The Regressed Empress Tames the Hunting Dog (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
They immediately entered the castle and sat down in the parlor connected to her room, continuing their conversation.
“Her Majesty the Empress has replied that she will soon send the formal proposal. It should arrive officially very soon.”
“I’m truly relieved that Her Majesty the Empress has taken the initiative.”
Bellia took a sip of her properly steeped tea as she spoke.
“To be honest, I thought it would be impossible. His Majesty would never accept terms unfavorable to the First Prince, and I wasn’t certain Her Majesty the Empress would personally intervene.”
Hearing this, Kalid asked with a look of puzzlement.
“What do you mean?”
The Empress was Kalid’s mother.
It was only natural for her to help him. Yet Bellia’s lack of certainty on that point seemed a little odd. Under Kalid’s suspicious gaze, Bellia flustered and offered an excuse.
“Oh… I just thought that since Her Majesty the Empress never leaves the Empress’s Palace, it might be a bit difficult for her to offer assistance…”
Before Bellia could even finish speaking, Kalid asked,
“Has that rumor spread to Ronica as well?”
“Huh?”
Confusion arose as information from the past and future mingled in her mind.
Instantly, Bellia’s expression darkened, clearly dismayed.
When Bellia had lived in the Empire, it had been an open secret that the Empress remained secluded in the Empress’s Palace. She had assumed the current Bellia would naturally know this too.
But now that she’d spoken, she remembered that Bellia hadn’t known the Empress’s situation before going to the Empire.
‘…That was a mistake.’
Bellia calmly set down her teacup and composed her expression. She needed to think of how to fix this.
At that moment, Kalid slowly took a sip of tea and opened his mouth.
“His Majesty is both greedy and fond of showing off. So even if he’s deeply infatuated with another woman, he wouldn’t allow word to spread to foreign nations that Her Majesty the Empress lives in complete seclusion like a dead person. That would be like spitting in his own face.”
His fingers slowly traced the rim of his teacup.
“But I won’t pry this time either, so you don’t need to rack your brain for an excuse.”
Bellia looked at Kalid, slightly flustered, and he continued calmly.
“Back to the matter at hand. Her Majesty the Empress must have secured the proposal by promising the Imperial Consort something in return. She surely gave up no small thing.”
“…Is that so?”
“In any case, all you need to remember is that the formal proposal will arrive soon.”
Bellia gave a small nod.
“Thank you for letting me know in advance.”
“Since we’ve agreed to cooperate, I’ll do my best.”
Kalid pulled his lips into a hearty smile.
“Do you have any plans for lunch tomorrow? Would you like to have a meal together?”
“I’m sorry. That’s when I have my riding lesson…”
Bellia scratched her cheek, looking awkward.
She felt embarrassed to refuse after he’d kindly made the suggestion.
“I’ve only just started learning, so I wouldn’t want to quit right away. But I’m free in the evening.”
It was best to practice whenever she had even a little spare time. Bellia didn’t want to waste a single moment.
Kalid then asked with a blank expression,
“Will that knight be teaching you again tomorrow?”
“Sir Ben? Ah, yes. That’s right. I personally asked him.”
“You’re awfully close to your guard, aren’t you?”
His voice was thick with displeasure.
Even his crossed-arms posture seemed slightly off-kilter.
“Of course. He’s as precious to me as family.”
Bellia answered calmly, as if he’d asked something obvious.
Kalid recalled how Bellia and Ben had spoken at the riding grounds, saying it was lucky they’d met. His mood dimmed slightly.
When Kalid pressed his lips together tightly, clearly dissatisfied, Bellia cautiously called out to him.
“Your Highness?”
“…Isn’t it time you started calling me by my name?”
His brow furrowed.
Bellia let out a sigh and parted her lips.
“Kalid.”
As always, saying his name made the syllables swirl in her mouth. But she didn’t want him to notice.
“Bellia.”
Again.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Then Kalid leaned closer to Bellia across the table.
“I’ve been thinking—if we want others to see our relationship as strong, we’ll need to spend more time together.”
Kalid said slowly, a smile forming on his lips.
“How about I teach you horseback riding?”
“Your Highness?”
Flustered by the unexpected question, Bellia instinctively used his title, and Kalid’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
But he soon spoke in a low, gentle voice.
“Besides, it seemed you wanted to learn swordsmanship.”
He must have overheard her conversation with Ben earlier.
“Even if regular swordsmanship is difficult, I can at least teach you how to handle a dagger.”
“Really?”
Bellia’s eyes lit up.
“Yes. So learn riding from me. It’ll be easier to teach you dagger techniques when no one else is around.”
She could learn both riding and dagger skills from him. A dagger could be carried discreetly and used in emergencies.
It was a perfect suggestion.
Bellia immediately accepted.
“I’ll find a suitable dagger for you, so for now, just bear with my riding lessons.”
“Thank you.”
Hearing Bellia’s gratitude, Kalid stood up, his manner crisp and efficient, as if he’d finished all his business.
“After your riding lesson, let’s have a meal together. As I said earlier, it’s better if we spend as much time together as possible.”
“Understood. I have no other plans, so let’s spend the whole day together tomorrow.”
