Before she could even answer, the door opened. Immediately, a young man with golden hair and blue eyes, who looked strikingly like the Empress, entered the room.
His gaze moved from the Empress, whose expression was stiff, to the back of Celia Brillion, who was sitting across from her.
As soon as he saw the long silver hair cascading down her back, Jeremy’s face twisted in disgust.
“Mother, why have you summoned a mere criminal? Looking at her only dirties one’s eyes.”
The Crown Prince of Abelon glared sharply at Celia. The Empress’s face, watching Jeremy, remained rigid and unyielding.
The Empress suddenly shouted at Jeremy, who was striding toward her.
“Jeremy! I will call you again shortly. Leave at once!”
She had always greeted him with a smile, no matter when he arrived. Her unusual reaction startled Jeremy momentarily.
“Is something the matter? Surely, this woman hasn’t dared to trouble you?”
“…It’s nothing like that.”
The Empress sensed instinctively that if Jeremy and Celia were to meet now, something terrible would happen. Celia hadn’t even drunk the poisoned tea yet, and she was, even to another woman, exceptionally beautiful.
Therefore, they must not meet. Not until the rumors surrounding this woman had faded, until she slowly rotted away in prison.
Unaware of his mother’s inner turmoil, Jeremy sneered and shifted his leg. His sleek, jaguar-like limbs moved smoothly.
“Your Highness, the Emperor has issued an exile decree…”
The Empress’s maids called out to Jeremy in trembling voices. But Jeremy ignored them completely.
Because he was the sole heir to the throne, and he acted without restraint.
“I cannot leave like this, not when Mother is acting so strangely.”
“!”
Jeremy had already approached Celia. He tapped the back of her head lightly with his index finger.
“Are you the criminal everyone’s talking about?”
“….”
Celia didn’t even glance at the hand touching her hair. Seemingly provoked by her silence, Jeremy pressed down harder on the back of her head.
“Answer me.”
He pressed so hard that the tea in Celia’s cup trembled and spilled, thoroughly soaking the collar of her dress. The Empress’s eyes darkened at the sight.
The first spill had been Celia’s mistake, but this second one—tea laced with poison—was clearly her son’s fault. Suppressing her fury, the Empress gently called out to her only child.
“Jeremy.”
At the sound of his mother’s voice, Jeremy turned to look at her.
“Mother, are you actually taking the side of this criminal right before me?”
“How could I! I just…”
She barely swallowed the rest—*I’m afraid you’ll fall for her*.
At that very moment, Jeremy forcibly lifted Celia’s chin, forcing her to look at him.
“Let’s see this cursed face everyone talks about…”
Jeremy trailed off as he saw Celia’s face. He stared at her, dazed.
Her skin was as clear and pale as snow. Her eyes, lifted between thick lashes, resembled a fresh green forest. Her smooth forehead led down to a straight, delicate nose, and her lips, red as if they had bitten into a rose, completed a perfect harmony.
“….”
Jeremy’s Adam’s apple twitched as he looked at Celia. He had never seen a woman so beautiful in his life.
Until now, he had thought any man who would spend his entire fortune just to see this woman was a fool. He had considered his late father, who had lavished the palace’s wealth and brought this woman into his bedchamber, a fool as well.
Now, he could finally understand his father’s feelings.
His dead father had left behind something truly good. A smirk tugged at Jeremy’s lips. Just as suddenly as he had been angry, he released his grip on Celia’s chin and gave her a soft look.
“You should greet me when you see the Crown Prince.”
“….”
Celia feigned a slightly troubled expression as she set down her nearly empty teacup. Then, she bowed respectfully to Jeremy.
“This criminal greets Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Her soft, gentle voice suited her appearance perfectly. Jeremy, now half-reclining on the sofa, gazed down at Celia with satisfaction.
The Empress clenched her fist tightly.
Jeremy’s eyes remained fixed on Celia. His gaze traveled from her face to the collar of her dress, stained by the spilled tea.
The tea had landed precisely on the sleeve wrapped around her wrist, revealing her delicate arm.
Jeremy rolled up her sleeve and gently caressed her wrist.
“My, you’ve been hurt because of me.”
“….”
Her skin was only slightly reddened—she wasn’t injured or burned. Jeremy knew this perfectly well, yet he didn’t stop stroking her wrist.
“No matter how I think about it, it’s impossible for such a fragile arm to have killed my father. Don’t you agree?”
Finally unable to bear it, the Empress spoke.
“Jeremy, what exactly are you doing in front of me?”
“I’m sorry, Mother.”
His face, however, showed no remorse whatsoever.
