My Fiancé Keeps Trying to Raise Me (16 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 7
Meanwhile, Lucius continued.
“Yes. Members of the Imperial Family are born with divine power, so their growth tends to be slower in childhood.”
His tone carried a rather meaningful nuance, but Anet, suddenly struck by the reality that she had truly become a child again, couldn’t properly focus on his words.
Moreover, she never imagined that the body she thought was ten years old would be nearly the same size as the eight-year-old Crown Prince, who was supposedly small for his age….
Had she known this would happen, she should’ve held back from confidently declaring herself ten years old, Anet thought as she rubbed her face with a small hand, feeling disheartened.
Lucius barely suppressed a smile at the sight, then, as if suddenly remembering something, rummaged through his robes and spoke.
“Come to think of it, I had something for you, Your Highness—I nearly forgot.”
“…Is it a purification stone?”
Anet, immediately recognizing the small white stone emanating a sacred aura, asked.
“Yes. Since your body is tainted with beastman blood, you should undergo purification. But entering the temple in your current state would be difficult. Of course, I could order discretion, but… this isn’t the Imperial Palace after all.”
“I’m fine. Fewer people knowing my condition is safer. And… it’s even better that I don’t need purification from a priest.”
Because it’s less troublesome and more convenient.
Embarrassed at having inadvertently revealed her true feelings, Anet quietly added.
But she genuinely felt relieved she wouldn’t have to visit the temple.
It wasn’t just because she didn’t want her condition exposed. Memories were too vivid of priests at Heyworth Kingdom’s temples always giving her uneasy, suspicious stares whenever she visited after beastman hunts.
Watching them perform purification with clear reluctance, she knew exactly what they thought.
‘Purifying someone tainted with beastman blood—what a waste of divine power.’
Each time, she’d desperately wished for the purification stones sold exclusively at Alkan Empire’s Grand Temple.
The purification stone was a masterpiece crafted by Emperor Lucius, mobilizing both temple and mage tower resources, widely rumored to have been created specifically for his younger brother, Grand Duke Harzent.
‘After all, it’s said the Grand Duke missed his purification window during a beastman hunt and was left with a grotesque appearance.’
Though vastly more expensive than the standard donation given to priests for purification, the convenient, portable stones were immensely popular—so much so that knightly orders and mercenaries venturing far to hunt beastmen always made a point to buy them in the Alkan Imperial capital.
Except for the Heyworth Royal Knights. Their budget wasn’t generous enough and, more importantly, the royal court refused to permit purchasing them from Alkan Empire, claiming it unnecessary.
They treated her uncooperatively simply because she was their captain. That had driven her to take the front lines herself against beastmen, feeling a heightened sense of responsibility—but now, unable to do so, she worried for her remaining subordinates.
‘Could I possibly ask if Heyworth’s temples might be allowed to sell purification stones?’
If that happened, the royal court would have no more excuses.
Yet even as this thought crossed her mind, Anet found it hard to voice.
Through this political marriage, the Alkan Empire had pledged military aid to Heyworth should Bayendor invade.
Though she hadn’t seen the list herself, she’d gathered from the envoys’ chatter that the Empire intended to send an enormous dowry gift to the kingdom.
‘Yet I didn’t even prepare a dowry myself…’
Of course, the Empire had said it wasn’t necessary for her to bring one.
Still, as a princess marrying into the Empire, she’d expected her side to at least offer the basics for appearances’ sake.
But the King of Heyworth had sent her to the Empire completely empty-handed.
Anyone who knew how Heyworth’s treasury had been filled would find this outrageously shameful.
Unaware of that, Anet thought inwardly,
‘Right. The Empire extending an alliance first was already more than generous—wishing for more would be shameless.’
And now that the knightly order was being restructured, the royal court probably wouldn’t treat them so harshly anymore.
Assuring herself of this, Anet reached out to accept the purification stone the Emperor offered—when suddenly,
Tingle.
Her palm stung as if from static electricity.
Startled, she looked up at the Emperor, but Lucius merely met her gaze with a calm, gentle smile, completely unruffled.
Instead, he asked with curiosity, as if he’d wondered since she recognized the stone,
“There’s no record of Heyworth Royal Knights ever purchasing purification stones… Do you perhaps know how to use one?”
“…Yes. I received one as a gift before.”
Since receiving something as a “gift” was rare for her, Anet slowly nodded, recalling that surprising memory.
