Synopsis and Starting Chapter Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90 - Light And Shadow>
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96
Chapter 97
Chapter 98
Chapter 99
Chapter 100
Chapter 101
Chapter 102
Chapter 103
Chapter 104
Chapter 105
Chapter 106
Chapter 107
Chapter 108
Chapter 109
Chapter 110
Chapter 111
Chapter 112 - The Morning Comes>
Chapter 113
Chapter 114
Chapter 115
Chapter 116
Chapter 117
Chapter 118 - After The Storm
Chapter 119
Chapter 120
Chapter 121
Chapter 122
Chapter 123
Chapter 124
Chapter 125
Chapter 126
Chapter 127
Chapter 128
Chapter 129
Chapter 130
Chapter 131
Chapter 132 -
Chapter 133
Chapter 134 - Epilogue 1.3
Chapter 135 - Epilogue 2.1: Traces Of Life
Chapter 136
Chapter 137 - Epilogue 2.3
Chapter 138
Chapter 139
Chapter 140
Chapter 141 - Epilogue 4.1: Ever After>
Chapter 142 - Epilogue 4.2
Chapter 143 - Epilogue 4.3
Chapter 144 - Epilogue 5.1>
Chapter 145 - Epilogue 5.2
Chapter 146 - The Most Romantic Weekend>
Chapter 147 - Short Stories 1.2
Chapter 148 -
Chapter 149 -
Chapter 150 -
Chapter 151 -
Chapter 152 -
Chapter 153 -
Chapter 154 - Short Stories 3.1: Unexpected Things Happen>
Chapter 155 - Short Stories 3.2>
Chapter 156 -
Chapter 157 -
Chapter 158 -
Chapter 159 -
Chapter 160 -
Chapter 161 - Short Stories 5.1: The Man Behind The Mask>
Chapter 162
Chapter 163
Chapter 164 -
Chapter 165 -
Chapter 166
Chapter 167 - Short Stories 6.2
Chapter 168 - Short Stories 6.3
Chapter 169
Chapter 170
Chapter 171
Chapter 172
Chapter 173
Chapter 174
Chapter 175
Chapter 176
Chapter 177
Chapter 178
Chapter 179
Chapter 180
Chapter 181
Chapter 182
Chapter 183
Chapter 184
Chapter 185
Chapter 186
Chapter 187
Chapter 188
Chapter 189 (End)
Categories Genre: All, Completed, Fantasy Status: Completed ______
Total Chapters in book: 189
Estimated words: 290059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1450(@200wpm)___ 1160(@250wpm)___ 967(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 290059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1450(@200wpm)___ 1160(@250wpm)___ 967(@300wpm)
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LIST OF LAST 10 CHAPTERS:
Page No. 189 Page No. 188 Page No. 187 Page No. 186 Page No. 185 Page No. 184 Page No. 183 Page No. 182 Page No. 181 Page No. 180 Page No. 179 Chapter 79
Chapter 79:
“I told you that I will let you live.”
Lisbeth’s blue eyes glared at me. She escaped from her mother’s arms and walked towards me. Agnes stopped her before she got too close. Lisbeth tried to kill me after all, so there was no way Agnes or my royal guards would let her get near me.
Her blue eyes looked crazy.
She murmured, “You will take everything from me and all you’ll give me is my life? How could you say that?”
The Duke tried to stop his daughter, but Lisbeth wouldn’t let him.
She screamed, “How can you be so selfish? You stole everything that was supposed to be mine!!”
“Stole?”
Lisbeth nodded and replied, “Yes! Without you, I would be the emperor’s wife! If it was me who was sent to become the concubine, I would be the one the emperor falls in love with!”
I knew this wasn’t true. If Lisbeth was sent instead of me, she would have been dead by now.
I said to her, “It was your choice to send me instead of yourself. It was your family’s choice too. This means the current situation was created by your choice. You tricked me and sent me to save yourself, and now you want what is mine?”
“You want to steal everything from me and now all you offer in return is my life? How can you even say that?”
I had enough. She wasn’t making any sense. This conversation was useless.
She yelled again, “If you are going to use me, then you need to pay for it!”
“Pay?”
“Give me the emperor’s love. It should have been mine! Don’t you agree?”
“…”
I was speechless. I was beyond angry now.
What the hell was this bitch talking about? His love?
“How dare you?!”
I spat my words out like knives.
“Even if I don’t accept his highness’s love, do you really think he will give his feelings to you?”
“… well…!”
Before Lisbeth could answer, I continued, “Even if you were the one who came to the castle, there is no way the current emperor would have fallen in love with you. It will never happen in this life or your next.” I smiled cruelly.
Lisbeth suddenly started to cry like an animal. “No! It can’t be!”
She tried to get to me and scratch my face. The guards stopped her quickly and threw her towards her parents.
“Liz!”
“Lisbeth!”
“My lady!”
Orlean and her parents held her while she continued to cry out loudly.
I looked at them coldly and said before leaving.”Think carefully about what you do next.”
***
Lucretius entered the Girand with an unpleasant expression.
The dowager empress requested his visit after Bina met with the Aeal family. It was clear the dowager empress knew what was happening.
She tried to kill Bina but failed. The emperor had the murder weapon in his possession. The dowager empress must have felt anxious.
Lucretius could ignore her request, but officially, she was his mother. He had to, at least, pretend he respected her.
He planned on warning her during this meeting. He grinned at the prospect of threatening her.
