“Young maids chattered. ‘She’s frail and petite, almost fairy-like since her recovery.’
“‘Fairy? More like a fairy about to freeze in Balmont’s cold winds.’
Despite the risk of reproach from Balmont’s hardliners, more and more people within the castle began to harbor favorable opinions towards Claudel.”
“I’ve come to check on the lunch preparations.”
Hannah’s energetic voice echoed in the kitchen.
“Hannah!”
“Are you here?”
The young maid who had just been praising Claudel as fairy-like hurriedly responded.
“Today, the chef is preparing the Lady’s favorite dishes.”
“Hannah, what do you like? Don’t you miss the food from Balmont? I heard it’s quite different.”
The Lady’s brown-haired, brown-eyed confidant spoke briskly.
“Well, I quite like the food here in Rowen. If we brought things from Balmont, they’d wilt and wither away. I think I’d say Rowen’s food is the best anywhere.”
“Oh my!”
“Indeed. Rowen’s cuisine is the best in the kingdom.”
Hannah’s praise of Rowen easily won over the maids.
Some who openly mocked Claudel and Hannah frowned from a corner, arms crossed, but the tide in Rowen Castle was turning. As Claudel’s popularity grew and Kaiyan treated her as his wife, those who initially displayed strong aversion to Balmont found their ground shrinking.
A few, brazen-faced, approached Hannah. Knowing her to be good-natured and not one to hold grudges, they eagerly crowded around her, curious about the Lady and Lord’s nightly affairs. Those fixated on Balmont resentment were now relegated to the kitchen corners, gnawing their nails.
‘So much for their pride,’ Hannah thought to herself.
Returning to her room after checking the lunch preparations, Hannah’s eyes caught sight of Claudel, sitting by the window, engrossed in a book.
‘My love.’
Now fully recovered from Herzol, Claudel had regained her former self.
Her red hair glowed bright vermilion in the sunlight filtering through thin curtains. Her face, flawlessly white and rosy, radiated a divine glow, especially her bright golden eyes now brimming with vitality.
Hannah recalled mistaking Claudel’s stress over her marriage to Temnes for her frailty. The thought of those times made her blood boil, but now, Claudel was stable and well-settled. Hannah’s plan to flee Rowen Castle with Claudel was temporarily shelved.
“Lady, it’s time for lunch.”
“Already?”
“What will you do, spending all morning with just books?”
Claudel smiled and closed her book at Hannah’s words.
“There’s so much to see.”
She had been reading records left by previous Temnes Duchesses, detailing household management and relief efforts during disasters.
As the new Lady of the domain, Claudel would now manage such affairs and keep her own records.
“Take it easy.”
“I can’t afford to. The autumn festival is just around the corner.”
“The festival preparations are underway by the steward, under the Lord’s direction.”
“I should have been the one doing it.”
Shortly after her arrival as a bride, Claudel knew she was destined to die soon. Hence, she paid no attention to the domain’s affairs or her duties as Duchess. But now, saved by the gracious Lord, she felt the urgency to catch up and diligently manage the upcoming events.
“She’s so adorable, really. Always so earnest.”
Hannah thought Claudel’s earnestness was part of her charm. She was immensely relieved that her beloved lady had returned to her lively and vibrant self, largely thanks to Kaiyan, making Hannah forever grateful for her loyalty to Temnes.
“Don’t worry about it, Lady. Lord Kaiyan cherishes you. You can learn slowly and start from next year.”
“Lady Kaiyan is a good person. I doubt I catch his eye.”
“What are you talking about? You’re so pretty and smart, Lady. He might not know yet how smart you are, but he surely knows you’re pretty.”
“What nonsense, Hannah. Pretty? It’s Irena who’s pretty.”
Claudel often said this after receiving a telegram that Irena would visit Rowen. It seemed she thought Kaiyan might be attracted to Irena upon seeing her.
Hannah sighed inwardly at such thoughts. Objectively, both Irena and Claudel were beautiful, but their charms were distinct. Irena had the typical aristocratic beauty, while Claudel stood out remarkably, possibly due to not growing up as an aristocrat or just her unique appeal.
Hannah was confident that anyone seeing Claudel for the first time would find her much prettier. Yet, in Balmont Castle, being the daughter of the Balmont Duke, everyone praised Irena’s beauty and rarely mentioned Claudel, leaving her unaware of her own beauty.
Even Claudel seemed brainwashed to believe Irena was the prettier one.
Considering Kaiyan visited her room every night, the answer was obvious.
“Lord Kaiyan will be here soon. I’ll bring the meal.”
It was another part of her charm that she didn’t realize her own beauty.
At that moment, Kaiyan, passing by the corridor with a displeased expression, was troubled. He had overheard the maids talking in Claudel’s room.
“Hey, do you know? Our Lady…”
“What about the Lady?”
“She smells amazing, doesn’t she? Like a woman’s fragrance.”
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.]
