The Wolf Lord is Enduring (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 7
Michaela lifted El lightly, turned her to face her, and repeated the same words.
Under that warm gaze, El felt she ought to give some grand reply.
But she truly had nothing she wished for.
Her lips, hesitant as if in deep thought, finally parted, and the only answer she could offer was this:
“…There’s nothing like that.”
At El’s clear-eyed, utterly desireless look, Michaela let out a soft chuckle.
“At times like this, you should be outrageously greedy.”
Michaela winked one eye as she stroked El’s uneven, messy haircut.
At that playful gesture, El fidgeted with her hands, then suddenly widened her round eyes as if remembering something.
“Bread.”
“Bread?”
“Bread would be enough. The kind you eat.”
El declared brightly, smiling broadly.
What could possibly be more important than food and survival?
Since she’d always failed to meet her quota and constantly endured the gang leader’s scolding—“Shameless girl! Worthless wretch!”—food was as precious as life itself to El.
Though she bore cuts on her cheeks and all over her body, she’d gladly get hurt again and again if it meant getting enough bread to fill her stomach like this.
“So bread is really all you need?”
“Yes. Bread is enough.”
She nodded vigorously to show it was truly sufficient, causing her oversized shirt to slip off one shoulder.
El quickly tugged the shirt back into place, clutching it shyly.
“So bread is enough, huh… Irina, is there a bakery we could contract right away? I’d like to give one to El.”
“I’ll look into it. I’ll find one close to the central plaza.”
El, who had been quietly listening, suddenly realized things were going terribly wrong. Her face went pale, and her mouth dropped open.
Panicked, she stammered out a protest in a trembling voice.
“B-b-bakery? Th-that’s impossible!”
She insisted she’d never wanted anything like that.
Michaela gently patted the ashen-faced El, then crossed her arms, propped her chin on her hand, and furrowed her brow.
“So a bakery really isn’t suitable?”
El vigorously shook her head up and down.
“Right, of course—a single bakery just isn’t enough.”
Michaela admitted she’d been too casual.
Only then did El realize her head shake had been wildly misunderstood.
“Huh?!”
“How about buying an entire street?”
El’s delicately closed mouth gaped open once more.
“Sister, it’d be wonderful to buy the whole street and even put up a statue or something.”
Briel clapped her hands together to support El, who could only blink mutely.
Even Riello, who’d been slightly subdued, enthusiastically chimed in, saying it was a great idea.
“No, that’s not what I meant at all! Really, it’s not like that…”
Overwhelmed by the incomprehensible logic of the wealthy, El’s expression grew increasingly distressed.
Wondering how to stop this, she turned her head and looked toward Raphelian.
Though he belonged to the same Mosteros family, she somehow felt he might help her.
Sensing her gaze, Raphelian slowly spoke.
“While we’re at it, let’s increase both the operating hours and number of distribution centers. Winter is approaching, so we should also identify children who don’t qualify for shelter benefits and ensure they can spend the season safely.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Buying a street seems burdensome for El right now, so let’s put that on hold. Same goes for the bakery.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
At first, El wondered what he was talking about—but when Raphelian suggested postponing both the bakery and the street, she beamed with relief.
Thank goodness their sense of reason aligned.
“I really just need one piece of bread. That’ll fill me up.”
El wanted to ask for bread for her companions too, but tightly clasped her hands together and only stuck out her index finger. She dared not speak carelessly—saying the wrong thing might trigger something truly enormous.
“Oh, so you really mean just that?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
El thought that since even she had confirmed it, this outrageous matter would finally be settled here.
She had no idea what he might say next.
Raphelian picked up his teacup, which he’d set down earlier, and spoke calmly.
“She’ll need time to adjust. Let her live here and gradually get used to things. After that, you can do as you please—whether it’s a bakery or an entire street, Sister.”
“Huh?!”
She’d thought he’d help—but he hadn’t.
El’s eyes widened in shock, her mind going blank.
“That’s actually not a bad idea. We should also check whether her wounds heal cleanly without scarring… Good! El, would you like to live with us?”
“Huh? Huh?!”
Michaela’s sweet offer overloaded El’s brain so thoroughly she couldn’t even gape properly.
With rational thought paralyzed, a long-hidden desire surfaced.
El scanned her surroundings with a dazed look.
She began imagining all the things she’d gain if she accepted.
‘I wouldn’t go hungry. I wouldn’t be cold.’
Just the thought was intoxicating.
But that fantasy lasted only a moment.
‘Who’d take in a useless thing like you if it weren’t for me? Stop talking and go beg!’
A harsh voice echoed in her ears.
“Ah!”
El shuddered and quickly slid off Michaela’s lap.
How could someone from a pickpocket den possibly enter a duke’s household?
If her true identity were discovered, they might think she’d approached them deliberately.
El remembered the single coin she’d once received from an elderly woman after helping her.
Though it had been a reward for kindness, she’d been severely punished after being mistaken for a thief—and that memory remained painfully vivid.
She never wanted to relive that experience.
The misunderstandings and contempt she’d already endured from others were more than enough.
She didn’t want these kind people’s gentle gazes to change.
For once, they’d treated her without suspicion. She wanted to remain a good person—just an ordinary girl—in their eyes.
‘Acting without thinking like a fool…’
El had to behave even more childishly than a child to survive.
People were kind to those who seemed innocent, pure, and naive—those who clearly knew nothing of the world.
Only then would begging be easier, and only by begging well could she avoid being cast out by the gang leader.
Thus, even as she grew older, El never truly became an adult.
After years like this, she’d apparently turned into a child who acted solely on instinct, without considering consequences.
‘I mustn’t fall for this sweet temptation.’
It was time to snap out of it and return to reality.
