“I can already see rumors spreading that the Crown Prince cut the hair of the popular Knight Commander. How do you think I’ll be viewed from now on?”
Franz tilted his head, seeming ignorant of the world, as if he knew nothing.
Claudia barely suppressed a sigh.
It was far more tiring than rolling her incompetent subordinates and punishing corrupt nobles.
A dull Douglas intervened.
“Claudia Kyoung is not someone who thinks that far, Your Highness.”
“To become my subordinate, you should consider more than that.”
“She will adapt soon. I guarantee it, as her long-time friend.”
“Let’s see. Since there is also the honor of Susan and Your Highness at stake.”
Franz, leaning back in his armchair, crossed his legs.
He didn’t look like a pitiful Crown Prince struggling in the severe palace.
Maybe if he were a wicked mongoose devouring a salamander.
‘You deceived me, Douglas…!’
Claudia shot a stern look at Douglas.
As if pricked, Douglas quickly turned his head away, gazing outside the window.
Claudia, who calmed her breath, asked, “May I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“I’m curious about Your Highness’s plan to succeed the throne.”
It was indeed an irreverent question.
It also implied doubting the Crown Prince’s capabilities.
As a sign to abandon the topic, Douglas quickly shook his head.
Franz’s reaction was completely opposite.
He erased his solemn expression, leaning towards Claudia.
His cute face, like a prince in a fairy tale, was full of curiosity.
“I have a question I want to ask first.”
“Please ask, Your Highness.”
“What do you think the probability is that I will become the Emperor?”
“Less than 50%.”
Claudia replied promptly.
Franz lowered his armrests, chuckling.
“Honest! I really like that.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment this time.”
“Okay. Why do you think so? Is it because there are no mother or external support?”
“On the surface, that may be true.”
“And the other reason?”
Franz’s emerald eyes sparkled sharply.
In that light, Claudia could read the boy’s desires.
‘Indeed, he’s not ordinary. I can’t doubt the blood of the Everlight Imperial family. Douglas and Susan didn’t decide to help the Crown Prince for nothing.’
With a raised eyebrow, Claudia answered, “Until you inherit the throne, I believe the probability of surviving completely is low.”
“There are many threats, true. But isn’t there Shade?”
“You will be safe for the time being. However, a skilled knight alone cannot secure the throne.”
“Shade can protect my life, but beyond that, it’s difficult?”
“That’s correct.”
“I’ll ask again. What should I do to survive until I become the Emperor?”
Franz, who wiped away his laughter and mischief, asked.
“Do as written in history.”
“Definitely eliminate opposition and gather your people.”
“I appreciate Your Highness’s intelligence.”
Claudia sincerely nodded.
Franz smiled playfully, extending his cute hand.
“Follow my advice. So, will you be my reliable confidante first, Claudia?”
It was painful, but I gradually got used to horseback riding.
It seemed even more so because I was leaning against Nicholas.
Blackwing covered the distance that would take a carriage a day in just two days.
After leaving the temple, Nicholas didn’t insist on using the carriage.
He seemed deeply lost in thought.
In the distance, the palace came into view.
As the towering fortress rose like a behemoth, my heartbeat quickened as if observing all the buildings below.
‘I didn’t expect to come back so quickly.’
The plan was to move like a reconnaissance soldier outside the palace.
To undermine the formidable powers of Duke Lehman, Viscount Pfeiffer, and Count Blackfold, more information was needed.
After the downfall of Viscount Brendan, they moved more covertly and cunningly.
I was determined to pursue them directly, without sparing any means or methods.
I wanted to uncover all the evidence of their misdeeds with my own hands.
“Why take the long way around instead of taking a shortcut?”
Nicholas pointed out that my plan was inefficient.
“Is there a faster and more effective way?”
“Much faster and very effective.”
I couldn’t be free in the palace.
It was because of the limitations of my birth and status.
Nicholas couldn’t guarantee my protection forever as I was neither the empress nor a concubine.
Thanks to magic, I had overcome some dangers, but there was no guarantee it would continue in the future.
Whether he noticed my worries or not, Nicholas, who was holding the reins, wrapped his arm around me.
His embrace was as firm and warm as always.
“Seize power, Elizabeth.”
“Power bought with money has its limits.”
“If you possess absolute power that no one can undermine, that is enough.”
Nicholas said it simply enough to sound disappointed.
It implied that I could obtain that power just by reaching out.
“I only have a bit of beauty and a lot of money. Outside, I can exert absolute power, but in the palace, there are people wealthier and more beautiful than me.”
“So.”
“What am I supposed to do…”
I pouted.
Nicholas casually replied, “Why not become the Empress?”
What did I just hear?
I turned to Nicholas with a wrinkled nose.
His expression, unexpectedly serious, was not like someone making a joke.
“Become the most noble lady in the Empire, Elizabeth. Command the heart of Hartmann.”
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
