It was when Serena was about to go to sleep. Unusually, Peter had asked for a meeting. Anna, who usually looked after her bed, also tilted her head curiously.
“Young lady, I apologize for the late hour.”
Peter immediately showed his respect. If the always polite Peter had come to her bedside at this hour, there must be a reason.
“It’s okay. What’s the matter?”
“I heard from the servant guarding the door that a wandering knight came earlier asking for a place to sleep.”
“A wandering knight? Was there really such a thing?”
Serena made a curious face at the unfamiliar word. She had been in the Astel domain for six years, and this was the first such case.
“There are occasionally such people.”
“It should have been something Peter could handle. Why did you have to report it to me?”
Peter was cautious and competent. Serena valued this aspect highly and entrusted the mansion’s matters to him as the chief servant.
“I had a suspicious feeling.”
“How so?”
“The hood and luggage they wore were shabby, but the boots were very clean and made of good leather.”
It was indeed suspicious, but not enough to judge solely on that.
“I only caught a glimpse, but the face under the hood was very neat as well. Like… a noble from the capital.”
Peter was once a promising servant of the Astel ducal house, even in the capital. Naturally, he had met various people and developed a keen eye.
“What exactly did they say?”
“The tall man said he was a wandering knight, and his companion was his squire. They claimed their journey was delayed due to the rough road and requested to stay for the night at the duke’s residence. And when the day breaks, they wish to pay their respects to the lord of this place.”
Serena thought for a moment and then looked at Peter.
“It’s indeed suspicious. There are already many fine inns in our Astel, and no one would be unaware that the lord often travels around the continent.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to tell you. The servant who received them clearly said that he was representing the lord. They must have known that you were acting on behalf of the duke and came here.”
That was not all, Peter hastily added.
“The one who claimed to be a wandering knight showed the empire’s travel pass. I’ve seen it a few times before, and I’m sure it was genuine.”
Now Serena understood why Peter had insisted on reporting this news. An ordinary wandering knight couldn’t have such an imperial travel pass.
Was it possible for a mere wandering knight to possess something that only people like Serena’s father, the Duke of Astel, would use to freely roam the continent?
“If the travel pass is real, then they’re not middling. Besides, recently, more than a few have shown interest in our Astel, haven’t they?”
Whether she knew who they were or what they were thinking, it was clear that those who wanted to meet Serena, who led Astel’s prosperity, had specific intentions.
“Could they be spies seeking information on Astel’s internal affairs?”
“No. If so, they wouldn’t blatantly pose as suspicious wandering knights and show the continent’s travel pass.”
Peter nodded to Serena’s logical argument.
“You are right, young lady. Shall we make an excuse and refuse them?”
For a moment, Serena pondered and then shook her head. The opponent was an unknown person possessing an imperial travel pass. Moreover, in a way, this was a direct challenge to Serena.
“I’ll accept them. However, since they are also hiding their identities, they’ll have to put up with somewhat clumsy hospitality.”
Serena’s blue eyes sparkled mischievously, and one corner of her mouth curled into a sly smile.
“Anna, we’ve been renovating the unused annex recently, haven’t we?”
“Yes, but the furniture is still covered with cloth, so it’s not a place to host guests.”
It was the perfect spot since the suspicious individual had asked for lodging, and Serena had no intention of providing proper hospitality.
“It doesn’t matter. They’re not guests but scouts with ulterior motives.”
Astel’s reputation had been growing day by day. It was no longer strange if someone came to spy to uncover secrets.
“As the acting Duke of Astel, I’ll accept the challenge.”
Serena’s blue eyes shone with confidence.
Astel was her dream and her achievement. Even if the opponent was a spy, she had nothing to fear or hide, and she felt proud enough to want to boast about it.
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.]