“Oh, no.”
“Why not?”
“Well… there’s something I haven’t told you.”
“What?”
El anxiously rolled her eyes and picked at her fingertips.
Unable to look Michaela straight in the eye, she stared at the floor and mumbled on.
“There are people waiting for me. Friends I live with…”
“Oh. Is that so?”
Michaela shifted her gaze from the child to Raphelian.
Raphelian also let out a quiet sigh at this unexpected revelation.
“I have to go back. If you really want to give me something, just bread is fine. I’m always hungry—just a little bread, please.”
El lifted her head with effort and gave a harmless, gentle smile.
She tried hard to appear composed as she met Michaela’s eyes.
Firmly resolved not to prolong this any further, she steeled herself.
“I wish you’d stay here at least until your wounds heal. We’ll contact those waiting for you.”
“Oh, no. The doctor said I just need to apply the ointment properly, so I’ll just take the medicine. I heal really well, honestly. It’ll be fine.”
Though she kept that harmless smile on her lips, El firmly rejected the offer.
Changing her approach proved quite effective.
Faced with such firm resistance, Michaela no longer had grounds to keep El.
No matter how good her intentions, forcing someone unwilling would only be coercion.
“Even so, I can’t just let you go like this. We owe you our lives. If you dislike living here, at least tell us where you stay so we can become your guardians and help you.”
As Michaela stepped back, Raphelian stepped forward. He approached El, lowered his body, and spoke gently.
“No. For me, a single piece of bread is worth my life. Surviving day by day is what matters most. Truly, just bread is enough.”
El spoke sharply and clearly—she absolutely did not want them to learn anything about her.
Even Raphelian couldn’t press further after such a forceful refusal.
She already seemed frightened of him; pushing harder might come across as too domineering.
Moreover, El appeared to be hiding something—her wariness had suddenly spiked.
In this situation, further insistence would only heighten her suspicion.
‘Attaching someone to her now would be impossible. She’s overwhelmed and flustered today—better to give her some time.’
Raphelian well knew that forcing things wouldn’t solve everything.
Though he had no intention of letting El go just yet, he decided to step back for now and plan for the future.
“If that’s your wish, I understand. But if you ever change your mind, come anytime. The doors of the ducal residence will always be open to you.”
As Raphelian patted El’s shoulder, he subtly coated it with a strong tracking pheromone before pulling away.
He hoped she’d lower her guard and come to them willingly—but this was a safeguard just in case. This trace would last at least a week, making it useful for locating her later.
“Sister, it’s best to wrap things up here.”
“Alright. Let’s do that.”
Michaela gave Irina a meaningful glance.
“Irina, please prepare some medicine and bread for her.”
“Yes. Understood.”
After Irina left the parlor to carry out the order, Michaela looked pityingly at the cuts on El’s thin cheeks and said,
“It probably won’t be just one loaf. Since bread means life to you, I at least want you to eat your fill.”
El didn’t refuse this and accepted it obediently.
“Th-thank you.”
“Thank me? I’m the one who should thank you. And don’t forget to apply the ointment properly.”
“Yes.”
“And as Raphelian said, come anytime if you change your mind.”
“Yes.”
El nodded in reply, feeling relieved.
She was glad she could leave this household safely without revealing her true identity.
‘Since I’ve secured food, the gang leader won’t scold me. Thank goodness.’
El smiled faintly, believing everything would go smoothly as she wished.
El had been certain everything would go perfectly without a hitch.
At least, that’s what she thought until she left the ducal residence, rode in a black carriage, and got off at the shopping district.
She deliberately disembarked near the shopping area, took the bread pouch, and headed toward her hideout with light steps. She didn’t forget to glance back occasionally, checking if anyone was following.
After leaving the shopping district, El walked along a winding path.
“Hey! Finally here? Everyone’s been waiting!!”
“For me?”
El adjusted her pouch and pointed at herself with her finger.
A child slightly taller than El dashed out, took the pouch from her, and nodded.
“The boss is waiting too. He’s really excited. Hey, how’d you manage to save a duke’s kid?”
“How did you know?”
“The news has already spread everywhere. So you’re no good at pickpocketing, but you’ve got this talent? We wondered where you’d use it—you went and caught a big fish like that!”
“A big fish?”
El, walking alongside him, suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.
“Hey, what’re you doing? Hurry up. But why’s this so light?”
“It felt heavy to me.”
“Didn’t you bring back way too little?”
“No… I didn’t…”
As El passed through the shabby alleyways, her mood grew increasingly gloomy.
It was clear things were going wrong.
But with nowhere else to go, El had no choice but to move her feet again.
“Boss! I’m back!”
“Good. You’ve done something worthwhile for once.”
The pickpocket gang leader greeted El warmly.
El was bewildered—this was the first time he’d ever welcomed her like this.
“Oh, everyone will eat full tonight!”
“Only tonight?”
“This kid brought this.”
“Let me see.”
The child who’d taken the bread pouch handed it to the boss.
The man’s previously relaxed expression instantly turned menacing as he checked the pouch.
“You went and brought back just this scrap of bread?!”
Slap!
A thick hand flew toward El.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
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Our poor El! I can’t believe this injustice! I thought this family would surely have someone follow her. Also why is she being referred to he. Did the others also believe she was a boy? The gas to have known she was a girl!
Our poor El! I can’t believe this injustice! I thought this family would surely have someone follow her. Also why is she being referred to he. Did the others also believe she was a boy? The gas to have known she was a girl!
For a child to be used to such abuse that it’s programmed into their instincts is upsetting. How did el raise herself to be so good-natured? And why was Ralph’s only idea to adopt her? You think she would be okay with that? Good luck though!!