The Deposed Empress and Her New Husband (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 11
When Renev came to, she was inside an unfamiliar cave.
It must have been Ikar who found this place to escape the cold, as night had fallen and the temperature had dropped considerably.
Crackle. Crackle.
The sound of burning branches was the only thing filling the quiet cave.
Renev, curled up beside him with her knees drawn to her chest, opened her mouth.
“Um… Sir Drhan?”
“What is it?”
Ikar, who had been tossing dry twigs into the fire, glanced over his shoulder.
“…Did you see it?”
Her lips barely moved, whispering so faintly it was almost inaudible, yet Ikar caught it and shot back a question.
“What?”
Renev buried her face into her knees.
“My… body.”
“Well, of course I saw it.”
“No! Why would you look at that!”
Renev jerked her head up, eyes wide open. Ikar, resting his chin on one knee, tilted the corner of his mouth upward.
“If you didn’t want me to see, you shouldn’t have collapsed completely naked.”
Renev quietly hid her face again in her knees. He wasn’t wrong—and besides, she’d also seen Ikar’s bare body, so she couldn’t really complain.
“Anyway… thank you for saving me.”
“This would be the third time.”
Renev lifted her gaze slightly, her chin still resting on her knees.
“The third time?”
“The number of times you’ve owed me your life.”
“Counting the encounter with the beasts just now, isn’t it only twice?”
Then why three?
“Think carefully. This is the third time.”
Renev pondered deeply about when that other time might have been.
Then she remembered what happened at the marquis’s estate.
She’d nearly delivered a crippling kick to Lucius, who had forcefully pressed his lips against hers.
It had been a terrifyingly close call—she nearly castrated royalty—so perhaps, in a way, she truly did owe Ikar her life.
Naturally, Renev’s head nodded in agreement.
“But Sir Drhan, you must be incredibly patient. The hot spring water was quite scalding—were you really alright?”
She’d soaked in the spring for at least thirty minutes, leaving her whole body flushed and warm, which also meant she wasn’t feeling particularly cold now.
“It felt just right to me. Are you usually cold-natured?”
“Well… compared to you, yes.”
Renev stared blankly at the dancing flames, recalling Ikar’s large, warm hands.
Ikar, likewise gazing into the fire with his dark lashes lowered, murmured,
“Then you must get very cold at night.”
“Yes.”
When Renev gave a small nod, Ikar asked,
“Is this your first time traveling to Vaschker?”
“Yes.”
“It’ll be much hotter than Paradium. What else do you know about Vaschker?”
“As far as I know, Vaschker had little interaction with neighboring countries before His Imperial Majesty ascended the throne.”
“…”
“Because of that, there’s a rumor they’re a rough and barbaric people, but in truth, their culture and arts are well-developed, as are commerce and agriculture.”
A flicker of interest appeared in Ikar’s crimson eyes at Renev’s words.
“How curious. As you said, Vaschker only recently began exchanging with Paradium.”
His unspoken question was clear—how did she know such details?
“…It seems you’ve momentarily forgotten that my father is the Marquis of the Western Marches.”
Renev spoke with deliberate haughtiness. Flaunting a bit of arrogance always made her seem sharper-minded.
“That’s right. Marquis Seiren possesses remarkable ability. His leadership has been exceptional enough to safeguard the Western Marches for many years.”
Unexpectedly, Ikar readily agreed.
“And the young marquis is also a promising talent…”
Ikar suddenly fell silent right there.
The slightly playful atmosphere vanished instantly, replaced by the cold, composed expression of a sovereign.
For a moment, goosebumps prickled all over Renev’s skin.
For the first time since deciding to volunteer for this journey abroad, she regretted her choice.
She recalled Ikar swiftly and single-handedly defeating the horde of beasts that had charged from all directions.
Even the Ikar before her now exuded immense presence—but the man he would become in a few years would be the very embodiment of a cool, flawless ruler.
After all, he would go on to unify every neighboring nation, starting from a minor kingdom and culminating in a mighty empire.
In the end, he would even arrive alone at the last remaining Paradium imperial palace,
as if deliberately showcasing his overflowing confidence and arrogant nature.
As Renev swallowed hard, Ikar turned his gaze from the flames and fixed his eyes on her.
“What’s wrong? You look as tense as a rabbit about to be devoured.”
He was astonishingly perceptive.
Was this the innate aura of someone born to rule?
“There’s no such thing as a rabbit this big in the world.”
Renev suppressed her tension and retorted calmly, as if his statement were absurd.
Yet she couldn’t stop the slight tremor in her fingertips.
“There is.”
“Huh?”
“They’re called giant rabbits—mostly found in the northern mountainous regions of Vaschker.”
The corners of Ikar’s eyes curved slightly as he said this.
“That’s going too far with your jokes.”
Shrugging as if to say, “Believe it or not,” Ikar added,
“You’d better get some rest, even if just a little.”
Ever since leaving the hot spring, her eyelids had felt heavy with drowsiness—though Ikar’s sudden sharp reaction had briefly startled her awake.
“Alright.”
Renev nodded and lay down on her side.
The broad layer of leaves Ikar had spread on the ground offered slight protection against the chill rising from the floor, but it wasn’t enough.
Shivering from the cold, Renev scooted closer to the fire.
“You must be cold.”
