Luben Castle.
Kashar was sitting in his office, scanning through the documents.
The reward he had received for leading the war to victory was not merely a title.
A substantial prize money and a part of the enemy territory within the Reichart Empire had fallen into his hands.
In the capital was his castle, and at the edge of the empire existed the territory shares of the old Vladis.
Kashar had mocked the vast sum and vacant land, operating businesses to scrape up gold.
Not because he was interested in business, but because the more he swelled his size, the more it helped to scratch the Empress’s temperament.
Kashar’s pen movement momentarily stopped.
His gaze was fixed on the record about a woman named ‘Aileen Hallen.’
‘Daughter of the Hallen Viscount. Advanced to maid at the young age of 12 in the palace. She’s powerhungry, huh.’
He had looked over the content several times already.
The Hallen Viscount’s family was an insignificant one, without even possessing a fief.
Aileen had entered the palace desiring power but found herself in a pitiful situation, stuck serving a commoner concubine.
Furthermore, after the concubine’s death, she was left in the cold palace with the princes.
“She seems to care for the princes, considering her high ambition.”
Young royalty without heirs were of no use.
Mikhail’s investigation also included the twin princes.
‘It is said she’s aiming for the upkeep cost of the royal family coming out of the palace.’
However, the princes were sincerely following Aileen.
Before he knew it, Kashar was thinking of her.
‘Darling, huh.’
Aileen’s brazen attitude, boldly acting out while showing clear signs of fear, was vivid in his memory.
He had never seen such a peculiar woman before.
Her strangeness was not limited to that.
Aileen’s cooking itself was a cure for the madness.
‘She maintains sanity without eating the Alrubi fruit.’
At first, he thought she might be a mere antidote to the Alrubi fruit’s poison.
But the more he knew, the more special she was.
Aileen’s food transcended the role of an antidote; it was a medicine that controlled the madness itself.
His mind remained clear even without taking the fruit.
His paralyzed sense of taste and smell remained, but he could definitely taste her cooking.
‘The senses may gradually recover. Maybe even cure the madness itself.’
Madness was a curse, and there was no cure for a curse.
But Aileen was different. He had a feeling that she could break his shackle.
He already had more than enough reason to possess her.
What was strange was that Aileen’s cooking was bringing back his past memories.
‘…Why does that memory come to mind?’
When he thought of his homeland, he recalled the food his mother used to make during his childhood.
Empress Bibiana was rumored to be a madwoman during her lifetime, and it was true.
‘She claimed to be someone else and made unidentifiable food.’
It had started right after Kashar’s birth.
Bibiana wrote in an unknown language, and would intrude the royal kitchen to make unidentified food, complaining that it did not suit her taste.
Moreover, the most problematic thing was,
‘I didn’t give birth to a child!’
Bibiana pushed away Kashar, whom she had adored so much.
Since his mother had hated him terribly, Kashar had few memories with her after she went mad.
But one day, she came to find him with food.
It was Kashar’s third birthday.
‘Try eating this.’
Something like seaweed was floating, and it looked like soup but was green.
Those serving Kashar thought Bibiana was poisoning her son.
Despite the objections all around, Kashar put the food his mother made into his mouth.
The taste of the soup on his tongue was strange. But there was no poison.
Kashar emptied the bowl in front of her.
Kashar watched Bibiana stroke the child’s head as he ate.
There were no words of congratulations for the birthday.
Just.
“I’m sorry.”
With those words, Bibiana never sought Kashar again.
Afterwards, Bibiana’s symptoms gradually worsened, and coupled with Kashar’s madness, she was demoted from Empress and became secluded.
The food that maid prepared brought up old memories.
Perhaps his recalling the past was due to an attraction born of necessity.
“So you must become mine.”
If it’s something useful, it should be kept within reach at all times.
Whether it’s material or a living being.
“How will it turn out?”
He had given time to deliberate, but in reality, it was just a grace period; the decision had already been made in his favor.
However, there was a moment when he thought he would feel bad if she refused.
“Thinking about it is suspicious, but could it be the Empress’s scheme?”
Mikhail cautiously opened his mouth.
The investigation was prepared by his own hands.
There was no connection between Aileen, the wet nurse, and the Empress, but the fact that she was a woman who could affect Kashar’s illness was highly suspicious.
“Shall I tell you something interesting? That woman doesn’t even know what she’s doing.”
“What do you mean…”
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
