Pelena gestured to Saraf with an unpleasant expression.
When she saw Saraf approaching, Pelena’s eyes instantly froze cold. Seeing this, Saraf was slapped before she could even flinch.
“If I gave you the name Saraf, you should have acted properly.”
Saraf began to weep, clutching her face with trembling hands. Pelena grabbed Saraf’s front hair.
“Seeing your tears now, it seems you still find life worth living.”
Though her voice was coaxing, the angry-faced Pelena mercilessly slapped her cheek again.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. Please spare me.”
Saraf groaned, kneeling down and clasping her hands to beg Pelena.
Pelena, who had been calmly watching Saraf beg while crying, burst into laughter.
Then she stuck out her bright red tongue between her reddened lips and licked her upper and lower lips. Saraf felt terror at the sight.
She swallowed hard at the sight of Pelena’s split tongue, which she hadn’t seen in a long time.
“I taught you that the Great Saint must never apologize…”
Pelena grabbed the chin of Saraf, who was kneeling on the floor begging. She slowly traced Saraf’s lip with her thumb.
“Should I tear this mouth that apologizes?”
Saraf, forced to look at Pelena who gripped her chin, shed tears with each blink.
Her body was powerless and trembling. Her skin was covered in goosebumps.
Pelena’s other fingertip brushed Saraf’s eye. Then Pelena slowly lowered her head, bringing her red lips close to Saraf’s cheek.
“Crying uselessly… I didn’t put you in the Great Saint’s position for this…”
Saraf knows all too well this Pelena who whispers while gently stroking her cheek with her finger.
“I told you to declare a religious war, but instead you got a war declared on you by that monster… How can you make me feel so disappointed?”
“I was wrong. Please, please, spare me.”
“How dare you again.”
The moment Saraf said she was wrong, her head turned so fast her vision flashed.
Her cheek burned, and blood spilled from between her lips parted in pain along with a groan.
“Are you continuing to apologize now? Great Saint Saraf.”
Saraf’s shoulders shook as she blinked back tears.
What would become of her? Would she be disposed of like the other children? What should she do? She didn’t want to die like this.
No matter what she did, Great Saint Saraf must not apologize. It was one of the teachings she had received since childhood, to the point of nausea.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s all that witch’s fault.”
“Yes. It’s the witch’s fault.”
Pelena smiled, raising the corners of her mouth in satisfaction as she held Saraf’s face in both hands.
“And also.”
Saraf pressed her lips tightly at her question. When she didn’t answer, Pelena’s hands tightened.
“Since you don’t seem to know, shall I give you a hint?”
“…Yes.”
“Good. What were the priests and saints who were supposed to help Great Saint Saraf doing in that place?”
Saraf caught on to Pelena’s intention.
“The priests and saints who should have assisted me failed to do their duty.”
Even the priests and saints couldn’t stop Lorencia, whom she herself couldn’t handle. But as one in the highest position, she must not call all wrongs wrong.
There was no choice.
“Then, what do you think should be done with the priests and saints who failed to assist the Great Saint?”
An indescribable tightness welled up in her chest under Pelena’s gaze looking down at her, making it hard to breathe.
“I asked what should be done. Great Saint Saraf!”
“They failed in their duties, so they must be killed.”
As Saraf said this, Pelena’s hands fell from her face.
“The Great Saint’s words are right. Our Great Saint has done nothing wrong. It was their fault. They deserve to die.”
Saraf, who had slid down to sit on the spot, covered her mouth with both hands.
Tears that had stopped from fear welled up in her eyes again.
“Then I shall fulfill what the Great Saint wishes.”
No way.
“I will kill all the priests and saints who failed to properly assist the Great Saint.”
Pelena looked at Daniel standing beside her.
“Father.”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
Pelena continued speaking to him with a bright smile.
“Please kill all the saints and priests who assisted Great Saint Saraf.”
Saraf stood up, supporting herself on the floor with both hands, and looked back and forth between Pelena and Daniel with bewildered eyes.
“Right now… Ah, before killing them, torture them cruelly to make them realize their mistakes, then kill them.”
“I will do so.”
Daniel bowed to Pelena.
“Great Saint, reflect in the Room of Forgiveness for a week.”