Jeremy, who had inherited his mother’s temperament, now understood exactly why she had tried to hide Celia from him.
Just as the Empress was picky about men, Jeremy was equally selective.
Until now, he had thought he might be asexual, since no woman had ever interested him. But seeing Celia, he was certain—he was not asexual at all.
“You really are too much. How could you try to keep such an amusing thing all to yourself, Mother?”
Unlike the delighted Jeremy, the Empress clutched the armrest of the sofa, overwhelmed by despair.
Jeremy even took out a handkerchief from his pocket and personally tied it around Celia’s wrist.
“Since you were hurt because of me, keep this.”
Celia inwardly sneered at Jeremy’s sudden kindness—after all, this was the same man who had pressed down on her head moments ago.
“…Well, this works out nicely for me.”
It was far easier to deal with someone who was attracted to her than someone who held resentment.
Even if his intentions were impure, it was still easier to handle than facing outright hostility from the start.
The Empress wanted her dead, but the Crown Prince, Jeremy, had now become interested in her. Celia quickly assessed the gains and losses of this situation.
The conclusion came swiftly.
“Thank you, Your Highness. I shall cherish it.”
Finishing her words, Celia gave Jeremy a bright smile. Her emerald eyes curved, and her sweet, rose-red lips formed a graceful arc. Jeremy stared, completely dazed.
Jeremy had fallen completely for Celia.
[This is the timeline separator]Dietrich Calypso waited outside the Empress’s quarters for Celia, who showed no sign of coming out. A cool breeze brushed across his smooth forehead.
The guards nervously watched Dietrich’s expression.
“…Doesn’t he look upset?”
“Keep your eyes forward. Unless you want to die.”
The palace guards both respected and feared Dietrich. He rarely showed emotion, and he showed no mercy to those who disobeyed his orders.
It was common knowledge among the guards that a knight who had served Dietrich for four years had recently been executed for defying him.
Dietrich didn’t care whether the guards talked about him or not. What mattered to him now was that Celia still hadn’t appeared, even after so much time had passed.
Dietrich’s eyes narrowed.
About four hours ago, Jeremy’s entry into the palace had unsettled him. Before entering the Empress’s quarters, Jeremy had, as usual, provoked Dietrich once again.
—What business does a bastard mutt have in my mother’s palace?
—The Empress summoned me. I was ordered to bring Celia Brillion.
—Hmph. A criminal and a dog bastard. A perfectly matched pair.
When Dietrich showed no reaction, Jeremy clicked his tongue in annoyance and walked into the palace.
Dietrich looked up at the sky. The sun had fully set, and crimson twilight painted the heavens red.
“….”
With his keen senses, Dietrich detected someone exiting the palace. The distant sounds were clearly from two people.
Dietrich slowly turned his gaze.
“I thought you’d left. Still here?”
It was Jeremy’s arrogant voice. And the woman being escorted by him was none other than Celia.
When Dietrich looked at Celia, Jeremy stepped forward protectively, blocking her from Dietrich’s view.
“Looks like the bastard’s got no shame. Daring to stare so openly at my woman?”
*My woman?* He called her a criminal just moments ago, and now she’s *my woman*?
*What on earth happened in there?*
Dietrich was utterly bewildered, but he didn’t show it.
And Celia, too, was equally baffled.
Ignoring the Empress’s words, Jeremy had taken her to another room, seated her on a sofa, and begun rambling on.
Most of what he said was self-praise.
How extraordinary he was, how he would protect her once he became Emperor, how he had never seen a woman as beautiful as her, how someone like her could never have assassinated the Emperor.
He even suggested she stop staying at Dietrich’s mansion and move into his palace instead.
Whenever the Empress stormed into the room, he moved to another room, then another.
They kept relocating rooms over and over. Eventually, exhausted, the Empress stopped coming in, and Celia was left listening to Jeremy’s endless boasting.
She had never met such an obstinate, talkative man.
“…I appreciate the offer, but I wouldn’t want to cause any distance between the Empress and Your Highness.”
After forcing out these insincere words, Jeremy expressed regret and told her to let him know if she changed her mind. He even insisted she attend his upcoming birthday celebration.
And now, despite her insisting she was fine, he was personally escorting her out.
*Since when have we met for you to call me your woman? Ridiculous.*
Celia found Jeremy’s refusal to let go of her hand amusing.
But Jeremy’s stubbornness didn’t end there.
“Still, it won’t do. Celia, from today onward, you’ll stay in my castle.”
An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most
One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.
This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:
1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.
It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.
(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)
2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.
The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.
3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.
Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).
Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.
Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.
4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).
5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!
