Cecile clasped her head in her hands. She couldn’t bear to see the Countess she had cherished and raised from infancy be subjected to the cruel rumors of jealous individuals.
“The Grand Duke said he came to investigate the accident of Duke Schwaben.”
“What? The Duke… No, why would they come to our Countess for that investigation?”
Cecile was bewildered.
“It seems there might be some connection between the Duke’s family and the Countess. The late Duke was said to be a distant relative of the Countess’s late mother, and his death could bring a significant inheritance to the Countess.”
One problem led to another. Cecile just wished for Celeste to have a peaceful life.
That’s why she reluctantly let her go when she insisted on leaving the capital for recuperation after her carriage accident, hoping she’d return to find a suitable husband.
“But now, with her memory lost, we couldn’t find out anything about the child.”
Hanna sighed in frustration. She had taken on Valery’s childcare, sure of the child’s kinship with Celeste, but the situation was just as confounding for her.
Cecile, Hanna, Kendrick, Mueller, and Liv – the five most devoted to Celeste – gathered to brainstorm, but all they could do was sigh in concern.
“Bubu…”
The sound of breathing momentarily drew everyone’s attention. Valery, who had been asleep in the arms of a nursery maid, was now awake, her eyes wide open. Her plump cheeks, flushed rosy as if she had just woken from a good sleep, were endearingly adorable.
Hanna’s face, previously set in a frown, melted into softness at the sight of Valery. Regardless of the complications, Valery was just Valery – how could anyone not melt at the sight of such a lovely and cute baby? Hanna opened her arms wide and rushed to embrace her.
“Still, she is the Countess’s blood. Don’t you think she already has remarkable beauty?”
Such an overprotective comment. Cecile shook her head in disbelief, then her eyes met Valery’s. Indeed, as Hanna had said, Valery was an irresistibly cute baby, with large eyes that seemed to take up half of her face, holding a deep blue like the ocean’s depths.
“Blue eyes…?”
Yes, Valery’s eyes were blue. A pure, unadulterated blue without a hint of green or yellow. Such eye color was rare. A face quickly flashed through Cecile’s mind.
“It couldn’t be Grand Duke Toscour, could it?”
Liv’s voice trembled as she asked, suggesting that she, too, thought of a specific someone upon seeing Valery’s blue eyes.
“Which Grand Duke?”
“That, the one with blue eyes…”
“Which one are you talking about?”
Blue eyes were almost a hallmark of royalty. And in this kingdom, there were only two Grand Dukes with such eyes. In other words, there were ‘two’ potential fathers for Valery.
“Grand Duke Toscour.”
Liv whispered as if revealing a great secret, careful as if someone might overhear, even though everyone present loved and cherished Celeste Aisha Luise.
“What? Nonsense!”
Madame Margaret interjected sharply. Grand Duke Toscour, of all people? Impossible!
“It’s not nonsense, Madame Margaret. There were rumors that the two had been lovers for a long time.”
Liv’s eyes were wide with sincerity.
“How can you say such things? Regardless of his status, he’s such a promiscuous man… How could he possibly be associated with…”
Margaret’s words were full of disbelief. The very idea of linking such a debauched man to their Countess was unacceptable.
“There’s not zero possibility. Grand Duke Toscour actually invited the Countess to his mansion often, and there were even rumors in the social circles of Kelleber…”
“No, Liv. It’s not like that.”
Hanna, who had been silently observing while comforting Valery, interjected, looking frustrated.
“Why, Hanna? Do you know something?”
As Hanna was with Celeste in Urentum, where the child had suddenly appeared, she might have some solid information. Hope flickered in Cecile’s eyes, hoping to at least exclude Franz from the list of potential fathers.
“In my opinion…”
“What do you think, Hanna?”
“The father of the child,”
“The father is?”
“I think it’s Grand Duke Albrecht.”
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.]
