‘They said Irkah is spring all year round, so this must be the last time I’ll see snow.’
It was nice to see the snow for the last time on the day I was leaving Langrangcha.
Boo-wooo-
The ship’s horn sounded loudly, signaling departure. Soon, the ship began to move and left the port of Venice.
“Please call anytime if you need anything. We will do our utmost to ensure a comfortable journey for you.”
“Thank you. You may leave now.”
The suite that the sailor guided me to was very spacious.
I sent the sailor out and called for Mary who was in my pocket.
“Mary, you can come out now.”
“Squeak!”
Mary, who had been squirming in my pocket, leaped out and landed on the floor.
“I’m glad we managed to board the ship safely…”
Mary undid her animal transformation and changed back into a person, sighing in relief.
“You did well, Mary.”
Perhaps because the tension had eased, drowsiness came over me and I lay down on the sofa.
I don’t know how much time had passed. I opened my eyes as Mary gently shook me awake.
“Miss, they say we’ll be arriving in Irkah soon.”
“…Irkah?”
Coming to my senses and looking in the mirror, I saw that I had returned to my original appearance.
‘It seems three hours have already passed.’
I left the suite and went up to the deck, where Irkah could be seen nearby as dawn broke.
Unlike the cold winter of Langrangcha, fragrant flower petals were fluttering in Irkah.
‘Child. This is where we’ll live from now on. Do you like it?’
I got off the ship and spent a long time observing people passing by leisurely and happily.
“Miss, Irkah feels relaxing.”
“Indeed.”
I was satisfied that it seemed like a good environment to raise a child.
“Are you Lady Larien?”
My gaze met with a man of pure impression, his long wheat-colored hair tied to one side.
‘They said an agent to teach me about the merchant guild would come to greet me.’
Noticing that he was the person Earl Boston had mentioned, I shook his hand.
“I heard from Earl Boston via communication orb. I’m the agent of the Boston merchant guild. You can call me Aaron.”
When I grasped Aaron’s hand, I felt a strangely tingling sensation.
Aaron, who responded kindly while adjusting his glasses, seemed very familiar.
Diego Barbosa.
The traitor who had put a knife to the Emperor’s neck and was sentenced to hanging but escaped.
“Diego… Barbosa?”
His kind eyes changed to a chilling gaze. He slightly revealed his pointed teeth, proving he was a snake shifter, and whispered quietly.
“…We’re both in a position to hide our identities, so let’s pretend not to know. I’ll do the same.”
The venomous fangs of a snake shifter were a powerful weapon that could cause aftereffects severe enough to lose one’s voice for a while.
His eyes looked as if he might sink his teeth into my neck at any moment.
“…Please take care of me, Aaron.”
“Let’s go to the villa, Lady Larien.”
Aaron’s eyes softened into gentle curves.
[This is the timeline separator]The villa exuded an antique and quiet atmosphere.
“It would be good to start the merchant guild work in earnest after you’ve recovered from your travel fatigue. I heard about the baby from Earl Boston, so I’ve prepared a midwife.”
“A midwife?”
“She’s a capable midwife who has taken care of most of the mothers in Irkah.”
I wondered if this was the same person as before, given Aaron’s kind attitude in preparing a midwife in advance.
“Ah, Earl Boston asked to contact him when you arrived. The communication orb is in my study, so let’s go together.”
“…Alright.”
I followed Aaron to the study at the far end of the second floor.
As Aaron brought the communication orb and fiddled with it, a blue light appeared.
−Larien, you’re safe! Did you arrive well in Irkah?
Soon, Earl Boston’s voice was heard from the communication orb.
“Yes, Uncle. I just arrived and came to the villa.”
−That’s a relief. There was a fire in the annex where you were staying, what happened? I was shocked, but then I was relieved to know that the ship ticket had been used.
“I set the fire when I escaped. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance.”
Earl Boston laughed heartily, seeming satisfied, through the communication orb.
−No, there’s nothing better than that to erase traces. As long as you weren’t hurt, it’s fine.
“How is the situation with the Belaste ducal family?”
−They all think you didn’t escape from the fire. When I was about to file a missing person report just in case, the Duchess opposed it. She wanted to process it as a death… Tsk.
‘The words of apology were lies after all.’
I felt bitter for no reason.
Was it because ‘Larien Belaste’ was made to no longer exist in this world?
