The doctors who carefully examined the victims of magi who had awakened now confirmed that there was no problem with them. Jackie, an apprentice cook in the kitchen of the Lily Palace, blinked her eyes and got out of bed.
At first, when she just opened her eyes, she didn’t know what had happened to her. She was in a dazed state as if she had just woken up from sleep, but during the examination, her memory faintly returned.
She was caught slacking off while doing the dishes and was scolded by a senior cook. While grumbling, she put her hands back in the basin, but an intense pain came over her. It was a pain she had never experienced before, so she groaned and seems to have fainted.
‘I think I had a really scary dream…’
Darkness with form. Terror with crimson teeth. It seems she had a nightmare where such things rushed in, pounced on Jackie, and pressed her down.
She doesn’t know how long she endured a time when everything around was completely dark and the only thing that came to mind was ‘death’. Just when she thought she was really going to die, she discovered a figure surrounded by faint light.
Jackie ran desperately towards that figure, but just before reaching her, she woke up and was lying on the bed. And she saw her standing in the middle of the treatment room, soaking wet.
‘She was really beautiful…’
The doctor examining Jackie said, “You, if it wasn’t for the princess of the Lily Palace, you would have died.”
Jackie left the treatment room in a daze and returned to the Lily Palace. Jackie said to the cooks who greeted her with bright smiles and teary eyes:
“You know what? The princess saved me. Can you believe it? I’ve never seen the princess before, but she came into that terrible nightmare to rescue me?”
+++
When Kirshan returned after being turned away at the door, only the knights’ captains remained in the treatment room. Adrian said.
“Hexten took the child and went home.”
“Ah, I see.”
Kirshan looked up at the treatment room ceiling, which was still dripping with water.
“The maids will come soon to clean up the treatment room. Let’s get out.”
“Ah, alright.”
Although Kirshan had always taken on the role of calmly subduing Floyd’s anger, this time it was difficult to keep his mind in check.
‘What happened?’
“What do you think happened?”
Adrian voiced Kirshan’s thoughts out loud.
“What on earth did that princess do?”
Kirshan realized that in Adrian’s mind, she had been upgraded from ‘that woman’ to ‘princess’.
“At first I thought the princess might be water, just like our lord is fire. But do you know what Jewelry said?”
“What did she say?”
“She said monsters were chasing her, but that princess was there. So she was running towards that princess when she woke up.”
“The nightmare…”
“It wasn’t a nightmare. It’s the same for other people. They all saw that princess in their nightmares. Our lord can’t do that.”
No one opened their mouth as they walked down the corridor. When they left the main palace, Arsen said.
“Our lord may have already known about her abilities. That’s why he took her in.”
Kirshan glanced at Arsen. He still seemed to have an expression of displeasure about her existence.
No matter how great Roxiana’s abilities were, with the mark of a slave, he probably couldn’t understand why she was being enshrined in the Lily Palace.
But Kirshan didn’t care about old-fashioned Arsen’s thoughts. He knew that from now on, the treatment towards Roxiana in this grand duchy would change. At least the knights who valued ability would undoubtedly treat Roxiana, who had the talent to drive away magi, with respect.
The ability to drive away magi by a method other than washing it off with blessed holy water obtained from the Great Temple was a talent that not just anyone could possess. A quality worth protecting against even the Kingdom of Gania.
In fact, Adrian no longer furrowed his brow when talking about her.
“Our lord didn’t seem to know about the princess’s abilities. When he opened the treatment room door, he looked more surprised than anyone else.”
“Right. He looked almost foolish. By the way…”
Cain, who didn’t know that Floyd had taken Roxiana to his room, turned his gaze towards the Lily Palace.
“I wonder if the princess is alright? She looked like she was about to die…”
+++
I had a nostalgic dream. Even in the dream, I could tell it was a dream. Such a peaceful scene would not be given to me anymore.
Even knowing it was a momentary dream, the young Roxiana in the dream smiled. If my family was watching me somewhere in this dream, it would be better to show them my smiling face.
In front of Roxiana, something transparent was changing its form into various animals. Young Rotti laughed gleefully at the sight.
From time to time, a wind of just the right temperature blew in, wiping the dust off Rotti’s cheeks. As if refusing to yield, the ground vibrated, causing the flowers densely blooming on the trees to shake and scatter petals like snow.
