The silver snake flicked its tongue at the sparkling jewels and beads laid out in front of it.
I sat on the bed, dangling my feet, watching the silver snake.
Those toys that the silver snake played with so preciously were things I had given in return for a favor a while ago.
‘…I never did find the culprit, in the end.’
Seeing the silver snake gather them all at once, I realized that four were missing.
‘This rogue divine beast, really.’
[But how did you know? That I like sparkly things?]It seemed this divine beast didn’t even know it liked such things.
‘Well, in the original, the male lead became fond of jewels when he saw them, maybe?’
“Sparkly things are pretty.”
I replied nonchalantly to him and got up from my spot.
I was starting to get hungry, waiting for when breakfast would be brought, but today, outside seemed unusually noisy.
‘What’s going on?’
In fact, outside had been noisy since dawn. That was one of the reasons why I woke up so early today.
I quietly opened the door and looked out into the hallway.
It seemed as if they were going to do a big cleaning, pulling all the furniture out of one room.
“Move all those things here!”
“Hold on, we’re not using that anymore!”
“First, get the place for the new desk!”
The employees were busy carrying and moving things around. I didn’t know what was going on, but everyone seemed busy.
‘I shouldn’t get in the way.’
I closed the door and went back in, speaking to the silver snake as I opened my bag.
“It’s time to go in, silver snake.”
[Hmph.]“I’ll let you out again later.”
[Hmph.]The silver snake sulked but slipped into the bag without a word.
While I was securely closing the bag’s lid, Sophia and Delma entered the room.
‘What’s on the breakfast menu today?’
I looked at Delma with anticipation. But today, Delma’s hands were empty.
‘It’s not there!’
I had always trusted Delma to bring my breakfast, so I hadn’t doubted her.
As I looked at her with a deflated gaze, she giggled.
“Young Master, today’s breakfast will be in the dining room.”
“Why in the dining room?”
I tilted my head and asked.
I seemed to remember always eating breakfast and dinner in the room and only going down for a light lunch. Delma answered my question.
“His Grace the Duke wishes to dine with you!”
“With the Duke? Why?”
Despite Delma’s cheerful reply, my lips trembled.
‘It was uncomfortable enough at snack time.’
How awkward it would be to have a meal with the Duke.
Whether or not she knew my feelings, Sophia explained with a pleased face.
“Didn’t I tell you last night? You must go to bed early.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“There’s someone to welcome today.”
“Who?”
It seemed like they were just waiting for me to ask this question.
The moment I asked, Sophia and Delma’s expressions lit up.
“Young Master Clements is coming, Master Clements.”
“He will be your eldest brother.”
“He’s six years older than you, Young Master.”
“You’re getting a new brother!”
I gaped at their words. I was just getting over the mountain that was the Duke, and now another gigantic mountain named Clements appeared.
[This is a time divider.]Clements, as the Duke’s successor, was not a character who stood out much among the villains.
In the beginning, it was the twins who mainly tormented the protagonist, Eliza.
Born with nearinfinite magical power, the twins were the antithesis of Eliza, who possessed high divinity.
Literally, they were impatient because they couldn’t kill Eliza. The only person who could control those unruly twins was Clements.
Because he was the one person the twins truly respected.
Unlike the twins, Clements was kind to those around him and always took the lead in doing good deeds.
Clemens used the wealth and power of the ducal family to save Eliza in danger, and provided great assistance by teaching Eliza how to handle the divine power through ancient language interpretation.
Even when threatened with death by the twins, Clemens stepped forward to protect him.
Without siblings, and not being on good terms with his uncle whom he believed was his only family, Eliza had no choice but to naturally open his heart to him.
I didn’t suspect he was a villain until halfway through the original work.
But when it was later revealed that Clemens, the one who poisoned Eliza just before he made a contract with the divine beast, Clemens finally showed his true colors.
Eliza, asking why, Clemens casually replied.
“Is a reason necessary?”
Of course, the protagonist Eliza didn’t die easily. However, feeling a great betrayal, Eliza closed his heart to others completely after that day.
Even when I read that scene, my heart was pounding so hard that I was startled.
To stab me in the back with such a smile!
“The twins who do bad things openly are better.”
That’s how much I thought so too.
It was natural to be nervous to suddenly face Clemens like this.
“I’m not prepared yet.”
My lips were tightly dry.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
