When the Cruel Dark Lord Tenderly Seduces (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2
By the time I returned home, quite a bit of time had already passed.
On the way back, Nellia once again thought that her behavior had been strange.
‘Why did I suddenly empathize with a wild animal like that…?’
Still, she was somewhat satisfied with what she had done today.
She had never in her life influenced anyone before, but today she had saved a life.
For Nellia, who had spent her previous life scrambling just to survive, this was a rare experience.
But Nellia’s sense of pride vanished the moment she stepped through the front door.
“Did you bring it?”
No sooner had Nellia set foot inside than Layton burst out, looking for the strawberry tart.
“No.”
“What?”
Layton immediately scowled.
“They were sold out.”
Even after Nellia’s explanation, Layton clearly wasn’t convinced.
“Damn it! Can’t you do anything right?!”
He raged like a disobedient child featured on a parenting advice TV show.
Unable to bear it any longer, Lily stepped in.
“Layton, I’ll have Daina buy it first thing tomorrow morning, so hurry over to the tailor’s now. If you don’t go today, your formal attire won’t be ready in time for the party the day after tomorrow.”
Layton exhaled sharply, scowling, and turned to Lily.
“Then you must absolutely remember to buy that strawberry tart tomorrow.”
Only after Lily assured him several times did Layton finally leave in the carriage.
‘Hmph, maybe I should just poison the tart next time.’
Nellia glared at the departing carriage.
“Nellia, you too. The dress we ordered last time has arrived, so go try it on.”
Ah, so I’m going to the party as well.
Now that she thought about it, her mother had mentioned something about a party during breakfast.
“It’s a special event hosted by the imperial household—we can’t possibly attend looking shabby.”
A party hosted by the imperial household…?
Could it possibly be the very same party where, in the original story, Nellia caused a disaster?
“This party is where His Majesty the Emperor plans to make an important announcement.”
…That’s right.
The “important announcement” was the official introduction of Crown Prince Carlos.
Until now, Carlos had never once appeared at any formal occasion, despite being the crown prince.
‘It was because he was born out of wedlock, and thus faced constant disregard and criticism.’
People refused to recognize Carlos as the crown prince, and Carlos himself, knowing this, avoided formal appearances.
However, after awakening as a Swordmaster and performing great feats in war, he would finally gain recognition as crown prince.
In other words, this party marked the first public appearance of the crown prince, who had been shrouded in mystery.
Conversely, for Nellia in the original story, it was her final party.
Thinking of this party as her execution ground in the original plot, Nellia’s palms grew clammy with sweat.
She briefly considered whether there was any way to skip the party, but recalling Lily’s words just before coming upstairs, she realized even that seemed impossible.
“Nellia, I know you’ve been avoiding crowded places lately, but you absolutely must attend this particular party. Our family could suffer serious consequences if you don’t.”
Lily had preemptively warned her, fearing Nellia might refuse to attend the party after spending recent days holed up in her room.
‘Indeed…’
This wasn’t just any ordinary gathering—it was the formal unveiling of a crown prince who had previously existed only unofficially.
If she didn’t attend, it might be interpreted as refusing to acknowledge the lowborn heir.
Nellia bit her lip.
Of all the parties to attend, it had to be the one where Carlos made his appearance.
After a moment of grim silence, Nellia quickly reassured herself.
‘No, I won’t act like the Nellia from the original story.’
In the original, Nellia had brought about her own downfall. As long as she avoided repeating those actions, there would be no problem at all.
Thinking this, her racing heartbeat began to calm slightly.
Nellia swallowed her anxiety along with a dry gulp.
The day of reckoning arrived sooner than expected.
“Nellia, are you ready?”
Lily’s voice called from downstairs.
The whole family bustled about, preparing for the special party. The imperial household’s event was larger and more significant than they had imagined.
After all, it was said that every important figure in the empire would be in attendance.
“Just a moment!”
Nellia, with a soft pink rose tucked into her hair, had just finished dressing.
As she was about to head downstairs, she realized she was still wearing her indoor slippers.
‘Ah, I haven’t picked out my shoes yet.’
As Nellia looked around, a maid approached and offered her a pair of shoes.
“These white high-heeled shoes would match your purple dress perfectly, miss.”
The shoes the maid held out were white, high-heeled, and sharply pointed—indeed a stylish complement to her elegant dress.
‘Still… the heels seem awfully high and pointy.’
She wasn’t sure she could walk properly in them, having never worn high heels before in her life.
