The Empress' Scandalous Paramour (5 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 7
A moment felt as if it were eternity.
In an instant, he slowly lifted his head and cast his gaze toward me.
Our eyes met for less than half a second—yet the chilling, spine-tingling coldness I sensed from that fleeting glance froze me solid.
He was unmistakably the man I knew.
My husband—weak, tender, and affectionate.
The frail man who had even shed tears at the very moment he betrayed me.
‘But how could Enrique wear such an expression…? No, more importantly—Enrique is the Emperor?’
How could such a coincidence even exist!
Countless atrocities of the Emperor described in the real Leonarda’s diary unfolded vividly in my mind.
It was routine for him to return late at night merely to share the bed, then leave without a word; it was trivial compared to his ignoring the Empress entirely during the entire three-hour banquet without addressing her once.
About three months ago, the Emperor had visited a coastal military city together with the Holy Maiden. Back then, Leonarda had barely managed to reach the Imperial Palace, determined to catch even a glimpse of his face.
Though he must have heard she was waiting in the reception hall, the Emperor only arrived four hours later—and when he finally did, he passed her by with a scornful glare as she collapsed from exhaustion after waiting so long.
Ordinarily, humans—at least unlike demons—would help someone up when they fell.
And by his side, the diary noted, the Holy Maiden was always present.
With her characteristic apologetic look, eyebrows slightly drooping.
I couldn’t quite picture it before—but the moment I saw Helene, I understood.
Ah, that was precisely the expression she’d worn as she looked upon me while I lay dying.
Eyes wide and innocent, radiating a faint trace of regret—as if to say, ‘You truly are pitiful,’ a gaze that churned my insides.
I stared intently at Helene’s soft laughter until, without even realizing it, my fingers clenched tightly around the windowsill.
If only I still possessed magic—I could crush that wretch right now!
Crushing her to death wouldn’t be enough. I wanted to hurl her soul into a blazing inferno and condemn her to centuries of torment.
Crack.
My nails scraped harshly against the windowsill. My delicate fingertips burned instantly. It felt as though I could grasp the despair Leonarda must have felt.
Unlike her, fading and dying, his consort radiated vivid, vibrant life.
Though the stench of death was inescapable, Helene exuded the very scent of life.
‘The throne you gained through my death—does it feel good wearing the crown stained with my blood?’
As my gaze slid from Helene back to Enrique, a wave of icy chill washed over my entire body, as if I’d been doused in freezing water.
But the shock was only the beginning.
‘So this is what it feels like… for one’s blood to run cold.’
His holy power had grown so overwhelmingly strong that even from this distance, its pressure weighed heavily upon me. In my current state, I couldn’t possibly even approach him—it felt impossibly far.
Yet I could see the source of that power with my own eyes.
It wasn’t granted by a god. That power… that strength—
‘It’s mine! It belongs to me!’
Few humans knew this, but the purest forms of magic and holy power differed by no more than a sheet of paper.
Absorb magic, assimilate it fully into yourself, and it transforms into holy power. Naturally, the reverse was also true.
All one needed was to absorb the energy without being consumed by it—to harmonize it completely within…
“I’ll never forgive you.”
Not only did you kill me—you even stole the power I had gathered for myself?
My magic was my pride. It defined who I was. It meant more to me than even my own life.
‘I will never, ever forgive you.’
My whole body trembled violently. My chest burned hot. Before my eyes, everything turned crimson as if flooded by molten lava.
“Hah! P-please spare me! At home, I have three grandchildren—gentle as rabbits—that I must care for in my old age!”
Just then—
An elderly librarian, unfortunately holding a map, entered at the worst possible moment, immediately grasped the situation, and bowed deeply with a panicked jump.
Long after the two figures had vanished, I continued staring down the path in silence before asking quietly,
“Am I known for being cruel?”
“Huh? N-no, not at all.”
“Then why fear so much? Would I punish you merely because I witnessed something displeasing?”
With a bitter smile, I adjusted the collar of my fox-fur coat and began walking slowly. Keeping my steps steady, without a hint of staggering—that was the only dignity I had left.
“Please leave the map in my bedroom.”
“I shall do so.”
Thud.
The moment I stepped out and closed the library door behind me, I ignored Derek and walked swiftly away—aimlessly, without knowing where I was headed.
