Seducing the Tyrant Instead of My Favorite (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
How could this happen in a world without the internet or smartphones?
It had only been a few days, yet even Nancy had already heard the rumors.
“The whole country’s in an uproar! They’re calling it the meeting of the century!”
“Well, when Casanova meets a femme fatale, it’s bound to be entertaining.”
“Why do you talk as if it’s someone else’s affair? His Imperial Majesty is utterly smitten with you, isn’t he?”
“It’s all baseless gossip.”
“Even the rumor that you’ll soon become Empress?”
Empress? As if. Maybe if I were a slave sold off through some unjust contract.
“Nancy, has there ever been a commoner among the Empresses of past generations?”
“No.”
“Has His Majesty ever taken an Empress?”
“No.”
“I’ll never become Empress. And I don’t even want to.”
“Are you giving up on His Majesty because of your status? Couldn’t love overcome that?”
“Stop reading romance novels already.”
Nancy was Douglas’s devoted fan.
Just as I had adored Claudia, the heroine of “The Silver Knight,” Nancy idolized Elise, the heroine of “The Empire’s Red Star.”
Who wouldn’t love a heroine who’s lovely, confident, and sharp-witted?
Douglas had created Elise, inspired by me.
But I was merely a minor villainess.
I’d ambitiously challenged myself to seduce the tyrant, yet I’d botched it from the very first step.
Worse still, I’d utterly ruined a precious opportunity.
‘I never knew I cried when drunk. Nikolai’s shirt was soaked with tears and snot. Guess the real alcohol trash is right here.’
I’d made a complete fool of myself in front of a man I’d just met, utterly defenseless.
I’d also said far too many things I shouldn’t have.
“I don’t want to die again. I hate the guillotine. But what can I possibly do? Sob sob.”
Nikolai looked utterly flustered.
He awkwardly patted my shoulder, then abruptly pulled his hand away—
like a hopeless wallflower who’d never been on a date in his life.
‘I pretended to be fine, but I was terrified—terrified of being possessed as Elizabeth, terrified of waiting for my second death. I boasted loudly about stopping Claudia, but I was just putting on a brave front to feel less scared.’
The anxiety I couldn’t confess to anyone met Nikolai’s warmth and turned into tears.
The tears I’d held back for so long wouldn’t stop flowing easily.
With his famously stoic expression, Nikolai said,
“Cry as much as you want. I’m not going anywhere.”
Even days later, his low voice still echoed in my ears.
My mind was tangled.
My emotions swung back and forth a dozen times a day.
One moment I’d flare with heat, the next I’d cool into icy detachment.
I felt ashamed, then sorry, then grateful, then curious.
Why did he want to make me his Empress?
Did he really see me as nothing more than an amusing toy?
“So his real goal really is my body after all…”
I murmured aloud without realizing it.
Nancy, who’d been brushing my hair, blushed crimson.
“Please be honest! What happened that night at the Imperial Palace?”
A kiss. An embrace. Tears. A contract.
Not a single moment had been trivial.
My charm held no sway over Nikolai.
It meant I couldn’t control him as I pleased.
Playing a seduction game with him was like dousing myself in oil and leaping into a blazing inferno.
How could someone like me, who believed in monogamy, ever become just another concubine to a philandering Emperor?
The mere thought was horrifying.
My plan to seduce him into becoming a virtuous ruler had already failed.
Then, at least until Claudia appeared, it would be wisest to avoid entanglement with that tyrant as much as possible.
Nikolai sneaking into my bed in the dead of night!
Just imagining it sent chills down my spine.
‘I’ll ask the Nettleton siblings for help. It’s shameless, but I have no other choice right now.’
[This is the timeline separator]I visited the Marquis Nettleton’s mansion, avoiding public eyes.
Though grand and antique, the estate clearly showed signs of financial strain.
‘The paving stones are cracked, and the garden hedges are unkempt. I heard his book was a huge success—hasn’t the royalty come in yet?’
Douglas’s father had been a notoriously inept gambler.
Had he not died early, House Nettleton wouldn’t have merely been excluded from the Five Great Noble Houses—they’d have been reduced to utter destitution.
“Welcome, Elizabeth.”
“We’ve been waiting for you, sister!”
Contrary to my fears of being turned away for my audacity, Douglas and Susan warmly welcomed me.
They seemed to have completely forgotten the harsh words at the party.
When I confided in them about the seduction contract, Douglas bit his lip.
“Even His Imperial Majesty shouldn’t be allowed to do this.”
“They say the noble-born Empresses control the harem. What should we do, sister?”
Susan asked with deep worry etched on her face.
I nodded.
The Four Great Noble Houses.
I knew exactly what they were capable of.
