“Haah…… It’s so frustrating. There’s not a single competent person around.”
Valiere, looking at the ceiling, sighed deeply for a moment and called the maids who were waiting outside.
“Request a visit from Prince Pellio.”
“Has he arrived?”
As it happened, Pellio, who was staying near the imperial palace because of Ermedillin’s matter, was able to meet Valiere quickly.
“What have you summoned me for?”
Although not as contemptuous as he was with Ermedillin, Pellio’s attitude towards Valiere was still arrogant and stiff.
“I was curious if you had met Her Majesty the Empress today.”
“Why should I report my movements to you?”
“Ah, not in that sense…… I was wondering if it had anything to do with the outbreak of an epidemic…….”
“I’m investigating that matter separately.”
“Yes. I know. I was just concerned that a noble prince like you might be involved in Her Majesty’s investigation…….”
“I’ll take care of my reputation. Did you find any new evidence?”
“Ah…… that is…….”
“That’s fine. I didn’t expect anything anyway.”
Pellio, still with a chilly attitude, turned and left without even a dismissal.
In fact, there was no need for a farewell.
Valiere was just the illegitimate child of a mediocre novelist, and Pellio was the legitimate son of a great nobleman.
Moreover, Pellio, who was always as blocked as a boulder, had a positive view of Valiere personally, but he did not hide his dislike for cooperating with her publicly because she was the wife of a married man.
He was a man consistently unyielding.
Valiere, grinding her teeth at Pellio’s rude attitude, swore revenge.
‘Just let me be the Empress. I’ll crush you first.’
“I’m tired!! How can all the people I send be so useless!!”
The person who had to endure Valiere’s irritation, usually known for her gentle nature, was her maid Bier.
The color of her eyes was green, different from Velia’s, but her soft, lightbrown hair and closely set features resembled her younger sister.
“I did not send the incompetent. It is Ermedillin’s cunning, that X. And you are still unable to fully win over Anri’s heart, aren’t you?”
“What are you talking about? Anri only has me. He never sets foot in the queen’s chamber!”
“Then what? Has he bestowed even a common title upon you? What does it matter if you are childhood friends? What have we gained since you became the queen?”
“I have the authority to manage the royal finances….”
“Yes, well said. That great right? The one where you cannot spend a penny more than the allotted amount, and must report every expenditure? Are you joking?”
Bier slammed the table with his fist.
“Do you know how much shame we’ve endured while you’ve played queen these few years? Aren’t you even ashamed to have lived as a queen for so many years? Aren’t you your mother’s daughter?”
At Bier’s words, Velia bit her lower lip hard.
“Do you know how much money I have poured into you? Your mother should have been dealt with long ago, but she’s been spared for your sake.”
Upon hearing the word “mother” from Bier’s mouth, Velia bit her lip hard.
It didn’t matter what happened to the woman who had given her nothing but the unchangeable weakness of being a bastard, but she had not yet become the empress.
She still needed the financial support of these unbearable people.
With only her allotted finances, maintaining the dignity of not falling behind the queen was overwhelming.
To build up the image of the people’s mother by establishing an orphanage and doing charitable work, she had to ride the same boat with these incompetent people for a while.
Biting her lip and trembling all over, Velia’s expression was once again scolded by Bier with a slightly shrunk voice.
“That’s it, get pregnant quickly….”
Thud, at that moment something inside Velia snapped.
“Get out! Get out now!”
Even though she had never raised her voice beyond the wall in anger before, this time she couldn’t bear it.
Fleeing from Velia, who was screaming almost in a fit, Bier left the palace in a rush.
“Pregnant? Pregnant?? Me??”
Tears finally began to drop from Velia’s trembling eyes.
“Damn! Damn!!”
After barely pulling herself together, Velia tried to swallow her screams inside, but soon felt nauseous.
“Ugh…….”
“So, has the empress returned?”
Anri, buried deep in the imperial throne, was as stern and beautiful as ever.
His dazzling golden hair granted him the glory of the sun, and his penetrating blue eyes granted him the authority of the earth.
“Yes, it was a very short outing.”
“Are you sure that what you met there was Pellio?”
“Yes, Her Majesty the Empress has been watching Prince Pellio since meeting Count Batistian yesterday.”
“Did you find out what it was?”
“I don’t know the details, but apparently something happened when Count François visited the palace yesterday.”
“What happened?”
“It seems that the Count wounded Her Majesty the Empress’s neck with a blade.”
“What, an assault? Isn’t that common? Is that all?”
“Ah, and unlike usual, Her Majesty the Empress stopped the Count from taking a maid with him, according to one of the maids.”
Listening to the report, Henri lowered his eyes as if thinking about something, upon hearing of Ermedillin’s behavior, which was different than usual.
“Hmm. It’s definitely suspicious. Up until now, he acted like he didn’t care if a few maids died at the hands of the count, but suddenly, he stands up to his father?”
“We too think that point is suspicious.”
“Right. Understood. Keep a closer eye on the count and the empress. What’s happening with Valierre?”
“He has summoned Prince Pellio, who had an audience with Her Majesty the Empress.”
“Pellio?”
“Yes. He must have been curious about the conversation between the prince and Her Majesty the Empress.”
“He failed to follow them?”
“Yes. Apparently, the people hired by Lord Valierre disappeared in the middle. But isn’t he very clever?”
“Yes, he is smart. But lately, I feel like I can’t quite catch his inspiration.”
Henri sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.
“What shall we do?”
“For now, observe. We need to find out why he’s doing something he hasn’t done lately.”
“Yes. Understood.”
After the servant who reported left, Henri leaned on the armrest of his chair and became lost in deep thought.
‘Valierre, and now the Empress… What is the reason for the two of them suddenly doing something they’ve never done before?’
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.]
