Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.
The departure lounge was bustling with passengers indulging in duty-free shopping.
Luxury bags, French wines. The faces of those laden with shopping bags were full of vitality. Taesang glanced at such passengers with a dry gaze and checked the time casually.
Fifteen minutes left until boarding. It was cumbersome to go to the lounge, and it didn’t make sense to linger in front of the gate either.
No interest, but maybe I should browse the duty-free shops. He cast a meaningless glance into the distance. At the end of the shopping street lined with luxury stores, a small grocery store caught his eye.
His feet naturally moved in that direction. There was nothing he needed, but as always, his heart was drawn.
Eiffel Tower-shaped tin case, a cookie box with the French flag drawn on it.
Taesang quickly scanned through the products as if sifting through them. Suddenly, a smile crossed his face when he discovered something.
A shell-shaped sponge cake, it was madeleine.
“Do you like madeleines?”
The one who asked was Kim, the secretary who accompanied him on a business trip for the first time today. She seemed to have a considerable burden on her hands, mentioning having a child in kindergarten.
“Yes. I like them.”
“I thought you didn’t like sweet things much, but it’s surprising.”
Maybe because he grew up with his grandfather, Taesang had never been fond of sweet food since he was young. Desserts like cookies or cakes were even less interesting to him.
But madeleines were different. Every time he felt the sweetness spreading in his mouth, it seemed like memories of that day when he shared a small madeleine with the affectionate child.
On a summer day when cicadas were loudly chirping, a memory of sharing a madeleine with that affectionate child.
Taesang lightly smiled and picked up a box of madeleines.
“Secretary Kim, please get one too. The kids will like it.”
“Ah… I’ve already bought too many.”
As if to say, “Look at this,” he raised both hands lightly.
“To be honest, I don’t know if this is delicious. It looks dry.”
“Is that so? I find it delicious. It’s like steamed potatoes.”
“…Steamed potatoes?”
“Yes. Steamed potatoes.”
Kim, the secretary, looked at Taesang’s gently curved mouth without realizing it.
For three months since receiving the assignment to the assistant manager’s office, they had spent every day together, but she had never seen such a gentle expression.
Staring blankly, Taesang, carrying several boxes of madeleines, headed towards the checkout counter. Thanks to this, Secretary Kim missed the opportunity to ask what he meant.
Steamed potatoes. No matter how much he thought about it, bread tasted just like bread. He chuckled and looked at the madeleines laid out in front of him.
Buzzing, the yard where cicadas loudly cried.
Taesang sat at the end of the terrace, looking at the summer scenery. Gardens full of brightly blooming flowers on every tree branch, grass sparkling in the sunlight.
Unlike the garden with tall pine trees, there was a quaint and delicate flavor here.
Today, on Saturday, Taesang came to the piano teacher’s house for a lesson. He wasn’t particularly interested in the class, but he was happy to have somewhere to go on the weekend.
Being at home all day felt like torture.
“Taesang, why aren’t you leaving?”
Passing through the living room, Hyunwoo approached and asked. Until last year, he had been active as a pianist in France, but he returned to Korea after getting married.
“I’ll leave in a little while.”
“Are you worried about your parents?”
There’s no need to worry about parents.
Since it’s not yet time for my grandfather to return, my stepmother will treat me like a transparent person, and Subin will sulk between me and my mom.
Rather than seeing that obvious scene, it was better to look at a well-maintained garden.
“The knight probably contacted you already.”
Hyunwoo bent down and met Taesang’s eyes silently. His sharp gaze during the lesson had somehow softened.
“Don’t you want to go home?”
“No. I just… prefer it here.”
His attitude of casually turning the conversation was quite natural.
He must be in the sixth grade of elementary school this year. It was an early age to master such artifice. He wanted to ask what was going on, but if he did, it seemed like he might be kicked out for no reason.
Hyunwoo lightly patted Taesang’s shoulder as if he didn’t know anything.
“Sure. Stay as long as you want.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Alone, Taesang turned his gaze back to the garden.
Staring blankly at the cicadas, playing meaningless foot games, and even dozing off, the free time surprisingly passed quickly.
Now I should probably go.
Seeing the sun at its zenith, it seemed like it had already passed twelve.
When he tried to pick up his bag and stand up, the doorbell rang in the living room. Checking the intercom, Hyunwoo headed to the front gate across the stone path in the yard.
Jing.
A little face of a small child popped out through the slightly open door gap.
“Teacher!”
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.]
