The Empress' Scandalous Paramour (5 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 2
I was the Sovereign of the Demon Realm. Thus, it was only right to be addressed as “Master” or “Sovereign.”
The title “Your Majesty” was reserved solely for my Eldest Sister, who ruled the highest layer of Hell.
Even if they mistook me for a human, they wouldn’t dare address me as if I belonged to their imperial bloodline.
‘Besides, they’ve been treating me strangely—as though I’ve been unconscious for an unnaturally long time.’
Hiding my mouth behind the edge of the porcelain bowl, I curled my body into a tight ball, yet never ceased trying to grasp the situation.
“Your Majesty, the Empress?”
“Oh heavens! Thank you, O Divine One!”
“Oh… thank goodness. Thank goodness…!”
Just then, a flurry of footsteps rushed in, and unfamiliar humans dressed as maids and servants crowded into the room.
Each of them teared up, seemingly overwhelmed with joy—but unfortunately, I had no desire to deal with a crowd of humans right now.
No. I was utterly sick of humans.
I had loved humans—and been betrayed by them.
Now, not even a speck of ash remained of my love for humanity in my heart.
“Was it you who saved and healed me?”
My words naturally slipped out in a tone of condescension.
I had been a being who ruled over thousands of demons within my own fortress, treating them all as inferiors. Commanding others had been second nature to me since birth.
Yet, strangely enough, when I spoke with authority, the humans’ eyes welled up with tears—not out of fear, but profound relief.
“Y-yes. Sir Noert, your royal guard, retrieved Your Majesty. But the shock must have been severe—you’ve remained unconscious for the entire fortnight… Ohhh…”
An elderly man wiped his eyes.
Judging by his attire, he must have been the estate’s chief steward.
‘If it were up to me, I’d slaughter every last human here.’
But if they had used some mysterious art to revive me, I couldn’t lay a finger on them.
According to demonic law, should one ever—however shamefully—receive aid from another, they were forbidden from harming their benefactor.
It was a “kind” law, ensuring one would never forget such a humiliating debt.
‘Ah, so that’s why my magic wouldn’t manifest just now.’
I struggled to cling to that belief.
Anxiety crept up my legs like crawling insects, but I pretended not to notice.
“Do I resemble your Empress? Is that why you saved me?”
“…Yes?”
But the moment I added another sentence, all the weeping humans abruptly stopped crying.
“I asked whether this body resembles your Empress. And ‘retrieved’ me? I never fell.”
I was stabbed to death.
I had no idea why or how these humans had healed me—and this uncertainty made me unbearably restless.
Whether from sheer frustration or the dull ache spreading through my entire body, my anger kept flaring.
“Your… Majesty. Could it be… your memories are not intact?”
At that moment,
the knight who had been chattering annoyingly close by since earlier finally spoke up, his voice trembling.
“My memories? My mind is perfectly sound.”
“But…”
The knight clamped his mouth shut, abruptly stood, and fetched a mirror from somewhere.
“Might you perhaps have forgotten yourself, Your Majesty?”
“What nonsense…!”
Instantly, I realized my voice had changed.
My once husky, deep, and commanding tone now sounded thin and fragile, as if it might vanish at any second.
Frowning in confusion, I looked down at my hands—and flinched.
These couldn’t possibly be mine. Where were my grand, magnificent, capable hands?
Instead, I saw smooth, unlined knuckles and wrists so frail they seemed unable to lift even a book. My fingers appeared so delicate they might snap under the slightest pressure.
Staring fixedly at these unrecognizable hands, a dreadful suspicion entered my mind—and I turned my gaze to the mirror.
‘What in damnation…’
The first thing I saw was golden hair, as if painted by sunlight itself.
The face reflected in the glass, though pale from prolonged illness, was undeniably beautiful—no one would dispute that.
Large, bright eyes; a straight, elegant nose; full lips flushed faintly red despite my weakened state, their corners curved with quiet allure. My eyes shimmered a ruby red, exquisitely striking.
Yet they were utterly hollow—lifeless—making me look less like a living woman and more like a jewel-eyed doll.
‘What has happened? Where have I gone… and who is this human woman?’
I frantically searched my soul for the magic core that should have been embedded within—but felt nothing. The overwhelming, uncontrollable demon power I once wielded had vanished completely, not a drop remaining.
“Ha!”
I laughed bitterly, then burst into helpless laughter. It was simply too absurd.
Yes. This was it.
The reality I’d been avoiding—what I’d sensed as strange since I awoke but refused to acknowledge.
‘My power, amassed over more than a thousand years… my magic… utterly gone. I’ve… become human.’
Even though I’d once longed to be human, this was utter despair.
This wasn’t how I’d wanted to become one.
And now, after being betrayed by Enrique—what good was being human anyway?
If this was fate, then it was cruel. A horrifying, tragic twist.
“Ugh… hhh…!”