As Nellia hesitated, the maid leaned closer and whispered,
“The only other pair that would suit this dress is black—but if you wear those, you’d look exactly like a matching couple with Master Layton. He’s wearing deep violet formalwear and black shoes today.”
“I’ll take these.”
Thanks to the maid’s tip, Nellia instantly chose the white shoes.
As expected, the high heels proved difficult to adjust to. She walked awkwardly down to the first floor, where her parents stood fully ready.
“Our Nellia, you look just like a violet flower today.”
Lily gazed at Nellia with an expression full of emotion.
Lately, Nellia had noticed something.
Namely, that Lily took exceptionally good care of her.
Her previously rude and unruly daughter had grown quiet, which evidently delighted her mother greatly.
Yet, paradoxically, the more normally Nellia behaved, the more worried Lily seemed—especially about when Layton would finally mature.
Nellia had once overheard Lily muttering absentmindedly,
“When will Layton ever grow up…?”
Most likely, comparing him to Nellia’s recent behavior had triggered such thoughts.
“You’ve ruined everything because of you!”
Just then, the sound of immature Layton descending the stairs reached them.
Lily’s warm gaze toward Nellia faded, replaced by a weary look as she glanced up the staircase.
Moments later, Layton appeared, stomping down with an angry scowl, trailed closely by the flustered maid Daina.
“I specifically said I didn’t like these shoes!”
“What’s the matter, Layton?”
Lily asked as Layton reached the first floor.
“I clearly asked Daina to bring me shiny black shoes, but she brought these dull leather ones instead!”
Ah, that guy again.
Seeing Layton fuss over something so trivial and berate the maid made Nellia’s expression darken involuntarily.
“Layton, we’re running late.”
Unable to tolerate it further, their father Sean spoke sternly, prompting Layton to finally climb into the carriage.
He grumbled the entire way to the party.
By the time the palace’s grand party hall came into view, Layton had fallen silent, apparently worn out.
Nellia felt the same—but not from fatigue. She was stunned.
As they stepped out through the doors, a riot of colors filled her vision.
The spacious garden was packed with people—so dazzlingly extravagant it almost hurt her eyes.
Careful not to trip on the grass with her high heels, Nellia walked cautiously inside.
Inside the venue, the crowd was even denser.
“It’s really packed with people…!”
“Naturally—all the nobles from the capital are here. I even heard Duke Hart, who rarely attends parties, will be joining us tonight.”
Lily and Sean spoke while surveying the venue. Beside them, Nellia’s expression hardened as she listened quietly.
‘…Duke Hart?’
Remembering another major character from the novel she’d forgotten, Nellia couldn’t hide her consternation.
Why hadn’t she considered that Duke Hart would attend this party?
Given that the Emperor himself was making an important announcement, of course a high-ranking official like him would be present.
Just then, Lily pointed toward a spot in the venue.
“Duke Hart is over there.”
Nellia’s neck turned stiffly.
No wonder—since entering, that area had been teeming with people.
Through the crowd, Duke Hart’s face became partially visible.
“Wow…”
Despite her nervousness, Nellia found herself involuntarily letting out a gasp of admiration.
This wasn’t human beauty.
Though the novel often praised his appearance, seeing him in person was an entirely different experience.
So striking was he that the elaborately dressed young noble ladies around him seemed to fade into grayscale.
‘Is he even real…?’
His flawlessly sculpted features weren’t merely handsome—they bordered on ethereal beauty.
His silver hair and eyes, shimmering under the light, lent an otherworldly quality to his appearance, evoking a celestial being from myth.
‘But unlike his angelic looks…’
His personality was far from angelic.
Early in the novel, Duke Hart was portrayed as a charming secondary male lead who fell hopelessly in love at first sight with the heroine.
However, midway through the story, the tone took a sharp turn.
In truth, Duke Hart was the villain, systematically eliminating the Emperor’s allies one by one to exact revenge for his father’s death.
If revenge required it, the Duke would meticulously investigate and exploit every detail of his target’s household, family, and fortune.
‘And that wasn’t all.’
When necessary, he’d cut out tongues, crush limbs, and blind eyes—without so much as blinking.
He was, in every sense, the novel’s cruel and ruthless mastermind.
“Let’s go greet Duke Hart, dear.”
“Agreed. It’s rare to see him at parties like this.”
Hearing her parents’ conversation, Nellia stealthily took a step backward.
“I’ll go take a look around the venue first. You two go ahead and greet the Duke.”
