The emperor, who was sitting on the throne with his old body leaning back, twisted his body with an uncomfortable expression.
Duke Grupford urged the unresponsive emperor again.
“Your Majesty, summon that fellow here right now and reprimand him!”
The emperor, who shifted his body one more time for no reason, reluctantly opened his mouth.
“…Count, don’t you think we need a more plausible reason when summoning a busy person?”
Everyone present knew that the emperor’s words were just an excuse to save face.
Wasn’t Marquis Pryde someone who had the ability to rush to anywhere in this empire in an instant?
“Of course, if that is what Your Majesty thinks, we must follow it.”
Duke Grupford, who quickly offered flattering words, slyly added a question.
“…But Your Majesty. I am truly curious.”
“About what, Count?”
To the emperor’s question asked out of courtesy, a flashing light momentarily crossed the duke’s eyes.
However, like a seasoned politician, he skillfully hid his true feelings and politely asked.
“…Is someone who has made a contract with a demon really invincible until they die of natural causes, Your Majesty?”
The reason the imperial family had carried on its lineage for the past three hundred years was not because they possessed special abilities.
It was merely because, as descendants of the original contractor, they monopolized a lot of information about demons.
Because that cowardly first emperor eradicated the seeds of magic within this barrier through witch hunts.
Moreover, the first emperor even burned all the books about ancient magic and mysteries.
“Well, but he still has a human shell…”
“Even God could not give immortality to the woman he loved.”
The others attending the meeting finally began to show signs of interest.
There must have been a reason why the demon contractors throughout history deliberately coexisted with the puppet-like imperial family.
And surely that cunning first emperor must have prepared some countermeasures.
Knowing the full history of the empire, they swallowed their true thoughts and urged the emperor.
“There is some truth to Duke Grupford’s words.”
“The marquis’s recent conduct has clearly overstepped his duty as a subject.”
Seeing them change their attitude in an instant like flipping their palms, the emperor opened his mouth with a disgusted expression.
“…Dispatching troops to the barrier was also something I permitted.”
In fact, it was almost as if Marquis Pryde had notified him, but anyway, that was the procedure.
The emperor tried to maintain his dignity and ordered.
“It’s just strengthening the border security, what is so wrong with that?”
“But, Your Majesty…”
“You may all leave for today. I would appreciate it if you don’t summon me again for such trivial matters.”
The emperor got up from his seat first with a displeased face.
The members hurriedly rose from their seats and bowed deeply.
In any case, they had to cater to that old fox’s whims in order to receive the black crystal.
The emperor, who returned to his room dragging his long cloak, slowly approached the mirror.
A wrinkled face with liver spots came into view.
“A way to kill a demon contractor…?”
Facing his own face close to death, the emperor muttered with fear-filled eyes.
“…Of course, there is.”
However, that method must never be used.
For the past three hundred years, the demon contractors and the imperial family had maintained an exquisite balance and coexisted.
If this was recklessly broken, who knew what would happen.
Even if they succeeded in killing the current contractor, wouldn’t the demon immediately find the next one?
At that time, there was a possibility that the new contractor might eliminate the emperor, and even further, this imperial family, in order to remove the risk factors.
“No, that can’t be…”
I have to live longer.
I still can’t die because I have regrets.
As the emperor of this empire, as the head of Veritas.
I will enjoy more glory before I go.
He reached out his hand towards his aged face in the mirror and chanted earnestly.
“Just a little more, just a bit more…”
[This is the timeline separator]It was the day after Rin found out that she had a nightmare.
Recently, even in the forest, Delphine and her party didn’t stay in one place for more than a day.
They hastily erased traces of the fires they made and quickly moved to forests in other areas.
As they were preparing to camp there again, Rin suddenly brought up the topic.
“We can’t keep running away like this forever.”
His gaze was fixed on Delphine, who was diligently picking up dry branches.
“We should give up hoping that Pryde will withdraw his troops from the barrier.”
