Guinevere was pondering in front of the doghole that William had created.
‘Should I get rid of it? Or leave it?’
She had never imagined that William was considering running away. She knew, but thought it was because of Larisa, not realizing he had been planning to leave even before meeting her.
‘Why, though?’
William was already fed up with this house, having dug as many as seven dogholes.
‘What should I do?’
She couldn’t just lock up and raise her son, so she needed to address the root cause. She had to find out why William wanted to run away.
But Guinevere couldn’t figure out what the problem was. Her mind was blank, devoid of any thoughts.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Huh?”
Hedel, who had informed her about the doghole, inadvertently responded.
“Did I make a mistake?”
“What’s wrong?”
Hedel looked at the doghole Guinevere was glaring at. The sophisticated barrier set up by a soon-to-be 14-year-old boy was impressive.
But that was it. To Guinevere, it seemed like nothing to worry about. It was then that Hedel noticed something.
“Why does he want to run away?”
“Oh, that’s what you’re talking about.”
Hedel smiled. He had been worried there was something he didn’t know. He casually said,
“Isn’t it obvious? He probably hates magic.”
“Hates magic?”
Guinevere was stunned.
“Why would he hate magic?”
“Because he can’t do it.”
“If he can’t… he should just try harder.”
Hedel gave a bitter smile.
“If he hates magic, he probably doesn’t want to try.”
“So why does he hate it?”
To Guinevere, magic was the only truth in her long life. It had lifted her from the slums to nobility. It never betrayed her efforts.
“Maybe because he can’t surpass you?”
Guinevere, feeling futile, looked at the doghole then turned away.
“Should I just leave it?”
“Yes.”
Getting rid of the doghole wouldn’t change William’s heart. She needed to change herself.
“If he doesn’t want to do it, I should tell him not to.”
She couldn’t let him feel suicidal again.
“Such a sudden change of heart? You seemed determined never to give up.”
“Did I?”
“Yes. You said it was absurd for the son of the great witch Guinevere not to be able to do even a simple spell.”
That was true. William had immense power, even greater than Guinevere’s in terms of pure magic.
Even if she completed the time reversal magic, she might not be able to cast it alone due to lack of power.
But William had thrice managed to realize an incomplete spell through sheer will and power. It was an incredible talent.
If William couldn’t feel magic, that wasn’t the case. He was sensitive to magic flows and had a strong intuition. He couldn’t control his own power, though.
“Whether it’s psychological pressure or something else, it was wrong to keep pushing him to do something that wasn’t working.”
Hedel sighed regretfully.
“He’s only 14. He doesn’t know yet.”
“No.”
Guinevere knew. During the missing 50 years, William never managed to cast a proper spell.
Even the time reversal spell, completed through death, was somewhere between magic and alchemy.
Alchemy was named for turning substances into gold, but it’s actually about extracting magic from materials.
Although William couldn’t bring forth magic power on his own, he had reached the pinnacle of alchemy, using his own blood as a medium for casting spells.
“Doing well in anything is fine.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.”
Guinevere ignored Hedel’s grumbling and thought to herself.
‘Yes. Why didn’t I think of this sooner? As long as he excels in something, that’s all that matters.’
It’s not like William would be a loser in life just because he can’t perform magic. Even if William achieves nothing, what does it matter? Guinevere could take care of him for his entire life.
“That’s true.”
But she had let that child die. Three times. Guinevere, overwhelmed with emotion, stood frozen in place.
“Master?”
Hedel’s puzzled gaze was palpable. Guinevere teleported to her laboratory.
‘For some reason, Mother is fond of this kid…’
William felt odd. It seemed like a joke, but the talk of bringing this girl as his marriage partner felt serious.
‘And that’s the most troublesome part.’
He looked at Larisa munching on snacks. She was adorable.
With her thick, fluffy pink hair and red eyes that demanded a second look, she gazed at him with innocent eyes.
Feeling somewhat guilty, William asked,
“So, did you think about what you want to learn?”
“No?”
“How about trying a bit of everything?”
“Can I learn magic too?”
“Magic might not be possible.”
William said with a sympathetic expression.
“Magic requires a special talent… and I can’t do magic either.”
“I don’t even know what I have… What do you want to learn, William?”
William paused momentarily, having never been asked this question before. After a brief contemplation, he replied,
“I… actually want to learn alchemy.”
‘I’m already learning it, though.’
“How is alchemy learned?”
William was self-taught, but since it was a conversation about Larisa’s future, he responded earnestly.
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.]
