The Beast Swallowed by the Flower (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
A faint light from the ceiling illuminated the dark interior of the building.
Lisi lifted her head to see what the source of the light was.
“Is it a magic stone enchanted with a permanent spell?”
“Yes.”
“It must have cost an enormous amount.”
It was an era when magic was fading away.
Hiring a mage was as difficult as plucking stars from the sky, and the prices of magical items had skyrocketed.
“Of course, the Holy Nation provided support. This building was also constructed back when magic stones weren’t nearly as expensive as they are now.”
Inside the building was a vast, open space with no separate rooms. At its center stood several golden display stands, gleaming brightly.
As they walked toward them, Kai moved ahead to disable the traps, in case any had been set along the path.
Soon, Lisi reached the golden display stands and could see the four items resting atop them.
A drinking cup. A sword. A staff. A robe.
At first glance, they appeared utterly ordinary—indeed, old and useless-looking.
“Don’t touch them under any circumstances, Lisi.”
Even without Kai’s warning, Lisi had no intention of touching them.
Relics could kill an ordinary person if handled carelessly—or worse, plunge them into a fate where death would be preferable. Records even existed of disasters occurring merely from a relic’s proximity.
“There are many records about relics. In the old days, there were even professional treasure hunters who called them ‘treasures’ and sought them out. Some commoners even possessed relics.”
The Holy Nation, having judged relics too dangerous, began gathering and managing them. But during a war that broke out one day, countless relics were destroyed or lost.
The four relics Kai now possessed were the very ones the Holy Nation had painstakingly preserved through that chaos.
“Each relic has its own power. It’s said that long ago, there were people capable of using that power…”
“Is there absolutely no one now?”
“No one. Even if someone existed, the danger is so great that most wouldn’t dare attempt it.”
“Would touching it kill you instantly?”
“Death would be the better outcome… Sometimes, your soul gets trapped inside your body.”
“Trapped inside your body?”
“Your mind stays perfectly clear, but you can’t move even a single muscle—not even your eyes. In short, your body becomes your prison.”
Lisi imagined such a scenario: her mind intact, yet unable to move even her eyes.
“How horrifying.”
“Of course, not all relics are that dangerous—some are safe to handle—but we can never be too sure.”
Kai explained the four relics to her.
The golden cup that endlessly poured out grain.
The sword of death, which, when plunged into the heart, perfectly healed those injured or ill beyond recovery.
The Wiles Staff, which compelled beasts to obey commands.
The Jerious Robe, which rendered the wearer invisible.
Kai, who had been explaining in a soft, pleasant voice, suddenly stopped and turned toward the back.
Lisi also turned, but saw no one.
“The guest we’ve been waiting for has arrived, Lisi.”
“Huh?”
“Viscount Alford Fuchs.”
“Oh… How did you…?”
Kai tapped his ear lightly.
“Wolves have exceptional hearing.”
Kai took Lisi’s hand.
“Shall we go together? We can also show him our affectionate side.”
“No.”
Lisi smiled quietly.
“Go alone, Kai. I wonder if you can take the gold mine from Viscount Fuchs without my help.”
+++
Alford stood in the hallway outside the reception room instead of entering it, loudly regaling the butler and passing maids with tales of how passionately he and Iris had once been in love.
The maids, who hadn’t heard much about Iris before, listened with fascination, exclaiming, “Oh my! Oh my!”
Among them was Gillette.
“It was by that lake—where we shared our first kiss… I can still vividly remember Iris’s trembling, pale eyelashes. Right then, I resolved: I would marry Iris! And Iris told me she felt the same way!”
No one interrupted Alford’s boasting. A noblewoman’s hidden past was simply entertaining gossip for the maids.
Jamie, whom Alford assumed was just an ordinary butler, also stood nearby, attentively listening to Alford’s tale.
Though Jamie wore a faint smile, his sharp eyes carefully scanned the faces of the maids present.
“Eep… Hey, let’s go quickly!”
At the sight of Kai approaching from down the hallway, the maids scattered in every direction.
Only Jamie remained beside Alford.
Alford stood proudly, waiting for Kai to come closer.
“Rather than waiting inside…”
Kai, having finally reached Alford, muttered as he entered the reception room first.
Though Kai’s words seemed unusually curt, Alford followed him inside for now.
As soon as Alford sat on the sofa, he got straight to the point.
“I came to speak about Iris…”
“Convince Lavent to sell me the gold mine, Viscount Fuchs.”
Alford frowned as his sentence was cut off.
He also disliked that Kai, who looked far younger, was speaking to him informally.
Though Kai held a higher title, etiquette among nobles nowadays dictated using honorifics when addressing someone older.
“Excuse me, Count Green. I…”
“I’ll pay you a good price.”
“Just let me finish…”
“I…”
Kai crossed his legs elegantly.
