Saved Him, Now I'm Obsessed (10 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 12
He was the Crown Prince. Normally, emperors took multiple consorts and had many children, but the current Emperor had only the present Empress as his wife.
She bore two sons—namely Ian and Daniel. Both inherited their father Blake’s striking features, yet their eye color resembled their mother’s. Nevertheless, it was said that strange rumors once circulated in high society.
It was the rumor that “Ian is not the Emperor’s son.” The gossip spread swiftly and discreetly.
At that time, the war had not yet concluded, so the Emperor spent more days away from the imperial capital. Considering Ian’s development, the Emperor had not been in the capital at the time the Empress became pregnant.
Secondly, what fueled suspicion even further was that the Empress had kept her pregnancy a secret for a long time.
Despite it being joyful news, she concealed her pregnancy because the child was supposedly not of the Emperor’s bloodline, and she intended to hide that truth.
When the Emperor finally returned to the capital, it was speculated that although he discovered his wife’s infidelity, he chose to overlook her transgression out of love.
Of course, as Ian grew and displayed features unmistakably resembling the Emperor, the rumor faded away. Yet Ian seemed worried that should his red eyes ever be revealed, the gossip might resurface and tarnish the Empress’s honor.
Though uncommon, eye color could occasionally change due to illness. With age, once-vivid eye color might dull or spots could appear in the whites of the eyes.
I considered it foolish to question one’s lineage based on such changes. However, gossipmongers cared little for such reasoning.
Moreover, the color happened to be red. The current Emperor intensely despised red eyes. He was not a particularly merciful ruler.
This applied even to his own children. No one could predict how he might react upon learning that Ian possessed red eyes.
Thus, Ian kept it thoroughly secret—especially taking great care to ensure the Emperor never found out. Currently, only Simmons and I knew this truth.
I understood Ian’s concerns, yet I remained skeptical whether this secret truly warranted enduring the medicine’s side effects.
My worry over the side effects was immense. Since even I did not know precisely how they might manifest, my fear only grew.
“If anyone could find a way, it would be you, Jane.”
Knowing how difficult it was to persuade him, I nodded.
“The best solution would be to stop taking the medicine… But fine. I’ll do my utmost to research further, so the side effects won’t occur.”
Just as I was about to ask Ian more about his eye condition, someone knocked on the door, informing him of an official council meeting.
Ordinarily, such meetings gathered nobles residing in the capital around the Emperor, but the Emperor, uninterested in governance, frequently dumped his duties onto the Crown Prince, Ian.
Ian looked troubled and said to me,
“I’ll send Simmons shortly. Please wait.”
“I can go alone.”
He gave me a look of disbelief.
“Don’t wander off and get lost in the palace again like last time. Just wait here.”
“Ugh. Back then, I only got lost because it was too dark.”
At my words, he chuckled, clearly amused.
“Ordinarily, people don’t lose their way just because it gets cloudy. Besides, the imperial palace is so complex even regular folks struggle to navigate it. It’s far too much for someone like you, who’s hopelessly directionally challenged.”
True, I had gotten lost a few times—but that wasn’t because I was bad with directions; it was due to the palace’s peculiar layout.
There were no signs, buildings stood far apart, and labyrinthine gardens popped up intermittently—so honestly, navigating this place easily would’ve been the real miracle.
I’d even heard those maze gardens were deliberately designed to confuse assassins. So clearly, getting lost here wasn’t due to stupidity.
But unwilling to argue and waste his time, I obediently replied,
“Alright, I’ll wait for Chief Steward Simmons.”
“You say that, but I’m worried you’ll just leave anyway. Maybe I should escort you myself to spare you the trouble of wandering.”
The steward who’d come to deliver the message seemed restless. Seeing his anxious, darting eyes, I sensed urgency. Feeling pity for him, I gently pushed Ian toward the door.
“I’ll be fine. Everyone’s waiting—go on ahead.”
