The Regressed Empress Tames the Hunting Dog (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 10
After touring the palace, Bellia entered her room together with Kalid.
Herald shot a fierce glare, silently insisting that this was absolutely unacceptable, but Bellia ignored her older brother’s gaze and ushered him inside.
Rumors? Who cared. What difference did it make if a few more were added to those already circulating?
“Quite a bold move you made back there?”
Kalid, whose tender lover’s demeanor from moments ago vanished the instant he stepped into the room, dropped heavily into an empty chair and asked.
Bellia, refusing to be outdone, sat facing him and gave a playful smile.
“I merely showed Your Highness what you expected.”
He’d known from the moment he first met her that she wasn’t an ordinary woman—but he never imagined she’d kiss him so openly right there in front of everyone welcoming him.
Indeed, she was no ordinary girl.
Feeling mischievous, Kalid interlaced his fingers on the table and smirked.
“More than that, I keep recalling something the princess said earlier.”
Bellia looked puzzled for a moment, then her eyes lit up with realization as she stared at Kalid with a curious expression.
“Oh my. I didn’t realize you were the type to be hurt by such words.”
“You’re misunderstanding. I didn’t bring it up because I was hurt—I wanted to show you properly.”
His tone was clearly teasing.
Rather than retort, Bellia chose to shift the conversation toward their actual plan.
“Let’s drop the jokes. We don’t have time for that.”
We don’t have time?
That sounded awfully familiar.
Wasn’t that something he himself often said as a habit?
“…Hmm.”
Kalid shrugged his shoulders, thinking, How dull.
“First, I’ll tell you the location of the gold mine. Now that I think about it, I haven’t given you anything yet.”
“…It seems you’re mistaken about something.”
At those words, Bellia tilted her head slightly in confusion.
“I didn’t accept your proposal just to hear the location of a gold mine, Princess.”
All the women he’d seen until now were only desperate to leap into Raoul’s bed.
Yet here was a woman who’d received his proposal—and chose none other than himself to reject it.
That fact alone intrigued Kalid enough to accept her offer. Besides, there was much to gain from it anyway.
“Tell me more about Raoul. Why did you decide to refuse his proposal?”
After all, Raoul was the First Imperial Prince of the empire.
Moreover, he was the son the Emperor cherished deeply.
Naturally, most people assumed Raoul would become the next Emperor.
Though Raoul was the son of the Imperial Consort, he monopolized all attention by riding on her overwhelming favor from the Emperor.
In contrast, Kalid, as the Empress’s son, held the strongest legitimacy—but lost everything to Raoul simply because he lacked the Emperor’s affection.
Yet Raoul still envied and endlessly distrusted Kalid for possessing stronger legitimacy than himself.
“Must there be a reason to dislike someone?”
“You must understand what it means to marry the First Imperial Prince of the Ingott Empire.”
“That’s precisely why I’m going this far—to create a valid reason to reject his proposal.”
“This far?”
“I proposed to Your Highness myself, didn’t I?”
Bellia rose from her seat and approached Kalid, who remained seated in his chair.
Then, with an extremely slow, deliberate motion, she placed her hand on his shoulder—a distinctly alluring gesture.
“If you’re truly curious, shall we have a deep conversation tonight?”
“…Princess. I’ve thought this since last time—you really ought to watch your words and actions. Do I not seem frightening at all?”
“What’s there to fear? You’ve already agreed to be on my side. Isn’t that exactly why you’ve been spreading rumors everywhere?”
“Kgh.”
Just as expected.
This princess, who looked so innocently naive—as if she knew nothing of the harsh world—kept drawing Kalid’s interest.
Anyone who knew Kalid’s usual demeanor would surely be shocked to see Princess Bellia boldly matching him word for word without yielding an inch.
She didn’t even seem to value her own life—how could she be so fearless?
“And who ever heard of someone fearing their own lover?”
As she spoke, Bellia slid her hand down from Kalid’s shoulder and naturally wrapped her arms around him from behind.
She had to bend slightly at the waist to embrace the seated Kalid, but she didn’t mind at all.
“So now, please listen carefully to what I say.”
Bellia finished her sentence by planting a loud, deliberate kiss on Kalid’s cheek, then returned to her seat with a leisurely stride.
Kalid, watching her, covered one eye with his hand and laughed out loud.
Indeed, she was an entertaining woman.
“Hahaha. Don’t worry—I’ll keep my promise.”
He’d thought her sharp, but seeing her smile like that softened her features in a strangely charming way, leaving him slightly amazed.
But that wasn’t important. Bellia decided to return to the main topic.
“The first condition of our contract romance is this: I’ll reveal the location of the gold mine, and in return, Your Highness must ensure Prince Raoul’s proposal fails.”
Bellia unfolded a map she’d prepared beforehand and pointed to the mountain range extending eastward from the Ronica Kingdom—a region bordering the Ingott Empire.
That was also where the current survey team was stationed. Seeing Kalid’s questioning look, Bellia extended a slender finger and slowly traced southward along the range.
Near the southern desert, where the mountains nearly ended.
“Here.”
She showed no hesitation.
“Hmm?”
Just as Kalid was about to speak, Bellia moved her finger again. This wasn’t the end.
“And here.”
This time, she indicated a nearby river. The area was so sparsely populated that many didn’t even know a river existed where Bellia pointed.
“Didn’t you say it was a gold mine?”
