Men of the Harem (137 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 7
For two years, La Til lived busily. The Crown Prince’s education, previously given to Lean, was now transferred entirely to La Til, but the schedule was even more rigorous than it had been for Lean.
Because she had to inherit in a short time all the education Lean had received since childhood, her tutors inevitably became stricter.
Yet La Til followed every part of her schedule without complaint. She refused to lose to Tulla, wanted to crush the expectations of Anakcha, Tulla’s mother and a concubine, and did not wish to let go of the opportunity now in her hands.
Hyacinth, surprisingly, also helped. He did not assist her directly; rather, whenever she had even a moment of leisure, she found herself thinking of him—so to avoid recalling Hyacinth at all, La Til had no choice but to devote herself even more intensely to her studies.
However, trouble arose when the recovering Emperor was assassinated within the imperial palace.
“What do you mean? Father was assassinated?”
“You must return to the palace immediately, Your Highness the Crown Princess!”
La Til, who had been away from the palace for about a month visiting her older brother Lean, immediately left the temple upon hearing the news. Alongside Captain Sarnet, she rode her horse as swiftly as possible back to the capital.
Father suddenly gone due to assassination? The hurriedly delivered news felt less sorrowful than utterly unbelievable.
Yet La Til could not even enter the capital, let alone return to the palace—she had to turn her horse around and flee.
“You must escape. Prince Tulla has seized control of the palace with his private army and is trying to capture Your Highness.”
Thanks to a palace guard who had once received praise from La Til and now warned her, she managed to flee the capital without being captured by Prince Tulla. She first took refuge at the nearby Meloshi estate, where Lord Meloshi—Captain Sarnet’s father—served as lord.
After spending several days there, La Til finally gained a clearer understanding of the situation.
“It seems Prince Tulla used His Majesty’s corpse to immobilize the pro-Emperor faction and forged the Emperor’s final will.”
“He will surely summon the lords and high-ranking nobles to swear their loyalty to him.”
“Yes, we cannot afford to delay. There are many neutral parties who have not yet firmly aligned themselves with either Your Highness or Prince Tulla. We must overturn this situation as quickly as possible, before Prince Tulla persuades them.”
With the supreme commander gone, neither the royal guard nor the imperial army could be controlled by anyone yet.
Although La Til could muster more private troops than Prince Tulla, two problems remained: Tulla held the Emperor’s body, and waging a war for the throne within the capital would drastically erode public trust.
‘That bastard Tulla. I knew he’d eventually cause trouble.’
La Til muttered inwardly, cursing under her breath.
“We must persuade Duke Atraxi, who holds the greatest influence.”
[This is the timeline separator]The Emperor’s assassination—unexpected, as he was believed to have many years ahead of him—caused chaos among the nobles. Those who supported La Til were furious, while Tulla’s supporters cheered in celebration.
Yet the most powerful among the nobility were the pro-Emperor faction, who belonged to neither side. They were also the most bewildered: shocked not only by the Emperor’s assassination but forced to make an immediate decision—
Whom to support, whom to aid, or whether to remain neutral.
Revenge and investigation into the truth would come later. For now, the nation and its people needed a new Emperor to restore stability.
However, the pro-Emperor faction—who had expected the abdication to be far off and thus planned to calmly observe the Crown Princess’s growth—could not easily reach a decision amid this sudden crisis.
A prince with no legitimacy but thorough preparation. A Crown Princess with legitimacy but insufficient preparation. Which option would benefit the nation more—and which would benefit them personally?
The nobles busily weighed their calculations.
The same was true at Duke Atraxi’s mansion, where he and his wife were deep in discussion about the crisis.
“Of course we must support Crown Princess Latrasil!”
Surprisingly, the Duchess’s opinion was firm. Duke Atraxi, taken aback by her resoluteness, asked hesitantly, “Is that so?”
“Absolutely!”
Duke Atraxi paced anxiously around the room, glancing warily at his wife.
“But, my dear, wouldn’t it be wiser to wait and see for now? The nation needs a strong emperor, after all. Though I personally favor the Crown Princess ascending the throne, I’d rather see her overcome this hardship on her own.”
The Duchess clicked her tongue.
“It’s not that you want to see her overcome hardship—it’s that you want to firmly switch sides once you’re certain who’ll win!”
