Leonarda begged, yet he never showed up, not even when that poor woman was about to jump from the tower.

Now, when Helene is about to lose her undue privileges, he takes these heavy steps.

“Such a grand display of unrequited love.”

But when have I ever been patient?

Sarcasm slipped out before Enrique could speak further.

“One should speak clearly. The Saint has been overstepping her bounds. I tolerated it because I loved Your Majesty.”

“…….”

“But now, I must claim my rightful place. If you dislike it, the easiest solution is to dismiss me from this position and bring in another victim. Or, seat Helene as Empress. Do as you wish.”

“…Empress.”

“I no longer love you, Your Majesty.”

Ah, yes.

This is what I wanted to say.

I’ve wanted to say this for so long.

I no longer love you.

I no longer…!

Of course, Enrique showed no change in expression. He neither regretted nor questioned why.

He had no such concern.

Still, I felt somewhat relieved, having said what I wanted, looking straight into his eyes.

“So. Even when I’m stating directly, you refuse to assign any task to Helene?”

“Yes.”

“I hadn’t realized the Empress could be so dismissive of the Saint.”

“You should be aware of that too, from now on.”

“Not backing down, are you?”

“Perhaps Your Majesty could demonstrate the magnanimity of conceding first?”

Having crossed the line, I decided to be sarcastic till the end.

The Imperial Guards had already turned as pale as unripe tomatoes, but I had no reason to worry about getting scolded by the Emperor later.

“Tell the Saint to attend to her own duties.”

After shooting back, I turned abruptly, ignoring Enrique’s persistent gaze.

Having said my piece, the mere act of sharing the same space and air became intolerably repugnant.

Left alone in that space.

“The Empress has…”
After a long silence, Enrique slowly parted his lips.

“Was she always such a person?”

It was a question, but there was no one to answer.

The Imperial Guards were all former paladins who had been with Enrique for many years.

In the past five years, their only glimpses of Empress Leonarda were at a few major ceremonies, including the wedding and the New Year’s celebrations.

And Leonarda’s impression was always vague.

Beautifully adorned, yet like a flower that had lost its vitality, wilted.

“It can’t be.”

Murmuring quietly, Enrique stroked his lips with a rigid expression, a habit that emerged when he was particularly perplexed.

Rooted to the spot, unable to move, Enrique pondered for a long time.

‘Why do I see her image… overlapped with the Empress’s?’

Has it been five years already?

Since he took her life with his own hands.

Since then, Enrique had lost his joy.

He gained unshakeable reason and a cold heart, yet he couldn’t find happiness in anything.

But just now, he felt a long-forgotten emotion stirring within him.

Joy, excitement, pleasure – emotions deeply buried in his heart awkwardly surfaced.

And so, Enrique felt a sense of regret watching the Empress leave.

He wanted to talk more. Perhaps then he would remember what he had forgotten.

It was odd – he wasn’t displeased by the Empress’s confrontational approach.

Just… today’s Empress seemed like a different person.

“Let’s go back.”

He’d have to schedule a time and visit as she said.

Enrique pondered whether he had any free time in his schedule, only to realize with a tinge of disappointment that he had no openings until the banquet.

He wanted to know why the Empress had changed.

For the first time since their marriage, Enrique felt a genuine interest in Leonarda.

When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem

This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Synopsis:

“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”

Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.

Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.

While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the  Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…

Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.

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