Picked Up a Beast, Turns Out He's an Emperor (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 7
“The livestock started howling at the crack of dawn—it sends chills down my spine.”
“I never knew dairy cows could bellow so loudly.”
“Not just the estate’s livestock, but every creature and bird in the mountains seems to be competing in their cries—it’s deafening…”
The emperor’s elite royal guards exchanged hushed words.
Gripping their reins tightly as they rode along the mountain path in the dim morning light, the knights and soldiers—having just left the village—crossed the forest, bewildered and tense at the sudden uproar among the animals.
Even the emperor’s famed white warhorse, renowned for its bravery in battle, seemed unnerved by the mournful cries of wild beasts in the deep forest, stumbling frequently with each step.
The emperor, suspecting he knew exactly who had caused this commotion, turned his gaze toward the nearby carriage.
When their eyes met through the small glass window—her large, round eyes peering out shyly—the young girl immediately darted back inside like a startled fawn.
The emperor frowned, withdrawing his gaze, yet soon after, he stole another glance at the window. Her tear-filled, soft brown eyes reappeared, and a tiny palm pressed against the glass, waving earnestly.
She certainly wasn’t waving to greet the emperor…
Each timid movement of her hand caused the invisible cries of unseen animals deep within the forest to grow louder.
A shadowy flock of black birds, barely visible in form, flapped upward into the dawning sky, circling frantically above the carriage before vanishing altogether.
It seemed clear now: not only the village livestock but even the wild creatures of the mountains sensed her departure and were throwing an utterly irrational tantrum in protest.
“You’re a mother now, so be extra careful during the race. By the time you return, the twins will have grown so much.”
That was what Arabella had whispered last night, embracing the mare after helping it through a difficult birth in the stable.
She had cradled two newborn foals in her arms and even given them names.
Ever since Arabella boarded the carriage and left the manor—passing through the village and entering the forest—the livestock—pigs, cows, ducks, sheep, you name it—had begun clamoring restlessly from within their pens.
Just as the cries of the livestock seemed to fade into the distance, the mournful calls of wild animals and birds from the mountains behind the estate now echoed incessantly, putting the emperor’s guards on edge.
Unlike the animals, who raised a noisy fuss out of reluctance to see her go, her own family showed no trace of sorrow.
Her sisters and female cousins burned with jealousy and resentment in their eyes as they watched her ride alone toward the imperial palace.
Jonathan, Arabella’s father, and Baron and Baroness Cander—who had received far more generous compensation than expected—seemed honestly indifferent as to whether Arabella became empress or was sold off as a slave.
The only bundle she carried down from the attic room—where maids slept and which served as her bedroom—was a small, simple sack.
“Argh.”
Recalling Arabella’s tearful face as she kept turning back toward her family, the emperor grimaced, tugged sharply at his reins, and urged his horse to gallop faster.
At the emperor’s increased pace, the carriage and royal guard matched his speed, charging boldly down the mountain road at dawn.
After a while, just as they left the mountains of Baron Cander’s estate and approached a new territory, the emperor slowed his horse.
“I’ll rest my eyes for a bit—I’ll ride in the carriage.”
At the emperor’s words, Commander Jacob, his right-hand man, and Deputy Commander Paul, his left-hand man, stared wide-eyed in astonishment.
It was exceedingly rare—no, unheard of—for the emperor to ride in a carriage. Years ago, shortly after ascending the throne, Maxwell had taken a carriage to attend a capital event and was ambushed by assassins.
Carriages inevitably limited one’s vision and hearing, delaying responses to sudden attacks. Ever since that day, rain or snow, the emperor had always traveled on horseback.
Even more astonishing: inside the carriage now was only a young noblewoman—and no chaperone.
The emperor had never, not once, placed himself alone in private with a woman. He knew full well that such a situation could easily spark scandal and be exploited politically.
Moreover, the emperor detested “small talk” with noblewomen—the pointless chatter about weather or meals. He considered such idle conversation a sheer waste of time.
Though he had never arranged private meetings with any empress candidate, he believed that once a victor emerged from the selection, marrying her would fulfill one of his imperial duties.
“Should I have Lady Arabella mount a horse while His Majesty rides in the carriage?”
As if reading Sir Jacob’s conflicted thoughts, the emperor acted first.
“There’s only one carriage, and I can’t possibly ask the young lady to leave it and ride in this weather—it looks like rain soon. I’ll have no choice but to ask her permission to rest inside briefly.”
Sir Jacob and Sir Paul simultaneously looked up at the bright autumn morning sky—clear and sunny, not a cloud in sight.
Knock.
Suddenly, a knock came from the carriage door, which then opened. Arabella, hastily wiping away tears with the back of her hand, straightened her posture and looked at the emperor entering.
“What’s the matter…?”
Her eyes still pink from crying, Arabella asked. Maxwell replied somewhat brusquely,
“My wounds may have healed, but my body still aches, and I tire easily. If it’s no inconvenience, I’d like to rest here briefly.”
As the emperor placed a hand demonstratively on his abdomen, Arabella’s eyes filled with concern.
Seeing her round, worried eyes fixed on him, the emperor felt inexplicably pleased, and the corners of his usually straight lips lifted slightly.
No one had ever dared look at him with pity or sorrow. Indeed, no one ever had—the emperor was the supreme ruler, possessing everything and unmatched in strength.
Yet this girl’s anxious, caring gaze… somehow warmed a quiet corner of his chest in a way he couldn’t explain.
But then—
“I’ll step outside so Your Majesty can rest comfortably. I can ride a horse well enough.”
At Arabella’s words as she rose from her seat, the emperor’s mood turned sour instantly.
