Only then did Leandro open his eyes, and seeing that he was being embraced by the emperor, he burst into tears.
“Really… I came down…!”
The child wriggled in his arms as if excited, and Leandro slightly squinted his eyes.
“Ugh… my waist.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Well done, Leandro. Thank you for being brave.”
There were knights. There were many others. Even if the emperor didn’t step forward, they would have caught Leandro. Lack of faith in them might be why Leandro didn’t let go of the child.
Even so, he wouldn’t have hurt his waist like that.
“Thank you for catching me…”
“No. As long as you’re safe. Now then, Leandro, you have to convey what you tried to protect until the end, right?”
The emperor, who had put Leandro down on the ground, brought his hand to his waist as if it hurt. Still, he encouraged Leandro.
“Ah…”
Upon those words, the child approached me with a pout. Their eyes were filled with tears, indicating how much they had cried, and there were sobs all over their arms. Nevertheless, Leandro extended a small white flower to me.
“Give me strength… Mom…”
I tightly embraced Leandro.
“Thank you.”
“No…”
I gently stroked Leandro’s head that seemed lacking in energy. Meanwhile, Rian called Shanshia.
“Shanshia?”
“Yes!”
“Can you return this to its original state? It’s fine that it turned into pudding, but my feet are stuck, and I can’t move.”
“Ah!”
Only then did Shanshia extend her arms again.
“Come back!”
With the child’s cheerful voice, the lake, which had turned into pudding, quickly returned to water. The emperor finally came out of the water, and he petted Shanshia’s head.
“You truly have incredible power. Thank you. Thanks to you, I could receive Leandro without worries.”
“No!”
“Using magic without an incantation is impressive.”
“Everything comes true if you imagine it!”
So, after becoming an adult, Shanshia’s power actually weakened. She used magic only through imagination. I observed the two for a moment.
“Amazing.”
Shanshia laughed brightly, crossing her legs.
“There were various events today, and I should be going now.”
However, Shanshia, who had seemed in a good mood just a moment ago, stiffened momentarily as the emperor put his hand on his waist and limped while walking. As if trying to confirm something, Shanshia approached Leandro, who was in my arms, and touched the child’s arm.
Arms full of bruises. In an instant, I understood what Shanshia was worried about, why her expression had changed. She seemed to recall the curse-like words that she had forgotten because of the recent incident.
“Leandro, Shanshia, Bella. Come.”
Normally, Shanshia would have run to me and gone together, but Shanshia, whether she thought others got hurt because of her, immediately wiped the smile off her face and followed Rian.
I still held Leandro’s hand, who was still frightened, and headed to the royal palace.
“I’m going to rest inside today…”
“You’ve worked hard, Leandro. See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah…”
Today, we all escorted Leandro to his room. Whether it was because the tension was released, Leandro’s face was pale, and the child seemed unable to properly greet, seemingly eager to go in and rest.
“Yeah, take a rest. I’ll be with you tonight.”
“Yes…”
“Summon a physician for the child. They must have been surprised.”
Tetie, who had been by my side all along, nodded with a smirk.
“Wouldn’t Your Majesty get an examination first?”
“I’m fine. So have the child seen first. I’ll take Bella and Shanshia to the Star Palace and be back.”
“Understood.”
“Rest well…”
With those words, Leandro entered the room.
“Don’t worry too much. You seemed very scared.”
“But I’m still worried.”
Upon my words, Leandro nodded and walked ahead of us.
“Hurry up. Shanshia seems tired too.”
“Yes.”
Shanshia, who had been silent throughout the walk, was unusually quiet. Leandro, who always talked non-stop, seemed quite concerned as the child kept their lips tightly sealed. In reality, Shanshia didn’t even hold my hand and walked, eyes fixed on the ground.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m okay.”
More than asking if you were okay, I wanted to inquire about your back, but I couldn’t say anything because of Shanshia. The more I thought that Leandro might have been seriously injured, the more Shanshia would blame herself.
Thanks to the damn gaslighting planted by the Marquis and his wife.
After that, there were no more words, and we finally reached the Star Palace.
“I’ll rest. Your Majesty and Sister, thank you.”
It was the same when we arrived at the Star Palace. Shanshia immediately went into the bedroom, and I sighed while watching her.
“Are you okay? Why did your mood suddenly change?”
“It happens. It’ll get better with time.”
It was a story I couldn’t tell anyone else. I couldn’t speak about that story because it might become Shanshia’s weakness.
“I see.”
“More importantly… Is your back okay?”
“It’s just a little sore.”
Looking at him talking as if it were nothing, I sighed. It didn’t seem like a minor injury.
As soon as Shanshia entered the bedroom, he leaned against the sofa. Normally, he would sit up straight with his back, but today his posture wasn’t good.
“It’s fortunate if it’s just a minor thing…”
“Ha… Is it okay for an emperor to be like this?”
“Huh?”
“You could have had others do it. Even if you are the emperor, you could have ordered someone else… I thought I would be praised, but I got scolded instead.”
“You did well. Thanks to you… you…”
I looked at him and sighed.
“I don’t really know why I did that.”
“What?”
“It was just instinct.”
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