‘It’s as if I killed Larien again with my choice to set the fire…’
Not only did I steal her body, but I couldn’t even live properly as her.
−Larien, are you alright?
“Yes. Don’t worry, Uncle. I feel rather unburdened!”
I deliberately raised my pitch, not wanting to worry Earl Boston further.
Although I couldn’t stop my tears from welling up, I bit my lip hard.
“Earl, the connection of the communication orb is not good, so I’ll contact you again later.”
Click−
Aaron, who had been quietly watching this, turned off the communication orb. I stared at Aaron with a bewildered look.
“W-What did you just do?”
“If you cry, the Earl will worry. Wipe your tears first.”
Thanks to Aaron, who handed me a handkerchief and spoke gruffly, I wiped my tears.
I suddenly became curious about how Aaron became Earl Boston’s subordinate and the agent of the merchant guild.
‘Even at a glance, he seems highly loyal to Uncle.’
It was interesting that he, who wouldn’t even serve the Emperor, sincerely followed Earl Boston.
“May I ask how you came to Irkah?”
Aaron hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a bitter voice.
“My father was the captain of the knights guarding the Emperor. My father died protecting the Emperor, but the Emperor disgraced my father’s death.”
Aaron’s voice was brimming with anger towards the Emperor.
“…So you tried to kill the Emperor to avenge your father.”
I understood why he had put a knife to the Emperor’s neck.
“Yes. Although I failed. On the day I was waiting to be inevitably sent to the guillotine, Earl Boston, who was my father’s acquaintance, saved me.”
Aaron bowed deeply towards me.
“Ah, Aaron?”
“Earl Boston told me to raise Lady Larien as the heir of Boston. So from now on, I will treat you as Young Lady Boston. I look forward to working with you, Young Lady.”
I realized from Aaron’s changed way of addressing me.
That from now on, I must live as the young lady of Boston.
“I look forward to working with you too, Aaron.”
Although I was taking Diane’s place, the sense of responsibility was heavy.
[This is the timeline separator]A pitch-dark bedroom where not a sliver of sunlight could enter.
Empty bottles rolled on the floor, the smell of alcohol filled every corner, and all the curtains were drawn so that it was impossible to tell if it was day or night.
“…!”
Jade, who had woken up in a cold sweat from another nightmare today, picked up a wine bottle placed on the side table.
He uncorked it and gulped down the wine.
If he didn’t drink, if his mind was clear, the image of Larien dying appeared before Jade’s eyes.
‘How long has it been since Larien died?’
He couldn’t even gauge how many months he had been living like this.
Jade had shut himself in darkness, drawing the curtains so that not a single beam of light could enter. He thought he didn’t even deserve to see light for killing Larien.
His sister’s pleas to come to his senses, seeing him deteriorate, didn’t reach him.
When Jade rushed to the annex where Larien was staying after hearing the news of the fire, the scene he saw was horrific.
The annex was blackened, filled with acrid smoke.
Traces of black soot were spread everywhere.
Larien was nowhere to be seen.
Only the dresses that Larien cherished had become scattered ashes.
The floor was hot from the flames.
The thought that Larien’s life had ended in such a place drove him mad.
Larien, who was pregnant, had difficulty controlling her shapeshifting due to hormonal imbalance.
When she turned into a sparrow, she must have burned to death in the fire, leaving not even a corpse behind.
The clear fact that she had burned to death broke Jade down, never to rise again.
…When he couldn’t quite realize that Larien had really died.
On the third day, a letter from Larien arrived.
The letter read:
Did you hear the news about me?
Although we can no longer see each other or be together, I won’t forget the time we spent together.
Larien’s last greeting ended with thanks for being her friend.
Reading the letter, Jade realized that Larien had chosen death herself. From then on, Jade heard hallucinations of the dying Larien.
A voice crying out for help. But Jade couldn’t save Larien who was already dead.
If only he hadn’t torn up the train ticket, she wouldn’t have died.
Because he stopped her, his actions to keep her by his side led to a terrible result.
He created a situation where Larien had no choice but to die.
He ignored the signals Larien sent asking to be saved. She had said she hated being hurt the most in the world, how scared must she have been burning in the flames?
Larien was right when she said they should have stayed moderately close.
Larien had planned to seek asylum in another country and live happily.
Because he approached her presumptuously and desired her when he shouldn’t have, Larien died.
He missed her desperately.
Even though he had no right to long for Larien, he dared to.
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.]
