Trisy blushed shyly. The young ladies raised their eyebrows and exchanged glances. They decided to speak carefully, so as not to hurt the young lady who was still unaware of reality.
“Um… Many gentlemen will be attending today. It would be better to keep your options open and look around.”
“Ah… I see.”
Though she replied like that, Trisy honestly did not doubt her time with Damion.
After all, it was Damion who had worked to get her to attend this party in the first place.
It was a ball for which invitations had been sent out long ago. But three days ago, there was a sudden call from House Baillis.
They said a certain gentleman was waiting for her attendance, and to tell her to attend if she hadn’t forgotten their meeting on the beach.
‘Lord Damion, really.’
Trisy struggled to suppress her rising smile.
On the day Damion came to the South to see her, how enjoyable their conversation had been!
The conversation may have been a bit awkward, but wasn’t that because he was tired?
Recently, that woman Rain suddenly quit her job, and her father told her to take care of things so he could go out with peace of mind, which was quite annoying, but for such good fortune to come right after that woman left.
It seems that woman must have been bad luck.
‘Lord Damion…’
Trisy had been unable to sleep every night thinking of Damion. Just thinking of him made Trisy’s face flush.
“Did you hear that? Ansi de Rubellsa is on today’s attendance list.”
Just then, a certain conversation caught Trisy’s ear.
‘Ansi de Rubellsa? The daughter of that ruined family?’
It wasn’t a topic she was particularly interested in. She just wanted to talk more about herself. But since all the other young ladies were excited, Trisy listened disinterestedly.
Lady Naize asked with interest:
“Really? Where has she been all this time to show up now?”
“She seems to have quite a thick skin, doesn’t she?”
“Indeed. To come back now, thinking everyone must have forgotten, how brazen…”
“But honestly, I felt sorry for Lady Rubellsa.”
Lady Hengji suddenly changed her tune. As the others widened their eyes as if to ask why, Hengji continued without concern:
“Even if her father did wrong, it must have been a bolt from the blue for Lady Rubellsa.”
The woman shook her head as if regretful.
The reason for her behavior soon became clear.
“Thank you for coming.”
A woman resembling spring smiled and greeted as she passed by. Over her white dress was adorned with elaborate pink lace.
It was Elize de Baillis, the host of the party.
“Lady Ansi and Lady Elize were closest friends, weren’t they?”
“Oh my, so that’s why she invited her today?”
They lowered their voices as they watched Elize’s retreating figure. Regardless, Trisy was only waiting for Damion to arrive soon.
“I wonder how many men will ask Lady Rubellsa to dance today?”
“Stupid men who only care about looks will probably approach her. I heard they were talking about her at my cousin’s club too. They’re betting on whether she’ll step on their feet when they ask her to dance, a woman who hasn’t shown her face at a ball for a year.”
“How mean.”
They burst into giggles. Naize said casually:
“Surely she won’t catch the Major’s eye, right?”
“No matter what, she’s not up to the standards to be associated with a ducal family.”
“What? The Major, do you mean Lord Damion?”
Trisy, who had been quiet, opened her mouth in surprise.
“Is that woman so pretty?”
“Well, she’s passable.”
“That’s right, that’s right. But a year has passed, so she may have changed a lot.”
“Oh my! Damn it, she’s still pretty.”
Hengji covered her face with her fan and glanced sideways at the main entrance. At this, Trisy quickly turned to look at the entrance and dropped her fan.
A woman was entering the hall.
The line of her shoulders exposed by her dress was delicate and graceful.
Her skin was white as jade, and her hair was black as onyx in contrast.
Her nose was high, her lips full. Especially those blue, transparent eyes like marbles…
Trisy’s expression grew serious.
Strangely, a certain woman came to mind.
But that couldn’t be. Wasn’t Rain’s hair brown? Besides, she was just a servant. So it really couldn’t be, and yet…
The calm face and tranquil gaze.
The dignified walk, unwavering and refined.
“That woman is…”
“Lady Rubellsa.”
Ansi de Rubellsa was clearly Rain, who had worked at the Jiden viscounty.
[This is the timeline separator]“The Count of Rubellsa’s daughter in high society? How thick-skinned.”