Their villainy as depicted in the original story was truly chilling.
“I looked into it too. Empress Freya of House Rimmon, Empress Rose of House Brendan, Empress Emma of House Pipe, Empress Cynthia of House Blackfold—all of them are vying for the Empress title, aren’t they?”
“If His Majesty hadn’t been so stubborn, one of them would’ve become Empress by now.”
“Then why hasn’t he taken an Empress all this time?”
As if waiting for my question, Susan raised her voice.
“Because he’s the empire’s greatest womanizer! He wants to claim every woman in the realm!”
“Watch your words, Susan. No matter what anyone says, he is the sky over this empire.”
“He’s dragged away innocent women! And now he’s targeting you—how can I ever forgive him?”
Susan clenched her small fists.
Fierce hostility blazed in her eyes.
‘Susan definitely doesn’t have a crush on Nikolai.’
Just as I breathed a sigh of relief, Susan slapped her knee.
“I’ve thought of a way to stop that shameless tyrant!”
“What is it?”
“We’ll ask Claudia to kill him.”
“Eek!”
A cold shiver ran through my entire body.
Of all the things I’d heard since my reincarnation, this was the most terrifying.
“Susan! How can a knight sworn in loyalty ever kill her sovereign?”
“Ladia has always wanted to bring down the Emperor. She despises womanizers. We’ve been close since childhood—I know her well.”
‘I know her better than you do! I die by Claudia’s hand every single night!’
I nearly blurted out my inner thoughts.
My palms grew clammy with cold sweat.
First, I had to calm Susan down.
“Susan, that’s treason. I appreciate your concern, but don’t do anything reckless.”
“Even without our request, Ladia will probably make her decision soon.”
“Is Lady Claudia’s resolve really that firm?”
“Of course! She’s stubborn, yes, but she’s also just—and stronger than any knight!”
I felt utterly helpless and deflated.
It was as if someone had stomped on the hand I’d barely managed to cling to on the cliff’s edge.
‘Is this how Claudia returns? Is there truly no point in struggling anymore?’
The glint of the guillotine’s blade seemed to brush against my collar.
The fate of death kept digging black pits along every path ahead of me.
‘Do they think I’ll just give up? I’m the one who used a tyrant’s shirt as a handkerchief. Dying helplessly was enough for my past life!’
I narrowed my eyes and fixed a stern gaze on Douglas.
“Lord Douglas, may I say something presumptuous for a moment?”
“I’m listening.”
“You are the head of a marquis house and Susan’s only guardian. If you truly care for your younger sister, you must guide her strictly—especially in matters like this.”
“You’re right, Elizabeth. I’ve been negligent.”
Douglas’s cheeks flushed.
My gaze shifted to Susan.
She already looked thoroughly chastened.
“Is treason a child’s game? Your single careless word could get countless people killed. Can you bear that?”
“I’m sorry. I was so eager to save you that I…”
“Do you think I could live comfortably knowing I’d put you in danger? I’d rather enter the palace myself a hundred times over.”
“Don’t! I won’t have any more foolish thoughts, I promise!”
Susan’s remorse was unmistakable.
But only for a moment—then her eyes grew soft as she looked at me.
“Even in this situation, you’re only worried about me.”
What was she talking about now?
I blinked.
“I already knew. That day, you went to the terrace to protect me.”
Susan spoke with unwavering certainty.
“You sacrificed yourself so I wouldn’t become the tyrant’s prey, didn’t you?”
“I never did anything like that.”
“Don’t play innocent—it’s no use. Among the Five Great Noble Houses, only House Nettleton hasn’t produced an Empress.”
“But didn’t the other Empresses enter the palace willingly?”
“If it weren’t for you, I’d have been dragged into the harem too. That’s the kind of man the Emperor is.”
Susan was misunderstanding something.
No one called them the Five Great Noble Houses anymore.
That title was just a memory now; the nobles currently ruling the empire were the Four Great Houses, excluding Nettleton.
Nikolai had no interest in Susan whatsoever.
‘Should I correct her misunderstanding? Or just let it be? It doesn’t harm anyone, and I did try to protect Susan, after all.’
My calculation was complete.
I immediately shifted my stance.
I made sure to lower my gaze and wear a sorrowful expression.
“I’m sorry for deceiving you. I just didn’t want to see you blaming yourself.”
“Sister Elizabeth!”
“Just as you, a commoner, consider me your elder sister, I see you as my own younger sister. If I can protect you, nothing else matters to me.”
Even I thought it was a natural, impromptu performance.
But it was true—I really did see Susan as a younger sister.
And it was true that I’d stepped forward before the tyrant to protect her.
