Received the Obsession of a Chaste Dark Lord (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
Leopric is a natural leader.
It seemed as if he carried the blood of a born orator and a charismatic performer who could captivate hearts, and his disposition as a skilled politician was unmistakable.
Therefore, when he spoke like that, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and stand my ground—or be helplessly swept along.
I knew full well there were countless behind-the-scenes maneuvers I could use against him, yet when faced with him directly, I truly had no clever counter.
Because of this, yesterday, trapped in a swaying carriage with no escape, I had to speak with a trembling voice.
“Honestly, Your Highness, thinking back to how we were before our marriage, I never imagined you would expect such marital duties from me.”
“Marital duties, you say?”
“Isn’t that what they are? Trust, affection, concern—these are all words that simply don’t suit people like us.”
After all, the very term “political marriage” is far removed from such emotions.
As I cautiously added this, he sank slightly into his chair with a soft “Hm.”
His gesture seemed to urge me to continue, so I went on.
“When our marriage was first decided, I thought it would be enough if we simply showed each other a moderate degree of respect. As you know, I—”
“I know it wasn’t your choice to marry.”
Unable to utter Lloyd’s name aloud, I mumbled faintly, and he nodded as if he already knew.
“…You knew?”
“Don’t you know that the entire social circle was abuzz with talk about you?”
“…Yes, I was aware. In fact, that’s why it was uncomfortable when you kept expecting things from me.”
“Then… do you still feel that way now?”
His gaze sharpened.
He seemed almost anxious.
Was I truly the only one puzzled by this?
Usually, it was not unusual for a political marriage partner to have a lover; it was often simply a matter of mutual tolerance and mutual disregard.
Yet he asked this, with a face that any observer might mistake for jealousy.
Feeling once again the eerie sense of déjà vu from yesterday, I firmly shook my head.
“No, Your Highness. I settled matters with him long before our marriage.”
“Is that so?”
My blunt dismissal of his question caused his face to calm once more.
Leopric, now visibly more at ease than before, even smiled slightly.
“I understand that you are still not accustomed to what I desire.”
“Then—”
“But is it truly necessary to push me away so forcefully?”
He spoke now with a distinctly more relaxed tone.
The atmosphere had changed so sharply from just moments ago that I felt slightly bewildered.
I had not anticipated that saying I did not love Lloyd would trigger such a drastic shift.
As I wondered whether such a sudden change in attitude was even possible, I slowly opened my mouth.
“True, but I do need time to adjust. As you seem to have forgotten, our beginning was merely a contract.”
What more could possibly be needed in a relationship that was nothing more than a contract?
I left the unspoken follow-up unsaid, certain he would understand.
I did not know exactly what he desired from me, but between him and me, we were nothing more than a five-year contractual alliance for strengthening imperial authority.
Though we were forced to stage a sacred wedding to secure the temple’s approval, in truth, our union remained a pure, pristine bond that could be annulled at any moment.
If one were to insist on adding emotion to such a relationship, perhaps only loyalty might qualify.
No matter how differently he had acted since our wedding, we could not deny that our beginning had been dry and calculated.
If it was so before marriage, what reason was there for it to change afterward?
For Leopric’s sake alone, I still wanted this contract—for I intended to leave him without regret once it ended.
My future, after all these countless disturbances, was as simple as that.
“Whether you like it or not, Your Highness, for the next five years, we remain bound by contract, and I intend to honor it fully during that time.”
“…”
“One thing: your expectations of me beyond this contract are somewhat burdensome.”
“So you propose we merely remain husband and wife in name only?”
“As the contract stipulates, after five years, you may take whomever you wish as Empress or concubine. I simply hope we may remain as we originally intended—keeping a proper distance between us.”
A relationship of keeping proper distance.
Had Leopric remained as he was before his return, this would have posed no problem.
Had he, as he was before, simply desired mutual respect and nothing more.
Yet for some reason, he kept wanting more—wanted more from me.
His yearning felt burdensome.
No matter how much he demanded, I could never accept him, for I had already set my end point.
I leaned back against my seat with a far calmer expression than before.
“That is all I have to say to you, Your Highness. I have nothing else to add.”