Others might want to get close to him, unaware of his true nature—but she’d rather avoid him entirely. If possible, she’d skip even a simple greeting.
Lily tilted her head, puzzled.
“Will you be alright on your own?”
“Of course! I’ll just take a quick look and come right back here. You go ahead.”
“Alright, Nellia. Be careful not to bump into anyone.”
Nellia gave her overly concerned mother an awkward smile, then quickly slipped away into the crowd.
Now alone, Nellia intended to find where the treasure she’d damaged in the original story was located.
If she identified its location in advance, she could simply avoid that area entirely.
As she circled the venue, she glanced furtively at doorways leading to other rooms.
‘Hmm… Where exactly is the imperial treasure that Nellia touched in the original story?’
The treasure was a necklace adorned with a gem called “Tears of Elena.”
The necklace, set with a rare blue gemstone, was worth an astronomical sum.
In truth, however, the true value of Tears of Elena couldn’t be measured in money.
Though no one here knew it yet, Tears of Elena was an ancient artifact that would lead to the Heart of the Gray Dragon, the god of wrath.
Legend said that whoever found the heart would have one wish granted by the Gray Dragon.
Later in the story, the heroine Charlotte would set out with the male lead Carlos to find the heart and fulfill her wish.
Thus, this artifact served as the crucial key driving the novel’s main characters forward.
‘Of course, I have no interest in it.’
Yet, she couldn’t spot any place that seemed likely to hold the necklace.
Since in the original, Nellia had come to the party and accidentally disturbed the necklace, it must be somewhere nearby—close enough for a careless mistake.
Just then, a sharp pain shot through her heel.
‘Wearing unfamiliar shoes sure made my feet sore quickly.’
Exhausted, Nellia plopped down onto a chair tucked away in a corner of the hall.
She half-took off her shoes and surveyed the bustling party venue.
‘Where could Carlos be right now?’
Though the party hadn’t officially begun, he must already be somewhere inside. Once it started, the Emperor would formally present Carlos to everyone.
In the original story, this exact moment—just before the official start—was when Nellia caused her disaster.
Because she hadn’t recognized Carlos yet, she’d made that fatal mistake.
As unease slowly crept back in, Nellia clenched her fists tightly.
‘No, there’s nothing to fear. I already know what Carlos looks like, and I won’t go anywhere near that necklace.’
Carlos had ash-gray hair and black eyes—an uncommon appearance in this world, making him easy to recognize.
Moreover, since she didn’t even know where the necklace was, as long as she remained cautious, she wouldn’t get close to it.
While Nellia reassured herself this way, she suddenly sensed someone watching her.
The gaze was quite blatant—
so obvious, in fact, that even lost in thought, Nellia noticed it.
Turning her head, her eyes met a pair of silver ones.
‘…Huh?’
Nellia’s eyes widened.
The one staring at her was none other than Duke Hart.
Startled, she quickly looked away.
‘…Must’ve been my imagination.’
When she glanced back at where the Duke stood, he was engaged in conversation with the crowd surrounding him.
Nellia soon came to her senses.
‘Of course…’
There was no reason for Duke Hart to be staring specifically at her amidst this sea of people.
He had no connection to Nellia in the original story, and her appearance wasn’t particularly eye-catching.
Perhaps their eyes had just happened to meet by chance as she turned her head.
Relieved by this thought, Nellia sighed—just as a sweet scent drifted over from beside her.
Turning, she spotted strawberry tarts on the catering table next to her.
The reason these tempting desserts were only catching her attention now was simple: the light dinner she’d eaten earlier was finally catching up to her.
Her mother had strictly warned her to eat only a little, fearing the tightly fitted dress might not sit right—so before coming, all she’d eaten was cabbage salad.
Consequently, the sight of delicious food instantly made her mouth water.
‘Right, forget about Duke Hart—let’s just enjoy some dessert.’
Nellia picked up a small strawberry tart from the catering table.
Though not as delicious as those from the famous bakery her mother had given her, it was still quite good.
‘Mmm.’
Truly, the noble life had its perks.
Being in such a magnificent place and enjoying free, delicious desserts was wonderful.
Nellia, savoring the strawberry tart with closed eyes, opened them with a satisfied smile.
At that moment, she felt that intense gaze again.
This time, it was impossible to ignore.
With a sense of foreboding, Nellia slowly shifted her eyes.
Where her gaze landed stood Duke Hart.
His eyes, cutting through the noisy party crowd, were fixed entirely on her.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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