The beautiful Bianca, the empire’s number one beauty, and the beautiful Duke Barlock, rumored not to be human.
It was natural to be excited about their picturesque pairing.
However, what was exciting the maids now was another reason.
‘Barlock, who has obtained Termina, will finally be freed from long bondage.’
The marriage between Princess Termina and young Duke Barlock fulfilled a legend handed down from a long time ago!
Moreover, this marriage was not apparently given to the imperial family in exchange for Sylas Barlock’s life.
Their union was enough to say that Barlock had obtained Termina.
Barlock responded obediently to anything related to Termina, and Termina gleefully enjoyed Barlock’s unconditional devotion.
This abnormal relationship was not a day or two but a long history.
But there was just one thing that Termina, who would force anything, never did.
That was to take Barlock as a partner.
It’s not that there was no Termina who had ever desired Barlock.
Without going far, even the former empress coveted the previous Duke, Sylas Barlock.
Begging the emperor was basic, she was willing to return all the mines in her name to the imperial treasury.
She met all kinds of conditions, but the emperor did not accept.
On the contrary, he sent the empress to the farthest kingdom.
Although they called it a marriage of alliance, the counterpart was a small kingdom that had little interaction with the empire.
A far, far place that takes more than a month by ship.
They did not openly oppose, but no Termina had ever become one with Barlock.
People thought it was natural.
Termina had no reason to give up this abnormal relationship.
Barlock, who had a stronger power than anyone, has been showing a consistent and devoted loyalty to Termina without any payment.
That was not all.
Barlock’s existence in Termina was a significant threat to neighboring countries.
A loyal duke who blocks monsters that ordinary people can never kill on his own.
Would there be a mad country daring to declare war where such a person was holding out?
Barlock was to Termina what a talisman was.
Barlock was too attractive to be adventurous with emotion.
Successive emperors knew this fact well.
So, even if it meant exiling a member of the imperial family to a distant place, they had always prevented them from becoming one with Barlock.
But the current emperor broke this unbroken taboo.
He killed Barlock, who would readily give up his life if it was Termina’s command, and won Termina with Barlock’s life.
A taboo that had never been allowed in eternal history had been broken.
It was a situation that could not but excite anyone who knew the legend, anyone who was a citizen of the empire.
“Don’t do that, and tell me more.”
The seemingly incessant talk had drawn attention to a maid who had assisted with errands next to the senator, a maid who had been helped by a chambermaid’s chatter.
“You were there. Just tell me anything. I’m dying to know.”
The maid, under everyone’s gaze, scratched her cheek with an awkward expression.
Her stay in the bedroom had been brief, and all she had seen was the duke holding the empress, wrapped snugly in a quilt, busy with errands.
She had already told all of that.
“There’s nothing. That’s all I said earlier.”
The maid quietly shook her head.
“Ah, what could it be? It wasn’t something happening now that they’re married? Like the legend…”
“What event! Can’t you keep quiet!”
At the sudden shouting, the whispering maids jumped in surprise and trembled.
The thread she had been embroidering fell to the ground and rolled away.
The rolling bundle of thread stopped at a pair of shimmering shoes.
“Se, Selin?”
Elisabeth’s eyes widened as she picked up the thread.
“Who would be so fearless?”
Although she had hesitated thinking it was the head maid scolding her, Selin was truly an unexpected person.
“You here…”
“Is that the problem now? Where do you dare to bring up legends and such?”
“Eh?”
“You dare to mention the one erased from the imperial records, to call it Terminus, do you all want to be taken away for insulting the royal family?”
The empress is the empress, but what does it mean to say she was sent to the imperial records?
Suddenly not understanding what this meant, the maids, guilty of whispering about their master, kept their mouths tightly shut.
“Be careful with your words, everyone. Don’t casually connect this to the royal family, or there will be trouble.”
“It’s not about the royal family, it’s about the empress.”
“What do you mean?”
“If she’s sent to the imperial records, does it mean she’s not His Majesty’s child?”
“Julie!”
The one who retorted against Selin’s words was the youngest maid.
Hadn’t she just turned seventeen?
She had been there less than a month, a new recruit.
“You now…!”
Selin’s eyes widened as she took a step towards Julie.
“What’s all this commotion?”
It seemed the head maid had heard the noise and entered.
This was serious.
The new head maid appeared gentle, but was ruthless with mistakes.
If she found out that the maids gathered for night service, instead of waiting while embroidering, had dared to raise their voices discussing their master…
Everyone swallowed nervously just then.
Julie raised her hand sharply.
“Head maid.”
“If my embroidery was not satisfactory, and I was raising my voice in admonishment, I’m sorry for causing a disturbance.”
Selin cut off Julie’s words.
“…Be careful.”
“I’m sorry.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the dawn’s commotion was buried more easily than expected, just then.
Hailey looked at Julie, tilting her head.
“Julie, your skirt seems a bit short now. I’ll give you a longer one, so change into it right away.”
“Yes, Head maid.”
As Hailey took Julie out and entered the head maid’s room, her gentle expression suddenly froze.
“So, what happened?”
Hailey’s eyes sparkled like metal as she looked at young Julie.
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
