Before the banquet, Ileana had introduced me to her, insisting that I should remember her. Despite not having a high title, she was said to wield considerable influence in the social circles.
Known as a great gatherer of information, not just in the social scene but throughout every corner of the capital, every rumor apparently reached her ears.
Her gestures indicated she was about to reveal a secret, and everyone leaned in eagerly, not wanting to miss a word. I, too, was among those listening intently.
What could this story be that she started it so intriguingly?
“Sometimes late at night, His Highness Prince Ian is seen appearing at the southern gate of the royal palace.”
‘The south gate? That’s near 17th Street, where the pharmacies and herb shops are clustered…’
The pharmacy I used to run was located at the edge of 17th Street, quite close to the south gate.
“Really? But why would he be there, especially if he’s been too unwell to attend official meetings?”
“It’s probably just a rumor.”
“But Countess Monica’s words have never been just rumors, have they?”
Countess Monica seemed to command considerable trust among these people. Everyone reacted as if her words were the absolute truth.
A lady in a navy dress, speaking cautiously, chimed in.
“Actually… I’ve seen His Highness near the south gate.”
Her quiet words drew significant attention.
“Really?”, “Indeed, Countess Monica’s words are trustworthy.” They all reacted with amazement.
“My residence is near the south gate. Returning from Countess Pireina’s banquet, I happened to see him!” Countess Monica inquired about the exact location near the south gate.
“He was at the site of the burned-down pharmacy. The building had turned into a ruin after the fire, and he seemed lost in thought, looking at it. I couldn’t approach him due to the atmosphere.”
Hearing that Ian was seen at the site of the pharmacy fire pricked at my heart. I had been so busy adapting to this new life that I hadn’t fully considered how deeply Ian might have been affected by my death.
Although I had thought of him and worried about delivering medicine, I hadn’t really considered his feelings.
“A pharmacy fire? I know it. The fire spread so widely that the pharmacist sleeping there died. Could it be that the ghost of that old maid pharmacist haunted Prince Ian?”
I glared at the blonde noblewoman who made the comment.
An old maid ghost, indeed! That’s quite harsh! And even if I had become a ghost, why would I haunt Ian? What wrong has he done to me?
And to imply Ian was possessed or mad! There are things you can say and things you should never say!
“That’s unlikely. He appeared perfectly sane at today’s banquet. He looked thinner than before, but still sharp.”
“True. One can hide physical illness, but madness cannot be concealed. I’ve seen the eyes of a mad person; they’re utterly bizarre.”
The lady in the navy dress who had seen Ian added her observation in a quiet voice.
“That’s right. It didn’t look like he was possessed. Rather, Prince Ian’s demeanor was… like he had lost a loved one, a kind of deep, sorrowful air.”
This was surprising in a different way.
‘Not the grief of losing a loved one, but the sorrow of losing a friend, or the regret of losing the only pharmacist who could make his medicine…’
Having known Ian for a long time, it’s true that we shared a bond different from others. But hearing these baseless assumptions that we were in love made me feel awkward and embarrassed, like my insides were being twisted.
“Anyway, there have always been rumors that His Highness Prince Ian has a secret lover.”
“He’s of marriageable age, yet he hasn’t gotten engaged and has turned down numerous proposals.”
“But would Prince Ian and a common-born pharmacist even have a chance to meet?”
Countess Monica inquired cautiously.
“We can’t know for sure. Just like in those popular novels, love at first sight happens. Maybe Prince Ian, during his incognito inspections of the people, found himself in danger due to assassins, and a common-born pharmacist, who happened to witness the scene, saved his life…”
Apparently, Countess Monica wasn’t just a social circle informant but also a novelist with a rich imagination. The story was cliché for a novel.
But the other ladies seemed to take her words as truth, listening intently.
Countess Monica’s voice wasn’t loud but carried a captivating quality. Given the trust she commanded, it seemed anything she said was believed.
If she had claimed Ian was actually descended from dragons, they probably would have been just as engrossed. If only this story wasn’t about Ian and me.
“Unaware of his royal identity, the pharmacist must have treated him just like any other patient. Prince Ian, charmed by her indifference, might have said, ‘You’re the first woman who’s ever treated me like this.'”
I was witnessing the ridiculous genesis of baseless rumors. Despite my discomfort, her tale continued, captivating everyone.
“Initially, he might not have believed his feelings, but realizing it was love, Prince Ian must have felt despair knowing they couldn’t be together.”
“Why couldn’t they be together?”
One of the ladies, caught up in the story, exclaimed.
“Prince Ian is royalty, and she’s a commoner. There’s an insurmountable barrier of status between them.”
“Oh, how tragic…”
“Love that transcends class…”
“I wish to experience such passionate love.”
“The Prince’s actions now make sense. He’s been working hard to establish himself, even though he didn’t need to.”
Everyone nodded in understanding. I felt like I was the only one who didn’t get it.
“Isn’t it natural for the Prince to strengthen his position?”
Their response to my question was as if they were explaining something to a child.
“Prince Ian’s situation is different. He’s not in danger like the Emperor, who had many half-brothers and intense internal strife. Prince Ian is the legitimate firstborn.”
“Plus, his only brother, Prince Daniel, has no interest in the throne or politics. He prefers to enjoy the privileges of royalty without the hassle of politics.”
“Exactly. Prince Ian, in particular, seems very keen on strengthening the imperial authority. There are nobles who oppose this, but so far, the Emperor’s influence has been strong enough to… Anyway, many nobles are anxious about this. They fear Prince Ian might desire a reign of terror like the Emperor.”
“It seemed unnecessary for him to risk so much, but if he’s in love with a commoner, it makes sense. If his position is strong enough, marrying a common woman might not be impossible.”
Despite their explanations, I was still puzzled.
“Is that even possible? For a prince to marry a commoner?”
Then, it was Elena who spoke up.
“It’s not impossible. The commoner can be adopted into a noble family to ‘cleanse’ her status, then get married.”
“Adoption, status cleansing… Such deception is possible?”
“There have been actual cases.”
“It wasn’t exactly the same, but there was a lot of talk when Empress Melina married the Emperor. She was from a virtually unknown noble family from a remote area.”
“Considering she was from a baron’s family, which doesn’t inherit titles, it’s almost like being a commoner.”
“The nobility couldn’t even voice their opposition.”
“If they didn’t want to lose their heads, they couldn’t even mutter a word.”
Their conversation reminded me of something Ian had once said.
“If there’s no other wish I can fulfill, how about marrying me?”
I had thought it a ridiculous joke, but apparently, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
Not that I believed his marriage proposal was serious.
“Seeing how he has withdrawn from politics recently and sunk into despair, it seems true.”
“To lose a loved one in an accident… how pitiful…”
“A man despairing in the agony of love…”
They all had dreamy expressions on their faces, as if picturing Ian in their minds.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