Then, pretending not to notice Lucius and Charlotte’s inquisitive expressions, she closed her mouth.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, she didn’t want to tell anyone about that incident.
Just then, the Empress’s handmaiden entered the banquet hall and delivered a message from the Empress Dowager’s palace.
“The Empress Dowager wishes to hold afternoon tea,” Lucius said.
“Yes, and she especially instructed that you bring your honored guest along,” the handmaiden added.
Lucius frowned slightly at the handmaiden’s words.
“Has Her Majesty already informed Mother?”
“Yes, we couldn’t help it… We were in such a rush to secure…”
“Ah, of course, within the palace…”
Lucius and Charlotte excused themselves to Anet and began speaking quietly, their expressions grave.
“If we leave things like this… she might be too shocked…”
“But it can’t be avoided…”
Anet turned her head away politely, trying not to listen—but the Empress Dowager’s summons and the Emperor and Empress’s frequent glances toward her made her ears perk involuntarily.
Finally, Charlotte ended their conversation and spoke carefully, as if broaching a difficult topic.
“My Lady Heyworth, it seems you’ll have to accompany me to see the Empress Dowager this afternoon.”
“Huh? But in my current state…”
“She already knows, so you needn’t worry about that.”
Though somewhat anticipated, Anet still felt her heart sink.
Something about how naturally the Emperor and Empress had accepted her condition suddenly worried her.
How would the Empress Dowager—the highest-ranking elder in the palace—react?
Remembering Lucius and Charlotte’s hushed exchange, her anxiety grew.
‘Maybe they’ll suggest changing the bride while they’re at it.’
Anet sighed inwardly, recalling Bridget’s childish tears over not wanting to marry.
But she steeled her resolve.
Worrying about the future wouldn’t help—she had to handle what was right in front of her.
[This is the timeline separator]“You seem so worried?”
“Hm?”
“You appear far too tense, my lady.”
Anet nodded at Charlotte’s words.
Honestly, she couldn’t recall ever being this nervous in her life.
‘Even my first beastman hunt felt less stressful.’
Even while purifying herself by shattering the purification stone and re-dressing with the maids’ help before visiting the Empress Dowager’s quarters, her mind wouldn’t settle.
What if her body never returned to normal? What if Bridget never relented? What if their alliance truly collapsed because of this…?
Noticing Anet’s visible distress, the maid who’d cut her hair that morning tried to cheer her by saying her hair had grown a bit already.
But Anet, though grateful for the maid’s kindness, didn’t feel any different about her changed body.
“Ugh.”
Seeing Anet let out such a deep sigh, Charlotte let out a short laugh.
“The Empress Dowager is a kind woman—more affectionate than she appears. However…”
“However…?”
Anet looked at Charlotte anxiously as she trailed off.
“Either way, there’s no need to worry so much. Of course, meeting your future mother-in-law for the first time won’t be entirely comfortable…”
“Huh?”
Anet’s eyes widened in shock.
Mother-in-law? Future mother-in-law?
Now that she thought about it—of course she was!
She’d come to greet the Alkan Empire’s Empress Dowager solely fearing the alliance might break.
But hearing the Empress’s words, Anet suddenly realized: she was about to meet the mother of the man she was to marry.
Her hair stood on end, and her mind grew even more muddled with tension than before—when the announcement came.
“The Empress Dowager bids you enter.”
The doors to the Empress Dowager’s reception room swung wide open.
[This is the timeline separator]Thump-thump-thump. Her heart pounded violently.
She’d come to the Empire for a political marriage—yet only now, like a fool, realized the Empress Dowager would soon be her mother-in-law!
Still unable to steady herself, Anet entered the reception room, determined not to make a mistake this time. She stepped back with her left foot, lightly lifted her skirt, and gracefully bent her knee—just as she’d rehearsed in her head countless times.
Like a princess.
…Like a prospective daughter-in-law.
“I am Anet, Princess of Heyworth, paying my respects to Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress Dowager of Alkan Empire.”
Relieved she’d completed the formal greeting without major error, Anet was immediately thrown into confusion by the reception room’s silence—no reply came at all.
Unable to raise her head, she kept her eyes downcast, enduring the heavy quiet.
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.
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Did the Empress Dowager get indesgestion because Anet is too cute or what?
Wow this novel has it all, huh? No misunderstanding over the ML’s feelings towards FL, kind and loving imperial family wow
Always a favorite of mine when hurt, abandoned, abused MCs gets a chance of having a true family 🥹