The fights had always been frequent, but today’s felt unusually intense. Lourdel was left speechless by Shasha’s claim that the crossbow was ours.
How could you do this to me? You’re the first woman who’s ever ignored me like this. Standing beside the mat, Lourdel looked down at the two.
Shasha was busy talking to Merkin, seemingly ignoring Lourdel’s presence.
Lourdel stared at them for a long while. Was it because his usual spot was taken? His anger was palpable.
“Shasha, let’s all play together as friends.”
“……Fine, sit there if you want.”
Shasha, who usually listened to me no matter how angry, yielded her space, albeit reluctantly.
Just when I was wondering what would happen if Lourdel didn’t sit, his lips puckered out, and he took a seat in the corner.
Of course, he did nothing. Just watched Shasha play with Merkin.
Initially bewildered by Lourdel’s behavior, Merkin soon adapted and was engrossed in various conversations with Shasha.
“Kids are so difficult.”
Sehelus, who had come closer to the mat, shook his head sadly.
“Ah……they’ll grow on you.”
“Really? To me, you’re even more endearing.”
Sehelus gave a radiant smile, his eyes barely visible.
“Excuse me?”
“I found it cute how you were at a loss because the kids were fighting.”
“Why are you so kind to me?”
I’m not cute. Don’t say I am. It makes my skin crawl! I screamed inwardly while shaking my head.
“That’s because you’re quite special to me. I’ve never met anyone like you, Isabella.”
“Special? What does that mean?”
“Have you looked into me?”
Sehelus gave a small shake of his head, whether to evade the question or to hint that the answer lay within.
“Ah……I haven’t…”
“I guess you’ll find out. You may not recognize it, but you might deduce some reasons through your investigation.”
‘Is he being nice to me because he’s emotionally moved?’
It felt as if he was saying, “I’ll love you if you do this for me.”
“Understood.”
It was a relief. If Sehelus had genuinely taken a liking to me emotionally, it would have been burdensome. Moreover, I’m set to marry the emperor temporarily.
‘There’s no way such a good-looking guy could like me.’
Isabella may be beautiful, but the real me isn’t.
Maybe I was momentarily infatuated by Isabella’s looks. Never! Even if he likes me, I have no intention of reciprocating. Completely emotionless, I surveyed my surroundings.
‘Still, it was nice for a brief moment.’
Who wouldn’t like being complimented?
Just then, Ken, who had been far away, approached us again.
“Mama.”
“Yes?”
“There’s a guest.”
“A guest?”
“Yes. He arrived without a scheduled time. I told him to wait since it’s an already reported visit according to His Majesty.”
The only place I’d discussed with Leandro was the temple.
“Alright, I’ll see him. I did grant permission.”
“Ah……In that case……”
I was about to leave when Shasha and Lourdel crossed my mind. Though I knew nothing major would happen at the crossbow range, I couldn’t help but feel anxious.
“Sehelus.”
“Yes.”
“Would you mind watching the kids? You don’t have to do much, just keep an eye on them.”
I could’ve asked someone else from the crossbow range to watch the kids, but I specifically asked Sehelus. Partly because someone needed to look after them, but also as an extreme measure to keep him away.
“Sure. Today, I came to introduce you to Merkin and Shasha. Feel free to meet them. It’s not a problem for me.”
Even though he wouldn’t have felt sorry if he had been as imperious as an emperor, something in his chest twinged at the sight of the deflated Sehelus.
“Don’t worry about it. That man wasn’t sincerely interested in me anyway. So, let’s not feel sorry.”
As he said, Sehelus was only here today as Merkin’s guardian.
“Then, I’ll be counting on you.”
After that, Sehelus slowly approached the mat where the children were.
He stood still for a moment, contemplating whether to stand and watch the children or sit on the mat, and then, with a slight flick of his finger, a chair appeared out of nowhere.
He sat down and stared intently at the three children.
Lurdel was still ticking away, Shasha was ignoring such Lurdel and playing with Merkin, and Merkin was also seemingly ignoring Lurdel.
Glancing back and forth between the children and Sehelus, Sehelus waved at me with a smile.
“Being good-looking is a crime. Shaking people’s hearts is a heinous offense!”
Damn it, X. You’re not even interested in me, but you shook my heart for no reason? I turned my head quickly in frustration and looked at Ken.
“Then, I will bring her.”
“Yes.”
Who’s coming this time? Shasha hadn’t mentioned anyone in particular, always saying that all the deities were generous. This was quite different from when she talked only about Matop when Matop stories came up.
What was the temple like again?
About 95% of the empire’s population believed in a single religion. It wouldn’t be strange to call the empire a Holy Empire. The temple was strong enough to match the Matop and the imperial palace, and had considerable say.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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