Hades looked at the note. Judging by the pathetic handwriting, it was probably written by a servant who was paid a few pennies.
“But verification is necessary. I will investigate everyone who entered this room since this morning.”
Angelica frowned.
“Will the culprit be so easily exposed?”
“Even if not exposed, they will feel ashamed.”
Hades answered lightly, but his mind was racing.
As Angelica said, it would not be easy to find out who had taken Shujechin’s bribe.
And to fortify further than now would restrict not only Angelica but also his own movements, and the side effects would be greater.
‘There’s only one answer.’
Hades did not hesitate. It was an option he had in mind from the beginning.
He leaned towards Angelica and opened his mouth.
“How’s your body?”
“Me?”
Angelica asked with a puzzled face.
“Yes.”
“I’m fine. My finger is a little throbbing, but… actually, this is not even an injury.”
Hades threw a suspicious glance.
Her ‘I’m fine’ was mostly unbelievable, but seeing her energetically waving her arm, it seemed it wasn’t entirely a lie.
“You can go out for a while.”
“Where to?”
“To the sender of this note.”
“……Your Majesty.”
Angelica’s reaction was immediate. Her eyes widened, and she tried to say something, but Hades was a step faster.
“Of course, I can’t actually threaten him. I won’t let that happen. But that doesn’t mean I have to continue accepting these threats.”
Shujechin seemed to have no intention of hiding himself.
Surely, if he was Shujechin Byunghae that Hades knew, he could have threatened Angelica in a much more elaborate way without letting himself be discovered.
This fact meant one thing.
Shujechin was underestimating him.
And Hades was not so magnanimous as to simply overlook being ignored.
Angelica’s voice took on a bewildered tone.
“But, the diplomatic issue…….”
“Do you presume to know diplomacy better than I, Saint?”
“……You’re going too far.”
The color drained from Angelica’s face.
“This is my job. I don’t think it was wrong for me to express my opinion.”
“Saint.”
Hades called her quietly.
“Do you know why I didn’t seek him out sooner?”
Angelica’s eyes widened abruptly.
“It’s because I was curious about what kind of tantrum he’d throw in the two days he forecasted. But he did nothing.”
Hades crumpled the note.
It felt annoyingly uncomfortable, even though it was just ordinary paper.
“He used my people instead of acting directly.”
Angelica fumbled with her words.
“If you have something to say, say it.”
Silence fell.
Angelica stared at him blankly, wetting her lips several times but saying nothing.
Her mouth tasted bitter.
Even now, she hadn’t earned complete trust from Angelica.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’
Hades forced himself to think.
‘I don’t completely trust this woman either.’
What importance did the trust of a woman who would die in a few years have?
It was enough to get along while she was alive.
He reached out his hand to Angelica.
“Take it.”
Angelica stared blankly at Hades’ hand, as big as her face, and then took it without a word.
There was not a hint of wonder in her expression, and Hades himself felt an inexplicable emotion stirring.
“Don’t let go until I tell you to. Understand?”
“Yes.”
Angelica nodded with a determined face.
In the deepest part of his heart, something unfamiliar, something he hadn’t felt in a long time, welled up.
Since he had started handling ice, he hadn’t enjoyed the warmth of others.
Especially someone like a Saint, who harbored fire within herself.
But now, the faint warmth coming from her hand didn’t feel unpleasant.
Hades made an effort to ignore the unfamiliar sensation and headed for the wall.
Angelica looked up at him with a bewildered face.
“What are we doing here…….”
Hades’ mouth curled into a smile.
“It’s a surprise, Saint.”
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]I was absolutely shocked by Hades’ ‘surprise.’
‘There’s a secret passage I didn’t know about!?’
I stared at the dim space, filled with astonishment.
Even in the faint light, I could tell it was a tangled maze.
The problem was, even though the entire map of ‘Donovan Duke’s Castle’ was clearly embedded in my mind, I had no memory of this secret passage.
Especially since the Duke’s office was where important events happened, and I had looked at it closely.
Hades answered my question with a voice full of laughter.
“You look like you’re going to memorize the whole thing. But it’s useless. Only I can enter here.”
“……You won’t tell me why?”
“There’s nothing I can’t tell you.”
He shrugged.
“This place acknowledges and accepts only Croitners. The moment I let go of your hand, you’ll be lost forever.”
“……!”
I quickly gripped Hades’ hand tighter. What had felt like just a casual hold a moment ago now felt like a lifeline.
Whether Hades hadn’t noticed my agitation, or was pretending not to, he moved on calmly.
I swallowed hard. My heart was pounding so hard that my chest felt heavy.
In the darkness, relying solely on Hades to move, tension and fear rushed in.
“I’m here.”
Finally, Hades stopped walking, and I let out a big sigh of relief and tried to let go of his hand.
No, I tried to let go.
But I failed thanks to Hades tightly holding my hand.
In my confusion, a stern voice rang out.
“What did I tell you?”
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