Douglas murmured as if finally understanding everything.
“So that’s why you broke off our engagement and coldly cast us aside—even saying things you didn’t mean…”
Well, the words were indeed insincere—but was he misunderstanding from that point onward?
Was misunderstanding a family trait?
As I looked puzzled, Susan tightly embraced me.
“You saved our house from drowning in debt and protected me. I won’t let anyone take you away!”
Susan was the kind of girl who appreciated even the smallest kindness tenfold.
Her gentle heart made mine ache.
“Susan, it’s too early to give up. There’s one last way to save Elizabeth.”
Douglas stepped forward.
His face bore a resolute expression I’d never seen before.
[This is the timeline separator]Douglas led me to a small chapel inside the mansion.
Susan, with her weak lungs, couldn’t follow due to the dust that hadn’t been cleaned in years.
I covered my mouth with a handkerchief and entered the chapel.
Ancient marble statues of deities caught my eye.
There were far too many gods in this world.
Douglas kindly explained.
“The one holding a sword is Tatos, God of War. The one with the wolf is Morasinthia, Goddess of Healing. Over there are statues of the gods of literature, agriculture, and the sea.”
“Why does the healing goddess keep a wolf? And why is her eyes covered?”
“They say Morasinthia’s wolf is a sacred creature that can detect the root of all illnesses.”
“How fascinating.”
“I was taught that her eyes are covered to symbolize healing everyone equally—without regard to rich or poor, noble or commoner.”
“Such a god couldn’t possibly exist.”
Memories of my past life surfaced, and I gave a bitter smile.
“The poor always die first. To claim death is equal for all is utter nonsense.”
Douglas flinched at my firm tone.
In my past life, I died of an infectious disease while volunteering overseas.
Few countries had properly responded to the novel pandemic that swept the globe.
Though South Korea was among the safest, I was staying in a country that lacked even basic medical facilities.
Since I was already infected, I couldn’t board the charter flight sent by my homeland.
The epidemic turned a poor but peaceful country into a hell stripped of humanity.
People were murdered over a sack of flour, a tank of oxygen.
Unburied corpses littered the streets.
That was why I’d given my oxygen respirator to a child.
‘I wanted to give up everything—the miserable conditions, the life I’d have to face alone. I just used the child as an excuse to seize a chance to die. Do I even deserve a new life?’
I’d resolved not to give up, yet melancholy memories sometimes overwhelmed me.
Douglas tapped my shoulder.
He was covered in fine dust and cobwebs, as if he’d crawled through some forgotten corner.
“This is a sacred heirloom passed down through our family for generations.”
Douglas handed me a small box lined with red leather.
A copper clasp was embedded in the lid, and the goddess Morasinthia was engraved in relief on its surface.
Inside, resting on a velvet cushion, lay an old monocle.
“It’s just an old copper monocle?”
“It may look shabby, but it’s a sacred heirloom. Offering it grants you the right to defy His Imperial Majesty’s command—just once.”
“You’d use that right of defiance for me?”
“Nothing is too precious to give to you, Elizabeth.”
“But we’re broken off.”
“Embarrassing as it is, there’s a line in a novel I wrote.”
“What line?”
“A person in love often does foolish things. Knowing it’s futile and silly, they still won’t stop—and rather than regret it, they rejoice, for it confirms the truth of their love.”
Douglas murmured, gazing intently at me.
Some indeterminate spot—whether on my face or in my stomach—kept itching.
He was a man of unwavering integrity. These were the words he’d written, thinking of me.
His sincerity seemed to carve itself into my heart, letter by letter.
For a moment, I felt I could forget Claudia and Nikolai.
Even if I couldn’t accept Douglas’s love.
‘Romance is beyond my station. All I can do for Douglas is not give him false hope. Then why does my heart keep fluttering so recklessly?’
An awkward silence pricked the small chapel.
Douglas’s gaze, fixed on me, grew even deeper.
Unable to bear the tension, I grabbed the monocle.
“Thank you. I’ll gratefully accept this heirloom.”
“Don’t touch the heirloom carelessly!”
His warning came too late.
A pure white light poured forth from the monocle.
It was a light that felt strangely familiar and nostalgic.
“The righteous deceased has discovered Morasinthia’s Eye. A special privilege is granted. Will you accept it?”
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (92)
What? He’s manipulating her completely to find the other artifacts? And what is this, Casanova? Why are you doing this to my dear Elizabeth?
Hahaha, yes, yes, well done Elizabeth! This rude Casanova must be disciplined.
What is this now? Who is this? Why is Caris so in love with her? Has she bewitched him too?
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
What is this? Is there a system helping her? Douglas doesn’t seem kind to me; I think he’s hiding something.