Miss,
Although I was chosen to serve the lady of the house from an early age, I never learned to read and write. Even ladies guarding the boudoir in those days often couldn’t read. Being able to embroider well, handle laundry, observe superiors keenly, and subtly serve was enough for a maid.
Wise Laura tried several times to teach me to read, but I resisted. After laboring hard from dawn till dusk, the last thing I wanted was to study instead of resting by the warm fire. I remember weeping bitterly about it, and Laura, with an embarrassed face, promised never to force me again.
Now, I regret that decision.
If I had known how to read and write, would he have crushed my wrist? Maybe he would have taken my sight. But at least I could have communicated with you in some way.
Instead of just helplessly watching over you with wide eyes.
I’m still trapped in that night. Whether awake, lying down, eating, or mingling with the other maids… I still feel his fingers tightly around my neck, the choking pressure. I can’t remember the last time I slept since that night.
Please don’t look at me like that, Miss. I’m fine…
Adelheid, I have only one thing to tell you.
That sinister creature has enchanted everyone. It has enchanted you. Everyone is as good as blind. They don’t look beyond the curtain, don’t listen to what they hear. You must flee, far from here.
Take Lord Oscar’s carriage. Before the moon rises again, before its cunning spell takes root in your soul.
Before it permanently imprints on you.
If you can’t do that, at least keep your distance from it. No matter how pitiable it acts, don’t look back, don’t listen to its voice, don’t give or take anything from it.
This disaster is all because of my complacency. My foolishness for not remembering the prophecy.
Please, Miss. You must hear my voice. You know by looking at my face. You feel it in my eyes. Even if I’ve been pitiful, we are…
“Miss.”
A sudden voice interrupted. Adel, who was tenderly covering Gritta with a blanket, straightened up.
The housekeeper stood at the door with her hands respectfully joined. Adel, having been confined to the candleless room due to Gritta’s fear of light, squinted at the brightness.
“What’s the matter?”
“I apologize for the intrusion, but there’s an urgent matter to discuss. The Duke…”
“Discuss? He’s not looking for me?”
“It’s not that, but he seems unfamiliar with the faces of those serving him.”
“…”
“He’s been uncomfortable today, especially. Of course, as a subordinate, I can’t presume to know the Duke’s thoughts…”
Adel understood the unspoken part of the housekeeper’s message. He hadn’t directly sought her out, but he was indirectly asking for her to check on him. A man whose anxiety might erupt into an episode at any moment…
“I understand.”
As Adel nodded, Gritta, who had been lying quietly, suddenly sat up and clutched Adel’s sleeve with a desperate grip, strong enough to convey her urgency.
“St… Hhh…”
Gritta’s lips let out a trembling moan. Her usually gentle face contorted with distress. Ever since her throat was injured, Gritta often became anxious, whether Adel was present or not.
“Miss.”
“I’ll go.”
At the housekeeper’s urging, Adel carefully unraveled Gritta’s fingers one by one. Though her heart was heavy, she knew her priorities were clear. Adel lightly kissed Gritta’s trembling forehead.
“I’ll be back soon.”
After guiding Adel to the Duke’s room, the housekeeper politely excused herself and left. Alone, Adel briefly lost herself in thought before being drawn to the window by the sound of fireworks outside.
Lately, Ansagar was in a festive mood, celebrating the end of a three-year period of war and seclusion. It seemed the people were making up for lost time, toasting and reveling at every opportunity.
‘Everyone is so elated.’
Adel cooled her flushed cheeks with the back of her hand.
The Ansagar folk, relieved and more amiable, greeted Adel warmly as she passed through the corridors. Unaccustomed to refusing their offers of wine, Adel had taken a few sips, enough to feel slightly inebriated.
‘They needed a reason to celebrate, and the Duke’s return was perfect.’
Normally, even with a lord at war, the domain wouldn’t have been so closed off, but Ansagar was different. As the official guardian of the domain in the Duke’s absence, that role fell to Adel. But she never received the keys to the castle from her husband, nothing more than a doll with the hollow title of Duchess.
If only she had been a trophy or a jewel to be flaunted. Instead, she was worse off than an ornament – a damaged, overpriced trinket bought by her father’s deceit.
From the moment she was pushed into marriage, she knew her future – a life dependent on her husband, once a belonging of her father, now of her spouse.
‘Adelheid.’
Valentin’s soft voice, slightly tipsy, pulled her back to reality. He appeared in a casual shirt, his hair still damp and neatly groomed. His beauty, now confronting her, was striking.
Even the haughty noble ladies from the capital, who scorned the northerners as savages, blushed at the sight of Valentin. If his status had been any lesser, he wouldn’t have ended up with a half-hearted lady like Adel. Their marriage was influenced not only by the Count of Laihenau but also by the Empress’s desire to counterbalance the Crown Prince.
Without such backing, even a count wouldn’t dare to deceive a duke.
‘…’
Despite feeling deflated by her thoughts, Adel’s eyes busily scanned her husband’s bare upper body.
Accustomed to Valentin’s appearance, the sight was still somewhat startling to Adel.
The loose shirt revealed a broad, firm chest, a waist much narrower than his upper body, and a smooth abdomen.
“Your cheeks are red.”
True to his observation, heat rushed to her face, whether from the alcohol or something else.
Adel averted her gaze from Valentin’s chest, pretending to have seen nothing, unaware of Valentin’s faint smile.
“I heard you’ve hardly been eating.”
“Eating…?”
“Yes, food. You put it in your mouth, chew, and swallow.”
“I… did… as Adel… said…”
“Eating so little will slow your recovery. Is there anything else bothering you? Maybe the food doesn’t suit your taste…”
Valentin gave an embarrassed smile, as if struggling to understand her words, or unsure how to respond. Instead of answering, he asked a question.
“Where… did… you… go?”
“I went to check on Gritta. You saw her once, remember? My chambermaid.”
“Ah.”
“Gritta hasn’t been well lately. I need to stay close to her. She gets anxious at night.”
Adel added, almost like an excuse.
“Is that… why… we… haven’t… slept… together?”
“What?”
“Waited… for… sleep… because… I… said…”
Adel’s cheeks flushed. It seemed he was asking if Gritta’s injury was the reason they hadn’t shared a bed. If she understood him correctly…
“Why do you keep asking that?”
Though she intended to scold, her vision blurred. In the North, it’s taken for granted that spouses share a bed. It seemed convenient for him to selectively remember things…
‘Wait a minute.’
Adel suddenly opened her eyes wide in surprise. Their conversation, which had been a struggle until yesterday, flowed more smoothly today, albeit sporadically.
Could his recovery be this rapid? It was as if he had transformed overnight…
Anxiously, Adel began to pick at the hangnail on her finger. She tore deeper than intended, and blood trickled out.
“Ah.”
At that moment, Valentin, who had been watching Adel, inhaled sharply. His face turned pale instantly, as if he had smelled something terribly dreadful, or as if a starving person had seen delicious food.
“Your Highness?”
His golden eyes shone unusually brightly as he stared at Adel. His pupils narrowed vertically, like those of a beast. It was a sight so unbelievable, even for Adel, who was witnessing it. As she recoiled, Valentin quickly grasped her hand.
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.]
