I Didn't Really Want to Do Farming! (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 7
Stella carefully observed Mila’s back as she walked ahead. In this place covered in cobwebs and dust, Mila’s hair remained perfectly untouched—not a single strand out of place—giving Stella a strange sense of dissonance.
Occasionally, unexpectedly crude and oversized statues would suddenly appear and startle her, but overall, Stella rather liked the Verdura Palace.
Compared to Amalune, where she couldn’t freely go anywhere except her own room, this place almost felt like Amalune had been the one holding her hostage.
The mess could be cleaned up gradually, and since she’d literally been taken here as a hostage, they wouldn’t starve her, at least.
‘Ludina, I don’t think I’ll die.’
Stella wished she could write a letter to Ludina—how wonderful that would be.
The room was just as Mila had described: neatly arranged and clean.
Despite the building’s shabby exterior, the interior was surprisingly luxurious—featuring a canopy bed draped in antique curtains, a sofa and table large enough to comfortably seat five, a dressing table with a huge mirror, and a wardrobe.
It was even larger and nicer than the room she’d stayed in at Amalune.
While Stella looked around the room, servants carried in her luggage, and Mila naturally took charge of directing both male and female attendants. She seemed quite skilled at managing her subordinates.
Just as the luggage was mostly unpacked—
“The bath is ready.”
A maid emerged from the door adjoining the bedroom—apparently leading to the bathroom—and bowed deeply. Wisps of white steam billowed out from the open doorway like soft clouds.
Perhaps life here wouldn’t be as bad as she’d feared.
After soaking in the warm tub, much of the fatigue from her long journey eased away. Stella sat blankly on the bed for a while, then suddenly jumped up and flung open the balcony doors.
The moment she opened them, a chill breeze swept over her body—but since she was still warm from the bath, she didn’t feel cold at all.
Now that the sun had set and darkness fell, the view outside looked completely different from how it had appeared during the day.
“I hope Ludina escaped safely.”
She kept thinking how much better it would have been if Ludina had come along with her.
Ludina, so full of affection, quick to tears yet astonishingly optimistic, would have quickly grown fond of this place.
She’d have cheerfully bounced around the vast palace like a puppy, saying things like, “Let’s decorate this corner like this, and that spot like that!”
Overcome by sudden longing, Stella gently touched the bracelet on her right wrist. The blue bead had grown cold from the chilly air. Hadn’t someone said it brought good luck?
She hoped that, for her part, things were already good enough—and that Ludina would live the rest of her life happily.
“It’s cold outside.”
Lost in thought while gazing out the window, Stella heard Mila’s voice behind her. Turning around, she saw Mila standing there with perfect posture.
Mila had apparently changed clothes—the color of her dress was now a deep green, as if she’d transformed from brick to ivy.
Earlier, too flustered to look properly, Stella hadn’t noticed, but Mila was quite beautiful. Her dark black hair and slightly dusky blue eyes matched her calm demeanor perfectly.
Each time Mila spoke, a small dimple appeared on one cheek, making her otherwise cool impression seem a little more human.
“I feel refreshed and good. But what is it?”
“I came to inform you of tomorrow’s schedule.”
“There’s a schedule?”
She’d assumed being a hostage meant being stuffed away like an old sack of grain, but apparently not. Curious, Stella waited for Mila’s reply.
“You must take your bloodline document to pay your respects to His Imperial Majesty, announcing your arrival.”
“My bloodline document?”
“Yes. Along with the gift from the Kingdom of Amalune intended for His Imperial Majesty.”
She already had the bloodline document, so that wasn’t an issue—but this was the first she’d heard about a gift for the Emperor.
“I wasn’t told anything about a gift.”
Stella looked bewildered, but Mila remained composed.
“I’ve already received the gift. His Majesty the King of Amalune prepared and sent it separately.”
A princess sent as a hostage was required to bring one of her nation’s treasures. Though the Credion Empire claimed it would safeguard the treasure during her stay, from the princess’s perspective, it was simply theft.
Yet, for the safety of their beloved child, any nation would willingly send its treasures. Such accumulated treasures now filled Emperor Credion’s private vault.
“…I see. That’s good, then. So, when I go to pay my respects, will I be going alone?”
Stella asked, secretly hoping someone—anyone—would accompany her. Having only heard ominous rumors about the Emperor, her knees already felt weak before even meeting him.
“No. All the princesses residing in the Plant Quarter must attend.”
“The Plant Quarter?”