“Yes. The first spot I indicated is the gold mine. If you survey underground in that vicinity, you’ll surely find gold ore.”
“Then what about the other spot?”
“That’s the river—a very valuable location where placer gold can be found.”
“Placer gold… Since it’s beside the mine, it’s not impossible.”
Kalid stroked his chin, staring intently at the map.
Bellia spoke with absolute certainty about the locations on the map. Could her words truly be accurate?
“It may be hard to believe, but I’m certain.”
Seeing his doubt, Bellia quickly added,
“Right now, Prince Raoul and the survey team are all searching this area—the eastern mountain range near the empire.”
That was where the magical device had signaled the presence of a mine.
But in truth, that wasn’t the real location.
“I noticed that among those who came with us this time, some were assigned to search for the gold mine.”
“Sharp eyes.”
Did he think she’d spent all that time beside Raoul for nothing?
Her knowledge, built from countless books, and her astonishingly accurate judgment—
At every critical moment, Bellia’s choices had saved Raoul from crisis. That was why he’d elevated her all the way to Empress.
Even though Raoul had Erzé, his truly beloved, Bellia was too useful for him to discard her immediately.
“Send them here and order a survey.”
Bellia’s voice was firm.
Kalid couldn’t fully trust her words, but he nodded vaguely, deciding to at least issue the order for investigation.
“Prince Raoul keeps pressuring me to accept his engagement. He seemed very anxious—and it’s gotten worse since Your Highness announced your visit to the royal palace.”
“No wonder. He probably thinks I’m taking what’s his.”
Bellia spoke without hiding her scorn.
“Did he even possess anything worth taking?”
Honestly, weren’t those things rightfully Prince Kalid’s to begin with?
Before, as Raoul’s lover, she’d naturally sided with him—but the Imperial Consort’s family was of humble status. Under normal circumstances, Raoul could never have become Crown Prince or Emperor.
Yet the Emperor loved the Imperial Consort deeply and held not an ounce of affection for the Empress.
That extreme disparity in emotion decided the fates of Princes Raoul and Kalid.
“You were the rightful heir from the start.”
Why did Raoul have to be born first? If not for that, Kalid could have crushed him with the legitimacy of his bloodline alone.
Human hearts were truly fickle—back when she’d given Raoul her whole heart, she’d thought that fact fortunate. Now, it only felt like an obstacle.
“I intend to help you reclaim what you’ve lost.”
“Princess Bellia.”
“That aligns with my ultimate goal as well. So you can be certain I won’t betray you.”
At her resolute words, Kalid closed his eyes and fell into thought for a moment.
Why did she harbor such intense hostility toward Raoul?
Kalid didn’t like Raoul either. Though they were brothers, he’d grown up constantly compared to him in every way.
When Kalid excelled, it was merely expected of a prince—but Raoul’s achievements were endlessly praised.
When they were very young, whenever the Emperor, Kalid, and Raoul were together, Kalid often felt as if he were the outsider.
‘I’m your son too.’
Yet the Emperor’s gaze and laughter were always directed solely at Raoul—as if Raoul were his only son.
He’d had to quietly follow behind, holding his breath, as he watched his half-brother walk hand in hand with the Emperor.
The Emperor always spent time with the Imperial Consort, and their laughter never ceased in the palace gardens.
And as she listened to that clear, bright sound, the Empress would stare at them blankly.
One day, amid those endlessly miserable days, the Empress grasped her son Kalid and said,
“My child. You must become Emperor.”
“Mother.”
“You must become Emperor. I am the Empress, and she is merely a lucky noblewoman. The imperial legitimacy belongs to you.”
“…Do you hate me, Mother?”
The Empress seized young Kalid’s shoulders with a firm grip.
Her eyes were filled with madness.
“I am the daughter of Duke Tessa, a distinguished statesman of the empire and leader of the western nobles—and I am the empire’s one and only Empress.”
“…It hurts, Mother.”
“I will never, ever yield that to her.”
Young Kalid called out desperately to his mother as he endured the pain, but the Empress was already lost in her own world.
“The throne is yours. Do you understand?”
She repeated the same words over and over, as if brainwashing him.
“Therefore, I won’t die. I must hold onto this position. If I die, she’ll become Empress—and then even your legitimacy will be stolen by Raoul. I will never allow that to happen.”
But Kalid didn’t want to be Emperor. He only wished for his parents to love him wholeheartedly. Yet that was the most impossible wish of all.
“My child, you must become Emperor.”
Young Kalid simply squeezed his eyes shut in his mother’s mad embrace.
“Your Highness Prince Kalid.”
Kalid, lost in deep thought, quietly opened his eyes at Bellia’s voice.
“I will stand by your side and help you ascend to the highest position.”
“…Is that your condition for making me the hunting hound that fulfills your goal?”
A hunting hound.
An unfitting term for a prince to use for himself.
Yet in this situation, no expression could be more apt.
Bellia’s eyes softened as she smiled at Kalid, who chuckled while brushing aside his thoughts.
“If you would do that for me, it would be the greatest honor. Hehe. If only you would…”
Then you’ll become Emperor, and I’ll have my revenge on him.
In that moment, her eyes sparkled brightly.
“No matter what happens, I’ll always remain by Your Highness’s side.”
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
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Why the chapter stop here i want mooooore😭
Poor clozé her sister will go on another country to mary she will be allone
I wante to see the face of the first crown when he knows