Odette’s hesitation was brief.
Had she escaped earlier, she wouldn’t have needed to think this hard.
But given the situation, she had only one path to choose.
“……I have something to say. In fact, I–”
“What, planning to say you’re from the Celestine lineage?”
“……!”
Celestine was the royal family’s surname.
Arnolt’s blunt words made Odette’s face tighten.
“You already knew?”
“You’re naïve. Anyone who’s met the emperor even once would recognize it. It’s rare not to.”
Arnolt chuckled as he lifted his teacup to his lips.
Of course, he’d known from the first moment they met.
‘Rare silver hair like that.’
The silver hair with a slight bluish tint was a trait sometimes seen in the Celestine line.
Prince Cedric also had silver hair, but his had a stronger bluish hue, making him different from the current emperor.
Furthermore, Odette’s face closely resembled the emperor’s.
Arnolt, who hadn’t seen her face directly when Odette’s entrance to the royal family had been confirmed, understood all the controversies the moment he met her gaze.
‘With a face and hair color like that, controversy was inevitable.’
The emperor had more than a couple of illegitimate children, but Odette was the only one officially recognized.
Because she looked so much like the emperor.
And that, naturally, provoked Arnolt’s antipathy.
Inviting Odette to tea had been intentional.
‘Looks just like the emperor.’
He wondered how similar her personality might be.
And he didn’t bother to hide this.
“Ah, if you planned on revealing your identity now for the sake of formalities, that’s unfortunate. I don’t use honorifics unless it’s in front of the emperor.”
Arnolt dismissively gestured with his hand, implying she could report him to her father for royal defamation if she disliked his treatment.
“It’s time to end a life that should’ve ended long ago. No regrets, so do as you wish.”
“No, that’s not the reason. Please speak freely. If receiving honorifics from a countess who’s made countless contributions to the empire and is an inspiration to all knights makes me undeserving, then I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”
Odette said, smiling faintly.
Regardless, being a princess didn’t change her refined tone and manner of speaking, which made the listener feel at ease.
“I thought it would be rude not to inform you that the lady you’re having tea with might be marrying your grandson. You might think I deceived you later.”
“……Hmm.”
Arnolt, too, felt its impact.
Constantly having to sharpen his softening gaze was tiresome.
“You’re the overly honest type. You’re bound to suffer losses.”
“I suppose so. I’m not destined to be rich. But aren’t there things in the world you can’t put a price on? Like trust, for example.”
Arnolt chuckled.
‘Being an illegitimate princess, she probably didn’t receive special treatment at the palace.’
Yet she spoke as if she’d been raised with no shortages, didn’t she?
It meant that, whatever the intent, she was not lacking in culture.
‘Well raised.’
Though not his own child, for some reason he felt satisfied. But Arnolt didn’t show it as he continued.
“Since you put it that way, let me ask you one thing. Was supporting Ertman earlier also for the same reason?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what you’re asking.”
“I’m asking if you were favoring Ertman to gain his trust.”
Arnolt sharply tapped the table with his forefinger.
I don’t know the specifics, but I roughly heard what you were saying. Even without asking, the circumstances were obvious. Once today’s events get out, it’ll be undeniable that you’re favoring Ertman.
In a word, it meant that he would gain trust in that regard from the crowd.
“Of course, I’m grateful that you spoke on Ertman’s behalf, but part of me is also curious about your intentions. It’s human nature, after all.”
Arnold, being familiar with high society, knew this.
Odette didn’t need to step in at that moment.
“Still, did you step in to build trust with Ertman?”
Unlike his previous questions that received prompt answers, Odette did not respond immediately to Arnold’s question this time.
Instead, she seemed lost in thought for a moment.
‘Is she pondering the purpose of my question?’
But that would be absurd. This is a trap question, after all.
Arnold’s tone was softer than before.
Of course, part of this was due to his changing feelings toward Odette, but 80% was calculated.
A question thrown with a gentle tone, not pressing further.
Moreover, whatever answer Odette gave, she would not be blamed.
‘There’s no reason to be blamed for trying to build trust as Ertman’s hostess.’
But with a little thought, it reveals what Arnold really wanted to know.
‘What part of this is calculated, and what part is sincere?’
In truth, there’s no need to ask; most would choose the former.
The latter seems too naive and could even sound foolish depending on the situation.
At least having a purpose sounds better.
‘Especially if you grew up in the palace.’
But Arnold did not like such things.
Deep thoughts? Cunning?
Sure, those are good.
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.]