Ikar’s low, resonant voice from across the fire pierced through her eardrums.
His voice already had a cavernous quality, but hearing it inside the cave made her ears oddly itchy.
Renev subtly scratched her ear and replied,
“A little. Aren’t you cold, Sir Drhan?”
“My constitution naturally runs very hot.”
“Then I envy your constitution, especially at times like this.”
Renev looked up at Ikar, and the corner of his mouth tilted upward.
“If you need warmth, I could share some with you.”
Not immediately grasping his meaning, Renev just blinked. Ikar rose to his feet and settled down behind her.
“W-why are you lying here?”
Flustered, Renev blinked rapidly. Ikar gave a mischievous smile.
“You’re not expecting me to do anything else for you, are you?”
At that moment, Renev’s eyes caught a glimpse of Ikar’s firm pectorals through the slightly parted opening of his shirt.
Immediately, the image of his naked body from the hot spring flashed through her mind.
She gulped down the dry swallow rising in her throat and hurriedly tried to banish the image.
“What do you mean, ‘expecting’? Expecting what? You’re such a strange person.”
“You saw it.”
“What… what did I see?”
“You know very well you peeked at my body in the hot spring earlier.”
Renev squeezed her eyes shut and apologized politely.
“I’m so sorry. It was an unforgivable offense. If I may offer an excuse now… it wasn’t intentional. Please accept my sincere apologies once more.”
A soft chuckle sounded above her head, followed by the rustle of movement as if he were adjusting his posture.
Renev stiffened completely, curling her body tightly.
Then something hard pressed against her back. Her eyes flew open.
As Renev’s lips parted slightly,
“Sorry, but I have no intention of fulfilling any expectations you might have, my lady.”
His voice vibrated through their touching backs. Heat radiating from Ikar’s broad back seeped into hers.
“Good night.”
Relieved, Renev closed her eyes again. Soon after, another vibration traveled through their contact.
“Sleep well.”
And so ended a long and weary day.
The next morning, Renev stirred in her sleep, instinctively seeking warmth.
She must have fallen into a deep slumber without even realizing it, utterly exhausted.
But her vision seemed… off.
She blinked several times, thinking she might still be half-asleep, yet nothing changed.
The hollow of a collarbone tempting enough to trace with water.
Through the loosened gap of his shirt, flawlessly firm pectorals peeked out.
And that wasn’t all.
Her own body felt unusually heavy—and strangely constricted.
‘What… is going on right now?’
Why was she nestled in Ikar’s arms?
Careful not to wake him, Renev slowly lifted her gaze.
A thick yet long, straight neckline, and a jawline both sharp and strikingly masculine.
Past his full, red lips and straight nose bridge, her eyes traveled upward.
And met his narrowed crimson eyes.
“Awake… already?”
Ikar spoke slowly.
“A while ago. You must have been very tired—you slept soundly.”
Renev placed her hand on his chest to create distance between their bodies.
But then—
“Ugh.”
Ikar winced, closing one eye.
Her fingertips felt something beyond just firm muscle.
Huh?
“That’s quite an intense morning greeting. Don’t you think so, my lady?”
Renev gently withdrew her hand from his chest and lowered her eyes.
“G-good morning.”
Once again, his solid chest muscles caught her eye through the gap in his shirt.
Saliva pooled involuntarily in her mouth.
As if mocking her, Ikar spoke in a husky voice,
“Your gaze seems rather… suggestive. Or is that just my imagination?”
“Of course. It must be your imagination, Sir Drhan.”
Renev nodded quickly and sat up, tormented by self-loathing at having turned into a pervert who gropes others first thing in the morning.
“So it seems even a noble lady like you finds roughing it too much. You kept shivering all night.”
“So you held me while sleeping?”
Renev asked, eyes wide in surprise. The corner of Ikar’s mouth tilted upward.
“You kept clinging to my back. I merely wrapped my arms around you to keep you still—don’t get any strange ideas.”
There was no way to verify whether Ikar’s words were true.
She remembered absolutely nothing from the moment she closed her eyes.
As Renev silently pursed her dry lips, Ikar uttered something cryptic.
“They’ve arrived.”
Footsteps followed shortly after—crunch, crunch.
Arrived? Who?
“Wait here a moment.”
Renev watched Ikar’s broad back disappear from the cave, then buried her face in her palms.
‘Clinging to his back? Me?’
After a period of rigid self-reflection, Renev quickly got to her feet.
What’s done is done…
Mental fortitude was absolutely necessary to avoid dying of shame.
To clear her head, Renev washed her face with icy cold water.
Just as she reached to dry her hands on her dress sleeve, Ikar’s voice came from behind.
“There you are. I wondered where you’d gone.”
Standing beside him was a slender, handsome man with slightly dark blond hair and green eyes.
‘Drhan.’
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (81)
Just as I was getting annoyed about the faking, they added the hair dying , I will allow it
Poor Drhan… Ikar log did not have to be such a jerk
I ask looking the fact that they are addressing the little things that are usually ignored
Inline Comments (1)
It felt familiar yet warm—somehow.
How an already 30 chapters in without anything significant happening?!
YOUR COMMENT
2. Inline comments are now available. Tap the end of any line in a chapter to share your thoughts instantly.
Log in to comment.
VKotaku28
What happened to the intense revenge drama ? Not liking this !