The Empress' Scandalous Paramour (5 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 8
Helene puffed out her cheeks. Her adorable expression made the nearby servants secretly clutch their chests and turn away. The patrolling guards were no different.
“Surely His Majesty is a bit lenient with you, Your Holiness?”
“She must be awfully cute for that to happen.”
The royal guards who had followed them poked each other’s sides, whispering loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Enjoying their reactions, Helene blinked her eyes even more cutely.
“Besides, Her Majesty the Empress is unwell, isn’t she? She must be exhausted. Wouldn’t receiving such a message be bothersome for her?”
“Helene.”
Enrique called her name sternly. That meant: enough.
Having expected this, Helene let out a dramatic sigh and nodded sulkily.
“Yes, yes, I’ll behave. Nini always listens well.”
As she said this, Helene subtly glanced upward.
She wanted the Empress to witness this affectionate exchange.
‘Ah, she’s not here.’
What a shame.
Helene never missed an opportunity to feel superior to the Empress.
Whether she admitted it or not, this stemmed from an inferiority complex about her origins.
Helene.
She was of the ‘Quid,’ a minority group regarded as untouchables.
In truth, ‘Quid’ originally referred to the segregated district where they were confined and forbidden to leave; over time, the name stuck, and they were called Quid everywhere.
Slaves at least had masters who provided food and shelter in exchange for labor.
But the Quid could find no work anywhere, were forbidden from even speaking to imperial citizens, and could not step outside the quarantine zone.
All they could do was barely survive on relief supplies distributed by the temple once every three months.
“Long ago, we were the true masters of this land,”
Young Helene had grown up listening to stories from the tribal elder.
During that time, her younger sibling starved to death first, followed by her parents, who succumbed to illness. Then, neighbors seized their hut and belongings, driving Helene out into the fields.
Even their humble shack was denied to her, making young Helene the filthiest and lowest among the Quid. Such bitterness festered inside her—and from it, venomous fangs grew.
Her life changed one stormy day when divine power manifested within her.
Before the eyes of the temple clerics delivering relief supplies, Helene rose, enveloped in sacred light. Holy marks appeared on her forehead, both hands, and feet, while brilliant clouds of five colors unfurled across the sky.
From that moment, Helene was honored as the Saintess.
It was the beginning of her awakening to power.
When she turned thirteen, she began living together with the Fourth Imperial Prince in the temple.
Officially, it was under the grand pretext that “to become a holy knight, one must dwell in the temple from childhood to purify body and soul.” In reality, it was the Empress Consort’s effort to remove her son from the deadly imperial succession struggles within the palace.
Thanks to that effort, Helene grew close to Enrique.
The vast, cold temple; the clerics who saw them merely as useful pieces in the temple’s favor—
In such a setting, it was inevitable for a boy and girl of the same age and similar circumstances to grow close.
At least, that’s what Helene believed.
That belief grew stronger over time, and by adulthood had transformed into this conviction:
Enrique was forever hers.
In Helene’s world, this was an immutable truth—so it didn’t matter whether he married or slept with other women.
In the end, he would always return to her.
And indeed, that had always been the case, so each time Helene felt a quiet sense of superiority over his women.
“He’s grown a bit colder since becoming Emperor, but… well, Enrique is still Enrique.”
Standing in the soft, creamy winter sunlight, Helene cast a sidelong glance at the dignified man.
Enrique’s platinum hair—unchanged since childhood—still made her heart swell every time she saw it. His neat, refined appearance and his calm demeanor, as steady as an undisturbed lake, pleased her deeply.
He wasn’t particularly tender, but he usually gave in when she asked for something, and Helene was content with that.
Though he rarely smiled, he occasionally did when with her, and whenever she suggested a walk, he would reluctantly rise and join her.
Even the Empress needed to schedule an appointment in advance for a private audience with him—but Helene needed no such arrangement.
She wielded power equal to the Empress, yet was not bound by palace rules, belonging instead to the temple.
Helene was quite satisfied with her position.
“By the way, Your Majesty—have they caught that intruder? The one who dared sneak into your bedroom?”
Helene asked sweetly, linking her arm through Enrique’s, and he did not pull away.
Though winter hadn’t fully passed, it already felt like spring.
[This is the timeline separator]“Why are you here?”
