When The Silver Bell Of Charlotte's Pharmacy Rings (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
Of course, Charlotte remembered.
Unlike others, whose memories she could blur, she herself possessed an astonishingly precise and meticulous memory.
If she could recall events from ten years ago as vividly as if they had happened yesterday, there was no way she could possibly forget a conversation that had occurred less than two hours ago.
“Of course I remember. But so what? Are you telling me to use some kind of feminine charm on Baron Lireld and lure him into that gloomy room or something?”
“You seem awfully proud of your own beauty.”
“If you looked like this, you’d understand exactly how I feel every time you looked in the mirror.”
Matiel let out another quiet laugh. For someone who rarely—sometimes not once in an entire day, or even two or three days—showed a smile, this was truly extraordinary.
Indeed, even those who knew him well would have been equally astonished.
Charlotte tilted her head slightly, raised her chin, and wore an expression of indifference and arrogance—but this only made her beauty stand out even more,
just as the most splendid and thorniest rose stands out vividly among its vines.
Matiel gazed intently at her face with evident satisfaction, then smiled faintly once more.
“It’s easier to have confidence than to lack it. And it’s far better to be clever than dull. Since you possess both, I won’t have any further trouble in this tedious party.”
Charlotte’s eyes, as she looked up at Matiel, grew sharper.
“What you just said…”
Matiel blinked, flexed his gloved fingers a few times, then nodded.
“You’re absolutely right. I’d appreciate it if you’d use that beauty—the kind that makes even yourself marvel every time you glance in the mirror—to bring Baron Lireld to that room. I’ll handle everything after that.”
What an outrageous man, Charlotte thought. It wasn’t just his proposal—it was his brazen attitude that made her genuinely irritated.
“Do you think I’m some kind of escort who flirts with men using coquetry?”
“I never said anything of the sort.”
“Telling me to use my beauty to lure the baron into a room *is* exactly that. I’ll have to decline such help.”
Charlotte turned sharply to leave.
Matiel clicked his tongue in exasperation and grabbed her wrist, but when Charlotte twisted her shoulder to pull away, he showed both palms and stepped back a pace.
But it certainly wasn’t a full surrender… not at all.
“We don’t have time for this. While you and I are whispering and arguing here, matters are progressing by the minute. If Baron Lireld gets that item out before we do, it’ll be over. There’ll be no turning back.”
Whether or not things became irreversible—and whatever trouble he might face—was honestly none of Charlotte’s concern.
She would have stormed off long ago if she hadn’t already given him her word. But…
〈Don’t forget, Lotti. People born with your talent must never casually say ‘I promise.’ Always consider the price you’ll pay for making such a promise.〉
“Damn it all. Why is everything going so wrong today? Nothing’s working out properly.”
Charlotte thought to herself.
She suddenly recalled giving all the ominous banknotes from her wallet to an unusually exhausted beggar, how she’d ended up missing the lunch she’d been craving because of it, meeting Tae Mi, and realizing she wouldn’t be able to keep her promise to him that “it wouldn’t be too late.”
Though Charlotte’s frown and brief moment of distraction lasted only a short while, Matiel, as if unable to wait even that brief time, spoke again.
“I could always just grab the bastard by the collar and drag him there myself—but we can’t afford any commotion. For now, this is the only way to handle it quietly.”
Charlotte flicked her dry lips with the tip of her tongue, making a sharp “tck” sound.
It was a little habit she had when lost in thought, and Matiel’s gaze briefly flickered to her red lips before he startled at his own reaction and quickly looked away.
Charlotte spoke.
“There are other ways besides that outdated trick.”
[This is the timeline separator]Baron Lireld heard the news that his wife had collapsed while drinking, yet he had no intention of going to check on her.
He didn’t even ask exactly what had happened.
It was common knowledge—not just to the baron, but to everyone working in the mansion, even the youngest apprentice who only polished the shoes of senior servants—that over the past few months, the baroness had frequently thrown hysterical fits over trivial matters, suddenly bursting into giggles one moment and flying into a rage the next, behaving like a neurotic patient.
At first, he had been slightly concerned, but soon enough, he grew utterly weary of his wife’s erratic behavior.
