Seducing the Tyrant Instead of My Favorite (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 10
“Can’t you snap out of it?”
Nikolai yanked the bedsheet sharply.
Elizabeth, who had been lying on the sheet, rolled sideways with a thud.
Just before she hit the floor, Nikolai snatched her by the scruff of the neck—
as if capturing a hamster trying to escape its cage.
“Eek! What do you think you’re doing in someone else’s room?”
Elizabeth, jolted awake, glared at him.
Those black eyes sparkled like stars.
Unrestrained anger and a flustered bewilderment bordering on irritation flashed together.
The fragrance surrounding her grew even more intense, and soon Nikolai completely forgot the foul stench.
‘That’s exactly why I didn’t want to come. But I couldn’t hold back any longer.’
The air was as clear and crisp as the sky after a storm had passed.
A sense of comfort and languid ease he hadn’t felt in ages.
All of it blurred Nikolai’s reason.
For the first time since his coronation, his senses had awakened—and now craved more stimulation.
Even the Wolf of the Goddess drooled greedily at this scent it had never encountered before.
“This room is mine too—just as this country belongs to me.”
Nikolai spoke coldly.
Elizabeth sneered with an expressionless face.
“I was foolish to expect common sense from Your Majesty.”
“Are you calling me unreasonable?”
“Then is it common sense to barge into a woman’s room without knocking?”
“You’ll find it easier if you think of it as a prison.”
“And what about making the head of a marquis house your servant?”
This time, even Nikolai couldn’t find a reply.
Elizabeth raised her voice.
“And what about declaring you’ll harass the sister of a loyal subject who’s sworn fealty to you?”
“I don’t harass anyone.”
“Who would believe that? You’re clearly desperate to bring in a new woman, with empresses already swarming around you.”
Realizing her words had been too harsh, Elizabeth looked startled—
though even that was merely another ploy to rattle Nikolai.
“Oh dear! I’m so sorry—I’ve committed treason against the Emperor again!”
“When were you trembling and begging for your life? What’s gotten into you now?”
“I’ve realized that method doesn’t work.”
“Elizabeth. Don’t test my patience.”
Nikolai warned in a low voice.
Elizabeth flipped her fiery red hair back seductively and retorted,
“If you want to kill me, go ahead.”
“!”
“But you won’t. You’ve already started an entertaining play.”
“Don’t you know? Actors can always be replaced.”
Nikolai pressed his lips close to Elizabeth’s ear
and whispered into her small pink ear,
“I can find any number of women to take your place.”
He expected her to flinch, just a little.
He even wanted to see that reaction.
But Elizabeth remained perfectly composed—
as if she’d anticipated all of this.
“In that case, you should’ve dealt with me long ago—instead of locking me up in a pretty prison.”
“……”
“Shall I tell you what you’re really thinking, Your Majesty?”
Elizabeth poked Nikolai’s chest with her index finger.
It felt as though his very soul had been pierced.
His heart, which had tried so hard to stay indifferent and detached, began racing again.
‘Does she not know touching the imperial person without permission is punishable by death? Is she fearless—or merely toying with me?’
But there was something he needed to decide first.
‘If she can’t be controlled, she must be killed. Spare her… or kill her?’
Unaware that Nikolai was agonizing over his own pale, slender neck, Elizabeth continued.
“The curtain has risen on Your Majesty’s play. You even summoned the elders and stirred up quite a fuss.”
“Is that so?”
“That absurd contract. The reckless appointment of an empress. The threats against Marquis Nettleton… All this trouble means there must be a reason behind it.”
“And what reason is that?”
“How should I know?”
Elizabeth shrugged as if she truly didn’t care.
“What matters is that you’re not the scandalous Casanova the rumors make you out to be.”
“!”
Nikolai inwardly swallowed hard.
He couldn’t believe Elizabeth had pierced a secret even the nobles had failed to notice.
Had his acting been that clumsy?
Or was Elizabeth somehow special?
It filled him with painful joy that she’d recognized the mask he’d worn unwillingly but necessarily.
He nearly demanded how she’d figured it out—
half from sheer astonishment.
“You might have gathered renowned beauties just for amusement.”
“What did you say?”
“But you never neglected state affairs. Hartman’s national strength hasn’t changed much from the days of the Former Emperor, who was hailed as a wise ruler.”
“So what?”
“How could an emperor busy dallying with women manage that? The nobles seem too preoccupied with their own interests.”
“What exactly are you getting at?”
“Let’s rewrite the contract—properly this time. In a way that benefits us both.”
Elizabeth smiled, her eyes softly narrowing.
The more he looked at her, the more absurd and extraordinary she seemed.
‘This woman was supposed to be a party-loving femme fatale drowning in wine? She’s far cleverer than most lords or kings! Her insight is exceptional, and her boldness astonishing.’
He couldn’t hide his admiration.
Any other noble daughter would’ve groveled at the Emperor’s feet, begging tearfully.
She’d either emphasize her fragility or flaunt her wealth to curry favor.
She’d have accepted the fate the Emperor decreed—
knowing full well it was the law and there was no other path.
Or perhaps she’d have salivated at the mere title of Empress—
mistress of an empire that commands the continent.
What woman wouldn’t dream of becoming Hartman’s heart?
But Elizabeth was different.
Without realizing it, Nikolai began taking interest in her beyond her scent—
in her wisdom, which unlike beauty never faded, and in her loyalty toward the man she’d once promised to marry.
“It’s outrageously unfair, but I was the one who stamped that contract. I’m not shameless enough to demand everything back.”
“Your shamelessness has already crossed all bounds.”