“I’m not interested in talking about anything other than the gold mine.”
“Iris is mine!”
Kai’s statement and Alford’s outburst came at the same time.
Alford huffed indignantly after shouting, but Kai remained perfectly composed, not even twitching an eyebrow.
“I could even offer you ten percent above market value for the mine, Viscount.”
“My lord! I’m talking about Iris—poor Iris, whom you stole from me!”
“It seems that way. But what can I say? The gold mine interests me more.”
“I never even intended to bring up the gold mine in the first place!”
“All I’ve been thinking about is the gold mine.”
Alford stared, wondering if Kai was joking, but Kai’s face showed no hint of amusement.
He simply repeated, with languid expression, that he only cared about the gold mine.
Realizing this conversation would go nowhere, Alford finally said,
“I won’t sell Lavent’s gold mine. Not even if you offered ten million gold.”
“I heard you were planning to give it to Duke Wittelo.”
“That’s…!”
He couldn’t finish his sentence—“in exchange for buying Iris”—aloud.
“After all, he’ll soon be my father-in-law…”
“Hmph.”
“In any case, let’s drop the gold mine and talk about Iris. You may not know this, Count Green, but Iris and I have been promised to each other since long ago. We met three years ago…”
Alford repeated the same story he’d just told the maids.
This time, Kai listened without interrupting.
He’d originally devised multiple plans to acquire Lavent’s gold mine from Alford. He’d even investigated various corruptions within Alford’s Fuchs Trading Company and intended to use them to pressure Alford if needed.
But the moment he overheard Alford spouting nonsense about Iris on his way to the reception room, he changed his plan.
Alford deserved something harsher—something to ensure he’d never dare speak of Iris with that mouth again.
“Now you understand, Count Green? Iris can only be truly happy—with me.”
“She smiled just fine in front of me too.”
“That’s only because she’s frightened of you forcing yourself on her. Iris is timid and delicate, after all.”
Timid? Iris?
This man truly knew nothing about Lisi.
“No matter how high your rank, you can’t just take a woman by force. If people learned the Guardian of Relics used his honor in such a way, they’d scorn you. The Holy Nation might even strip you of your title!”
Seeing Kai remain silent, Alford grew bolder and began subtly threatening him.
Kai slowly stood up.
“There’s something I want to show you, Viscount. Follow me.”
“Let’s settle the matter of Iris first…”
“Follow me, Viscount.”
As Kai left the reception room, Alford had no choice but to follow.
Walking down the hallway, Kai gave Jamie a meaningful glance. Jamie nodded and disappeared from sight.
Alford, preoccupied with catching up to Kai, didn’t notice their exchange.
Though Kai appeared to walk leisurely, Alford couldn’t close the distance even when nearly running after him.
They walked for quite a while.
‘Has this mansion always been this large?’
They climbed and descended stairs, turned right and left down corridors.
From the outside, it hadn’t looked nearly this expansive—it felt more like navigating a vast labyrinth.
Finally, they arrived at a room secured by a thick iron door.
Kai opened the seemingly heavy door with ease and stepped inside.
After hesitating, Alford cautiously entered the room.
Clang!
The door slammed shut with a heavy thud, making Alford jump.
Kai fixed Alford with an inscrutable gaze.
“W-what is this place?”
It was too dark to see clearly.
Kai pressed a button on the wall, flooding the room with light and revealing its contents.
“Gah!”
Alford gasped sharply.
“It’s called the torture chamber. One of my favorite places.”
Kai spoke calmly as he walked toward a horrifying-looking chair fitted with strange devices.
“You place this over the head and secure this around the neck. Press this button, and it tightens around the head; press this one, and the collar slowly rises upward.”
Listening to Kai explain with apparent delight, Alford shuddered at the mental image.
“Given your short neck, Viscount, it might be nice to stretch it a bit with this collar.”
“W-what kind of joke is that… Hahaha.”
“I’m not joking.”
Alford decided he must have misheard Kai’s quiet mutter.
“This statue here is famous. It looks ordinary, but inside are sharp needles…”
“This round cylinder imprisons a person. Light a fire beneath it after sealing them inside…”
“This tool extracts teeth…”
“And this one removes fingernails…”
Kai meticulously described every device and instrument in the room.
Alford couldn’t take it anymore and cried out,
“What possible reason could you have for showing me this? Are you trying to threaten me?”
“Oh!”
Kai, who’d been fiddling with a sharp instrument, widened his eyes.
“Good. You’re not so stupid as to miss that.”
Kai stepped briskly forward.
He didn’t do anything—just stared silently at Alford.
Yet, inexplicably, Alford was overcome by indescribable terror and wet himself.
Kai gazed intently at the trembling Alford and whispered,
“I simply didn’t want to spend a long time talking in an enclosed space with a man who reeks of oil.”
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.]
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