“Yes. It’s where princesses from nations belonging to the Western Continent reside.”
“So all those princesses will also present their bloodline documents and gifts?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
At least it wasn’t as if she’d be singled out—everyone would present their gifts in turn. Stella fervently hoped the King of Amalune hadn’t sent anything too conspicuous.
“How many princesses are staying in the Plant Quarter?”
“There are fourteen of you, including yourself. Within the Imperial City, there are eight designated quarters for princesses.”
So they’d gathered hostages from all across the continent—it was quite a number.
Other princesses from foreign lands… Perhaps some, like her, had been pushed into this role against their will.
“After paying your respects, a formal banquet with His Imperial Majesty has been arranged. Please understand that His Majesty is extremely busy and cannot spare much time. Also, here are the rules you must strictly follow during your meal with the Emperor. Since Amalune’s customs differ, please study these carefully and memorize them.”
Mila handed Stella a small notebook, emphasizing its importance.
Stella took the notebook and opened it with both hands. Neatly written pages filled with dense instructions—there were quite a few.
“Is all this just for dining etiquette?”
“Yes. This section covers etiquette for walks, this one for the formal banquets held twice a year, and this for tea parties and refreshment gatherings held within each quarter. Once you’ve mastered these, I’ll gradually teach you the rest.”
As she spoke, Mila kept stacking additional small notebooks onto Stella’s hands like building a tower.
“Good heavens.”
Even at a glance, there were many differences from Amalune’s customs.
“Um, Mila—I’m really curious about something.”
Stella, who had resolved to stay quiet and obedient today, tilted her head in confusion and asked. Two more notebooks had already piled onto her palms like fresh snow.
“Yes, please ask.”
“I’m a hostage, right?”
No princess had ever bluntly declared herself a hostage before, so Mila was momentarily startled.
But as always, she quickly composed her expression and waited for Stella’s question, secretly tensing up—wondering what she might ask next.
“A hostage? Your Highness, you are here to foster peaceful relations between our two nations…”
“That’s exactly what a hostage is! Anyway, if I’m just a hostage, why do I have to learn all of Credion Empire’s etiquette? Weren’t you just going to lock me up here, use me as a threat, and kill me once I became useless?”
“Good heavens!”
This time, Mila repeated Stella’s exact words. Truly shocked now, Mila’s usually calm voice, steady gaze, and gentle lips all widened in unison.
“Your Highness, absolutely not! I don’t know where you heard such rumors, but that’s completely untrue.”
Mila’s words came out so fast her face turned red. Realizing she’d gotten carried away, she quickly pressed her lips shut, took a slow, deep breath to calm herself, and resumed speaking in her usual composed tone.
“Your Highness… you’ve come here as a candidate for Empress. You are not merely a hostage.”
“What?”
This was entirely new to Stella.
“That can’t be! If it were truly for such a position, they’d never have sent me…!”
She stopped mid-sentence, startled into silence—nearly revealing that she wasn’t the legitimate princess but the daughter of a concubine.
If that truth ever came out, she might truly end up as a worthless hostage.
It felt like sprinting full speed toward a cliff without realizing—only barely stopping in time.
Thump, thump, thump.
Stella struggled to calm her wildly pounding heart.
“Of course, Amalune is indeed a minor kingdom, but His Imperial Majesty does not choose the Empress based on a nation’s strength. Please don’t speak that way.”
Fortunately, Mila seemed to have misinterpreted Stella’s outburst.
“Th-thank you.”
Relieved that it had passed smoothly, Stella had just spoken when—
“Thank you.”
“Huh?”
It was the same voice she’d heard earlier.
“What’s wrong?”
Mila watched Stella closely as she suddenly changed expression and began glancing around the room.
“Nothing. I guess I’m just a bit tired.”
Even as she answered, Stella’s eyes darted restlessly around the room.
“I’ll have a maid bring you some tea to help you sleep well. If you need assistance—from me or a maid—just pull the cord beside your bed.”
“Okay.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
As Stella replied, that same voice repeated itself again. Stella squeezed her eyes shut tightly.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
Seeing Stella’s expression darken, Mila assumed she was very tired and quickly left the room.
Alone at last, Stella scanned her surroundings with a determined look—as if she’d made a firm decision. Being far from home alone seemed to have awakened a courage she’d never felt before.
“Did you follow me all the way here?”
“…….”
She’d expected an immediate reply, but the room remained silent.
“No one’s here now. You can come out.”
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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