“To be honest…”
“Darling, now is the time for boldness. If you wait to see whether she overcomes this hardship, then even if she becomes Empress and thrives, you’ll have done nothing but stood by and watched. Only by helping her in difficult times will the Crown Princess remember to care for us.”
Still seeing no immediate response from Duke Atraxi, the Duchess narrowed her eyes.
“Do you really not care if Prince Tulla takes the throne? You seem awfully indifferent!”
“Prince Tulla is just as intelligent as Her Highness. He may be overly idealistic, but I believe that’s a flaw he’ll naturally correct once faced with reality.”
“What nonsense! Our Crown Princess is sharp and decisive—truly exceptional!”
“Ah! I know that—my point is she’s only had two years of imperial education. Honestly, has any emperor ever ascended the throne after just two years of study?”
Frustrated by her husband’s obtuseness, the Duchess let out a long sigh.
“You impossible man! Darling, just think— we have only sons, three of them!”
“And that matters?”
“Of course it does! We have three sons, and our second son, Pumksu, once fought Prince Tulla tooth and nail.”
“That was just childhood squabbling…”
“But they still don’t get along now, do they?”
The Duchess snorted and stepped closer to Duke Atraxi, lowering her voice.
“If Prince Tulla takes power, at best things stay the same, and at worst, his poor relationship with Pumksu causes unnecessary tension. But consider what happens if Crown Princess La Til ascends instead.”
“?”
“Oh, for goodness’ sake! Think of our eldest son, Ranamun! It’s not just because he’s mine—he truly is the most handsome man in all of Tariyum Empire!”
“Ah!”
Only then did the Duke exclaim in realization.
“If Crown Princess La Til takes the throne, even if things go poorly, we maintain the status quo—but if she succeeds, we might make our Ranamun imperial consort! Have you forgotten what happened with Carissen? Duke Daga first supported Prince Heum but quickly switched allegiance to Emperor Hyacinth—and in return, got his daughter made Empress. Why shouldn’t our son have the same chance?”
“Is that true?”
“Absolutely! Our son could become imperial consort too!”
[This is the timeline separator]Unexpectedly, it was Duke Atraxi himself who first sent someone to Meloshi estate.
La Til had been deep in discussion with Captain Sarnet about how best to win over Duke Atraxi when news of his arrival reached her, so she rushed out in surprise.
Even more astonishing, the Duke hadn’t merely sent an aide—he came in person, startling La Til further.
He’d even brought along a strikingly handsome young man clad in a gray robe, and La Til immediately recognized him as the Duke’s eldest son, Ranamun.
Ranamun was famous. Though he disliked social gatherings and rarely attended parties, whenever he did appear, gossip columns overflowed with stories about him—and La Til knew of at least fifteen young noblewomen currently pining after him.
Seeing La Til’s bewildered expression, Duke Atraxi warmly offered his condolences.
“You’ve endured great hardship, Your Highness.”
“Thank you for coming, Duke.”
“You may rely solely on this Atraxi. I will surely restore everything that belongs to you, Your Highness.”
Had he ever been this gentle toward me before? La Til felt both grateful and confused by the Duke’s kindly smile and unexpectedly familiar manner. But given her desperate need for his support, she accepted it.
Looking at La Til as though she were a future daughter-in-law, the Duke affectionately pushed his son forward. ‘Why is this fool so stiff? Couldn’t he at least act a bit more graceful?’ the Duke silently grumbled.
“This is my son, Ranamun, Your Highness.”
Standing expressionlessly, Ranamun stumbled forward a step by accident. Before he could steady himself, he found himself face-to-face with La Til—and after shooting his father a cold glare, he reluctantly greeted her.
“…I am Ranamun. It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”
Ranamun was a man uninterested not only in high society but also in politics.
His avoidance extended beyond parties; La Til had never once encountered him within the palace grounds. While other heirs attended successor training and knightly drills, Ranamun alone remained conspicuously absent from such activities.
So why had he suddenly been brought here—and why with such an openly disgruntled expression? Though puzzled, La Til accepted his greeting.
“Oh—yes. You must have had a hard journey getting here.”
Watching the painfully awkward exchange between La Til and Ranamun, Duke Atraxi beamed with satisfaction.
