The Empress' Beast Selection (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
It was a miracle.
A marriage proposal stamped with the imperial seal of the Beast Emperor.
With this, even the Empress of Hyuron couldn’t ignore it.
‘He didn’t forget me.’
She felt as if she were walking on clouds.
After numerous negotiations between the imperial court and the Beast Empire, Sophia was finally able to depart for an unknown land.
Even as she boarded the carriage bound for the Beast Empire, she worried.
‘What if he dislikes me?’
The Beast Empire was the land of beasts.
They were, after all, entirely different creatures by nature.
Yet, though anxious, she wasn’t afraid.
Anywhere on the continent would surely be better than her homeland or that distant desert land.
Thus, when she arrived in the Beast Empire with her heart heavy with unease, Sophia couldn’t help but be astonished.
What awaited her was an overwhelming welcome.
‘The Star of Ishtar.’
A special place ordained by the goddess.
The beastfolk called Sophia not by her given name, but by the destiny the goddess had bestowed upon her.
Only later did Sophia finally realize—
Demios hadn’t summoned her because of memories from the past.
The man she met again seemed like a different person entirely, and appeared to remember little of their time together.
But that was fine.
After all, it was no different from him having found her again.
Even if the reason was merely the goddess’s calling.
And so, Sophia became Empress of the beastfolk.
Though the lessons disguised as abuse had been harsh, they greatly helped her fulfill her duties as Empress.
Yet, merely handling official duties wasn’t enough to satisfy her.
‘I must prove my worth as Empress.’
Whenever memories from the past surfaced, Sophia became fixated on her imperial responsibilities.
She didn’t want to be seen as unnecessary, nor as a foreigner relying solely on the goddess’s blessing.
Therefore, she had to become a flawless Empress.
That first resolution ended up binding Sophia tightly.
‘…I thought that would be enough.’
As she pushed herself to the bone, Sophia thought—
If only she proved useful, then it wouldn’t matter that he couldn’t recall their past memories or that their marriage felt distant.
But it wasn’t that simple.
This secluded lake was a place she and Demios had occasionally visited.
They’d stolen moments from their busy schedules to stroll here together as if on a date.
‘We probably won’t come here together anymore.’
No—before that, she even doubted whether he’d remember this place at all.
After all, the imperial capital was filled with spots far more beautiful than this lake.
If he wandered around with his consort, he’d surely forget such a hidden corner in no time.
Sophia recalled what Demios had once told her by this lake.
‘You don’t have to push yourself so hard. Anyone blind to the Empress’s efforts is nothing but a sightless beast.’
The man who had comforted her like that was gone now.
She could ignore the whispers and pointing fingers of others.
But he, who had witnessed her efforts right beside her, shouldn’t have said such things.
‘Perhaps… he truly meant it.’
After all, until a woman bearing his name appeared, she had been his only wife.
Suddenly, a thought struck her.
‘Were we ever truly husband and wife to begin with?’
No—going even further back, had they even been lovers?
Now, all that remained between her and Demios was their roles as Emperor and Empress. Nothing more.
Her eyes reddened once again.
Once the tears started flowing, they surged up uncontrollably, as if determined to torment her.
Instead of crying, Sophia gazed out at the lake.
Seeing the clear water made her wish to wash everything away.
‘Should I dip my feet in?’
Would that make her feel a little better?
It was autumn, but daytime wasn’t too cold.
An urge to do something uncharacteristic overtook her.
Before she knew it, she was walking toward the water’s edge.
Just as Sophia was about to remove her shoes on the browned grass—
“Stop right there!”
A frantic voice called out.
At the same moment, an arm reached from behind and pulled her waist backward.
A firm body pressed against her back.
The warmth of another person.
Startled, she turned around.
“…Lord Roxan?”
At the sound of his name on her lips, his composed eyebrows twitched.
Roxan’s face was even paler than Sophia’s.
“Under no circumstances should you ever consider taking your own life.”
…What was he talking about?
She wanted to ask.
But his expression was so grave that she hesitated without meaning to.
In the meantime, Roxan stepped in front of her.
“You’re having trouble with your husband. And it’s very serious, I presume.”
His tone was so certain that Sophia fell silent.
However he’d deduced it, his words were true.
Her golden eyes, usually sharp, had cooled into a trembling, unsettled haze.
And beneath that deep gaze lay such desperate yearning—
She couldn’t bear to meet his eyes.
Sophia lowered her gaze, yet Roxan’s stare persisted, scrutinizing her intently.
“…Is your husband abusing you?”
“What did you say?”
Sophia echoed his words, lowering her head along with him.
“Oh.”
