Ariana lifted her head and stared at Lancer. Lancer, as always, looked at Ariana expressionlessly.
“I want to go.”
“There’s nothing in this alley.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know. So, please go back.”
“But still…”
“Not allowed.”
“Just a moment…”
“Not allowed. I can’t take the princess to a dangerous place.”
Lancer was as stubborn as his loyal gaze.
Ariana bit her lower lip, then looked at him again.
“Can’t I really? I really want to go.”
Lancer narrowed his eyes. He scrutinized Ariana’s face and asked,
“Do you know what’s here?”
Ariana hesitated between telling the truth and lying but decided.
“There’s a slave market.”
Lancer furrowed his brow.
“Even though you know…”
“I’m curious about what kind of place it is. Maybe there’s something I can help with.”
“Princess. Slaves are cunning and corrupt individuals. Even if you show them kindness, I’ve seen them betray multiple times. Sly slaves often take advantage of their owners’ weak hearts.”
“I’m not trying to buy a slave. I just want to know the atmosphere.”
“Not allowed.”
“Really?”
“Yes, not allowed. The lord will be greatly displeased if he finds out.”
“You can keep it a secret. It’s my wish.”
At the mention of a wish, Lancer’s pupils shook.
If the opponent were Isabelle, Lancer would have stubbornly kept her away from a dangerous alley, even if he had to subdue Isabelle without any hesitation.
But the opponent was Ariana.
Born into servitude, a pitiable and unfortunate princess who suffered all kinds of abuse before running away and returning as the princess of the neighboring country. Loved and missed by her adoptive father, Duke Hul, Ariana was a precious and lovely princess.
Lancer, who had been by Ariana’s side all this time, knew that Ariana was much more mature than girls of her age. Ariana, who rarely showed her emotions, earnestly pleading, weakened Lancer’s heart.
“Dealing is not allowed.”
“Okay.”
“Just observe the atmosphere for a moment and then come out.”
“Got it.”
“Stay close to me.”
“Sure.”
Lancer sighed softly and walked beside Ariana.
Ariana was amazed that her approach had worked.
‘I just used some tactics.’
She had never tried to persuade anyone before. If she heard it’s not allowed, she thought it was not allowed, and if she heard to do something, she thought she had to do it even if she didn’t want to.
It was a gamble to openly plead with Lancer that she wanted to go to the slave market. She also wanted to find out how far she could go in Dongryeong.
‘This much is allowed.’
It was fascinating to her that she could achieve what she wanted just by pleading without finding convincing words or devising ways to cloud the eyes and ears of the other person.
I want to find something forbidden to do and try it, but I held back.
‘I shouldn’t say this too often. Calm down, Ariana.’
Ariana, with a mischievous smile, walked alongside Lancer and asked,
“Lancer.”
“Yes.”
“Are you angry or uncomfortable by any chance?”
“Why would I think you’d be angry or uncomfortable?”
“Because you did something I told you not to.”
“Princess, I don’t get angry about such things. I’m just worried that you might be in danger.”
“Alright.”
My heart pounded.
Even though I had coerced him, he didn’t get angry even when he had to do something he didn’t want to.
It felt like becoming a beloved child.
‘Don’t get excited, Ariana. Stay calm.’
Ariana managed to control her expression.
Finally, they arrived at a small tavern at the end of the alley. It looked like a shabby place that seemed not to be in business just by looking at it.
Someone with a deep hood was entering the tavern at that moment.
Several people were loitering near the shop. They glanced at Ariana and Lancer, who didn’t seem to fit in this place.
Even among people emitting a dangerous atmosphere, Lancer showed no sign of fear. Perhaps due to the aura emanating from him, the people lingering around cleared a path for them.
Lancer opened the door of the tavern.
+++
The slave market had a theater-like structure.
Chairs were arranged in front of the stage, and guests would raise placards to bid on slaves who came up on stage. There was only lighting on the stage, making it difficult to see the faces of the guests, but most of them seemed to be nobles or wealthy commoners. They were mostly men, but there were also a few female guests.
However, there were no guests as young as Ariana.
Suppressing a yawn, Ariana thought,
“This is the seventh time. Let’s just watch ten and leave.”
The announcer shouted loudly,
“This time, we have a gladiator-born slave. From the Bahoeg region beyond the capital, where the locals are known for their bravery. A famous figure who recorded fifty wins and fifty losses at the Horolur Gladiator Arena, the renowned Bison!”
When the name Bison was mentioned, the venue became noisy. Everyone showed interest, tilting their heads toward the stage.
Ariana was the same.
“Bison. He’s being traded here too.”
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.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
