“Why did you come only today, not yesterday?”
“It’s not easy to appear in front of someone who tried to harm you, especially for an herbivorous beast.”
Sephia couldn’t help but scoff at that remark.
The malice she felt in the carriage yesterday was still vivid.
She responded to his accusing gaze.
“I did not push Lady Titié.”
Only later did she realize the reason Demios kept his breakfast appointment was for Titié’s sake.
A silence hung over the table.
As the soup cooled, Demios finally spoke with a deep sigh.
“Jealousy doesn’t suit us. Especially between us.”
Us…?
Sephia’s pupils wavered.
What was he referring to? Childhood memories, or their rigid relationship that never began? Or maybe the future unfolding relationship?
She closed and then opened her eyes.
“I don’t know what you’ve heard or why you came here, but I can tell you this much. I did not push Lady Titié.”
Her calm voice relayed only facts.
Demios roughly ran his fingers through his hair, looking tired.
“I’m not here just to accuse you.”
“Then what?”
“We used to have breakfast together once a week. Just reminding you of that.”
He added, as if to say Sephia was being overly sensitive.
“Anyway, Titié wasn’t hurt, so let’s leave it at that this time.”
It was a warning to be careful next time.
Demios then picked up his utensils.
The silver knife smoothly sliced through the rare steak, staining the white plate with red juices.
Being a carnivore, he preferred meat day and night, despite his human appearance.
Watching him continue his meal gracefully, Sephia had no intention of joining in.
“I’m not ‘letting it go.’ I’m saying I didn’t do it.”
Her smooth movements halted mid-air.
Demios set down his utensils, issuing a warning.
“Don’t escalate this further, Empress. If you keep insisting, I’ll have no choice but to pursue this matter.”
Insistence?
His words were astonishing.
Sephia questioned, her patience waning.
“Do you have any evidence that I pushed Lady Titié?”
Demios fell silent.
Of course, there was none.
Only Sephia and Titié had been in the carriage that day.
That’s how Titié could accuse Sephia of a nonexistent accident.
Sephia concluded amidst the tense silence.
“You were accusing me without evidence. You didn’t even pretend to listen to me.”
A bitter laugh escaped her.
Even if emotions had faded, they were still husband and wife.
Regardless of his name-bearing woman, to so blatantly believe one side and attack the other…
Her barely settled heart wavered again.
But years of noble etiquette training maintained her composure.
A painful silence ensued.
Demios’s brow furrowed amidst the standoff. The whole situation seemed tiresome and draining to him.
“You seem too agitated. And Titié has no reason to lie to me.”
“I have no reason to push her either.”
The real shock was on her side.
Far from being agitated, her mind was cooling down as time passed.
Their claims remained at an impasse.
If it’s not going to be acknowledged anyway, there’s no need to prolong the conversation.
Sephia chose to stand up from her seat.
“I should leave first. I hope you enjoy your breakfast.”
She briefly observed the formalities before turning away, never to look back.
Only the low sound of her heels echoed in the banquet hall.
Unbeknownst to her, the red eyes of Demios followed her retreating figure.
A week had passed since the breakfast.
During that time, she had no further encounters with Demios.
Only rumors about the Emperor and his Named circulated.
‘Better this way.’
Better not to meet than to be treated like a criminal for something she hadn’t done.
Since the carriage incident, Titié had been staying at the Imperial Palace, not just residing there.
There were sightings of the two around the palace.
It was impossible for Sephia to remain unaware of these rumors, especially since those who had opposed her becoming the Empress were now eagerly welcoming Titié.
They were even spreading rumors like, “The Emperor has found his true companion.”
This was as provocative as it was deliberate, yet Sephia wasn’t surprised.
She buried her face in the piles of documents.
Her time in the office had increased lately.
At least here, she could avoid the people’s scrutinizing eyes.
Preparations for the Victory Celebration were complete; she was now reviewing for any anomalies.
While perusing related documents, another paper caught her eye.
The guest list for the Victory Celebration.
Even though she had checked it several times, her hand reached out reflexively.
Sephia flipped through it, page by page.
Despite looking again, the name of the man she met wasn’t there.
‘Wasn’t he a returnee from the campaign?’
She wondered if her guess was wrong, yet that didn’t seem quite right either.
Sometimes, people had two names.
‘Or is he not attending the party?’
But this seemed unlikely.
Nobles, especially high-ranking ones, were expected to attend the Victory Celebration.
‘That man didn’t seem ordinary.’
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
_____
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