Ran’s works have this dynamic. You’ll see the male characters’ emotions being pushed to the absolute extreme.
There’s even a scene where the second male lead exposes the male lead online for being a homewrecker. The brotherhood immediately gangs up on him, dragging him through the mud. I find it compelling —it completely flips reality on its head, where usually, women are the ones fighting over a man and getting torn apart by the sisterhood.
For me, female leads in the novels I read should only struggle in their careers, not in love. But if the brainless romantics in the story are all men? I have zero complaints.
I’ve pretty much read all of Hai Dai Ran’s novels and even translated all of them—her works are just my thing. I’ll slowly upload everything here. One day, when my website is official, I hope I can invite her to join as one of the star authors.
Here’s the story synopsis:
One-line summary: She is his lifelong obsession, to the point where he was willing to be a third wheel, scorned by society, just to wedge his way into her relationship with her fiancé.
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Intro 1:
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
With blood trickling from his clenched fist, Rong Xiu gazed at the woman before him, his eyes clouded with anguish. Hidden in the wardrobe, he had witnessed Fan Xia – the woman he desperately loved – in an intimate embrace with her fiancé. Yet his heart still yearned for her, defying all reason.
Fan Xia, the elegant and composed assistant, carried something mysterious in her eyes whenever she looked at her fiancé, Wen Lan Sheng. Strange occurrences began to surface – secret meetings with the young Gu Jin Yi, an unexplained withdrawal of 5,000 yuan… Then suddenly, her fiancé’s sister, Wen Jing, violently attacked her.
In this matriarchal society, Rong Xiu had risen to become the chairman of a powerful healthcare conglomerate, breaking through gender prejudices. But for the first time, he willingly stepped into the shadows as the other man, disregarding his friends’ warnings to become her secret lover.
Because he had discovered the truth – Fan Xia wasn’t the pure angel everyone believed her to be. And perhaps, he was the only one capable of helping her execute her mysterious plan…
Intro 2:
Rong Xiu’s biggest regret in life was missing out on Fan Xia.
He secretly loved Fan Xia for 7 years.
Watched her go public with her boyfriend.
Watched her kiss her boyfriend at their wedding.
Until that man blissfully nestled in Fan Xia’s arms, obtaining everything he could only dream of.
The crazy jealousy stripped away his hidden secret love, layer by layer, burning like wildfire.
Fan Xia, how can I have you!
【Reading and Trigger Warning Guide】
1. Female dominant, male submissive, male pregnancy
2. Male lead schemes his way to the top, male competition
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
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MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (11)
Nah, the story is incredibly infuriating—it makes you want to smack the characters.
Wow, what a complicated family—they’re exhausting.
Re-reading this chapter, it made realize how little Patricia regarding her life compared to Patrick, all because of her guilt over her twin’s sickness which she assumed caused by her taking away his nutrition during pregnancy (in my opinion, it’s an entirely absurd superstition and baseless theory at best). Glad Patricia has come far by started relying in Harchen until she can trust him and vice versa.
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Lili lady
The first thing is, the story really confused me—the question is, what actually happened?