I'll Be the Queen of the Enemy Country (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
“A good… person.”
“Learning is a good thing. You really are a good person.”
Elise brushed it off casually. An unreadable smile lingered at the corner of Karan’s lips.
“It’s ready. I hope it suits your taste.”
Elise took a sip of the tea Karan had prepared. Indeed, the tea tasted excellent.
“That person must be very proud.”
“Who do you mean?”
“The one who advised Your Highness to learn tea. I think they’d be happy to know you can now brew such wonderful tea.”
“Do you like it?”
Elise blinked, as if wondering why he’d asked her that.
Then, realizing he’d been asking about the tea’s flavor, she gave a soft smile.
“It’s truly delicious. It suits my palate perfectly—the aroma is lovely, and the subtle taste is wonderful too.”
Karan smiled back. Elise found herself momentarily lost, gazing at him.
His usual sharp features had softened, making him look entirely different.
His fresh smile, reminiscent of a green apple, made Elise’s heart flutter.
“Is there something on my face?”
“No, Your Highness. You’re just too…”
“Yes?”
“Handsome.”
Elise immediately voiced her honest impression, worried Karan might take offense.
Karan merely parted his lips slightly, offering no further reaction.
In Bedroka, complimenting someone’s appearance was considered a social grace, not taboo.
But perhaps it wasn’t the same in Titris. Karan’s mouth tightened.
“I’m sorry if I upset you.”
“It’s not that I’m upset… Do you truly like my face?”
If she were to answer honestly—did she like it or not? Of course she did.
“Yes.”
Karan broke into a broad smile.
When he’d smiled faintly before, he’d resembled a crisp green apple; now, he was a perfectly ripe red one.
His sultry smile made Elise’s heart skip for an entirely different reason.
“I’m glad you like it.”
Glad about what, exactly?
Every time she spoke with him, new questions kept arising.
Yet she found it hard to ask them outright. Though Elise carried memories from her previous life and felt familiar with him, to Karan, she was still a stranger.
‘I’ll get closer to him slowly, then ask all sorts of things.’
Elise quietly fiddled with her teacup.
Karan prepared his own cup of tea and sat across from her. For a while, both focused solely on drinking their tea.
Only after finishing her cup did Elise bring up the main topic.
“Have you thought about it?”
Though the subject was omitted, Karan knew exactly what she meant.
Today, they were to formalize their marriage contract.
“Yes. Before that, do you have any specific conditions in mind, my lady?”
“I’ll accept whatever terms you set.”
A deep look of suspicion entered Karan’s eyes.
This was a contract that could determine their entire lives.
He understood Elise needed his help, but there was no need for her to hand him complete control.
‘What if I get greedy—how would she handle it?’
Karan concealed his boiling desire and made a polite suggestion.
“I have no intention of making an unfair contract. Since you proposed this, please state your desired terms first.”
“I’m hardly in a position to haggle over details. As I’ve said before, I doubt I’ll make a particularly advantageous match for Your Highness.”
“Please don’t say that. My decision to marry you was mine alone. I don’t wish to make my choice seem pitiful.”
Every word Karan spoke radiated consideration for Elise.
Elise realized anew just how good a person he truly was.
‘Could it be his kindness that made him save me before I died? But why was he in the dungeon back then?’
Elise never even dreamed Karan had come to the dungeon because of her.
“Please speak your mind.”
Karan said.
The tea had long since gone cold. Seeing they’d get nowhere by endlessly deferring to each other, Elise finally stated her condition.
“I have only one wish: let me keep the position of your first wife.”
Titris practiced polygamy.
However, only the first wife held the rights and status of a true consort.
Elise’s ultimate goal was to place Karan on the throne.
Only then could she fully defeat Chase.
And only then would this marriage not seem like a loss for Karan.
To achieve that, Elise needed power.
Truthfully, she hadn’t coveted the position of first wife—but when Karan asked what she wanted, desire stirred within her.
“Does saying ‘first’ mean you assume I’ll take a second wife?”
Perhaps she’d been too greedy.
Karan looked deeply displeased.
“It’s quite common in Titris, isn’t it?”
Karan’s hand, which had been gently tracing his teacup, stilled.
The warm aura surrounding him suddenly turned icy.
“You’re under a serious misconception.”
Elise drew in a sharp breath. She must have made a grave mistake. How could she fix this? As she scrambled for a solution—
“Let me be clear: I will have only one wife. We should include that clause in the contract.”
“What? Only one? Does that mean you won’t marry me after all?”
So startled was Elise that she jostled her teacup. Had Karan not caught it, it would have fallen to the floor.
After placing the cup back before her, Karan lifted his gaze to meet hers.
“Titrisians may be considered barbarians, but we don’t treat faithfulness like trash.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean I’ll keep the promise I made to you. My wife will be only one—and that is Elise Warton.”
Elise’s eyes widened.
‘Does he mean he won’t take any other wives besides me?’
Even after hearing it, she couldn’t believe it. Marriage would grant him power and influence—so why?
As Elise struggled to process this, Karan brought over a pen and paper.
He wrote as the first clause that Karan’s wife would be Elise alone.
“Your Highness, you really don’t need to go that far…”
Elise tried to stop him belatedly.
“No. I will absolutely uphold it.”
Was polygamy truly considered shameful in Titris? Elise was confused.
“Anything else?”
