But what about this feeling that you did? Though I didn’t argue because he was so confident, the Emperor naturally said things I hadn’t said.
That someone places flowers there every day. During that, whether Shasha, who was quietly standing by the tea table, was bothering him or not, he waved his hand toward the child.
“Shanencia, it’s fine to pick flowers, so play around nearby.”
“Yes!”
I, too, lifted my teacup.
‘Someone else must have been placing flowers in my room. This man, who despises women, would never do that for me.’
Despite his woman-hating tendencies.
‘But why is he comfortable with me when he dislikes being around women? He talks well too…?’
Puzzled, I stared intently at him. Annoyed by my gaze, he cleared his throat, took a sip of tea, and spoke.
“You look healthier.”
“There was nothing seriously wrong with me to begin with. But you came sooner than I expected?”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Barum went to report just a while ago… You must have been waiting nearby to come this fast.”
It was strange. His quick arrival and the grass sticking to his otherwise neat clothes were suspicious. I asked because of that, but the Emperor seemed inexplicably irritated.
“Well. I can come quickly if I want to. What about it…”
It was then.
Suddenly, Shasha, who had been picking flowers, let out an unusual sound.
“Huh?”
Hearing that sound, I, who had been seated in front of the Emperor, promptly rose from my seat.
“What’s wrong, Shasha!”
Could something have happened to Shasha? My mind went foggy. Just moments ago, she had definitely been picking flowers, but the Shasha who had made that ‘huh’ sound had disappeared.
“Shasha. Shasha!”
Where did this child go? I went to where Shasha had been just a while ago and searched around. Then, I saw something moving in the bush.
“Shasha. You worried me!”
But what came out from the bush was not Shasha. The movement was too sluggish for it to be Shasha; a rabbit popped out.
“A…rabbit?”
A rabbit out of nowhere. And it was a very small one at that. Seemingly unafraid of humans, the rabbit perked its ears and approached me. Then it poked my shoe with its nose.
“How cute…”
It was the first time I had seen a real baby rabbit. Having only seen them in pictures and other media, this cute little rabbit melted my heart.
Then again, there was movement in the thicket. The grass swayed this way and that, and just as I thought more rabbits might emerge, a familiar face popped out.
“Sis!”
“Shasha? Oh my.”
Silver hair. Leaves of grass stuck to various parts of her hair, which sparkled pink as it descended. I took large strides toward Shasha, intending to remove the leaves from her hair. But Shasha extended both hands toward me.
“Look at this! It’s a rabbit!”
“Huh?”
Seeing my surprise, Shasha quickly opened her hand, revealing a baby rabbit.
“Oh my…”
As if delighted, Shasha tried to move forward but hesitated.
“Shasha, what’s wrong?”
“Sis, there are so many rabbits… what if I step on one?”
“So many rabbits?”
In the meantime, the Emperor quickly approached and effortlessly lifted the hesitant Shasha, placing her next to me.
“Why worry about stepping on rabbits?”
“Thank you, Your Majesty! Oh, how cute…”
Shasha hastily greeted the Emperor and then rubbed the rabbit she held against her cheek. Cute next to cute.
Ah. How could she be so adorable? I felt like melting at Shasha’s brightly smiling face.
Then, just like Shasha had mentioned, rabbits hopped out in all directions.
There appeared to be roughly ten.
“But… are there usually this many rabbits in the palace?”
It was cute and lovely, but a bit strange. Rabbits in the palace? This was the star palace at the center of the imperial palace. Surrounded by trees, yet one could still see through the gaps between them.
Unless they were deliberately placed, this many couldn’t naturally exist.
“Well.”
While I was calling out to Shasha and causing a fuss, a man who was standing nearby cleared his throat. He was a man whose name I had heard in passing.
Tetel, the Emperor’s secretary and the commander of the first Imperial Army. For some reason, he looked like he had much to say and quietly approached me.
“His Majesty brought them.”
“Tetel!”
“Ah, was it a secret? I thought I could tell the Empress since you didn’t say anything.”
He spoke as if venting frustrations, moving his lips diligently as if accusing someone.
“His Majesty went hunting and found a rabbit hole. Seeing that their mother had already been killed by a fox, he picked up all the…”
“Tetel. Shut your mouth.”
“Ah! Understood.”
That must be intentional. Who else could speak so freely in front of the Emperor? Was it common, or was it…
‘Like an employee about to resign, burning bridges at the last moment.’
Seeing him look at me with what seemed like a refreshing expression, I felt that way for some reason.
“…What.”
I shifted my gaze from Tetel to the Emperor.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Did you really bring them here, Your Majesty?”
“…That.”
“Or did you pick them up on your way?”
“Uh, yes, I picked them up on my way.”
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