The wound on her hand.
A red line, vivid as thread, marked where she’d accidentally scratched herself with a sharp pen tip not long ago.
The maids had fussed over it, insisting on applying ointment, but Sophia had refused.
Wounds of the heart couldn’t be undone.
But it felt strange that a mere accidental mark could fade so quickly.
“It’s nothing.”
Flustered, she even forgot what he’d asked.
She tried to pull her injured hand back, but Roxan was faster.
“Please tell me the truth.”
He held her hand as he spoke.
His gaze was relentless.
She couldn’t look away.
Though it was just a scratch, the one staring at it looked far more pained than she did.
“It’s not like that. This… this was just an accident.”
She tried to sound nonchalant.
Yet her voice trembled slightly.
As she looked down at the wound again, she remembered Demios turning his gaze toward Titié right in front of her.
Silence stretched between them.
He seemed to realize he’d pushed her too hard and tried to soften his expression.
But the anger in his eyes remained too vivid to make much difference.
“Even if it isn’t violence, there’s clearly a problem.”
This, at least, she couldn’t deny.
In fact, she could barely speak at all—standing here, at this very lake where Demios had once comforted her.
Was it the place’s fault? Or was she simply unable to hold back even her sorrow anymore?
She felt utterly confused.
Then Roxan gently enclosed her hand in his.
“I’ll help you with anything. So please, don’t entertain any dark thoughts.”
He was clearly misunderstanding the situation.
A very grave misunderstanding, at that.
She knew this, yet his eyes held such sincerity that tears threatened to spill over.
Sophia barely held them back, clearing her throat before speaking.
Recalling Roxan’s first words to her.
“…You’re mistaken, my lord. I wasn’t trying to drown myself in the lake—I only meant to dip my feet in for a moment.”
“In this autumn?”
It was a simple question, yet spoken with excessive seriousness.
The tension between them eased slightly.
He’d actually thought she was about to jump in.
Though she felt sorry for alarming him so, the whole situation now seemed oddly comical.
“Surprisingly, yes.”
Her voice, now softened with a hint of amusement, made his eyes widen slightly.
Just moments ago she’d wanted to cry; now laughter threatened to bubble up.
Sophia knew her reaction seemed strange.
She’d noticed her emotions swinging wildly, but she felt much better than before.
“But…”
Seeing Sophia smile, Roxan’s expression lightened a little—though he still seemed unable to fully let go of his suspicion.
“It’s true. This lake is actually so shallow it only reaches below my neck. If I truly wanted to die, I’d have chosen somewhere else.”
Demios had told her this fact, too.
A bitter taste rose in her mouth, but thankfully, she didn’t feel like crying again.
Only then did Roxan finally look properly at the lake and sigh.
“Ha…”
The water was so clear the bottom was visible, and tiny fish near the surface played with a floating leaf.
He rubbed his face with his free hand.
His left hand still held Sophia’s.
Her gaze followed his.
Her previously cold hand had warmed, as if his heat had transferred to her.
His large hand was scarred—
Yet straight and warm.
As Sophia quietly looked down at their joined hands, his index finger twitched.
Slowly, Roxan’s hand withdrew.
“…If that’s truly the case, then I’ve committed a grave discourtesy. Please forgive me.”
She was a little surprised, but not offended.
Sophia nodded gently to show she was fine.
Only then did Roxan seem to relax, exhaling a deep breath.
Seeing the cold sweat on his brow, Sophia felt a pang of guilt.
‘He was really frightened.’
He’d truly believed she was about to take her own life.
A strange feeling washed over her.
At the same time, she remembered this was a private place only members of the imperial family could enter.
‘Then how did he get in here?’
Though no one specifically guarded the entrance, the lake lay behind the Empress’s quarters, so outsiders wouldn’t even know of its existence.
Had he gotten lost again?
Now much calmer, Sophia met his gaze steadily.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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.]
Most Commented This Week
The Villain Has Gone Mad For Me (Completed Main Story)
I’m The Lowest-Ranking Daughter Of A Martial Arts Villain (2 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Became the Assassin Family’s Foster Daughter (Completed Main Story)
Men of the Harem (137 Chapters Left to Complete)
The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story)
At the End of Ruin, There You Are (56 Chapters Left to Complete)
She’s a Villainess but her Husband is Handsome (Completed Main Story)
People Aren’t Meant to Be Fixed! (4 Chapters Left to Complete)
My Discarded Fiancé Returned (Completed Main Story)
Summer Must Die (16 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Received The First Time Of My Extraordinary Superior (9 Chapters Left to Complete)
Regret With All Your Might (Completed Main Story)