“It’s fortunate you escaped the wildfire safely,” Shannon, the boutique owner, said, pouring sweet and sour peach juice into Arabella’s glass. Rosa, the maid, whispered,
“Did you hear? The wildfire wasn’t a natural disaster but arson.”
“Really? Who would do such a thing?” Shannon responded incredulously.
“Tommy, the old woodsman, said so. Considering our region’s damp and moist forests, even the wildfire from the mountains two years ago didn’t spread here.”
“That’s true. Plus, it’s late autumn, not a season for natural wildfires.”
“The extent of the planned fire was shocking. Tommy was astounded. More than half of the forest turned bald.”
“Thankfully, there were no human casualties, but what about the wildlife? Their homes and food sources turned to ash.”
“Winter is coming. I’m worried the hungry wild animals might come down to bother us.”
“Just let them try. I’ll hunt every one of them down.”
As the boutique staff conversed, Arabella’s face grew increasingly pale and rigid.
The wildfire wasn’t a natural disaster but an act of arson. The cries of animals that lost their homes, mothers, and children still echoed vividly.
No one has the right to ruin the benevolent forest that has given so much to humanity.
“Miss, look at this dress. It suits your complexion so well.”
The housekeeper’s voice faintly reached Arabella’s ears.
She couldn’t leave the stripped forest and the homeless animals behind. Arabella bit her lower lip slightly, her round nostrils flaring with determination.
Unaware of the maids busily packing items into a box, her round eyes, filled with anger, didn’t notice.
What they were hurriedly packing into the box was delicate, see-through lingerie, seemingly meant for a bride on her wedding night.
“How dare you bring such news to me? Get out! Leave at once!”
Empress Dowager Natalia threw a sharp-edged jewel box at the head of a servant standing by the door.
Thud. The servant, not daring to dodge, was struck squarely on the forehead, blood trickling down.
“Compose yourself, Your Highness. There are many ears listening outside.”
Baron Brad entered the Empress’s chamber, hastily ushering out the servant and closing the door behind him.
“Have you heard? The count has been executed for treason. And Maxwell himself did it?”
The Empress’s high-pitched voice made Brad shift his gaze towards the door before he lowered his voice and approached her.
“Now is the time to be careful. The Emperor may not know about your deal with the count, but he is thorough. Destroy all evidence linking you to the count. Warn the kingdom to stay silent.”
The Empress, still radiating beauty despite her age, trembled with rage.
She had long been in a close political and economic alliance with Count Lorel. Despite enduring his repulsive, lustful glances, she needed him to funnel royal funds to her kingdom.
It was she who had protected the count when his misdeeds reached the capital, reminding the former Emperor of the count’s service in saving his life on the battlefield.
Even Maxwell couldn’t rashly handle a man who saved his grandfather’s life without a solid reason.
The news of Count Lorel’s end reached the Empress amid her anticipation of a passionate afternoon with the much younger Baron Brad.
“The Emperor can’t just execute a loyal servant like this. The elder nobles won’t stand idly by. I’ll meet with them tonight.”
“Even the elders can’t do anything. The charge was clear treason. Wrongly intervening might label them as conspirators. Nobody in the empire, nor the continent, wants to cross the Emperor. Me included.”
As the Empress fumed, Baron Brad brought her back to reality and sat on the edge of the bed, glancing cautiously at her.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something more you want to say?”
The Empress, irked, interrogated him. Brad hesitantly began,
“Perhaps you haven’t heard yet…?”
“What? What is it?”
“Prince Eric… he’s been appointed as the deputy commander of the expedition against the Northwestern Alliance. The army departs tomorrow at dawn. It’s the Emperor’s order.”
“My Eric? You mean Eric who’s studying in the Kingdom of Senfer?”
Empress Dowager Natalia, her face turning pale in disbelief, asked, and Baron Brad nodded in confirmation.
“The imperial delegation is probably escorting him back even now.”
“Ah! I won’t let this go! To send my Eric, my only son, to war! Ahhh!”
Empress Dowager Natalia tore at her chest, screaming in agony.
The throne was meant for Eric. If only the Emperor had not survived back then. Her husband was set to bypass his grandson Maxwell and bestow the crown prince title upon his younger son, Eric.
However, the unfortunate horse riding accident claimed the former Emperor before he could change his will… She had engaged in all sorts of sordid dealings to build power for Eric.
“I can’t let him go to war! He’s just twenty-two. To throw such a young boy into a lion’s den, as prey, he’s cruel! More monstrous than any beast!”
The Empress Dowager gnashed her teeth, her eyes flashing with fury, conveniently forgetting that she was one of the main instigators who sent a sixteen-year-old Maxwell into one of the most brutal and horrific wars the empire had participated in.
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.]