At the same moment.
Having walked deep into the pocket dimension, I was startled to find a boy collapsed on the ground, barely breathing.
It wasn’t because he looked no older than fifteen and lay grievously wounded, nor because the floor was soaked in blood.
I recognized the boy instantly.
“Why is the Sun’s Son here?”
It was a famous tale: the Sun God, exiled to the mortal realm, fell deeply in love with a mortal woman and passed down his solar power and dominion to their descendants.
But as a price for that immense strength, the bloodline of the Sun God could wield only half its innate power when outside the desert.
Those born of sand, destined to return to sand.
Naturally, they rarely left the desert.
I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I’d misjudged—but no matter how I looked, the fallen boy radiated searing heat.
As if his very body were a miniature sun.
‘…Wow. His yang energy is… incredible.’
Enrique’s yang energy was formidable, but this boy’s surpassed it by far.
My skin prickled as if the whole space had transformed into a desert, and every breath scorched my throat.
The Sun’s power here was so intense it had instantly evaporated the tears Enrique had made me shed.
Gulping, I carefully examined the boy’s condition.
Black hair drenched in sweat, gleaming copper skin, eyes sharp like a scorpion’s tail, and lips tinged red with arrogance.
He was breathtakingly handsome.
His death here would be nothing short of a loss to humanity.
‘But his injuries are too severe—the internal organs are completely ruined. If this weren’t a place where time stood still, he’d be dead already.’
Though not a physician, my long life had given me deep knowledge of wounds.
I glanced at the bandages, water bowl, and needles scattered near him.
He’d tried to treat himself but must have lost consciousness in the end.
Time might not pass here, but that didn’t lessen his pain.
“You’d be terribly wasted if you died now.”
He was still so young. If he survived this crisis and matured into a full-grown man, the thought alone sent shivers down my spine.
Besides, the bloodline of the Sun God harmonized well with demons.
Excess of anything becomes a sickness; thus, since ancient times, demonic yin energy had been the perfect antidote to their overwhelming yang.
“I’ll heal you. In return, I’ll take some of your energy. Shall we make a deal?”
Surprisingly, the boy had been fluttering his eyelids since I arrived—he was forcing himself awake, sensing my presence.
Without waiting for an answer, I removed my fur-lined coat, rolled up my flowing sleeves, and dragged him onto the soft garment.
Honestly, he was so heavy I nearly died myself—but luckily, the moment I touched him, a surge of vitality far stronger than what I expended flooded into me, making it possible.
“…Get… out.”
“I mean you no harm, so don’t worry.”
“Go… away. I won’t… serve you… like some night attendant.”
“Oh my, such bold words from a brat like you. I’ve no interest in greenhorns—where’s the flavor in something so unripe?”
Chuckling, I brushed back the sweat-soaked hair from the boy’s forehead.
My hands were icy—from poor circulation—even in this dead of winter.
Exactly what he needed right now.
“This is a deal. I’ll press a brief kiss to your forehead. Think of it as a goodnight kiss.”
“Don’t… touch—”
The moment my fingers barely grazed his brow, his wrist snapped up and seized mine. His uncontrollable yang energy surged into me like a waterfall, seeping into my very soul.
I could almost hear the sound of my dwindling lifespan being steadily replenished—and it lifted my spirits immensely.
“I’ll heal you first. Isn’t that a good bargain for you?”
“I don’t need it—ugh!”
Ignoring his protest, I pressed firmly on the wound in his chest, drawing a reflexive groan. Feverish eyes locked onto me, blazing with golden radiance.
It shimmered hypnotically in his pupils—
Like summer sunlight dancing joyfully—and I found myself gazing into those eyes for a long while.
“If left like this, you’ll die. You’ll rot here like overripe fruit. If that’s what you want, I’ll stop healing you now.”
At my words, restless currents of water energy stirred anxiously around us.
Sensing it too, the boy frowned.
“I won’t ask why you’re here. I won’t interrogate you. You’ve already given me plenty of what I need.”
(Though truthfully, I could guess well enough without asking.)
How many reasons could there be for an underage boy of the Sun God’s bloodline to leave the desert and infiltrate a foreign imperial palace?
“What…?”
“The Emperor of your country has a nasty temper. This nation seems the same.”
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[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…