So much so that he had killed Barlock, a guardian of the ice wall and a more loyal subject, with his own hands.
And yet, the emperor had never regretted a single word.
He was even relieved after getting rid of the youngest princess, who had been a thorn in his side.
And yet, he was scared.
Of what?
Jeremy quickly caught up with the emperor.
“What’s wrong? I followed you because you didn’t look well.”
“…Something terrible has happened.”
“What is it? If there’s anything I can do…”
“The castle has fallen. Barlock’s castle.”
For a moment, Jeremy felt as if the ground under him was crumbling.
His legs trembled, his mind went blank.
He knew he was being foolish, but he couldn’t move.
“What in the world happened?”
The emperor’s rambling became meaningless noise as his surroundings blurred.
The fool.
Did you think it was all right because you dispossessed and despised me?
When Jeremy thought of the emperor’s scornful look, his will to live surged.
But, suppressing his twisted emotions, Jeremy took a deep breath to calm his boiling insides.
The lapse in reason was momentary.
Jeremy had been born and raised in this palace.
He knew better than anyone what kind of person the emperor was, what he meant.
Even if he was a helpless fool, he was still the emperor.
The owner of all things in this empire.
Jeremy softly spoke to the panicking emperor, reminding himself of this fact.
“I’ll send someone to find out properly.”
“Do you even know how to send someone?”
“Even a fool would know how to get news.”
Jeremy suppressed the surging anger at the familiar sarcasm.
“We don’t know yet whether part of the 7th castle has collapsed or has been destroyed. Even during defensive times, don’t they occasionally collapse part of the city wall as a strategy?”
“You’re not entirely stupid.”
The emperor had been trembling in fear, which he had never even considered.
Though his gut twisted at the scorn, Jeremy still maintained a faint smile.
After careful investigation, what about coming up with a countermeasure? If the situation is really bad…
“We’ll have to build a fortress wall.”
“Your words are very valid.”
Jeremy obediently responded to the emperor’s words.
[Star Icon] [Star Icon] [Star Icon]Repairing the castle was easier than expected.
Since the monsters didn’t break the castle but exploded it, most of the fallen wall materials were intact and reusable.
They dug the soil and stacked the stones, quickly restoring the damaged parts. Thanks to this, repairs could proceed before the materials arrived.
Progress was visibly quick.
However, the problem was the refugees.
It was a significant issue that the territorial residents were eaten by the monsters.
Seven layers of walls were meticulously built to encase the icy barrier.
Yet the monsters easily jumped over the towering walls, roamed the territory, and swallowed people.
It wasn’t their turn to stand guard, but among the people the monsters ate, more than half were knights.
They were knights from the restless north.
Despite this, they were quickly defeated.
People keenly felt the overwhelming power of the ‘monsters.’
They quickly followed the duke’s migration orders.
Within a day of receiving the migration orders, people were ready to leave.
The one not prepared was the castle.
The castle was a place for defense.
It was high and thick, but that was it.
There was no space for people to eat and sleep comfortably.
Half of the workforce was tied to the repair of the 7th castle and reinforcement of the 6th, while the rest were constructing the migration area.
Although there were rooms, there weren’t enough to accommodate all the territorial residents, so most of the materials were used for building the migration space.
There were plenty of wood and stones.
Everything had to be finished before the wave began and before the snow started falling again, so people were in a hurry.
They made the frame, dug the soil, stacked the stone walls, and organized the partitions.
Once the soil hardened, the next task was immediately undertaken.
A decent living area was constructed in just two days.
However, the cold was the problem.
The temporary living area created for ‘protection’ was extremely vulnerable to insulation.
They skipped making a furnace because it took too long, and people could actually freeze to death.
[Star Icon] [Star Icon] [Star Icon]“Keep the book safe, I’ll read it after the banquet.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Before heading to the banquet hall, Bianca handed over the folklore book she brought to Julie, earnestly urging her.
Otherwise, the worryprone young maid might immediately return the book to the library.
Julie had been quite a handful today.
Contrary to her usual self, she even called Hailey to try on several dresses, agonizing over them and repeatedly asking Rapin until the end.
Though any dress she wore would be covered by a cloak, Bianca patiently waited, enjoying her rare enthusiasm.
Finally, her dressing up was done.
“Take care.”
“Sure.”
“If something happens, please call me.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
The warnings were excessive.
It’s just a banquet.
Ignoring the subsequent cautions, Bianca, who had been smiling, suddenly stiffened when the banquet hall doors opened.
Not only was Gillian there, but also figures who, at first glance, seemed extraordinary filled the room.
Creta and Hailey were there, which eased her burden somewhat, but the openly hostile Elizabeth and others with dubious appearances made her tension rise again.
‘Don’t be discouraged.’
She felt drained.
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
