The kidnappers were visibly annoyed.
“Don’t listen to this woman!”
“Thirty million gold, remember?”
“Fool! How can you believe that?”
“What’s the harm in asking? Worst case, we break even.”
They were dimwitted and lacked a sense of cooperation.
It seemed Lady Luck was on my side this time.
“Pitiful. You still haven’t realized you’ve been tricked.”
I said, mixing a sigh into my words.
The kidnappers, who had been sniping at each other, were incensed.
“What do you mean, ‘we’ve been tricked’?”
“If you knew who I am, you wouldn’t be satisfied with a measly ten million gold.”
“Measly? Ten million?”
“I suggest you take it up with the middleman. They got the price tag very wrong.”
A momentary silence ensued.
Though they kept their mouths shut, they were clearly flustered.
The kidnapped woman wasn’t crying or pleading for her life?
That alone was odd, and here she was, complaining that her ransom was too low.
Curious about my identity, aren’t you?
I’ll let you in on a little secret, you fools.
“Aren’t you curious as to why a woman in this situation is so composed?”
“…!”
“I am Elizabeth Emster. Yes, the sole heiress of the Emster Corporation. The first commoner to serve as the crown prince’s education officer. Does it make sense now?”
“You’re lying!”
“Have you ever seen anyone risk their life on a lie that would soon be exposed?”
“…”
“Go verify it quickly. You’ll want to increase the ransom.”
The kidnappers murmured quietly among themselves.
As they were busily verifying the facts, I dozed off.
I was surprised I could fall asleep, bound and blindfolded.
I seemed to have grown accustomed to my tumultuous fate.
“It really is Elizabeth Emster! The area is swarming with soldiers looking for her!”
“Damn it! We were not even informed she’s the heiress of the Emster Corporation! We’ve been had!”
“Money’s not the issue. The Emperor himself has sent out knights!”
The atmosphere started to turn tense.
Cursing both their client and the middleman, the kidnappers were in disarray.
I had to act before their anger landed on me.
“Are you finally realizing the gravity of the situation?”
“Shut up!”
“If I shut up, you all die.”
“You, we can just kill you.”
“Hmm. Truly daring. Giving up on both the money and your lives.”
“?”
“The Emperor and his guards are likely on their way. If you kill me, you, your families, friends, and accomplices will all be executed.”
“No way. You’re not even the empress.”
The kidnapper mumbled, uncertainty in his voice.
“You guys are amateurs, aren’t you? You don’t even know who you kidnapped or why someone wanted me kidnapped.”
“…”
“Isn’t this happening because a nonempress like me has monopolized the Emperor’s favor?”
“What, what relationship do you have with the Emperor?”
“It’s complicated and a little sticky.”
Though our relationship was tangled in contracts, games, and source material, that answer was sufficient.
“Let’s get rid of her quickly!”
“She’s the Emster heiress! Ten million is too low!”
“If we waste time, we’ll get neither money nor life!”
“There’s no way out!”
The kidnappers were running around like headless chickens.
I sighed. The situation was pitiful.
‘Given that these amateurs were hired, the client can’t be very smart either. Likely someone trying to check Duke Brendan. Or maybe trying to intimidate me…’
I rolled around the back of the cart, a coarse sack over my head.
My waist hurt, and my limbs were numb.
How should I be compensated for this ordeal?
At least a hundredfold.
For now, I decided to toy with these amateur kidnappers.
“I’ll give you a way to survive.”
“…”
“Hurry up. Before I change my mind.”
Maybe it was the change in my tone.
The kidnappers hesitantly removed the sack from my head.
The intense light stung my eyes.
Breathing in the fresh air, I felt immediately better.
“Sigh. Now I feel a bit more alive.”
“Trick us, and you’ll die on the spot!”
“Hey, novices. Up until now, I’m the only one who’s told you the truth, haven’t I? Think about it. Now, I’m the only one you can trust.”
“What a loudmouth she is!”
“Untie me. If you bruise my skin, His Majesty will have your hands and feet cut off. Though he’s more likely to start with your necks.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she chuckled coldly.
The kidnappers, who were shivering as if they had met the Grim Reaper, loosened the ropes.
Their touch was more cautious than that of the maids who dressed her, which made her sneer.
She reverted to her previous tone.
“Take me back quietly. If you reveal who hired you, I’ll give you a hundred million gold as a bonus.”
“A hundred million gold?!”
“Though it’s a bit insufficient for my worth, consider it a token of goodwill.”
“Is this some kind of trap?”
“You have three choices. First, hand me over to the client who deceived you. Get a pittance and be chased by pursuers until you die.”
“What the hell kind of choice is that?!”
“Second, kill me and run away. You lose the money and incur the wrath of the Emperor. Let’s see how long you can survive with no funds to flee.”
“……What’s the third?”
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.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
