The ash gray glow was so intense it overshadowed the chandelier shining brilliantly in the center.
A gust of autumn wind coming through the opened window had the audacity to tousle Chloe’s noble hair.
“……You’ve come.”
The hand that had held Chloe throughout the hesitation remained steady and firm.
Chloe, understanding the other’s intent, clenched her own hand. Finally, their hands intertwined.
She began to dance to the skillful touch as she left her seat. A body that had wanted to remain in the background was now standing in the center.
“Is that all for the greetings?”
In rhythm, Chloe’s waist was pulled.
Then, a scent she’d missed and a low voice alternately awakened her senses.
To be honest, Chloe couldn’t gauge how she should regard the man before her.
However, the mismatched formalities cleanly resolved her dilemma.
The man standing in front of her now is Chinwoo Kun.
“To be honest, I didn’t think you’d come.”
“How so?”
“Thank you. Because of you, this has been an interesting soiree.”
The song now peaked, its accelerating tempo drowning out their voices.
“It seems you’ve missed me.”
At his playful tone, Chloe looked at the man.
Her eyes met those behind the mask. Their disparate hues melded in a blend reminiscent of the deep and vast sea.
“We’ve only ever communicated through letters.”
His appearance in person, even with those eyes, meant he’d engage again in the letter game, even after revealing his identity as Chinwoo Kun.
“Shall we see each other a bit more often?”
“You don’t look like a person from the north.”
“Why not move my residence through Chinwoo’s duchy?”
At Kun’s jest, Chloe chuckled. There was nothing funnier than the emperor of the empire saying he’d stay in a foreign duke’s home.
“Or perhaps……”
Following Kun’s lead, Chloe slowly turned, scattering the concentrated gazes for a moment.
Looking around, she saw everyone focusing on her and Kun. Among them were Callis and Helena, dancing not far off.
When she finally turned back to the beginning, another illusion unfolded.
“Will you come to me, Chinwoo?”
Where was Kun talking about?
The Emperor’s palace? Or Chinwoo’s residence, where he occasionally visits as a foreign noble?
Unfortunately, the song ended before Chloe could ask.
“Chloe.”
“Yes?”
“Use me at tonight’s soiree.”
It was around when the song ended.
He whispered so only Chloe could hear.
Then, without waiting for her reaction, he briefly kissed her gloved hand. A customary farewell to a dance partner.
In the end, Chloe had to let him go without hearing his response.
The moment the emperor left the hall was confirmed, people swarmed around Chloe.
“That was the Emperor of the Empire you just danced with, wasn’t it!”
One noble exclaimed in disbelief.
Then others, who had been observing the two like exotic creatures, also started to speak.
“Wow, it appears you have connections even with the Emperor of the Empire! Thanks to you, we’re seeing someone we couldn’t normally meet.”
“Anyone who didn’t attend this soiree will surely regret it.”
“And to think, the Emperor himself gracing a mere noble’s soiree? Moreover…”
He held his tongue, about to say it was a government inauguration celebration.
For a moment, Chloe pondered.
In this situation, it seemed like she recalled Chinwoo’s sweet whisper to use him.
“Well, it seems His Majesty wanted to save face for Chinwoo.”
It was a moment to redeem Chloe’s name, which had been tainted by derisive laughter for a while.
“After all… it’s a celebration for a government inauguration, isn’t it?”
“Madam, I had no idea this event was of such a nature. Had I known, I would not have come!”
Soon, the nobles unanimously began to disparage Callis’s party.
“It’s alright. Don’t merely think of it as a government birth celebration; feel free to enjoy yourselves. My close friends are also gathered here.”
As I had planned, Callis’s party was distorted. Somehow, my mood lifted, and it became easy to feign sincerity like any other noble.
“How extraordinary that you remain so generous, now and always!”
“Given your noble disposition, it’s no wonder you maintain a close friendship with His Majesty.”
With the praise showcasing Chloe’s close relationship with the Emperor, the topic shifted back to him.
“He really does have an intimidating aura, as the rumors said.”
“He even wears a mask, as rumors claimed. Perhaps that makes his expression seem all the more cold.”
“The dance moves were all so precise and perfect, it was absolutely chilling. I’ve never seen such a flawless dance!”
The nobles, having forgotten their dignity, were busy chattering.
Having only ever seen the Emperor on stages or in print, seeing him this close was a first for everyone.
The nobles began discussing their first impressions of him. The majority opinion was that the Emperor had an eerie atmosphere.
“But then again…”
“What can I say…”
“He was quite tender?”
“It appears even the Emperor shows a gentle side to his people.”
After the Emperor’s appearance, all the guests began to praise Chloe.
“Damn it!”
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.]
