After being trained in dagger techniques all night by Dietrich, Celia Brillion fell asleep in a room thick with the smell of straw and floating dust, clutching the dagger tightly to her chest.
Sunlight streaming through the latticed window shone upon the sleeping Celia Brillion. The touch of sunlight on her cheek roused her from sleep.
Patterns of light embroidered themselves across her retina, and gradually the scene of the tiny room came into Celia Brillion’s view.
The room contained nothing but an old nightstand and a bed made of woven straw, hardly worthy of being called a bed.
The room looked even more wretched now in daylight than it had the night before. Yet Celia Brillion did not dislike this place.
Horses grown old and sick, once famed steeds, now neither allowed to die nor to run freely, imprisoned in their stables.
And beside them, a place for someone who was once a princess, now living under a hidden identity with a limited time left—herself.
Celia Brillion felt there was little difference between her fate and that of the horses.
This was not self-pity. Had it been, she would have fallen into despair, helpless and foolishly weeping.
Like the tomboyish princess of old, when anything she did was forgiven.
She had witnessed her father’s death, then watched helplessly as her kingdom’s people were slaughtered one by one. She had exhausted her body using her powers, yet it was futile against the thousands, tens of thousands of soldiers advancing.
Merely surviving, merely fleeing—that was all she could manage.
The naive princess, ignorant of the world, only realized how powerless she truly was after losing everything.
The reason she hadn’t died honorably on that spot was because of her mother’s final words.
—Asha, you will always be the princess of the Shan Kingdom. Preserve your life at all costs and go to the Duchy of Inata, our ally. The Duke there will protect you.
She had ridden for three days and nights straight to barely reach Inata. But what greeted her upon arrival was a palace reduced to ashes and vultures pecking at skeletal remains.
Celia Brillion’s gaze came to a halt at one spot. Before the palace stood a large flag planted firmly into the ground. The crest upon it was one she remembered well.
Two white serpents coiling around a silver sword from both sides—the crest of Abelon.
Abelon had finally destroyed even Inata, its allied duchy.
Celia Brillion slowly awoke from the past. If she could destroy Abelon, she would sell her soul to the devil.
And not just her soul. If needed, she would even offer this rotting, decayed body of hers.
Celia Brillion looked at the dagger Dietrich had given her. Indeed, the dagger techniques Dietrich had taught her all night seemed like they would be of great help.
Who he really was, how he knew about her powers—none of that mattered anymore.
What mattered was destroying Abelon. And for that, Celia Brillion intended to use everything she could.
—Using your powers damages your body.
—You don’t need to lift a finger. The Crown Prince will be deposed. I’ll make sure of it.
Celia Brillion wasn’t fooled by Dietrich’s kindness.
—Don’t go anywhere. Stay hidden here until I return.
Hiding was something only those who had done wrong would do.
Would running away because she disliked becoming the Crown Prince’s concubine really change anything? If she fled and was later caught, the situation would clearly worsen.
“……Ah.”
Celia Brillion let out a short sigh. Only now did she realize Dietrich’s intentions.
‘He brought me here secretly to his chambers so I’d have no choice but to depend on him.’
A wave of disappointment washed over her. She found herself ridiculous for having briefly placed hope in Dietrich.
‘How absurd. What did I expect from that deranged man?’
Celia Brillion mocked herself as she tucked the dagger into her chest.
—If you stay complacent, you’ll be torn apart until not a single shred of flesh remains.
Ileon Gredrick, that snake-like duke, had spoken the truth.
Depending on others was foolish. Ultimately, changing one’s circumstances depended on one’s own will.
Celia Brillion flung the closed door wide open. The blazing sun poured over her entire body.
[This is the timeline separator]Empress Erpia laughed darkly.
“So this truly causes one’s face to grotesquely melt away, even with just a small dose?”
She had returned to her palace and was staring at a small vial with a black stopper containing a transparent liquid.
Yet the condition Ileon had set when handing her the vial troubled her deeply.
—May I be allowed to prepare the Crown Prince’s imperial coronation ceremony?
A man who hadn’t even attended the late Emperor’s funeral now wanted to personally arrange Prince Jeremy’s imperial coronation.
Though much younger than her, Ileon always wore a smiling face, making it impossible to read his thoughts.
‘What could he possibly do within my palace?’
Though born a bastard, she carried the blood of the late Grand Duke Gredrick, and Ileon was the direct bloodline and current head of the Gredrick Dukedom. Being from the same house, he would never harm her or Jeremy.
‘Besides, the Duke has often dirtied his hands on my behalf before.’
Empress Erpia dismissed her worries with a shake of her head.
‘The item is in my hands now. All I need to do is make that wretched Celia drink it.’
Because of Celia, her relationship with Jeremy had soured.
Jeremy, smitten at first sight, had boldly declared her his concubine right in the banquet hall.
He wasn’t foolish, yet he had lost his judgment over a single woman.
