“15 gold bars is a significant sum. I’m not always carrying gold bars with me. How can I pay you 15 of them? Isn’t it obvious you should come and get them?”
“But…!”
“15 gold bars are enough to buy a huge mansion here. Why would I pay such a sum for a few days of translation? Obviously, it includes the fare and effort to cross the desert.”
“Ah…!”
This was a scam. Her firstever deal turned out to be a scam.
It must be a dream. A terrible dream.
‘Wake up, please wake up from this dream!’
It’s a dream. Somehow, recently, only good things happened!
But no matter how much she pulled her hair, she didn’t wake up from the dream, and the words clearly written on the contract wouldn’t magically change.
‘It’s not a dream!’
After a while, Latifa Glaesia, who had been pale, finally denied reality. She couldn’t easily accept the fact that she had been scammed.
“You altered the contract?! It can’t be! My contract…! I’ll check mine too!”
One copy was with Hades, and one with Latifa Glaesia. The contracts were made in two identical copies.
Latifa Glaesia, who was about to faint, suddenly remembered this and quickly pulled herself together.
Clearly, this treacherous desert man didn’t want to give me the gold bar, so he tampered with the contract.
She shot a sharp glance at Hades, who wore a nonchalant expression, then quickly turned away and ran to where Brenda was.
[Star Icon][Star Icon]As soon as Latifa rushed into the tent, Brenda greeted her warmly.
“Latifa! I heard the desert people are departing the day after tomorrow. Did you get the gold bar today?”
“Brenda, just a moment! Wait…!”
Frantically, Latifa searched the tent for the contract she had drafted with Hades a few days ago.
“I kept it somewhere!”
Her mind went blank, and her hands wouldn’t cooperate.
How was she supposed to survive without the gold bar? Should she really go into the desert? How would she endure there? There are venomous snakes slithering in the desert, and the sandstorms are fierce. She would surely die if she went into the desert.
‘But I can’t live properly without the gold bar…!’
Despair clouded her vision as tears filled her blue eyes.
She had worked hard for Hades, who had trampled the empire with the promise of financial support. Was all her effort in vain?
[Dash]Flap.A piece of paper fluttered out from between the fabrics.
“The contract!”
Latifa quickly grabbed it, wiping away her tears, and skimmed the contents, hoping against hope that Hades hadn’t maliciously altered the contract.
‘Payment location, payment location…’
But her ignorance came at a cruel cost.
[Dash]Payment location: Caleb’s private land.“This can’t be!”
A heartwrenching scream escaped her lips, and Brenda hurriedly approached her.
“Why? What’s written on this paper that’s got you so upset?”
Latifa’s lips trembled, unable to explain to the unsuspecting Brenda that all their plans had evaporated. That the fifteen gold bars were now gone.
“Brenda… We’re ruined.”
“What?”
“We won’t get the gold bar…!”
“What? Why?!”
“I messed up the contract… Oh, the contract… sob.”
“What about the contract? Speak clearly! Why can’t we get the gold bars?!”
“Waaah!”
Overwhelmed by sudden grief, Latifa burst into tears and hugged Brenda.
“We’ve been scammed…! He says he’ll only give us the gold bar if we follow him into the desert!”
“What…?”
Brenda stood in stunned silence. The realization that she too had lost a great hope left a deep ache in Latifa’s heart. Brenda must have also been looking forward to a fresh start. And it felt like she had shattered that dream.
For days, while working as an interpreter, she had felt proud and valuable. Now, she felt utterly pathetic.
Unable to stop her tears from flowing, she continued to cry out her remorse.
“I’m so sorry, Brenda. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry!”
Latifa continued to apologize, sobbing uncontrollably and clinging to her friend’s neck.
[Star Icon][Star Icon]After what felt like an eternity, when Latifa finally emerged, her eyes were red and swollen. She had cried so much in such a short time that she had a headache and her voice was hoarse.
“Sniff. Miss, what happened to your face?!”
Some desert soldiers, who she had met a few times because of work, were shocked to see her condition and inquired about her wellbeing.
She had a feeling that the desert soldiers were being unusually kind to her lately.
“I cried.”
“Are, are you okay?”
She wanted to say she wasn’t, but she swallowed those words and replied bravely.
If she had learned anything since the empire’s downfall, it was that even if things weren’t alright, pretending they were gave her a little strength. Simply crying and wallowing in despair wouldn’t solve anything.
“It’s alright. These are the last of the items, right?”
“Yeah… Did you cry because of the general?”
“…….”
Yes. Your great general deceived me!
He must be so pleased to prey on an inexperienced girl from a defeated desert nation!
She held back the urge to shout loudly and closed her mouth silently.
Seeing her desolate expression, desert soldiers offered her dried fruits from their pockets.
“Ah, thank you! You didn’t have to give me these!”
“Eat. We know how difficult it is to work under General Hades.”
“Yes. He is a bit weird and very picky. Ah! And once we leave, we have to ride horses for a long time, so please take good care of me.”
“Me too, me too! My back has been bad lately, so I absolutely cannot fall off.”
“The horse…?”
Suddenly, soldiers around her crowded in, each making a brief comment as they entrusted their horses to her.
‘Why are they asking me to take care of their horses?’
Latifa tilted her head at the strange comments from the soldiers. Then, just as quickly as they had gathered around her like a swarm of bees, the soldiers dispersed, returning to their respective places.
Without even looking back, she felt a chill down her spine and knew instantly who had arrived.
Hades Caleb Ignite. It could only be that despicable and sneaky man.
She intentionally avoided his gaze and just bowed her head, his large shadow cast down upon her.
Latifa took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully before speaking to Hades.
‘If I don’t go to the desert, he won’t give me the gold…’
After a good cry, the only conclusion that came to her clear mind was one.
“Seeing you’re back to help, it seems you assessed the situation quickly. The desert isn’t such a bad place. The imperials have their own misconceptions about the desert[—].”
Latifa interrupted Hades’ words and calmly said,
“I won’t go to the desert.”
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
