I didn’t know how to react, so I gripped the chair armrest tightly with my back straight.
Detecting my confusion, Heath looked at me with faint scars in his eyes. However, his words and actions remained as affectionate as usual.
“I know that our engagement is not typical. I know I’ve advanced more than Reyna’s feelings. But, not wanting to regret for a lifetime, I really want to talk about it.”
When he opened the box, a dazzling diamond ring sparkled inside.
“This ring was a gift from the former king to the queen. Although the previous king and queen met through a strategic marriage, they were partners who relied on and trusted each other throughout their lives.”
Heath’s fingers, wrapping the ring box, were lightly trembling.
“It’s okay if you’re just a good partner. There may not be a closer relationship than that. I just felt I had to ask, even knowing it’s reckless, because I think I can become a better person with Reyna by my side.”
After taking a deep breath for a moment, Heath looked at me with a resolute gaze.
“Reyna, will you marry me?”
For a moment, I couldn’t react. But in the sincere gaze of Heath, I had to open my mouth. To reject.
Heath was truly a good person, but I couldn’t give him what he wanted.
“I’m sorry, Heath.”
As I struggled to speak, Heath, as if finding it unbearable to look at me any longer, averted his gaze and bit his lip.
“Reyna.”
Heath, calling me again, briefly inhaled and then put the ring down.
“If you want, we can start as we originally did. Regardless of married life and the duties as the Crown Prince’s wife, I’ll unconditionally respect Reyna’s wishes. As your contract partner.”
“Uh…?”
“Do you… want to leave the duchy… right?”
In Heath’s gaze that looked at me again, there was a certainty. Faced with the pointed question, I momentarily forgot how to breathe.
“What…”
“A secret account opened abroad, valuable items regularly cashed, diverse dispersal of funds in various countries’ currencies, gold, silver, and government bonds, all concentrated in places easily convertible to cash.”
There was no way to refute. Handling most affairs through Heath was a challenge as it was not easy to access the Krysia Kingdom’s accounts directly.
I bit my lip.
“It’s true that I once prepared to leave the duchy… for a while.”
I intended to say it’s not now, but suddenly, the image of the tearful Duchess crossed my mind.
“I don’t ask for much. I just want to live a simple and ordinary life like others. The usually lively Duchess seemed more fragile in that moment.”
For the person who cared for me more than anyone else, I should marry Kyrion for her sake, even if I had to.
The more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I felt. This discomfort might have been a passing phase, but as time went on, it seemed to intensify.
If I stay in the duchy, I will inevitably witness Kyrion and Esmeralda’s story unfolding as in the original work…
As if he had sensed my unease, Heath firmly grasped my hand.
“If that’s the case, then use me.”
Heath spoke without hesitation.
“If you want to leave the duchy… there’s no more certain way than marriage, right?”
Heath closed his eyes and smiled. It was an incredibly warm smile, but for some reason, my heart felt uneasy.
“I’ll help you as Reyna’s best partner. So that you can live freely.”
Heath’s grip on my hand tightened.
“So, will you marry me?”
Even for Heath’s sake, I had to reject. No matter how much we were in a contractual relationship, rejecting him was the right thing to do, given the difference in our hearts.
But I couldn’t help but hesitate for a long time. Selfish as it was, there was no path to independence as certain as Heath’s.
“Heath…”
I took a slight breath. Unconsciously, I nodded my head.
“Really… thank you.”
But still.
“Please give me some time to think.”
Kyrion watched from around the corner in the corridor as Heath approached Reyna. His expression seemed quite cunning, indicating that he was planning something.
Just as he was about to follow the two who were leaving together, someone blocked his way.
“Lord Kyrion, could you spare a moment?”
Esmeralda stood with a tense face.
Kyrion, as if annoyed, swept his hair aside but stopped his steps.
“What is it?”
The questioning tone was endlessly cold. It was a more frigid attitude after the incident in the forest. Before, he seemed to respond fairly well, but now he openly showed a desire to avoid.
It seemed that Reyna Lady had put her in danger, and Kyrion was clearly annoyed.
Esmeralda clenched the edge of her skirt.
By this point, I had to admit it. Kyrion had no interest in her.
But for some reason, that made her cling even more. Kyrion’s gaze looking at Reyna shone with warmth, making her more thirsty.
What would it feel like if that gaze turned towards her? I imagined it inside, even though it was such a distant and hazy fantasy. But I couldn’t stop.
Even if they were just pretending as siblings, if someday they had to get married, wouldn’t there be a chance for him too?
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.]