“Surely you don’t want rumors spreading that I’m a heartless emperor, tossing a lady from my carriage on a weary journey?”
“N-no, I spoke without thinking…”
“Rest your eyes for a while—just ignore me and rest yourself.”
At the emperor’s firm tone, Arabella shook her head and sat back down. The emperor took the bench opposite her, crossed his long legs, closed his eyes, and tapped the carriage wall—signaling the procession to resume.
“I only came in because she was crying…”
Maxwell’s closed eyes frowned slightly. He had never cared before about anyone’s tears—it was their own failure to control their emotions, not his concern.
Clever noblewomen had tried weeping strategically to capture his attention, only to realize it never worked. He’d pass by indifferently without even offering a handkerchief.
The emperor lifted his chin slightly and studied Arabella. She had a golden opportunity to speak to him, yet she kept her head lowered, fidgeting only with her fingers on her lap.
“Wouldn’t any woman take this chance to strike up conversation with the emperor in such close quarters? A comment about the fine weather, or asking about the capital, or even what’s for lunch—there are countless topics. Why let silence fill the air?”
He grumbled inwardly, displeased.
“Honestly, for a marriageable young woman, being alone with the emperor in a confined space is the opportunity of a lifetime—yet all she offers is to leave?”
Tsk. The emperor clicked his tongue silently.
[This is the timeline separator]Morning sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, gently bathing the emperor’s face.
Seeing him seemingly asleep with eyes closed, Arabella slowly let her wide eyes take in his features—an illusion as if a master painter were capturing the visage of a god.
Every line of the emperor’s face radiated sharpness and disciplined grace.
His hair, slightly long in front but neatly trimmed short at the back, gleamed with health and luster. Beneath his smooth forehead, thick, bold eyebrows shaped like seagull wings anchored his face, and his closed eyelids bore lush, dense lashes.
His nose was high and straight, perfectly proportioning his face, while his lips—well-shaped and faintly red—exuded both intelligence and allure. They were the first lips to make her understand the unfamiliar word “sexy” that Margot had once mentioned.
His jawline was lean yet strong, conveying unmistakable masculinity, and his olive-toned, sun-kissed skin reminded her he was the very man who had led the empire to victory in war.
It was nothing short of miraculous that such breathtakingly handsome features slept right before her eyes.
Her gaze lingered on his long, elegant Adam’s apple before she quickly turned her eyes toward the window, cheeks suddenly blazing as she remembered seeing the emperor’s bare chest yesterday morning. She buried her face in her hands.
Still unable to believe this was real, she pinched her cheek lightly—it stung, so it wasn’t a dream.
Gazing out the window at the smooth, polished road the imperial procession now traveled, Arabella reflected.
The emperor truly possessed an overwhelming charisma, as rumored—so intense it inspired awe. Especially when his piercing red eyes fixed upon her, her heart felt as though weighted down by an anchor, sinking heavily within her chest.
And yet… Arabella gently placed both hands over her heart and smiled softly.
“He’s a kind man.”
He could have forced her to come, yet he respected her wishes. Out of gratitude for her help, he’d even elevated her to empress candidate and offered his own carriage.
Silently, Arabella prayed that the emperor’s curse be lifted, that he would marry the empire’s most noble and beautiful lady, and that she herself might be of service to such a gracious and generous sovereign.
Soon after, her small head began bobbing slowly up and down.
Her mind, having barely slept since the day before, finally gave way, drifting into dreams. Though she could have leaned back comfortably, her body remained rigid in a formal seated posture, still too tense to fully relax.
The emperor’s golden-tinged red eyes followed her nodding head. He tried closing his eyes again, feigning indifference—but soon opened them once more.
He reached for a blanket beside him, rose slightly, and carefully draped it over Arabella’s lap. Yet still unsatisfied, he frowned as her head kept drooping forward.
If he nudged her shoulder gently, she’d likely collapse sideways onto the bench and sleep more comfortably. Maxwell hesitated briefly, then leaned closer, raising his index and middle fingers toward her left shoulder.
Just as he began to nudge her to lie down—thud! The carriage wheel hit an unseen root, jolting violently upward before crashing back down.
Thrown off balance by the unexpected lurch, Maxwell instinctively pressed his whole palm against Arabella’s shoulder instead of just his fingers—and toppled forward onto her as she fell sideways.
Arabella’s eyes flew open in shock, meeting the emperor’s crimson gaze directly above her.
It wasn’t just their startled, trembling eyes that met—their bodies, too, fit together as if carved into interlocking curves.
The emperor stretched out his long arms, lifting his upper body off Arabella.
Thinking he was about to rise, Arabella—blushing furiously to her forehead—started to sit up as well, but the emperor froze in place. His red eyes locked onto her slightly parted pink lips, wide with surprise.
His gaze lifted again to meet her large, round eyes—and Arabella’s shoulders trembled faintly. It was the same hungry look he’d given her in the mountain cave, somehow even more terrifying than any beast’s.
With one corner of his mouth lifting, the emperor lowered his arms, settling his weight deliberately over her small frame. Arabella squeezed her eyes shut tight.
“If you dare look away from my eyes again, I can’t promise what I might do. Open your eyes… and look at me.”
His rough, husky voice reverberated deep within Arabella’s ears.
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.]
I’m not yet convinced this is a curse. There are a lot of questionable events. Why would a black panther kidnap a princess?
I’ve been wondering just how he intends to keep her alive and unharmed enough to even attempt lifting the curse. I don’t believe these classes will be enough if she only had four days.
Is she not concerned because the emperor told her she wasn’t going to become the empress regardless? He explicitly stated she only needed to break his curse & that she wouldn’t become the empress as she wasn’t qualified (I don’t recall his precise wording).