Empress Erpia gritted her teeth.
Once Celia’s pretty face became hideous, Jeremy’s interest would quickly turn to contempt.
The woman, her face horribly disfigured, would be instantly discarded, and her son Jeremy would become Emperor.
And she, once Empress, would become the Empress Dowager, fully in control of this vast imperial palace.
And if it came to that, she might even possess Dietrich—perfect, unyielding as stone, desired by all, yet seemingly indifferent to everything.
‘If he disobeys me, I’ll strip him of all titles and imprison him.’
Imagining the flawless Dietrich prostrated at her feet, barking like a dog, Empress Erpia felt warmth pooling in her lower abdomen.
Empress Erpia immediately summoned one of her most trusted knights into her chamber.
“Ben, there’s a secret task you must carry out for me.”
Ben, whose left cheek bore a long scar, gave a small nod.
He had remained her loyal servant ever since she first became Empress.
Ben’s once red hair was now thick with white, proof of the passing years.
Empress Erpia handed the poison to Ben and issued her command.
“Make Celia, that woman, drink this. Mix it in her food, her drinking water—use force if needed.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“This matter is known only to you and me. There must be no mistakes.”
“I will remember.”
Ben bowed and withdrew.
Empress Erpia gazed at the closed door with a satisfied expression.
Now, all that remained was to wait.
[This is the timeline separator]“Where is Celia!”
Jeremy roared.
The sensation of biting down on Celia’s collarbone last night was still vivid, yet he had passed out from drinking too much wine.
Upon waking, he found himself alone, sprawled across the bedroom floor.
At Jeremy’s furious shout, maids and knights outside rushed into his chamber.
“What is it, Your Highness?”
“Celia, my concubine, is gone. She was definitely in my chamber last night.”
The maids and knights glanced at each other nervously, swallowing dryly.
They had stayed awake all night guarding the palace, yet had no memory of seeing Celia leave.
Moreover, the Crown Prince’s chamber was on the third floor. It made no sense for someone to suddenly vanish.
Unless she had jumped out the window.
A knight narrowed his brows and offered an opinion.
“Perhaps she’s under the bed or somewhere in the room, Your Highness?”
“That’s impossible. I’ve already had the entire room searched.”
Jeremy roughly raked his fingers through his hair, clearly agitated.
His head throbbed painfully from the heavy wine he’d consumed the night before.
The image of Celia walking away from the banquet hall without looking back, accompanied by Ileon, filled him with rage.
Jeremy muttered under his breath.
“What good does running do?”
She should just behave like a proper concubine and quietly accept affection, instead of slipping through his fingers like sand.
He recalled the way other men at the banquet had stared at Celia with desire.
The flower he found beautiful was beautiful in others’ eyes too.
That fragile, sorrowful beauty, that enchanting and sublime aura.
Jeremy felt as if his throat was burning, consumed by the desire to take her immediately.
What was wrong with the strongest male claiming the most beautiful female?
‘Once I become Emperor, I’ll get rid of the Three Dukes who irritate me. Starting with that bastard Dietrich.’
How dare someone not even of royal blood try to sit at the very top above the Emperor?
Jeremy issued orders to his subordinates, who were watching him anxiously.
“Find my concubine immediately. She couldn’t have gone far—send people throughout the palace. No, first search Dietrich’s mansion thoroughly!”
At Jeremy’s command, the knights and maids scrambled into action.
Jeremy slumped onto the bed, alone, seething with anger.
How much time had passed?
—Knock knock.
At the knock, Jeremy lifted his head.
“…Your Highness, I come on orders from Her Majesty the Empress.”
The deep, resonant voice was one Jeremy recognized.
It was Ben, the Empress’s closest personal guard. Jeremy opened his mouth, unable to hide his disappointment.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Ben entered. In Ben’s hand was an object.
“What did Mother send you for? And what is that you’re holding?”
Ben placed the object on the table beside the bed.
With a soft clink, its identity was revealed. A letter and a bottle of honeyed water entered Jeremy’s view.
“Her Majesty has been troubled all day that she could not attend Your Highness’s birthday celebration. Upon hearing that you drank heavily, she immediately ordered me to deliver the honeyed water and this letter.”
Jeremy briefly fell into nostalgia.
Whenever he drank heavily the night before, his mother would always send him honeyed water just like this.
This rare honeyed water, said to be sent directly from the Gredrick Dukedom, her family’s house, was exceptionally sweet and highly effective against hangovers.
Even though they had grown estranged after he declared he would take Celia as his concubine and his mother had strongly opposed it, indeed, a mother was still a mother.
The letter contained Empress Erpia’s neat handwriting, apologizing for missing the banquet and inviting him to tea once he felt better after drinking the honeyed water.
“In this situation, only Mother truly worries for me.”
Jeremy gave a small smile and drank the honeyed water without a trace of suspicion.
Not a single drop remained.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
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