At that moment, all the other maids had gone to fetch the doctor or water. Linette took Illyad to the shade of a nearby tree. Even in the palace, it was impossible to leave the Empress alone.
“Your Majesty…?”
Startled by a sudden presence, Linette looked around. Rebel had appeared, just like yesterday, out of nowhere.
“Are you alright?”
He immediately knelt and checked on Illyad’s condition. While Linette was gathering her words, Illyad, leaning against the tree, weakly murmured.
“Tell the doctor… to come to the Empress’s palace.”
Illyad, with her eyes closed, seemed unaware of Rebel’s presence.
“Linette, go now.”
“But Your Majesty…”
“I don’t want them to see me like this. Please…”
Illyad’s pleading voice turned into a sob. She didn’t want to show her weakened state to the nobles, the Emperor, and the Empress in the banquet hall.
“I will stay with you.”
“What?”
A clear, but firm voice responded. Linette hesitated, looking at the unfamiliar man who had not been in the palace for more than a few days. Was it okay to leave the Empress alone with him, even just for a moment?
“I will make sure she’s not noticed.”
He whispered quietly, with certainty in his voice. It was puzzling how he planned to keep the Empress hidden from other people’s eyes.
But at that moment, not many people were around. Maybe it would be alright, just for a short while.
Rebel’s eyes held unwavering determination. Despite his rugged appearance, he didn’t seem to treat others carelessly or with contempt. There was only genuine concern for the Empress in front of him.
Strangely, the sight of him sitting in front of Illyad evoked a sense of stability and reassurance.
Linette finally nodded and whispered softly.
“Then, please take care of her.”
Illyad listened to Linette’s fading footsteps with her eyes closed. Someone had come, but she couldn’t greet them, preoccupied with her headache.
“Who…”
“No need to speak.”
A low voice tickled her ears. A man at a close distance. A calm voice she had heard several times and had grown accustomed to.
“Rebel, I presume.”
Each word she uttered aggravated the relentless pain.
This kind of agony usually brought irritation, so Illyad endured the returning headache. She couldn’t afford to expose her raw state to a complete stranger.
Illyad tried to calm the merciless pounding in her head, keeping her eyes tightly shut.
“Empress.”
She lacked the energy even to respond. Slightly opening her eyes was her only reply.
“Would you like to lean on me?”
She hadn’t expected such an offer, nor did she anticipate him coming so close. Illyad tilted her head to the side, feeling the solid presence of the man beside her.
“You don’t have to endure it. You need not worry about people’s eyes.”
How could she ignore that? An Empress half-embraced by a strange man in broad daylight – who would look at that normally? Yet, there was an inexplicable assurance in Rebel’s words.
Rebel spread his cloak to create an additional shadow over the shade. The inner darkness, concealed by the shadow, was adequate to hide her. From afar, it would appear as a lone, fluttering dark form.
He naturally pulled Illyad’s head toward his chest. Her slender body was now completely hidden in his embrace.
Should she be doing this? But it was more bearable than sitting up straight. The warmth of a person was stronger than she thought.
Illyad started to choose words to speak to him. She wanted to apologize, to say she was causing trouble.
“Don’t say anything.”
Rebel’s voice trembled slightly. Maintaining composure, acting unaffected, took a toll on him too.
He sensed Illyad’s stiffened body. It wasn’t just because she was in the arms of a stranger; it was the culmination of long-standing tension.
“Holding your breath will only make it worse.”
Rebel’s soothing voice replaced the echo of the Emperor’s voice in her ear. He shifted slightly, adjusting his position. Illyad let herself be moved by his actions.
“Try breathing with me. Take a deep breath in, and exhale slowly.”
Their breaths intertwined, circling in the invisible space, mingling under the shade, breaking upon reaching the sunlight. The sound of beating hearts softly resonated along the curves of their ears.
Eventually, their breathing synchronized. Regular breaths now came from Rebel’s embrace. Perhaps she had been tense since the coronation ceremony; her rigid body finally relaxed, finding its natural state.
An Empress, vulnerable and unguarded in the midday darkness. Rebel silently gazed at Illyad, who had fallen asleep in his arms. Had she been unable to rest properly all this time? His brows furrowed, casting a small shadow.
‘What kind of life have you led?’
He wanted to ask her right then.
He hoped she wouldn’t reach life’s brink. Wishing she would live with all her might. Promising to catch her if she ever stood on the precarious balance beam of life. He had made such resolutions, but it wasn’t too late. He reaffirmed his vow to successfully complete the contract with the Emperor. That would give him another chance, a reason to stay by her side.
“Hopefully, even if it’s just for a moment, may you have pleasant dreams.”
Looking once more at Illyad in the shade, her expression seemed somewhat at peace.
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.]