“Haha! Perhaps because you both have such splendid black hair, Your Highness and my son look like a perfect pair of mandarin ducks together.”
“What?”
At this sudden comparison to mandarin ducks, La Til’s eyes widened in shock—and Ranamun shot his father a terrifying glare.
‘What’s going on? Why’s he acting like that?’
[This is the timeline separator]With Captain Sarnet aligning himself with La Til, the Imperial Royal Guard—normally expected to remain neutral—naturally sided with her as well.
Duke Atraxi persuaded the pro-Emperor faction, and those who had already supported La Til began gathering at Meloshi estate.
La Til dispatched merchants into the capital to spread rumors: “Prince Tulla is attempting to forcibly seize the throne while the Crown Princess is away. Though she could crush him by force, she hesitates for fear of harming the capital’s citizens.”
Yet Prince Tulla countered flawlessly, making it far more difficult than expected to retake the palace.
He matched La Til’s public opinion campaign with his own—spreading false rumors that although the Emperor had indeed wished to pass the throne to the Crown Princess, after being assassinated, he grew concerned about La Til’s inadequate education and left a final will naming Prince Tratala as his successor instead.
Though clearly a flimsy fabrication, this rumor struck precisely at the worries of those uneasy about La Til’s brief training—and since it acknowledged the Emperor’s greater affection for the Crown Princess, it sounded all the more plausible.
Thus, neither side could decisively claim public favor.
Eventually, even ordinary citizens began arguing in taverns and restaurants over who truly deserved the throne.
After six months of indecisive rivalry—marked by three minor battles on the plains near the capital—La Til devised a new strategy.
“We must enlist foreign nations.”
“Isn’t that risky? Foreign support can become a double-edged sword if misused.”
“We’ll only seek signed declarations of support.”
“That won’t be easy…”
“I have a surefire method.”
La Til traveled to neighboring countries, deliberately presenting herself as inexperienced and weak—a ruler unlikely to threaten them. She leveraged their desire to avoid a powerful neighbor by appearing deliberately non-threatening.
Once all nearby nations publicly endorsed La Til, she finally reclaimed the capital, entered the palace, and imprisoned Prince Tulla.
Anakcha, Tulla’s mother and a concubine, came running barefoot to beg La Til.
“Your Highness, please—spare my son just this once! Tulla was dearly loved by the late Emperor, and the two of you share the same father. For the sake of your departed father, I beg you—let Prince Tulla live!”
Her tear-streaked face was truly pitiful.
People assumed La Til, though unwilling to forgive Tulla, would at least spare his life. Even Tulla’s imprisoned aides comforted their anxious prince.
“Female emperors are naturally merciful. At worst, you’ll face imprisonment—there’s no need to fear.”
“Indeed. As long as you survive, we’ll devise a plan for your future—please rest easy, Your Highness.”
“If you’re exiled, it will likely be to Arond Tower or Sosta Castle. We’ll gather your loyalists there and prepare your escape. An opportunity will surely come.”
“If she shows even the slightest weakness while in power, we’ll seize public opinion and overturn everything.”
When La Til calmly ordered Anakcha to be escorted back to her quarters, her supporters also assumed she would not impose harsh punishment.
Yet one week later, La Til shocked everyone by ordering Prince Tulla’s execution and Anakcha’s house arrest after much deliberation.
Beginning with Tulla, all who had hidden the Emperor’s body and raised swords against La Til were either executed or stripped of their status.
Though her face had been filled with sorrow before the decision, the commands that finally left her lips were as sharp as blades.
Only then did people recall the Grand Sage’s prophecy about the two siblings, Lean and La Til:
“This princess possesses the makings of a tyrant. Should she ascend the throne, much blood will flow—but the Tariyum Empire will flourish beyond measure.”
And so, in the spring of the year 517 F.W.,
after eliminating Prince Tulla’s faction, recovering the late Emperor’s body, and holding his funeral, La Til finally solidified her foundation as the 19th Emperor—and held her coronation.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Well, I expected that she would take concubines from other countries as they helped her with ascension.
The revenge against Hyacinth is quite harsh. A man wouldn’t expect something like that, especially one as narcissistic.
Well, it’s quite fun. It’s interesting and light to read. Feelings of the characters are exposed clearly. 👍🏻