“No, nothing in particular…”
Karan had conceded far too much.
“So you have no further requests of me, my lady.”
Merely fleeing to his country was already a huge burden on him.
Though she believed she could eventually bring him benefits substantial enough to offset any scandal attached to her, for now, this marriage clearly favored her alone.
Thus, it would be shameless for Elise to demand more.
“I do have another condition: our marriage will continue until I am the one to propose divorce.”
“What? Not three years?”
“Correct. The duration will be determined by me.”
A look of dismay crossed Elise’s face.
Three years might seem long, yet it was too short to repay Karan’s kindness and lay the foundation for her revenge.
“It’d be a problem if it’s too short…”
Hearing Elise’s muttered words, Karan gave a quiet chuckle.
She was thoroughly mistaken.
This marriage wouldn’t end even after a lifetime.
Not as long as Karan lived.
He had no intention whatsoever of ever letting Elise go.
But there was no need to reveal that to her now.
Karan wet his lower lip with his tongue and tapped the table lightly with his fountain pen.
“Will that be difficult?”
“…No. I’ll accept it.”
“I have one more condition.”
“You said you hadn’t thought of anything, yet you seem to have pondered this deeply.”
“I devoted the longest time of my life to it.”
He wasn’t merely referring to the contractual terms—he meant this new beginning with Elise.
Heh, Elise smiled.
She appreciated his serious consideration of their agreement.
“Please go ahead.”
“We will fulfill our marital duties faithfully. What we’re entering is no different from a real marriage. After all, marriage itself is a contract—only differing in whether it’s made before a priest or not.”
“What exactly do you mean by ‘marital duties’?”
“Everything you can imagine. All that you anticipate.”
He smiled after finishing his sentence—a sly smile that left Elise’s lips dry.
Though he cherished Elise, he wouldn’t simply keep her locked away like a treasure.
Instead of letting her swing freely, he intended to imprint her sweet breath, her scent, and her warmth deeply onto his own body.
“Well? Will you accept my terms?”
Elise nodded.
Karan drafted two copies of the contract, including the condition he’d just stated.
“Now we must sign—do you have anything prepared for that?”
Normally, family seals were used for contracts.
But as merely the second daughter of a viscount, Elise had no family seal.
She picked up both copies of the contract.
Placing them side by side, she pressed her lips to the paper.
“Will this do?”
She handed one copy to Karan.
Seeing her half-lip print, Karan leaned forward abruptly.
When Elise instinctively pulled back, he placed a hand on the back of her head and gently pulled her closer.
“Signatures on a contract should be made together. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring anything—may I borrow yours for a moment?”
Before she could react, his lips pressed firmly against hers.
After parting cleanly, he held the two contracts side by side.
Keeping his eyes locked on Elise, he aligned his lips precisely over her lip print.
The moment his lips covered hers on the paper, Elise’s fingers instinctively touched her own lips.
‘Ah, I’ll be late again today.’
Elise had a premonition.
Tonight wouldn’t pass easily either.
[This is the timeline separator]“You’ve been sleeping more, my lady.”
Unable to wait any longer, Regina drew back the curtains and flung open the window.
Bathed in deep morning sunlight, Elise barely opened her eyes. Her body felt as heavy as if she’d labored all night.
Last night had unfolded exactly as Elise anticipated.
“We’re married now.”
When Karan whispered those words into her ear, gripping the hands she’d used to push him away, Elise had helplessly surrendered.
Everything about Karan was overwhelmingly large. Whenever he pressed down upon her from above, Elise felt as if trapped in a cave.
Spending the night with such a man left her body utterly spent.
‘I should’ve added a clause to the contract limiting marital relations to once a week.’
Regret was useless now—it was already too late.
“Regina, could you draw a bath for me?”
“A half-bath? Good idea. I’ll prepare it with herbal infusions.”
Regina hurried off. The bath was ready in no time. At the bathroom door, Elise gently pushed Regina away.
“I’ll manage alone.”
“Let me help you.”
“No, I need some time to think.”
Perhaps because they’d signed the contract, Karan had behaved last night like a man with a mission.
She suspected her body would be covered in marks, so Elise firmly kept Regina at bay.
“I really want to help… Is there anything you need then? Shall I bring you some cool tea?”
Elise started to shake her head but paused. There was something crucial she absolutely had to check—something so important she’d even written herself a note, but Karan had made her forget it completely.
“Regina, did we receive today’s Ailicat Times?”
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.
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MANGA DISCUSSION
4 Comments
Chapter Comments (100)
elise wants to be the headline of gossip haha,debois was shocked
The coffee shop is the ideal place to collect information
she is owning up to her scandal so that she cal leave faster
Inline Comments (106)
‘Truthfully, I could have bought my own clothes. Chase’s business ventures under
You should tank all those business before leaving the kingdom
“Lord Dex, are you ashamed of this place? The very land where you were born and
Homeland is not necessarily the place you were born in, but the place you felt you were a part of and that cared about you. And Tetters will be the same for Elise.
He looked both like an owl awaiting praise and a male peacock trying to impress
I liked the analogy. Whether an owl or a peacock, Cram appears to be a bird.
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VKotaku28
They are already on their honeymoon, good job locking in the contract Karan
debban23
they are married and making babies,karan will not let go easily
VKotaku28
Down boy
VKotaku28
Down boy