There's a Snake in the Empress' Bedroom (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 10
“…It seems I’m the one.”
Cassius replied, hoping it would be true even if it wasn’t.
“Then I suppose I must know you fairly well.”
Renisha still remembered how Duke Rotera had looked so pleased, and how she herself had often smiled while reading his letters.
“I chose to gift you this attire, but accepting it was your choice. I intend to place a wager on you—the very man my father once trusted.”
“…”
“My blood relatives are still alive.”
Renisha uttered the words slowly, softly, yet with unmistakable certainty.
Without even blinking, Renisha poured out her words.
“My brother, his wife, and even my niece Isabella—Brixton Rotera and Haylin Nova Rotera. Find them discreetly. Protect them from Rexus.”
“…What happens if I refuse?”
“Hmm.”
Renisha pulled her hand away from Cassius.
For a fleeting moment, Cassius felt a pang of regret as she drew away.
Renisha fixed Cassius with an icy glare.
“Now that you’ve heard my secret, you’ll lose your life—right here, right now.”
She made threats so boldly despite her small frame.
Not even a single mark remained on the wrist she’d gripped.
What on earth gave her the audacity to speak so brazenly?
If it was mere bravado, she was truly remarkable; if she held hidden cards…
Just as Cassius absentmindedly rubbed his wrist,
cold metal touched his neck.
Reacting to the sharp killing intent, Cassius lifted his head.
Knights, blades drawn toward him, had somehow approached unnoticed.
Their fierce eyes seemed ready to kill Cassius on the spot.
“Oh dear.”
Cassius let out a groan-like murmur.
He’d let his guard down—or perhaps Renisha had bewitched him.
How could he not have sensed their approach?
“These are Rotera’s elite knights, left to me by my father. No matter how skilled you may be, you won’t escape them unscathed.”
She wielded both honey and whip at once. Were all noblewomen like this?
“I’ll take back every gift I’ve given you, Sir Cassius. So choose wisely.”
It was a threat to strip him bare.
Cassius clicked his tongue, watching Renisha’s smile.
He’d finally seen her true nature.
Renisha wasn’t merely a dazzling, pretty flower.
Beneath her beauty lay the sharpest of thorns.
A breeze blew, carrying Renisha’s scent over Cassius.
In truth, he’d never intended to refuse her offer.
As the daughter of House Rotera, Cassius couldn’t defy her.
After all, she was the daughter of the man who’d sheltered a runaway slave and erased his origins.
Duke Rotera had been the only one who knew Cassius was the heir of a foreign land.
‘You have red hair—truly as fiery as burning flames. Rumor has it the extinct royal bloodline of that foreign land bore tattoos like yours…’
Duke Rotera had recognized the mark of Hisham branded on Cassius’s shoulder.
It was Duke Rotera himself who’d seared it away.
‘Pride doesn’t reside in such marks. Only the living can hold pride. It’s best to eliminate dangerous elements. Now, you’re merely a knight of slave origins—nothing more.’
Cassius owed Duke Rotera a great debt.
Even without this coercion, he would have followed Renisha’s wishes.
“I’ll discreetly investigate and locate them. I swear on my life to protect them.”
“Good.”
Renisha gestured with her hand.
Immediately, the knights sheathed their swords and withdrew as though they’d never been there.
Renisha fussed with Cassius’s attire.
As she drew close again, Cassius inhaled sharply.
How could she manipulate things so effortlessly…?
‘Is she playing with people?’
Cassius gritted his teeth.
With gentle hands, Renisha smoothed Cassius’s clothes.
She fastened the undone button and properly tied the bowtie that had barely clung on.
Even adjusting the snug vest and jacket.
Restoring him to how he’d looked upon first entering, Renisha smiled once more.
Cassius stared, entranced, at her curving eyes.
Beneath lashes like shattered moonlight, her round pink irises stirred the heart.
Cassius swallowed unconsciously.
“You came looking so handsome—it’d be a shame to waste it.”
“…Handsome?”
“Yes, handsome. That outfit truly suits you, my lord.”
Renisha lightly tapped Cassius’s cheek.
Only then did Cassius snap back to his senses.
“Now, it’s time for you to go. My servant will escort you out.”
“Wait—there’s something I must say…!”
“We’ll meet again soon, Sir Cassius. This isn’t the end of our connection. I’ll hear your words next time.”
Renisha stepped away from Cassius.
A signal had come—someone was approaching.
“Ah. Hiloshain isn’t what it appears to be. It’s a land of hidden gold and honey, blessed by the gods.”
Leaving those cryptic words, Renisha vanished as abruptly as she’d appeared.
It felt like waking from a dream.
Had it not been for the maid Renisha left behind, he might have truly believed it was one.
“…Is she always like that?”
“Hm?”
The maid, guiding him, looked back in surprise.
“I mean Her Majesty the Empress—has she always been so…”
Self-willed?
Or how else to describe it?
Cassius hesitated briefly.