“After devouring her father and brother, has she come to find a husband to devour now?”
As soon as she entered the hall, Ansi’s eyelashes fluttered at the piercing gazes and whispers that poured down on her.
Though piano music filled the hall and they were clearly whispering among themselves so she couldn’t hear, somehow it sounded as clear as if they were speaking right next to her.
Ansi slowly surveyed the hall.
People turned their heads as if on cue wherever her gaze fell. In other words, it also meant they had been looking at her.
As expected, she was the most conspicuous foreign object here. Everyone scrutinized her with interest, but no one approached.
Ansi unconsciously lowered her gaze.
Previously, petty whispers didn’t affect her much. Ansi knew how to distinguish between constructive criticism and indiscriminate blame, and she knew well that listening to blame was of no use to her.
However, a year ago, Ansi realized.
Such attitudes were luxuries she could afford because she had something.
Now that she herself valued her worth lower. Their words pierced her heart like much sharper spears than before.
Devouring her father and brother, it was nonsensical. But even knowing it was nonsensical, she found herself thinking. What if it was really true?
But Ansi pretended not to hear anything, struggling to compose her expression as she walked. Fortunately, without blatant interference, she reached a suitable corner.
She constantly checked her posture and expression.
She didn’t want to look unhappy. Having come out with the name Rubellsa after a year, she couldn’t look unhappy. At least not in today’s hall.
In the meantime, her gaze met Elize, the host of the party. Ansi took a step forward.
“Thank you for inviting…”
“Enough.”
Elize, who had been glaring at Ansi, turned away before she could finish speaking. Watching Elize’s retreating figure, Ansi forced a smile, hiding her bitterness as her lips stiffened.
It was then. She saw the women standing by the window move to the doorway with flushed faces. The men who had been gathered in conversation hurriedly dispersed to ask the women to dance.
Ansi’s gaze turned to the door.
As the door opened, Ansi felt her body, which had been tense without her realizing, relax.
“Damion.”
She quietly uttered the man’s name.
He was a man who stood out even more under the gleaming chandelier. His wrinkle-free, well-pressed dark blue suit emphasized his pale skin and sharp features.
Everyone in the hall turned their eyes to him. For whatever reason, he attracted attention as soon as he entered, similar to her in that aspect alone.
“Ansi.”
The crowd parted following his gaze.
There was only one path, and at its end stood Ansi de Rubellsa.
Thus, he walked straight to her. As if she were the only one he could see in this vast hall.
Ironically, in this place where everyone considered her an unwelcome guest, the only person walking towards her was the brother of her enemy.
“Had I known you were here, I would have come earlier.”
“You arrived just in time.”
“The dress suits you well.”
“You have good taste. Thank you for the gift.”
Damion bowed and lightly kissed the back of her hand, then raised only his eyes and asked.
“Would you grant me the first dance?”
Along with his gentle voice, a ticklish sensation reached her through her gloves. Since there was no one else asking her to dance anyway, Ansi naturally nodded.
“It would be my honor.”
Damion straightened up with a slight smile.
The people in the hall watched the scene with a mix of shock and interest.
Damion de Orphe, rapidly rising as the empire’s most eligible bachelor, had asked Ansi de Rubellsa, whose family had fallen long ago, to dance.
A scene one couldn’t take their eyes off, shouldn’t take their eyes off!
Moreover, there was someone who directly intervened in that scene.
“Rain! Why are you here?”
Trisy approached them with a flushed face. She looked back and forth between Damion and Ansi as if she couldn’t understand at all.
“My lord, why are you… with Rain instead of me…”
“Lady Jiden.”
Damion’s cold voice cut off Trisy’s words. He had stepped forward as if to protect Ansi.
“You, what are you trying to do?”
Trisy glared at Rain, no, Ansi, with a face that looked like she might burst into tears at any moment. However, Ansi only tilted her head. Her black hair with blue undertones flowed to the side.
“Who might you be?”
“Who, you ask? I’m the mistress you served.”
“That can’t be. This is my first time seeing you, my lady.”
Ansi replied with her usual impassive face. Hic, Trisy started hiccuping. But she didn’t stop talking.
Bam, Trisy shouted.
“You, hic, were the maid, hic, working at our house, hic!”
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