I writhed, clutching my chest without realizing it. My breath caught, as if my chest were tightly bound.
“Your Majesty! Please, allow the physician to examine you.”
Rage surged up my throat—and I spat blood. Not the black blood that marked me as a demon, but the red blood of a human. At this, the knight stared at me with such desperate anguish it seemed he’d gladly die in my stead.
His inability to even touch me—merely pacing in anxious helplessness—reminded me painfully of my former self, filling me with bitterness.
‘I was a fool. So naive. I should have listened to my sisters long ago.’
I’d thought our love would be different.
But in the end, ours was just another clichéd tale of love and betrayal—commonplace among countless human stories.
My whole body trembled. Biting down hard on my lower lip until I tasted blood—ignoring the knight’s pleas—I ground my teeth. Only that pain kept my mind clear.
“Please… please, Your Highness. If you must punish someone, punish me instead. If my presence disgusts you, I’ll offer my handkerchief. But please, stop harming your own sacred body…”
At that moment, the knight crumpled the bedsheets in his fists and crawled closer on his knees.
As I closely studied his storm-gray eyes trembling with worry, I realized—he didn’t see me in them. He saw the rightful owner of this body.
In that instant, a memory flashed through my mind.
A crescent moon hanging above a high spire. A knight screaming in despair. Pale bare feet dancing lightly upon cold stone—then falling.
Ah. So that was it.
At the very moment this body’s soul departed, my own wandering spirit—drawn by some unknown force—had taken residence here.
Me. Reduced to this.
I’d lost my immense power. Lost my strong body. Lost love. Lost the one I loved.
Trapped.
“Ugh… hhh…”
Overwhelmed by this bitter truth, I let out a silent scream—and fainted once more.
Even my own body wouldn’t let me weep as I wished.
[This is the timeline separator]Consciousness returned again in the deep of night.
A night once so familiar and comforting to me.
But darkness felt different now—in this human body—no longer the gentle embrace I remembered.
“Your Majesty… are you awake?”
I sensed movement—and it was that same knight from before.
Staring blankly at his suddenly gaunt face, I slowly parted my lips.
“Sir… Noert?”
“…Yes, Your Majesty. Derek Noert. Your knight.”
“…I see.”
So this was truly my fate now.
Lying flat, I gazed vacantly at the ceiling.
I felt hollow. But then—who was I?
Since birth, I’d never once forgiven an enemy. I’d been the first to trample and mock my younger brothers when they dared assume I’d yield my position just because I was the youngest.
My sisters had often intervened, unable to bear it.
I’d merely lost myself for a brief moment, intoxicated by love.
“I’ll just take it all back.”
Murmuring softly, I forced strength into my arms, trying to sit up.
“Allow me—I’ll help you.”
Immediately, the knight moved to support my back. With practiced care, he arranged the cushions so I could lean comfortably.
He clearly cherished this body.
His devotion was so obvious, so earnest—it filled me with disgust.
Was love truly so cheap? Worth this much groveling?
“Your Majesty… how do you feel?”
After a while, the knight knelt carefully before me.
His extreme deference pleased me—but he was still just a human. And as it happened, the very moment I died, I’d resolved never again to trust humans—or grant them my affection.
“If you’re done, get out.”
At my hoarse command, the knight’s face twisted as if about to weep.
I opened my mouth to hurl even harsher words—but paused. For some reason, I felt as if I’d done something unforgivable.
“Am I not your most cherished piece of bedroom furniture?”
“…”
“Then why would you cast me aside?”
The mad knight let a tear fall with a soft plink.
He didn’t cry prettily—he cried pitifully.
‘Sigh. Why does everyone—this one, that one—insist on weeping before me?’
Once, when my lover wept, I’d rush to comfort him.
I’d fret endlessly until Enrique showed me that shy smile again, offering him everything I could.
Though all he ever truly wanted was a cream bun he rarely got to eat, or a sugar-dusted cookie.
Back then, I’d have shattered the world itself just to place it gently in his arms.
But now, I was utterly sick of tears.
“Stop crying. It’s giving me a headache.”
“My deepest apologies… I’m so sorry.”
“You foolish creature—you’re just like a winter bear.”
“If Your Majesty calls me a bear, then I am a bear.”
“…Sigh.”
This stubborn knight wouldn’t leave, no matter what I said.
“If you insist on being my servant, then I shall treat you as one—starting from my very toes.”
At that, the mad knight beamed with joy.
It was a look far too familiar—the face of someone utterly lost in love.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Leonarda really said “I’m done” and meant it 💀 queen finally clocked in and chose violence. Enrique only interested now?? too late bro.
Meriem down BAD already and bro hasn’t even met her again 😭 meanwhile Leonarda fighting the whole empire solo… yeah this banquet bout to be chaos fr.
She really said “fix yourselves or I will” 😭🔥 empress about to run bootcamp fr, Valkyrie redemption arc loading…