Whenever the head butler reported that she had severely mistreated the maids, he simply ordered them to ignore it.
His feelings for Baroness Lireld had long since cooled—even before whatever “thing” had begun to fester within her—so pretending not to notice his wife’s clearly worsening mental state was an easy task.
And above all, he had a far more pressing matter on his mind…
Something far more important than a wife he’d never passionately loved to begin with.
“I need to wrap this up soon. Surely that fool hasn’t dozed off midway. If he has, just wait—I’ll twist his nose with the largest clamp he owns.”
Whether or not cutting up Sir Rogues’ diamond was easy was none of Baron Lireld’s concern.
The man he’d hired—a fellow named Lance, who claimed to be “the goose of the revolutionary government” yet was terrified of mice—was exceptionally skilled at creating counterfeit gems or authenticating real ones.
Lance also possessed various other handy talents, but what caught Baron Lireld’s attention was his hobby of crafting miniature replicas of actual objects, sometimes no larger than a fingernail.
Most of these models were items Lance felt too embarrassed to show others, yet his craftsmanship was so exquisite that one often couldn’t guess what the original material had been.
“I’d better go check myself. If he’s slacking off, I’ll kick his backside—better to move when the halls are busiest, so I attract less notice.”
Baron Lireld set down his now-empty glass and said,
“Oh, I must excuse myself for a moment. I should go see if my wife has awakened.”
The party, having reached its peak, was beginning to wane, and the guests’ eyes—previously dull from idle chatter—suddenly glinted with the sharp hunger of carnivores spotting fresh prey.
The moment the baron turned away, they immediately began gossiping about rumors that the baroness had lately seemed mentally unstable.
This new topic revived the conversation with renewed vigor, drawing in even those who had been idly wandering about in search of entertainment, making the scene even noisier.
The baron heard the chatter right behind him but showed no reaction—indeed, he felt nothing at all.
He simply didn’t care what they said about his wife, whether they belittled or ridiculed her…
Just as he was nearly across the hall, the head butler—the one who enjoyed his utmost trust—suddenly appeared and blocked his path.
“My lord, a young lady is waiting for you in your study. She insisted I bring you to her at once.”
For an instant, every nerve in Baron Lireld’s body stood on edge.
All he could vividly picture in his mind was the enormous diamond necklace—currently being meticulously disassembled, assuming Lance wasn’t asleep.
Had the baron paid slightly more attention to the butler’s unusually vacant eyes instead of the diamond necklace, events might have taken a different turn.
But Baron Lireld merely asked,
“Which study? And who exactly is this ‘young lady’?”
“I didn’t catch her name. She was a stunning young lady with silver hair. It’s the study on the left side of the corridor. She said she wishes to meet you privately, without anyone else knowing.”
The study on the left side of the corridor. Baron Lireld strode past the still-dazed butler with long, determined steps.
Fear mingled with a strange excitement surged through him.
Anxiety that whatever was happening beneath that very study must not be discovered by anyone, combined with the butler’s words—“a beautiful young lady” and “wishes to meet you without others knowing”—made his heart race.
The study remained dark and shadowy, just as he’d left it.
Yet Baron Lireld could clearly make out the silhouette standing by the window where faint moonlight seeped through.
Even though the curtains almost entirely blocked the window, leaving only a dim light source, and even though the mysterious visitor showed only her back… the baron suddenly felt as if his head were on fire.
It was the most beautiful female silhouette he had ever seen in his life.
“Ahem.”
When the baron cleared his throat, the woman—Charlotte—turned toward him.
She kept her lower body still, first turning her shoulders, then slowly, ever so slowly, lifting her chin—a movement utterly mesmerizing.
Baron Lireld’s face flushed crimson in the darkness.
“Good evening, my lord.”
The moment Charlotte’s voice slipped from between her lips, Baron Lireld was already striding swiftly toward her.
But just as he closed to within a couple of paces, Charlotte raised her hand, signaling him to stop.
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.
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To be honest, Tae Mi is my favorite character in this novel.
Wow that’s grotesque. I didn’t think this novel was going to be so gorey