However, his smile quickly disappeared as he entered the dowager empress’s room.
The very pregnant lady was sitting on a semi recliner. Her red hair and eyes were blinding.
Katleyanira smiled like a snake.
“Welcome, your highness. I am sorry to bring you here, but your mother is unable to move due to her condition.”
She spoke as if Lucretius was her beloved son.
He answered just as smoothly, “It’s no problem at all. I am sorry I didn’t get to visit you sooner.”
The dowager empress smiled and asked him to sit. The maid brought in the tea set. Inside the cups were lined with silver. Lucretius grinned and took a sip.
“Your highness’ tea is the best.”
“My new principle maid-in-waiting is very good.”
Lucretius smiled at the mention of the change in maid.
“I’m glad to hear it.”
The dowager empress smiled generously. “By the way, I heard something bad happened?”
Lucretius’ face became rigid for the first time.
“… Yes.”
“That’s terrible. She hasn’t been in this kingdom for too long, yet so many bad things have happened to her already.”
Lucretius smiled again calmly and replied, “Your highness has nothing to worry about. We have already found the culprit, and based on the quality of the replica saddle, we know for sure the Bonafit family had someone helping them.”
“I… see.” The dowager empress’s smile didn’t waver.
The emperor added, “Don’t worry. The prisoners will confess soon. I will make sure nothing will happen to them, like what happened to Marchioness Toruka.”
“Of course.”
The dowager empress scratched her teacup causing horrible sounds.
Lucretius said to her quickly, “I am glad to see that you are doing well, your highness. As I said earlier, I have a lot of work to do, so I will get going. Please take care of yourself.”
His last words sounded threatening, but Katleyanira answered without even blinking.
“Please stay safe.”
***
After Lucretius left, Katleyanira tapped her cup again with her fingernail.
“So they are protecting the prisoners day and night.” Katleyanira giggled. “Well, there is more than one way to get them.”
She already had a plan in motion. The reason she asked the emperor to come was for something else.
“I’m surprised, but it must be true.”
She always thought he was emotionless. This was why he made the worst enemy.
However, something has changed.
It was only for a second, but Lucretius couldn’t hide his fury. He was always so careful in front of her.
He must have had genuine feelings for her.
She dropped the teacup on the ground. It hit it with a loud clang and shattered.
“How young and naïve to fall in love so easily.”
***
That night, I woke up from a nightmare. When I opened my eyes, I could hear noises from outside my window.
I walked out to the terrace, and what I saw made me speechless.
The burning smell made me cough. I almost fell on the floor.
The castle was burning. The fire was so big and red the sky above it looked like it was burning too.
It was a huge fire. It started from a nearby wing, and it almost reached the main quarters.
Many died, including the Aeal family who was trapped in the tower.
No one could figure out how the fire started.
I felt cold and hot at the same time. It was like a déjà vu.
Lucretius, who was sitting across from me, seemed to mirror my thought.
He murmured, “I have seen something similar before.”
I nodded. “Yes.”
He smiled gently and asked, “Who do you think it was? I want to see if we are thinking the same thing.”
I opened my mouth without hesitation. We were in my bedroom. It was just the two of us.
“It’s obviously the dowager empress. Last time, it was Marchioness Toruka.” I paused before adding. “This is too good to be a coincidence.”
Lucretius didn’t joke as usual. Instead, he agreed immediately.
“Yes. We were just about to interrogate the Bonafit family when this happened. Those were the only people who could testify against the dowager empress… How annoying.”
I felt angry. I frowned and nodded.
Lucretius smiled unpleasantly.
“She is an evil genius.”
I agreed with him. She was very intelligent, cruel, and determined.
The worst possible combination in one’s enemy.
She was getting even more dangerous. It was one thing to send an assassin, but to cause a fire big enough to burn down a whole wing was crazy.
Could… Could we really win against this woman?
I wanted to go back home. To return home, I had to first survive in this world.
I felt anxious and was about to bite my fingernails when Lucretius grabbed my hand.
I was confused. “What’s wrong?”
He touched my damaged fingernails.
“Hmm, you’ve ruined your hand.”
“Oh…”
Samantha and the other maids did their best to keep my nails pretty, but I always ended up ruining them with my bad habit.
I sighed and mumbled, “I should apologize to my maids.”
Something must have ticked him off. He frowned and held my hand tightly.
He asked, “Just your maids?”
“Pardon? Who else would I apologize to?”
Lucretius pouted like a child.
W, what the heck was with this guy?
“You hurt yourself. You should treat yourself better, my wife.”
He was making no sense, but I agreed with him anyway.
“I guess. I guess I should apologize to myself then.”
To my surprise, he continued to pout.
“That’s it?”
I didn’t know what else he wanted.
“What else is there?”
Lucretius kissed each of my fingers. After the five kisses, he asked me, “If you hurt yourself, it hurts my heart, so shouldn’t you apologize to me too?”
“…”
Too much! Too corny!
Someone help me!
I pushed my hand toward him. It was an unexpected move and because he was holding my hand, my action caused him to kiss the back of his own hand.
His green eyes looked surprised as they blinked.
I thought he looked cute just then.
What I did next… I couldn’t explain even if my life depended on it.
Perhaps it was temporary insanity.
Total Chapters in book: 189
Estimated words: 290059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1450(@200wpm)___ 1160(@250wpm)___ 967(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 290059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1450(@200wpm)___ 1160(@250wpm)___ 967(@300wpm)
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