It was a rather stiff and dry ending to a conversation that had begun gently.
But I believed this was something I would have to say eventually, for the sake of our future relationship.
What if, for some reason, Leopric—who now behaved differently than before—were to say he loved me?
Or worse, what if he refused to release me after five years?
Because my name, when Lloyd’s faction is ultimately eradicated, might tarnish his reputation.
Whether I liked it or not, the past I had returned to was already a time when Lloyd, who had taken the socialite me as his arm, had laid the groundwork for his influence.
In fact, I was already secretly seeking noble supporters who would aid Lloyd’s cause, even as Crown Princess.
Leopric needed to be able to discard me at any moment.
So that not even the faintest blemish would ever cling to his name, destined to endure through history.
When I finished speaking, he, who had listened silently with lips closed until now, let out a heavy sigh.
Then, his lips moved slightly as he murmured something—perhaps something about the contract.
It is unfortunate, but regret now serves no purpose.
By now, that contract with both our signatures has surely been notarized and stored as a perfect document in my office at the Trading Company.
The thought made my heart feel lighter.
As I turned my gaze back to the window, Leopric spoke in a solemn tone.
“But I do not believe your vow was false.”
“…Your vow?”
Startled by his sudden words, I turned to look at him—and he nodded with a smile.
“Did you not swear you would live for me until your last breath?”
“Ah…”
“And that you would do everything within your power for my safety and stability.”
“Your Highness, that was—”
“I am sincere as well, Amelia.”
The man who had seemed so despondent moments before now gazed directly into my eyes, his gaze shining with a strength and intensity unlike before—a sincerity that rose from the deepest depths.
“I have no intention of making hollow, empty promises.”
“…”
“Then if you move for me as you swore, and I give everything for you as I swore—would that not be the truest meaning of a contract?”
He smiled.
Perfectly, brilliantly—so that I, held captive by his gaze, could find no reply.
Our journey was monotonous.
We set out early each morning in the carriage, stopping several times for meals or rest, and spent each evening in nearby villages.
After several repetitions of this routine—departing each morning and lodging before sunset—the drivers, Betty, and I all began to grow weary.
As my declining condition slowly began to affect my mind, we finally arrived at Waince.
“Oh my, Your Highness! Look over there! The water is endless!”
Drawn by the strong scent of the sea at the entrance, Betty leaned out the window, unable to stop her exclamations.
She chattered incessantly—how the claim that water covered more than half the world was finally true, how deep the sea must be if one fell into it.
After chattering for a long while, Betty noticed Leopric watching her with a curious expression and abruptly fell silent.
“S-s-sorry, Your Highness…”
“No. It’s fine. At least you seem happy.”
Leopric smiled lightly and gazed out the window.
I followed his gaze, turning my eyes to the sea outside.
The sunlit waves sparkled in brilliant hues, displaying their beauty.
For a moment, the glare reflecting off the water made me turn my head slightly—and I saw Leopric, his face strangely lonely, gazing at the scene.
After our brief conversation, I tried as much as possible to ride separately from him or to ride with Betty.
We shared an odd relationship—not quite conversing, yet not awkwardly distant.
Betty, caught between us, complained every night that she wished she could be left out.
Yet, sadly, I too would have gladly avoided him if I could.
Moreover, innkeepers in every town were so quick to notice—because we alone among the party were a married couple, we were forced to share the same room each night.
Leopric, noticing my discomfort, offered to sleep with the drivers, but how could one possibly lodge a crown prince in such an unsuitable place?
Knowing that the best room in every inn was always assigned to us, each night I silently shared the same room, the same bed, with him.
The only mercy was that the grueling carriage journey made me sleep deeply.
How would I have endured such a long journey if even sleep had eluded me?
Lost in thought, I sat quietly—and sensing my gaze, Leopric turned his head.
“…”
“…”
No words passed between our locked gazes, yet for some reason, he looked at me with the same gentle eyes he had used to soothe me on a night long ago.
His gaze felt awkward—or perhaps it was the memory of his smile directed at me that kept returning.
I hastily turned away and buried myself once more in my seat.
I could still feel his faintly smiling eyes lingering on my face.
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
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