Ian hesitated, his steps heavy, but I practically shoved him out.
“All because that idiot Daniel caused another ridiculous mess…”
He muttered curses about his younger brother, Prince Daniel, as he left. Unlike the mature Ian, Prince Daniel was a walking disaster and had apparently stirred up serious trouble this time.
Though Daniel might feel the description “caused trouble” was unfair, it seemed Ian’s presence was essential to resolve the matter.
Though clearly displeased about being dragged into the council meeting, Ian fretted over me—someone poor with directions—and repeatedly insisted I wait until the Chief Steward arrived.
“I get it already! Just go quickly and don’t worry about me.”
Ian followed the steward out, his face filled with concern. Watching him, I couldn’t help but smile softly.
[This is the timeline separator]“Chief Steward Simmons, are you very busy?”
The Chief Steward, whom I expected to arrive momentarily, failed to appear even after my tea had gone cold. Having plenty of my own tasks, I grew restless just sitting and waiting—I needed to return to the apothecary immediately.
“Then again, he holds such immense responsibilities.”
Chief Steward Simmons managed the entire Crown Prince’s residence. His position was far too important to spare time merely escorting a mere apothecary—or officially, a perfumer—from the palace gates.
Outside the window, dusk began to fall. Heavy, oppressive clouds gathered, making the previously bright morning seem unreal.
“It looks like rain this afternoon. I should head back before it starts.”
While light rain might be manageable, recent winter rains had been shockingly torrential—once they began, it poured relentlessly. The mere thought of returning to my apothecary drenched in such downpour was exhausting.
I might even catch a cold. No matter how healthy I was, getting soaked in a storm was never advisable. No longer willing to waste time idly waiting, I packed my bag and stood up.
“How hard could it be? I’ll just retrace my steps.”
Of course, I’d arrived by carriage, passed through maze-like gardens, and walked between towering, meticulously maintained trees that could easily disorient anyone—but I couldn’t stay here forever, waiting endlessly for the Chief Steward.
“I’m busy too. I have a lot to do today… Besides, if I meet any stewards along the way, I can ask for directions.”
Though I set out intending to ask passersby for help, finding someone to ask proved difficult.
“Has everyone gone to the council meeting?”
Having long lost my way, I kept walking, hoping someone would appear. The imperial gardens, filled with diverse flora, were fascinating, but the looming storm clouds made me uneasy, urging me to quicken my pace.
“If I’d known this would happen, waiting for the Chief Steward to summon a carriage would’ve been quicker. Why does the imperial palace have to be so unnecessarily vast…? Then again, I suppose it’s only natural for an empire.”
As the imperial palace of an empire, it was considerably larger than those of other kingdoms. Numerous buildings and vast, intricate gardens all contributed heavily to my disorientation.
Though I’d never seen it myself, rumor had it there was even an entire village within the palace grounds. It was said that when the Empress longed for her homeland, the Emperor had ordered an exact replica of her village constructed inside the imperial capital.
Every detail was meticulously recreated—even down to the stones scattered on the road—and they even hired actors to mimic the villagers, from shepherds and blacksmiths to farmers, restaurant owners, and children playing in the streets, as Simmons once recounted, leaving me speechless.
Still skeptical, I double-checked with Ian, who simply nodded as if it were nothing unusual.
〈Mother missed her homeland, so His Imperial Majesty the Emperor had it built for her personally. Some buildings and trees were even transplanted directly from her village. There was strong opposition to relocating the sacred tree, but he pushed through regardless.〉
I was utterly astounded.
I’d known the Emperor took no other consorts and cherished the Empress deeply, but even so, constructing an entire replica village just because she missed home—this was excessive, even for an emperor.
The sacred tree typically referred to the oldest, largest tree in a village, revered as holy by its people.
Some even believed that if pests infested the sacred tree or its leaves withered, disaster would befall the village. Thus, the villagers’ faith in their sacred tree was truly profound.
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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