Mr. and Mrs. Clozé were still not over Veronica’s death. The absence of their beloved second daughter brought them profound loss, and they avoided mentioning her name so as not to tear each other’s wounds.
“When will you be back today?”
At Ena’s dry question, Fabian, taking a boiled egg to his mouth, answered, “As usual.”
It was a conversation repeated every morning, but they did not look into each other’s eyes as they normally would.
Fabian Clozé, a minor civil servant at City Hall, was not a noble of renown, but a diligent and faithful man. And his wife, Ena Clozé, was a gentle and frugal woman.
Having tasted the pinnacle of happiness when their first daughter married Christoph Schneider, they were now experiencing the depth of misery due to their second daughter’s death.
They withered slowly like plants never seeing the sun. They shared meals and conversations, but everything seemed hollow and bland.
Then, they heard a faint sound of a car. Ena was the first to notice. She peeked out the window and cast a glance at Fabian.
“Who could it be this early in the morning, Fabian? Are you expecting someone?”
“I don’t know.”
Only then did Fabian notice the unwelcome guest’s presence, rising from his seat. He walked straight to the front door, followed cautiously by Ena.
The moment Fabian opened the door,
“!”
Startled by the black shadow at the door, he involuntarily shuddered.
Gazing at the unwelcome guest with suspicious eyes, Fabian recognized a moment later that it was his soninlaw, Christoph.
He did not recognize him at first due to a different aura. Christoph, usually as straight as a ruler, appeared unusually disheveled.
There were a few wrinkles in his business suit, and his ascot tie was loose. Not only that, there were dark shadows under his eyes, as if he had spent a sleepless night.
In contrast, his black pupils gleamed with a sharp light, as cutting as his fingers on a bell.
“What’s the matter, Christoph?”
Fabian looked at him with worried eyes. From behind, Ena stepped forward, her face falling, “Has something happened to our Marianne?” she asked.
At her words, Fabian’s expression became serious. Having sent his second daughter to her untimely end, he could not lose his first daughter as well.
As Fabian took a desperate step forward, Christoph opened his mouth. His voice, colder and more chilling than ever before, seeped out.
“Where is she?”
“…….”
Fabian couldn’t say a word. He was paralyzed by the look and tone of the person standing before him, not knowing what he was asking. No, it was more than that; his body instinctively froze at the sight of his glaring eyes and voice.
“Are you here?”
“…….”
Fabian couldn’t open his mouth this time, either. His fingers twitched. He opened his eyes wide as if to confirm that the person standing in front of him was indeed Christoph.
Despite the difference in status between the two, Christoph had never treated him rudely. He was always respectful, and Fabian was grateful for that.
But the man standing before him now was not the Christoph he knew.
Perhaps thinking that he would not get an answer from Fabian, Christoph pushed past him and entered the house. It was an uncharacteristic act for Christoph, who valued courtesy.
Despite the absence of the host’s permission, he moved briskly, without hesitation, like a general occupying enemy territory, and looked around the living room before heading straight to the bedroom.
Bang.
He opened the door. It was Fabian and Ena’s bedroom.
“My God.”
Ena let out a feeble scream in despair, but Christoph, who had seen the intimate space of the couple, did not change his expression.
He checked each room and found them empty, then returned to the living room. Fabian and Ena, who had finally come to their senses, followed him.
“What’s going on, Christoph? This is an official…”
“Have you not heard from Marianne?”
“Marianne?”
Fabian tilted his head in confusion, and Ena asked with a worried expression, “What happened to Marianne?”
Christoph watched them with serious eyes, as if to detect even the slightest lie, persistent and sharp.
He spoke coldly, as if chewing and swallowing each word.
“Marianne has thrown the divorce papers and left the house.”
“What?”
“Heavens!”
Stunned by the unexpected news, Fabian’s eyes widened, and Ena covered her mouth with both hands. Fabian, who was staggering, hugged her with one arm and looked at Christoph.
“What do you mean? Suddenly, divorce? Was there a problem between the two that we didn’t know about?”
At that, Christoph opened his eyes narrowly. The two did not seem to be lying.
With a furrowed brow, he whispered as if to himself.
“I would like to know what that problem is.”
Yes, that was it. The person who wanted to know the reason Marianne had suddenly thrown the divorce papers was Christoph himself.
He dropped his gaze and stared at Fabian with piercing eyes. Finally, as if regaining his reason, Christoph spoke in a polite voice.
“I apologize for my rude behavior. If Marianne contacts you, please let me know first.”
“I understand.”
Fabian nodded with a somber expression. His face had turned pale from the bolt from the blue that morning.
When Marianne brought Christoph as the man she was going to marry, Ena opposed the marriage, saying one side was too strong. She was genuinely worried that Marianne would suffer more.
But Fabian thought she knew nothing. The way his colleagues looked at him had changed when they heard that Christoph would become his soninlaw.
So what about Marianne, who would become Mrs. Schneider? Her life would change dramatically. Fabian never doubted that Marianne would be happy.
But what had happened between the two? Was Marianne not happy? Should he have opposed their marriage like Ena?
Fabian’s grief deepened. It all seemed his fault. He felt like he had pushed his only remaining daughter into a pit of unhappiness.
“I’ll take my leave now.”
“Be careful on your way. You won’t go far.”
As Christoph was just stepping away, leaving the two behind.
“Marianne won’t contact us.”
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