Bellia also rose to see Kalid off and spoke as she stood. Kalid, satisfied, was about to leave the room when he suddenly stopped as if remembering something.
“Bellia. When you come tomorrow, it’s best to leave him behind.”
And with that, he swiftly left the room.
“…Huh?”
Could it be?
‘I must be imagining things.’
Bellia soon let out a hollow laugh and shook her head. Then she sank back onto the sofa.
Since it was afternoon, the sunset’s glow filled the room deeply. Bellia raised both hands to cover her eyes.
Kalid must bring me the proposal as soon as possible—even a day sooner would help.
“Huu…”
Things seemed to be going well, yet she felt as if she’d missed something.
Bellia calmly reviewed everything that had happened so far.
First, she’d successfully drawn the Second Prince to her side. She was maintaining a fairly good relationship with him. If he sent the proposal, she could choose him and cleanly reject Prince Raoul’s offer.
After that, she would become the Second Prince’s consort and devise a plan to make Kalid emperor.
Since she knew the future, using that knowledge to steal every success Raoul was destined for was entirely possible. The Emperor’s favoritism toward the First Prince was a slight concern, but the Emperor would die soon anyway.
‘Less than three years remain.’
She had to shift the balance of power within that time.
Realizing just how little time she actually had, Bellia lowered her hands from her eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling. She couldn’t afford to hesitate. She had to keep moving forward.
She had nothing compared to her opponent. Therefore, she needed to sharpen herself even more keenly than before and strike his throat in one decisive moment. She couldn’t afford to indulge in emotional games like this.
Bellia slowly rose from her seat.
She didn’t know what he expected from her.
‘…He was serious.’
The words Kalid had jokingly spoken at the party clearly echoed in her mind.
But she quickly shook her head.
“…What a pointless thought.”
He couldn’t possibly be serious.
“Bellia.”
Why, at this moment, did Kalid’s voice calling her name echo in her mind?
His piercing blue eyes that she couldn’t look away from, his elegant face leaning in as if to kiss her, the gentle breeze and cool air of that day—
It all felt vividly present, as if she were still standing right there.
“Enough.”
Bellia slapped her own cheek hard enough to make a sound, then pressed both hands firmly against it.
Her cheeks burned hotly.
“I need to get a grip. What am I even thinking?”
For some reason, she felt guilty.
She’d sworn revenge—so why did living so peacefully now keep leaving a hollow ache in her heart? The despair she’d once felt was still deeply etched into her chest like an open wound.
Bellia’s eyes hardened once more, growing dark and resolute.
[This is the timeline separator]After riding with Kalid in the morning, having lunch together, and taking walks in the afternoon, this routine had become familiar. To others, it now seemed a natural sight.
Today, as usual, Bellia had changed clothes after her riding lesson and was having lunch with Kalid.
“It was delicious.”
After finishing her meal, Bellia wiped her mouth and spoke in a tone devoid of emotion.
Kalid, leaning on the table with his chin propped up and sitting slightly askew, watched her with clear disapproval.
“Are you really not going to tell me what’s wrong?”
“There really is nothing wrong.”
Despite his obvious concern, her reply remained cold.
Kalid’s brow furrowed again.
“You haven’t smiled at all lately, and you’ve been cold toward me. Yet you say nothing’s wrong?”
“That’s excessive meddling.”
At those words, his face hardened.
“…What exactly are you so afraid of?”
His sudden, blunt question made Bellia’s hand freeze mid-air.
He was perceptive too.
Her heart lurched, realizing he’d seen through her.
…She really needed to keep her distance from him.
They’d grown too close—that’s why he could read her inner thoughts.
Bellia finally let out a bitter smile and spoke with a faint sigh.
“Kalid, I’ll go back to learning riding from Sir Ben. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to teach me.”
At her abrupt statement, Kalid let out a hollow laugh and asked,
“Why the sudden change of heart?”
“I’ve heard many people say we look like a loving couple. Our goal has been achieved, so there’s no need for me to keep learning from you.”
He hadn’t yet begun teaching her dagger techniques.
The existing daggers were too heavy for her, so they’d decided to craft a new one suited to her weight.
But that dagger wasn’t finished yet, so she couldn’t start dagger training immediately.
Since the original purpose of riding together had already been fulfilled, there was no reason to keep spending time together like this. Being together without purpose was something only real lovers did—and they weren’t real lovers.
Kalid knew that well too. Thus, her words made perfect sense to him.
‘Right. We’re merely allies bound by a contract. And yet…’
Kalid clenched his teeth.
He should just accept it, yet he kept wanting to hold onto her.
“I thought we’d grown quite close.”
Kalid’s voice dropped slightly.
Bellia noticed his hurt feelings but deliberately pretended not to.
The moment she realized she’d grown lax, Bellia resolved not to let herself become emotionally close to him again.
After all, their relationship was bound by contract—there was no need to become overly intimate.
“…You’re stating the obvious. We have many things to do together, so it would be troublesome if we didn’t get along.”
Bellia gave a faint smile.
“So bring me the proposal as quickly as possible, Kalid.”
After urging him once more, Bellia stood up, offered a light bow, and left the dining room.
Kalid watched her retreating figure with an unreadable expression, his gaze fixed on her for a very long time, unable to look away.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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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