“Yeah. You’re right… I never thought the emperor’s authority would be so weak.”
Belly admitted his mistake cleanly without making excuses.
It wasn’t his fault.
Who could have predicted that they would mobilize the empire’s full power just to catch one woman?
Delphine lowered her head with a bitter expression.
“Yes, Rin. You’re right. It’s time to break through head-on now.”
The expressions of Belly and the other colleagues changed significantly.
If they decided to stop running away, there were only two paths left in front of them.
Either succeed in escaping beyond the barrier, or fail and die at the hands of the marquis.
“The biggest problem is breaking through that defensive wall.”
Rin pondered with a serious face.
“It would be best if we could break through and escape in one go, but it’s such a thick and sturdy wall that it will take time.”
“Last time, we missed the opportunity because of that…”
“Damn it. The problem is always Marquis Pryde. Is there even a way to stop him?”
Hearing them discussing seriously, Delphine solidified her resolve.
She didn’t know the exact timing, but soon her belly would start showing.
By then, she wouldn’t be able to hide the fact of her pregnancy anymore, and her activities would become uncomfortable.
As Rin said, now was the time to make a decision.
A man as cruel and strong as a demon.
If he had any weaknesses, it would be…
Lost in thought, Delphine slowly opened her mouth.
“…He said he wished to the demon to protect me.”
The curious gazes of her colleagues were fixed on her.
“And in fact, whenever I was in danger, he would suddenly appear from somewhere.”
“Then that means…”
“He must be able to sense my location when I’m in a crisis.”
When her life is in danger, he can know. She was convinced of that.
Belly and the others also agreed with her speculation.
“That’s right. It makes sense.”
He might be waiting for her to be in danger just to catch her.
…Then, rather than waiting to be caught someday, it would be better to use it as an opportunity.
“I have an idea.”
Is it okay to do this?
The reason she had been hesitating about this plan was because she wanted to choose that direction if there were any other options.
But the situation was only getting worse.
Thinking about the child in her belly, she felt sorry, but now there were no other choices.
‘I’m sorry I can’t show you only good things and make you think only good thoughts, baby.’
“…You said that what is needed to operate magic is definitely aurum and a magic circle, right?”
Delphine slowly began to reveal her plan.
Even if he was a man with an unfathomable inside like a demon, he was still the husband she had shared a room with every day for the past six months.
She was the one who knew Ioan Pryde best in this empire.
The faces of her companions, who had been listening silently for a while, were filled with horror.
The first to react was Rin again.
“That’s too dangerous, Delphine!”
“It’s not dangerous.”
Delphine calmly replied.
“He will never harm me. He might be a little… angry though.”
Of course, that’s if he was the same as before.
For the past month, he had acted as if he no longer cared about her safety at all.
So maybe this time, she might not be safe.
However, Delphine hid her anxiety deep in her heart and spoke with a composed face.
“But it’s different for you all. To be honest, I can’t guarantee that Ioan will spare your lives no matter how much I plead now.”
They nodded their heads with a convinced look.
It took a little more time to persuade Rin, but in the end, even he reluctantly agreed to her plan.
The decision was made.
It was time to make another attempt to cross that barrier.
Among her colleagues who were busily starting their own tasks again, Delphine cast a distant gaze far away.
Ioan.
I will face you again after a month.
How will you react when you see me again?
And what emotions will I feel when I see you again?
[This is the timeline separator]Early in the morning, at an illegal drug trading post located in the eastern part of District 3.
A man in a white uniform opened the old door there and strode in.
He was a man with a huge build and an alluring face that gave a slightly different feeling from his appearance.
A merchant who had been blankly watching him suddenly stood up from his seat and shouted.
“Lo-Lord Marquis? I just reported it, how did you…”
Pryde looked down at the drug trading post merchant who reported in the early morning and parted his red lips.
Of course, it was not to answer the question.
He asked in a chilling voice filled with anger.
“A tall man with black hair, you say?”
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
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