“Would you honor me by allowing me to escort the most beautiful woman in this party hall today?”
The carriage stopped, and Duke Pieren extended his hand to me.
As always, he was smiling at me, and I was doing the same to him.
“Of course.”
I accepted Duke Pieren’s escort and got off the carriage.
Those who were already here were already immersed in the heat of the party, the area around the ballroom was already noisy.
‘This year seems especially flamboyant, no. It’s only natural.’
I slightly wrinkled my nose.
The New Year’s Festival, marking the end of one year and the beginning of another, was one of the largest celebrations in the empire, but this year its significance was more special.
Today’s party was the first after the crown prince, who seized power after the death of the previous emperor, ascended to the throne.
It was a kind of signal announcing the beginning of a new royal family.
‘Besides……’
I looked at the curtain that had not yet opened and turned my head at the approach of someone.
“Duke and Duchess Creighton seem to be getting along well as always.”
“Oh, Count Naret.”
“Formalities between us feel too stiff. And, if I’m going to receive a greeting, I’d rather hear it from a beauty than a rigid man. How have you been, Duchess Creighton?”
Count Naret made a bow with his hand on his chest towards me.
He was one of Duke Pieren’s closest friends.
“I’ve been well as always.”
“It seems like Duchess Creighton is getting more beautiful by the day. At times like this, I really envy Pieren.”
“You have a knack for flattery as always.”
“I always speak only the truth.”
Count Naret exaggerated his gestures to lighten the atmosphere, and familiar faces began to gather around him.
Even on a special day, nothing much changed.
People naturally gathered with those they usually spent time with, and as long as you kept up the conversation with smiles and appropriate responses, that was enough.
The only difference may have been the attention directed towards me.
Despite my attempts to hide, I covered my face with a fan in the face of the relentless gazes.
I didn’t want to come knowing this would happen, but there was no choice.
With his return being a foregone conclusion, stories of the past naturally surfaced.
Awkwardly hiding or showing a needless reaction would only serve as fodder for the gossipy nobles.
Maintaining an unaffected demeanor until the interest faded was the best course of action.
Just as everyone else did.
I followed the bashful smile of a woman next to Count Naret.
She was here as his fiancée, but everyone present knew that title wouldn’t last long.
It was needless to say how many women had stood in her position, smiling.
After all, love between men and women was such a thing.
Easily ignited, and just as easily extinguished.
I tightened my grip, and at that moment, the music began to play.
Lost in the resonating music, I gazed blankly at the opening curtains.
All eyes naturally gravitated towards the young emperor standing there. And next to him…
My heart pounded.
Despite that, I forced a smile and leaned on Duke Pieren.
The emperor enthusiastically delivered his speech, but I honestly couldn’t hear it properly.
Even from a distance, I recognized him at a glance.
Prince Calix Pieren.
My former fiancé, the man I once passionately loved. And…
Suddenly recalling a memory, I shut my eyes tightly before reopening them.
It was an old story.
Not a particularly good one to fondly reminisce and talk about.
I leaned more heavily into Duke Pieren.
The churning in my stomach was inexplicable, but the one certainty was that I would be smiling until the end of the party.
[This is the time separator]“How does it feel? Seeing your former lover again.”
“……”
“You always wanted to see her.”
The youthful Emperor of the Empire, Lugen, tilted his glass with an elegant smile.
The reunion of Duke Pieren and the wife of Duke Craiton was as interesting to him.
Once, they were the couple of the century.
They may hush in front, but everyone knew what happened to the lovers of the century, and that they had an unwanted separation.
If that hadn’t happened, the promising heir to a dukedom wouldn’t have been dragged to the hinterlands like a beast, nor would the belle of the social world, who everyone praised, be hastily sold to a halfnoble with nothing special about him.
Tragic love stories were always good to gossip about.
To put it bluntly, there were more people curious about when the two would screw up rather than feeling sorry for their unfulfilled love.
“Was it not as good as you thought when you saw her after a long time? They often say that. It was beautiful to leave your first love as a memory. They regret it when they actually see it.”
“……”
“Or was she still beautiful? Well, such a beauty is rare, so it must be hard to forget.”
“……”
“Hey, Calix. Say something, anything. That way I can figure out my course of action.”
Lugen’s eyes narrowed.
Despite having watched him for a long time, Calix was a difficult subject to read.
Especially when it came to his old lover.
Lugen, unable to hide his regret, stroked his chin.
“I hear many people are starting new relationships these days.”
“……”
“If you want, I can help.”
“……”
“I can do anything for my loyal servant who has been working hard for me all this time.”
Lugen spread his arms wide as if to show off, but there was no response.
Calix kept sipping his wine without even looking in Lugen’s direction.
Accustomed to life in the hinterlands, he now felt like wine was water.
Even after several drinks, he didn’t feel drunk.
While casually sipping his wine, Lugen watched Calix and soon broke into a small smile.
Fortunately, he had one story that might interest the taciturn duke.
“What about this? It’s about a woman.”
“……”
“Save your indifferent expression for later. When you hear my story now, you certainly won’t regret it.”
“……”
“Really? Don’t you trust me?”
Upon his fleeting gaze, Lugen smiled teasingly.
He couldn’t tell what exactly Calix felt for Liviana.
Calix loved Liviana, but Liviana betrayed Calix.
For Calix, Liviana was his first love and enemy.
Even if he took revenge now, Lugen had no particular plans to stop him.
The important thing wasn’t Liviana’s safety.
They just needed a common enemy for the future alliance to strengthen.
“Well, whether you trust me or not, it doesn’t matter. Anyway, I talk, and your heavy mouth won’t open. Of course, I think this story might change your mind.”
“……”
“There’s a woman?”
Calix put down his glass as if there was no more to hear.
It meant he was about to leave.
But this time, Lugen didn’t hold Calix back as usual.
Instead, he drank the rest of his glass with a satisfied smile.
The young emperor knew his next words would be more effective than any shackles at holding the indifferent man’s ankles.
“Bake, that guy had a woman.”
“……”
“Even before he became Duke Craiton. And, she’s the woman he’s been seeing till now.”
Lugen leisurely shook the empty glass.
Calix’s face, distorted beyond the glass, looked warped.
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.]