“I’ll stay in the palace as Your Majesty wishes.”
“……”
“But I won’t become an empress. Certainly not Empress—and of course, I refuse to be a maid either.”
“Is Douglas really that precious to you?”
“Huh?”
Elizabeth sighed, looking utterly baffled.
“So he’s the unforgettable man you broke off your engagement with.”
“Think what you like.”
“You mean you can’t become empress because you plan to remarry him?”
“I won’t let Douglas and Susan suffer because of me. Leave those two alone.”
“And why should I do that?”
“If you accept my terms, I’ll agree to this game of seduction—and gladly join your little play.”
It was a tempting offer.
With Elizabeth’s cooperation, uncovering traitors colluding with enemy states would be far easier.
It aligned perfectly with Nikolai’s intention to use her without giving her any real emotion.
Yet, he felt reluctant.
Though he hated to admit it, it was because of that pink-haired brother-in-law lodged in Elizabeth’s heart.
“The first to seduce wins. The loser must obey the winner’s will without question.”
“You’re far too confident.”
“Then let’s see who wins.”
With a bewitching smile, Elizabeth extended her small hand.
‘Wasn’t he just calling me a tyrant a moment ago? Now he wants to play nice? What a fickle man.’
She didn’t know Nikolai had held that hand before.
And she never would.
As if for the first time, Nikolai clasped Elizabeth’s hand.
“Be prepared. I never play games I intend to lose.”
[This is the timeline separator]The game of seduction had officially begun.
Nikolai offered me the position of “Crown Prince’s Tutor.”
He said it was Kares’s idea.
‘So you’ve become a devoted fan of hers? What did you do to my subordinate?’
I sighed, recalling Nikolai’s words.
My steps grew light as I followed Kares toward the Crown Prince’s palace.
‘Thank goodness my charm worked. He’s Nikolai’s closest aide—this will be useful. I’ll have to handle him well from now on.’
I didn’t need to try too hard.
With just one wink, Kares was already desperate to be handled by me.
“It’s not an easy post, but I thought it best for you, Miss Elizabeth. It’s rare for an unmarried woman—neither a maid nor an empress—to reside in the palace.”
“Thank you, Lord Kares.”
“Please just call me Kares. I’d be honored.”
Kares looked at me with glistening, dewy eyes.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, the Emperor’s right hand, the realm’s finest elite—Count Kares himself was eager to impress a mere commoner girl.
Guilt? Forget it.
To win this game of seduction, I needed to be even bolder.
‘If I win, I can turn Nikolai into my puppet as planned. I’ll stop Claudia and use the Emperor’s power to find the second relic of Morasinthia!’
Even if charm didn’t work on someone, Elizabeth’s beauty, figure, and fortune gave her a strong chance.
Being the Crown Prince’s tutor wasn’t bad either.
Though I hated babysitting, I looked forward to freely accessing the Imperial Library.
According to Kares’s hint, the Imperial Library held more theological texts than the Grand Temple itself.
There was surely a clue there about Morasinthia’s relic.
“Alright, Kares. What kind of person is His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“He’s lively and full of energy.”
“Well, he’s ten—right at that age.”
“Sometimes he’s overly energetic, which causes trouble. But there’s no real danger.”
“What does that mean? It sounds ominous.”
“It’ll be quicker if you meet him yourself rather than hear it from me.”
Kares seemed eager to change the subject.
It left me slightly uneasy.
‘The Crown Prince barely appears in the original story. Security is so tight that even spies know almost nothing about him. They say he’s a ten-year-old blond boy… What kind of child could he be?’
Nikolai possessed raven-black hair that gleamed like silk.
His hair was so impeccably maintained it looked magnificent—
enough to make me want to run my fingers through it once.
Franz’s birth mother reportedly died six years ago, around the time Nikolai ascended the throne.
Countless rumors had circulated, and many had questioned the Crown Prince’s legitimacy.
They’d all been executed for provoking the Emperor’s wrath.
As a result, palace servants firmly believed that speaking ill of the Crown Prince meant certain execution.
‘Franz’s mother must’ve been a blond older woman—Nikolai’s first love.’
Nikolai was twenty-eight this year.
Since Franz was ten, that meant Nikolai had fathered a child with his first love at eighteen.
‘Biologically possible, sure—but isn’t that still too young? Is everyone like this in this world?’
Even if he wasn’t a hopeless womanizer, Nikolai’s outward lifestyle was far from exemplary.
What on earth could a child learn from him?
Tsking in disapproval, I arrived at the Crown Prince’s palace.
Waiting for me wasn’t Crown Prince Franz—but a group of naked boys crying.
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
_____
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MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (87)
Oh, what is this underworld flower? The emperor is a vile scoundrel. Why does he neglect the child like this?
What?! Emperor Casanova, you’ve fallen under Elizabeth’s spell! 🤭💗
Oh my God, poor Franz! Nobody cares about him. The emperor is a truly despicable scoundrel.
Inline Comments (3)
Claudia had disliked Nikolai for a very long time.
Hahaha, how disgusting! She’s been completely manipulated for their own interests. I think there’s a group trying to get rid of Elizabeth and the Emperor.
It was astonishing that such a small, delicate girl had developed a medicine eve
What kind of medicine is it? It’s making me more curious
Nikolai, dressed head to toe in black, glared at her with eyes as cold as ice.
Oh my God, the hero has arrived! Hahaha, thank God! Thank you, writer! 🥺🤭💗
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Miioo
Hahaha, what? It’s obvious that the one who will fall in love first is Emperor Casanova.