When Ariana circumlocuted the rumor, Cyrus let out a short exclamation, “Oh,” but added no more.
Ariana found it difficult to figure out the man named Cyrus.
At first glance, his cold eyes were chilling enough to make her shudder, but once they started talking, the conversation flowed normally.
He didn’t have the atmosphere of a man who would ruthlessly slit a woman’s throat just for annoying him.
His appearance, different from the rumors, was interesting, but she didn’t want to waste any more time in such a place.
“Your Highness, if you have nothing for me, then…”
“Wait.”
Cyrus raised his index finger, stopping Ariana’s words, and suddenly got up and grabbed her arm.
Before she could blame him for his rude action, he kicked the scattered food under the display shelf and put out the lamp. Then, he pulled Ariana into the space between the display shelves.
In a space narrow enough for only one person, their bodies were tightly pressed together.
He held Ariana’s back firmly with his palm, her face buried in his chest.
His scent mixed with a fragrance tickled Ariana’s nose.
Ariana, who did not understand the situation, looked up at him with wide eyes.
“What is this…!”
“Shh.”
His finger touched Ariana’s lips.
Chilled by the coldness from his finger, Ariana shivered. His finger was as cold as ice.
Trying to push him away with both hands, Ariana stopped at the sound of the kitchen door opening.
“Why does Miss Helena want chocolate at this time?”
“Louise got scolded for work. Her stomach must be upset.”
“Well, she was scolded for a while, but that’s all. Have you ever seen the madam scold Helena severely?”
“True. She spoils her too much. Even though she’s the daughter of a former Duchess, it’s strange to see her being treated so well.”
“Be quiet. You know you shouldn’t talk about the former Duchess.”
The voices of the maids came from the kitchen.
As tension crept into Ariana’s shoulders, Cyrus lowered his head and whispered softly.
“Don’t worry. If you just stay still, we won’t get caught.”
His breath felt close to her forehead.
It was as cold as his gaze.
[Dash]The sound of the refrigerator door opening was followed by a small light. The lantern held by the maid created a flickering shadow.
Ariana held her breath.
“Where’s the chocolate?”
“It should be on the left display shelf.”
The maids moved, checking each display shelf one by one for chocolate.
As their footsteps grew closer, Ariana’s body stiffened more and more. She didn’t even feel Cyrus’s palm slightly pressing her back to bring her closer to him.
If they are caught like this, it will be a big problem.
In their eyes, Ariana will only be seen as sneaking out at night and hugging a strange man.
‘No, will this man try to kill them first?’
The maids’ footsteps approached right in front of them.
Ariana saw the hem of a maid’s dress fluttering.
The next moment, the maid’s eyes turned toward Ariana.
The moment she faced the maid, she almost gasped. But before she could, a large hand covered Ariana’s mouth so she couldn’t exhale.
The palm of Cyrus’s hand that covered her mouth was cold as if it didn’t belong to a living person, but she had no leisure to find that strange.
Ariana quickly thought about what attitude to take and what excuses to make to avoid this situation.
Should she first silence the maid if she screams and introduce this man as Bukjehu?
Or should she pretend not to know and let Bukjehu kill the maid?
Or should she be the first to scream and pretend to be subdued by Bukjehu?
While countless thoughts swept through Ariana’s head like a storm, the maid lifted the lamp.
The small flame sharply grazed Ariana’s face.
Ariana tried to say something, but then realized that Cyrus’s hand was covering her mouth.
At that moment, the maid passed by without seeing Ariana.
‘Is she pretending not to know?’
No, that can’t be.
The maids of this mansion enjoyed watching Ariana’s every move and reporting to their master whenever Ariana made a mistake. The bigger Ariana’s mistake, the greater the reward they received.
It becomes a scandal for an unmarried woman to be alone with a man. Ariana’s appearance, embraced in the arms of a strange man late at night, was the biggest mistake she had ever made.
If it was reported to Helena, she would certainly be pleased and reward the maid.
Yet the maid acted as if she did not see Ariana.
‘Is she not pretending, but really did not see, even though it’s right in front of her? Could it be… is this a magic used by Bukjehu?’
The reason Cyrus could sit in the seat of Bukjehu at a young age and have the strongest power among the four Jehus was also thanks to magic, passed only to the chosen ones in Bukryeong.
She had only heard that the magic passed down in Bukryeong was ice magic, but perhaps this kind of magic was also being passed down.
Ariana, lifting her head, saw the deep and cool eyes of Cyrus looking down at her.
Still, eyes where one couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
While the two stared at each other, the maids found the chocolate and left the storage room.
Even after the maids’ footsteps grew distant, the two stood, not moving, slightly staring at each other.
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.]
