At that time, Peter had only just recovered from an illness. He was weak and small in stature. In contrast, the former Emperor was a tall and sturdy man, making the boy look like he was barely clinging on.
However, Peter’s eyes were ferocious, as if he could tear apart the man who was gripping his neck.
The former Emperor cherished this aspect of his son. The inhuman nature in him, madly resembling himself, was delightful.
In a typical family, one might imagine a father telling old stories to his son sitting on his lap, but the von der Laien royal family was different.
The cruel father, holding his son’s collar, spoke.
“Forget the dead. That’s the only way you can live.”
The way a dragon chooses its companion is very simple.
Imprinting.
Of course, to officially take on a companion, there are certain procedures to follow, so mere imprinting doesn’t necessarily mean having a companion. But from that moment, a dragon’s fate is virtually set.
And Peter had imprinted on Lowell. Imprinting on someone about to die was his only tragedy.
So perhaps it was one of the few genuine pieces of advice from his father, but Peter scorned his father.
“You’re going mad yourself, unable to forget your dead companion, and you tell me to forget. How easy it is to say.”
It’s unclear whether he voiced this thought.
The memories of that time, even after ten years, remain vivid like a scar. Ironically, he remembers nothing of what followed. When he regained consciousness, he was suffering from a fever.
The diagnosis was an aftereffect of overusing his magical power.
That was the first time Peter used his power and realized something important.
The power to erase existence. A power applicable even to intangible entities.
A power that can be used on anything in this world, as long as it exists.
Even his own memories, or the existence of a person, could be erased from this world.
Thus, Peter lost his memories but gained the ability to use magic for the first time.
Five years after returning to the palace, Peter sought Lowell.
Two years into adulthood, he still hadn’t found Lowell.
Three years after becoming the Emperor, Peter began erasing traces of Lowell.
A decade changes much. Even recalling the remaining memories was painful.
He felt like he would die if he didn’t forget. The longing suffocated him. Struggling to live, he had to castrate the longing. Not knowing how far to cut, he buried his flesh in the ground. It was enough not to dream of Lowell, even if his body was scarred everywhere.
The first memory Peter erased was Lowell’s smiling face. When he couldn’t bear to erase it himself, thinking he wanted to erase what tormented him most, he no longer remembered Lowell’s smile.
Next was Lowell’s sleeping face, then her voice, then their clasped hands…
But despite the length of their five years together, Lowell didn’t disappear completely. Peter couldn’t do it completely.
“Until Lowell’s existence is completely erased from this world, the imprint won’t disappear.”
But if he himself hardly remembers Lowell, how could he find her traces?
Moreover, it was hard to imagine his memory without Lowell’s existence. Even if she was not a companion, the one imprinted was already a part of him. One of the things that made him was Lowell’s existence.
Even if he couldn’t remember her smiling anymore, or how she looked asleep, the emotions of those moments, the weather, the sunlight brushing her cheeks were all vivid. How much he loved her, how dear those moments with her were…
Even if I can no longer recall Lowell’s smiling face, even if I can’t remember what face she made when she closed her eyes, the emotions of those moments, the weather, and the sunlight brushing her cheeks remain vivid. How much I loved her, how dear the moments we spent together were to me.
It was an imprint that would never leave my mind until Lowell’s existence was completely erased from this world.
Yet, cutting away my own flesh wasn’t in vain, as I no longer dreamt of Lowell. I no longer needed to be in pain, and days passed without thinking of her.
I truly forgot about Lowell. Or at least, I thought I did.
Until Annet Martinec appeared before me.
Memories I thought I had forgotten returned with a greater impact than when I erased them. So, when Annet entered the palace, I dreamt of Lowell again.
The two of us, as always, were sitting, leaning against the same tree’s shade.
“There are black roses, Lowell.”
“Really? I should have some planted in our garden.”
“You would look good with them.”
“Why? Because they’re black?”
Lowell’s voice had an edge when she retorted. Black was a sensitive topic for her.
But Peter wouldn’t have brought it up to hurt her.
“No, because of their meaning.”
“What is it?”
“You are eternally mine.”
Hahaha! Lowell burst into laughter. Her face was as innocent as her laughter.
“Yeah, right. Peter.”
But Lowell’s expression, as she continued, was chillingly cold. No, it was sharp. No, it was ruthless. No…
“I have nowhere else to go if not by your side.”
Her expression was grotesquely distorted.
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