He couldn’t find the right word to describe Renisha.
Instead, the maid answered.
“She’s amazing! Beautiful, clever… and so commanding… I adore Her Majesty!”
The maid gushed with pure, unfiltered admiration.
Cassius hadn’t been thinking of such light, fluttering emotions.
It was something heavier—like his heart had dropped with a thud…
Cassius shook his head.
Then again, what did it matter?
He’d gained land to live on and a chance to repay Duke Rotera’s kindness.
Everything was falling into place.
Rexus, having tumbled about with Canaria, sat upright, leaning against a tree.
Silence settled over the Imperial Palace gardens.
The banquet had been satisfying.
Just as he’d wished, he’d seated Renisha and Cassius side by side and humiliated her.
Renisha, as always, wore an unmoved expression—but inside, she must have been shattered.
It had to be this way.
Everything Rexus did now was to break Renisha.
Since he couldn’t kill her—strangely, he simply couldn’t kill Renisha—he’d force her to end her own life.
Rexus wore a mad smile.
Renisha had been noble from the moment of her birth.
He looked forward to seeing that noble Renisha chased from the Empress’s throne, fleeing with Cassius to Hiloshain.
His tangled emotions surged wildly.
But still…
But…
“They looked far too well-suited.”
Rexus muttered irritably.
That was the one thing that displeased him.
Renisha, seated beside Cassius, had looked surprisingly good.
Though they were clearly opposites in every way.
“Huh? What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
Canaria rubbed her sleepy eyes and buried her face in Rexus’s clothes beneath her.
“Renisha and Cassius—they didn’t look good together?”
“Hmm… Canaria doesn’t really know. Haaam, come here, Your Majesty.”
Of course, she’d wanted to sneer that the slave was perfect for Renisha, but the mood wasn’t right.
Something seemed to have upset Rexus.
Wearing an innocent, clueless expression, Canaria spread her arms.
In this entire empire, only Canaria could lounge like this in the Emperor’s garden.
She wanted to enjoy this privilege for life—and she still did.
“I’m cold, Your Majesty. Will you leave Canaria freezing like this? Warm me up.”
Canaria coaxed him in a sweet voice.
Rexus turned and stared at Canaria, who’d revealed herself.
“Aren’t you ashamed at all?”
“Should Canaria feel shame? I’m happy as long as Your Majesty enjoys himself.”
Rexus let out a laugh.
It was an obvious lie, yet so sweet he wanted to believe it.
He knew sweetness was a poison that ruined people—yet he couldn’t let go.
Rexus gripped Canaria’s waist.
“Yes. Keep pretending you know nothing. Always.”
Canaria smiled as if truly oblivious, hiding her true thoughts.
Today had been perfect.
Rexus had publicly humiliated Renisha.
A mere slave cleansing the sins of House Rotera!
What must Renisha have felt as she clapped?
‘Ah, that look in her eyes.’
Canaria savored the perfection of today once more.
Then, letting out a loving laugh, she embraced Rexus.
For making Renisha look so pitiful, she’d embrace Rexus a hundred times over.
Today, at least, Rexus was a lovable lover.
Terrion led over a horse, eyeing Cassius with a strange look.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“You look far too composed.”
“What?”
“I expected you to come out completely disheveled. You looked absolutely furious when tying that bowtie.”
Cassius cleared his throat.
Indeed, the moment he’d left the banquet hall, he’d yanked off his bowtie.
“So why do you look so perfectly put together? Did something happen? Did she threaten to slit your throat if you untied it?”
“No. There’s something far more important right now—the Emperor has finally granted us land.”
“What? Where? And the title?”
“A dukedom.”
“Oh! What’s brought this on? Has the Emperor gone mad? Or wait—he was always mad, wasn’t he?”
Terrion exclaimed in alarm.
“He granted you the Rotera dukedom? Then he really is insane!”
“Huh?”
Terrion’s eyes nearly popped out.
Cassius shoved the chattering Terrion aside and mounted his horse.
Exhausted in every way, he wanted to return to the mansion quickly.
Shaking his head as if dazed, Terrion climbed onto another horse.
He urged his mount alongside Cassius.
“What did Her Majesty say? The Rotera dukedom? Has the Emperor truly lost his mind…? Hah—so where’s the domain?”
“Hiloshain.”
“What?!”
“I said Hiloshain.”
“…We’re doomed.”
“Why that reaction?”
“…Do you not know Hiloshain? That barren wasteland where not even a blade of grass grows…! We’re going to starve to death! The Emperor isn’t mad—he’s just gathered everything he wanted to discard and dumped it on us!”
“Hmm.”
Renisha hadn’t said that.
When Renisha spoke those words, there must have been a clear reason.
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
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Both of them has a high faith in duke rotera it a shame that he died
Why suddenly you want to hold her. Doesn’t it you the one who want to give her to Cassius
Who want to have a mad person as a husband. Everyone will run away if they could