Rotti lifted her head to look at the flower petals falling above her. The flower petals swirling like embroidery against the deep blue sky were beautiful.
Rotti, standing in the middle of the swirling flower petals, looked like a fairy. Following the flower petals, her platinum blonde hair also fluttered beautifully.
−Our lovely Rotti. How can you be so pretty?
−Do you know? When you were in your mother’s womb, we saved you when you were about to die.
−Our kings gathered their strength to save your life. Although our kings hate humans, your mother has treated us well since she was young. So our kings answered your mother’s prayer.
−So you are also our child. We will always protect you.
Rotti liked hearing the gentle voices. They were very kind, cheerful, noisy, and bright. Because of them, Rotti wasn’t afraid even on nights when she had to sleep alone.
“Rotti!”
Then, a desperately missed voice was heard. Rotti turned around quickly and stared at the figure running towards her, waving her hand big.
The young Rotti was smiling, but the Roxiana inside her was shedding tears of blood.
‘Brother Ekion…’
I wanted to see my family even if it was in a dream. I earnestly wished that even if it was a fleeting dream that would disappear in an instant, anyone, just one person would come.
And that prayer was answered.
Roxiana stared at her brother, who was even younger than her current self. Deep blue eyes, brilliant golden hair, a slightly stubborn-looking mouth.
Brother Ekion looked this stubborn even when he was young.
While thinking this, Ekion, who had already approached close, hugged Rotti from behind.
“Spirit lords. This is troublesome.”
Ekion said, looking at the undine that had drawn in water to create a form.
−What’s troublesome? You’re nagging again.
The undine grumbled, but Ekion couldn’t hear that voice. Ordinary people could see the forms created by spirits but couldn’t hear their voices.
Only Roxiana had the talent to hear and communicate with the spirits’ voices this clearly. Even Roxiana’s mother, who was born with the blood of a spirit mage, couldn’t hear their voices this distinctly.
“There are many people everywhere in the palace. If you catch their attention, we’ll be in big trouble. And please don’t speak to Rotti where there are people. They whisper that Rotti might have mental problems.”
−So old-fashioned.
−Ekion is stupid.
−Not pretty. Troublesome guy.
−Rotti is our child!
The spirits grumbled, but Ekion, who couldn’t hear those sounds, turned around holding Rotti’s hand tightly. Rotti turned back and waved to the spirits left behind.
And looking up at her brother, she asked.
“Brother, are you angry with me?”
Ekion, who had been quite stiff, smiled brightly when his eyes met his little sister’s. The stubbornness at the corners of his mouth disappeared and was replaced with gentle affection.
“Rotti, I will never be angry with you. You are my only little sister.”
“What about Ranian?”
When Rotti asked, thinking of her younger brother, Ekion wrinkled his nose.
“That boy is too reckless and he’s a boy. I’ve had enough of little brothers. I don’t even want to think about them.”
Ekion, the eldest son, sighed as he thought of his rough little brothers. Rotti thought her eldest brother was amazing for never raising his voice despite being tormented by the second and third brothers, and the younger brother.
To Rotti, who was constantly tormented by the second and third brothers’ pranks, Ekion seemed like the coolest man in the world.
“When I grow up, I want to marry brother!”
At Rotti’s words, Ekion’s eyes widened before he burst into laughter. Thinking how pleasant her brother’s clear laughter sounded, Roxiana woke up from her sleep.
Even though she knew it was a dream, there was no way to stop the emptiness and sadness at the moment of waking. She felt a tearing pain in her chest at the sight she would never see again. Just as the pain was about to climb up her heart and turn into sobs, Roxiana noticed something unusual.
‘What is this?’
Something heavy was wrapping around Roxiana’s body, pressing her down. Only then did Roxiana open her eyes and discover a man’s face right in front of her own.
Tanned skin and dark eyebrows, long eyelashes below closed eyes and a prominent nose, tightly closed lips. Features as balanced as a perfectly finished sculpture.
Roxiana’s eyes grew wider.
‘Is this…?’
The next thing she realized was her own state. Roxiana was nestled against him as if tightly wound.
One of his strong arms was under Roxiana’s head, the other draped over Roxiana’s waist. His thighs were tangled with Roxiana’s as if binding them.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