‘Enrique, so you only ever use the women who love you. If you truly loved Helene, you should have done everything possible to place her on the Empress’s throne. Do you feel no guilt toward me—or toward Leonarda?’
You don’t want to fight to elevate Helene to a noble position, yet you desire love with her?
Then what, exactly, were Leonarda and I—sacrificed for nothing?
‘Now I finally understand. This is why I was reincarnated into this body.’
Even with my mind feverish and hazy, I had long pondered—
Was it your own desire that killed me? Did your ambition for the throne outweigh your love for me?
Or did you never love me at all—and I was simply deceived? If we meet again, what should I ask first? Or perhaps… should I not ask at all, and just kill you?
But now, I was certain.
‘Whichever it is—you wanted that position, and it’s rightfully mine to take.’
And I must watch as you grovel pitifully at my feet, begging for my affection, my mercy.
“…Hah.”
How long had I walked before my breath grew ragged?
Panting, I let out a hollow laugh—then suddenly realized my cheeks were damp.
These weren’t tears of sorrow. They were tears of fury.
“Your Majesty, was something amiss inside?”
As I stopped and lowered my head, a knight with ashen eyes approached cautiously. He naturally drew a handkerchief from his pocket.
It seemed this had happened often before.
“I wish to walk alone for a while.”
“That’s impossible. It’s dangerous. Should you collapse…”
“It’s an order. Do not follow me.”
I needed just a brief moment—just a tiny moment—alone. My heart felt as if it were being ripped apart; I couldn’t bear it any longer.
Clenching my teeth, I issued the command. Derek hesitated, then clenched his fist and stood firmly in place. Leaving him behind, I wandered aimlessly—until I found myself in an empty corridor.
Judging by the worn tapestries and the dust-covered statues here and there, this must be some forgotten corner of the palace, unused for a long time.
It served neither as a guest area nor as a passage for servants—these halls and rooms had clearly been abandoned.
I blankly watched dust motes dance in the faint sunlight trickling through, then frowned.
The wall rippled.
I blinked, and a tear fell. Yet even after that, the wall continued to shimmer.
‘Ah… could this possibly be an entrance to a subspace?’
Ordinary people would never see it.
Not even mages or clerics.
Because the ancient script etched into this wall… belonged not to magic nor divine power—but to a third realm:
The language of spirits—mystic characters visible only to those who knew how to read them.
‘It’s indeed a Spirit King’s subspace. One of them must care deeply for their contractor.’
A Spirit King’s subspace—
A unique, secure barrier only a Spirit King could create; impervious to any external force, defying the laws of physics and the natural flow of time.
When their beloved contractor’s life was in grave danger, a Spirit King would intervene with their power and manifest such a space.
‘Can I enter?’
As I slowly traced the circular ancient script with my eyes, I began reciting it backward from a certain point. The characters instantly glowed brightly, revealing an entrance.
Without hesitation, I stepped inside—and wrinkled my nose at the familiar, metallic stench saturating the space.
It was the smell of blood.
[This is the timeline separator]Meanwhile, at that very moment.
Helene’s shoulders trembled with subtle superiority.
Helene had planted informants within the Empress’s palace from the very day Enrique married the Empress.
After all, the Empress wouldn’t last much longer—there was no real cause for worry—but Helene had placed them just in case.
Receiving daily reports on every move the Empress made—where she went, what she ate, how she acted—Helene today received an unusual note:
The Empress had gone to the Imperial Library.
Since this had never happened before, Helene hurriedly sought out Enrique and deliberately steered their stroll toward the library.
She needed to ascertain many things: whether some unknown matter had occurred between them, whether Enrique was showing the Empress any leniency, and so on.
‘Good. He’s still utterly indifferent.’
She spotted golden hair by the library window.
Enrique cast a glance toward the library—but only for the briefest instant. And even that glance was icy and cold, which immediately reassured Helene.
The stern and ruthless Emperor of the Nix Empire.
Of all people in the world, only she could slip into the cracks of his heart.
Freshly reaffirmed in her standing, Helene hummed a tune and savored her happiness.
“By the way, Your Majesty—regarding the welcoming banquet for the upcoming summit, I’ve already procured all necessary items and double-checked everything carefully.”
“As I’ve always said, consult the Empress’s palace first regarding the banquet’s main structure.”
“Tch. You’ll just let Nini do whatever she wants anyway—so why ask? I already contacted the Empress, and she didn’t even send a reply.”
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[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…