Hubert smoothed his brow and nodded.
“Right, you should eat too. You’ve worked hard preparing everything.”
I chewed the salmon pie, watching his affectionate smile.
[Just help me this one time, Igraine.]…Bastard.
“Right? I have a lot to do, so I need to eat a lot.”
I replied with a forced smile, my words carrying weight. Cooking, cleaning, estate management, financial management – there wasn’t a corner of this house untouched by me.
But to think I was saving a mere salmon pie. The frustration was overwhelming.
The uneaten salmon pies from the past floated in my mind. Unknowingly, I gripped the knife so hard that it scraped loudly against the plate.
Screech.
Aris covered her ears with one hand.
“Igraine! Be careful, please.”
“Was that uncomfortable?”
“Of course.”
She nodded as if it were the most obvious thing.
Then Hubert, who had been watching quietly, spoke.
“Is something troubling you these days?”
“Not really? I made it, but today’s food seems especially delicious.”
“That’s good. Eat plenty then.”
“Thanks.”
I replied nonchalantly.
Being the head of the house and a member of the household, I had to maintain formalities in front of others, but frankly, I didn’t even want to talk to them.
As I was about to continue eating,
“Didn’t you hear about Aris?”
Hubert pointed to a plate. It was a dish with veal.
“It’s too salty.”
“…”
“Can you bring a new one?”
He was looking at me as he said this. I stopped reaching for the plate and put down my fork and knife.
I almost picked up the plate to redo it.
Habits can be frightening.
I turned to Georgiana. She was smirking in satisfaction. I gave her a colder smile.
“Georgiana. Go to the kitchen now and tell the chef that the veal seasoning is too salty. Aris seems to want more, so if there are ingredients left, ask him to make it again with less seasoning.”
“Uh?”
Her questioning look was met with my icy gaze, and she quickly averted her eyes.
I had been a street thief who even intimidated bigger boys in my childhood.
I had been suppressed in the Count’s house, but I could still overpower such a woman with just a look.
‘I’ve been enduring a lot.’
“Is it too hard? Shall I repeat?”
“No, no. I got it, miss.”
Hesitantly, Georgiana glanced at Aris and then headed to the kitchen.
I watched her for a moment, then looked across the table.
As expected, Aris and Hubert were staring at me. I blinked innocently at them, then shrugged.
“My taste must have changed. It seemed fine when I tasted it earlier, but if Aris finds it salty, then either the chef’s skills have declined or my taste has changed.”
“It will be fine once it’s remade, right? Aris loves the dishes you make.”
“No need. We have a talented chef, why should I interfere? It’s not right for someone higher up to take over a subordinate’s job.”
“…”
“There’s been a lot on my plate recently, it’s time I stepped back from the kitchen work.”
“Ah, but without you, the kitchen will be a mess…”
I widened my eyes in surprise.
“Why would it be? We have the chef and Gemma, who’s been working in the kitchen longer than me. A noble’s duty is to place the right people in the right places, not to run around doing the work themselves. I’ve been part of the noble Count’s family for quite some time, but I’m still learning so many things. Embarrassingly so.”
As I continued, Aris’s expression grew awkward. I smiled sincerely at her.
“Thank you, Aris. Thanks to you, I’ve relearned the importance of tasks. Truly wise as a priestess of the water deity.”
Aris nodded uneasily.
“…It’s nothing much.”
I resumed eating my salmon pie, cutting it into manageable pieces.
In contrast to me, Aris seemed to have lost her appetite, aimlessly scraping her plate with her fork.
Feigning concern, I frowned.
“Oh dear, you’ve finished already? I shouldn’t have sent Georgiana to the kitchen then. The chef is probably preparing the veal stew right now. Looks like the servants are in for a feast today.”
Of course, a palm-sized stew wouldn’t be enough for all the servants, but that was what I said.
‘Let’s see if that heats things up.’
Just as Aris, with a frustrated look, was about to speak, I didn’t give her a chance and continued.
“Let’s have the cherry sherbet brought out. I had it prepared in advance knowing you’d want it. It’s been chilling in the freezer, so it should be ready to eat. Hey, bring the cherry sherbet please.”
Swiftly instructing a maid, she nodded and promptly set off.
I felt a sense of satisfaction as I chewed on my salmon pie, relishing the burst of juices down my throat.
“……Thank you, sister.”
Aris, seemingly torn between showing her displeasure and hiding it, finally thanked me. She must have thought it awkward to express discontent when I’d thoughtfully prepared her favorite cherry sherbet in advance.
Though Aris, with her slightly problematic personality, would have normally been quick to throw a tantrum, she held back, aware of the company.
‘Or maybe she’s expecting someone else to express her displeasure on her behalf.’
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.]
