Especially since she hadn’t paid much attention to her surroundings the day before due to her troubled mind, the garden felt oddly mysterious today.
The sky was clear, the breeze on her face gentle, yet there was no birdsong, and unlike yesterday when she mistook Mikhail’s presence, there were no small sounds of animal movement.
It was as if the garden was cut off from space and time.
Indeed, the Secret Garden was surrounded by powerful restorative magic and barriers for soundproofing and isolation, so Annette’s hunch wasn’t far off.
Unaware of this, she quietly observed her surroundings and suddenly widened her eyes.
She had expected Mikhail to be there, so his presence didn’t surprise her. But…
‘He’s not alone?’
And it sounded like a child about Mikhail’s age.
Annette, adept at sensing the presence of stealthy monsters, couldn’t miss the presence of a person, especially a child with more restless movements than an adult.
Sure enough, as they moved further in, a child’s high-pitched chatter became clear.
Charlotte stopped in her tracks, startled.
She hadn’t expected anyone else to be with Mikhail in the garden.
‘What was he thinking…!’
This wasn’t just skipping classes or tricking guards; it was a serious breach of decorum for the Crown Prince, who had undergone his enthronement ceremony.
Charlotte felt embarrassed facing the Dowager Empress and Annette, her face burning with the shame and irritation she felt towards her son.
She was about to sternly discipline him when suddenly…
“……!”
The Empress Dowager quickly grabbed Charlotte and, with her other hand, gestured to her lips, shaking her head.
She had already understood the situation and empathized with the Empress’s feelings. However, they were just children. They could be generously understood as wanting to share secret stories with a friend.
Charlotte thought the Empress Dowager was too lenient with children, but eventually nodded in agreement.
Indeed, if the royal adults suddenly appeared, not only Mikhail but also the child with him, likely Duke Melin’s daughter, would be greatly startled.
Since it was Mikhail who probably invited her into the garden, there was no reason to scold the Duke’s daughter, who was also physically frail.
As Charlotte’s stern demeanor softened, the Empress Dowager gently tugged at her arm.
‘Why is she leading me there?’ Charlotte wondered, and then paused.
The Empress Dowager wasn’t heading towards the rear entrance but a bushy area to the side.
Confused, Charlotte followed to a large tree guided by the Empress Dowager and realized that this spot allowed them to clearly hear the children’s voices without being seen.
“…….”
Charlotte looked at the Empress Dowager with an incredulous gaze, to which she sheepishly avoided eye contact.
Suppressing a chuckle, Charlotte covered her mouth with her hand.
The thought of secretly eavesdropping on the children’s conversation was amusing and somewhat unbecoming of an Empress, but she was more curious about what conversation brought Mikhail here.
Feeling lighter, knowing only family members were around, Charlotte listened intently, akin to secretly reading her son’s diary.
Annette, who had also hidden herself with them, found the whole act of secretly engaging in something both novel and exciting, pressing down her fluttering heart.
Then, a moment arrived.
“Audrey……”
A familiar name, heard only once but deeply etched in her memory, was mentioned.
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.]