“Please, anywhere but the Room of Judgment… I was wrong. Please spare me.”
“Again with the words ‘I was wrong’. ‘I’m sorry’. It seems these words have become a habit.”
“I did nothing to deserve being sent to the Room of Forgiveness.”
“I told you not to speak of forgiveness with that mouth. I didn’t say you could talk back to me. Great Saint Saraf.”
“Please… Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. Don’t send me to the Room of Forgiveness.”
“It would be best for you to leave when I smile. What will you do if you end up in the Room of Judgment? If you don’t want to die, keep your mouth shut and do as you’re told.”
Saraf shuddered at the chilling air emanating from Pelena. Tears kept flowing.
“You may leave now.”
“Yes.”
As Saraf left through the door on trembling legs, Pelena spoke to Daniel.
“Father.”
“Yes.”
Daniel quickly knelt on one knee.
“When war breaks out, I’d like you to kill Ruans amid the chaos.”
“Is there no more use for Ruans?”
“Use for him… I don’t think there will be any more.”
“If you have no more need for him, I will dispose of Ruans immediately.”
Pelena looked out the window with a regretful expression.
“If Lady Lorencia had truly loved Ruans, he might have lived a little longer, but since the person she loves now is not Ruans, he has to be disposed of. And to catch Lorencia, we need to capture the man she loves, just like with Musilla, right?”
“I understand. I will capture Teishar Spencer.”
Pelena picked up the cooling teacup and dropped it on the floor. With a clang, fragments of the broken cup scattered everywhere.
“Lady Leios will be very sad. Too much crying is bad for the baby…”
The corners of Pelena’s mouth turned up.
“What if Lady Leios, devastated by Ruans’s death, gives birth early, and then loses her life without even holding her child once after giving birth? How will Marquis Monveillonst react to that news? Father.”
“The Monveillonst family will probably do anything to protect their newborn grandchild.”
“No. They might covet my position. And they might try to take my grandchild away from me. Father.”
Daniel bowed his head even lower to Pelena.
“Human greed knows no bounds, doesn’t it? Just like you, Father.”
“Then what would you like me to do?”
“When war breaks out, please kill everyone in the Monveillonst family along with Ruans.”
Pelena said with a happy smile.
“It’s fortunate, though. Ella’s child has found someone to love, even if it’s not Ruans.”
“But I’m worried.”
“About what?”
“That monster can see the future.”
“It’s alright, Father. No matter how much Ella’s child sees the future and uses her power.”
Something that hasn’t changed, then or now.
“In front of me, she’s nothing but prey.”
“I worried too much. I apologize.”
“Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
In the midst of Pelena and Daniel’s smiling conversation, the head maid approached hurriedly.
“What is it?”
“Marquis Monveillonst has come to see Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
“I forgot we had an appointment.”
“I’ve already shown him to the reception room.”
“Guide Lady Leios to Marquis Monveillonst.”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
As the head maid left, Daniel wore a worried expression.
“Is it alright to let these two meet?”
“Soon when war breaks out, Marquis Monveillonst and his family will die. Seeing his daughter’s face one last time before that shouldn’t be a problem. Father.”
“That’s not it. I’m worried that Lady Leios might tell her father that her pregnancy is false.”
“Don’t worry. Even if he finds out it’s not a pregnancy, that’s a lie told by Lady Leios. It’s not a lie we told.”
“I understand.”
“Father, don’t worry about anything else. Just focus on preparing for war and doing exactly what I ordered.”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
Pelena stroked the wrinkled face of Daniel kneeling before her.
“I will grant you eternal life in the name of Goddess Saraf.”
“This humble servant Daniel swears eternal loyalty before Goddess Saraf.”
[This is the timeline separator]Marquis Monveillonst Mahanri couldn’t sleep every night worrying about his beloved daughter Leios.
When he learned that Leios had spent her first night with Ruans, his feelings were devastating.
Although it was called free love, the fact that she had spent her first night with Ruans, who was famous for being a playboy, brought only bitterness washing over him like waves.
It would have been a better situation if she had fallen in love with a rookie knight instead.
Then one day, after Leios went into the palace to meet Pelena, an edict arrived at the mansion stating that she would be appointed as a concubine.
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
Link to read
