49 Times Left, Master! (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
What on earth did I just hear? I stared blankly at my disciple.
Meanwhile, my disciple calmly took the white sake kettle and touched its surface.
I kept wiping the corner of my mouth, cursing inwardly. What is this disciple even saying? Has he gone mad from reincarnating too many times?
I don’t remember clearly, but apparently in my life before last, I killed him. And in the previous life, he killed me to get revenge? Between us, it’s always been poison and blood—what nonsense is this?
If I answered here with a simple “woof woof woof,” my disciple would probably just reply, “I see.” His words were that out of the blue.
“Your lips will wear thin.”
Startled by his teasing chuckle, I quickly lowered my handkerchief. It seemed I’d been absentmindedly rubbing my lips with it the whole time.
I quickly retorted.
“They won’t wear thin from this much.”
It was a rebuttal to his pointless joke.
“Hmm. I suppose that’s true.”
But his sudden, unexpected agreement made me freeze again. What’s he talking about now? Why does he speak as if he’s rehearsed lines with me?
After tossing out that strange remark, my disciple drank water elegantly by himself.
I felt inexplicably uneasy and kept fiddling with my handkerchief. I was already regretting coming here to drink with my disciple.
I certainly hadn’t wanted to come in the first place—but maybe I should’ve refused more cleverly?
Just then, as I noticed a part of the handkerchief had flipped over while I fiddled with it, my thoughts suddenly shifted.
Ah. Maybe what my disciple said wasn’t asking if I liked him—but rather, whether I’d evaluate him as a potential object of affection?
“…….”
Now that I thought about it, that made more sense. His offhand comment had been too ambiguous—I must have misunderstood.
Don’t friends usually say things like that to each other once in a while? Not that I’m friends with my disciple.
Anyway, once my mind settled a bit, I neatly folded my handkerchief and replied brightly enough to make up for my earlier silence.
“Your Highness is truly exceptional. Who wouldn’t admire you?”
“Is that so?”
“Of course.”
“If you’d answered a bit faster, it might’ve sounded convincing.”
“!”
I flinched. My disciple chuckled as if it were a joke, then lifted the kettle and tilted its spout toward me.
Was he offering me more? Instinctively, I cupped my cup with both hands, and the sake poured out with a soft gurgle.
Watching this, I added once more,
“I’m serious. Do you really think I’d joke about something like this?”
After all, we didn’t need to keep this mood up the whole drinking session. I needed to lighten the atmosphere a bit—otherwise, I’d end up with indigestion rather than drunkenness.
“Then, Master—how about admiring this disciple?”
But at his absurd suggestion, my hand trembled.
The sake being poured spilled onto my hand and the table.
“My apologies.”
I quickly set down my cup and grabbed the spare cloth beside me, placing it over the spill.
“Is it really that shocking?”
Still joking, my disciple set the kettle down.
“Didn’t you just say there’s no one who wouldn’t admire this disciple?”
What on earth is his motive for saying that? I glanced sideways at his expression. He couldn’t possibly be so foolish as to take my words at face value.
Judging by his actions in my past life, he’d never shown any inclination toward men. So why was he suddenly acting like this toward me?
Even though I’m disguised as a man, could he be instinctively drawn to me because I’m actually a woman? But that didn’t make sense—he’d killed me utterly mercilessly in my last life.
‘Could he have… undressed me after I died?’
No, no. Impossible. My disciple never gave proper burials to his enemies. He’d just dump their corpses into pits and bury them—humiliating them even in death.
There’s no way he’d grant me special treatment, carefully washing my body and changing my clothes. I was probably the person he resented most. It simply didn’t add up.
Besides, hadn’t he killed me while avoiding others’ eyes?
‘Then… did his feelings change after reincarnating?’
No, that’s nonsense too. It’s only been a few days since he reincarnated.
And the clearest proof he wasn’t serious was in his eyes as he spoke playfully. Despite his teasing tone, his gaze was utterly cold.
‘Could he be toying with me?’
I didn’t understand his reasons… but for now, I’d answer properly.
“Of course it’s surprising. I’m a man, after all.”
“So what?”
“Pardon?”
“Master, you like men anyway, don’t you?”
“!”
This disciple really intends to toy with me today. I nearly spilled sake on him in my shock as I held my cup.
I gripped my cup tightly and glared at him.
‘That bastard… Does he know I admired the Third Prince before reincarnating? He must be mocking me on purpose.’
Before reincarnating, I’d adored the Third Prince. After suffering terribly in silence, I eventually gave up those feelings—but at this point in time, I still admired him.
He must be deliberately mocking me, unaware that the me before him has already let go of those feelings for the Third Prince.
Otherwise, why would he say such a thing to someone famously known as a flirtatious womanizer?
Unable to control my expression, I deliberately hid my face behind my cup and sleeve as I drank. But no amount of alcohol could calm my boiling frustration.
Eventually, I stopped drinking and looked back at my disciple—only to find that while he’d poured me sake, he was drinking water alone.
“You suggested we drink sake while appreciating flowers, yet Your Highness only drinks water.”
Annoyed even by that, I sneered. Without even setting down his water cup, he replied,
“I poured sake for Master, but no one fills my cup.”
“I see. This servant lacks tact.”
I dramatically took his sake cup and filled it to the brim before handing it back.
As soon as I set the kettle down, my disciple expressionlessly took the cup and downed it in one gulp.
He was clearly expressionless—but to my eyes, he seemed to be mocking me, which only made me angrier.
The situation was already irritating enough, but his face—beautiful as a midsummer flower—only intensified my frustration.
I deliberately poured him more sake. Get drunk already.
He obediently accepted and drank it. His Adam’s apple moved slowly.
The moment he set his cup down, I poured again, and once more, he drank without refusal.
‘Isn’t he getting drunk?’
Then our eyes met again. The instant our gazes locked, my disciple asked softly, as if he’d been waiting,
“Have you made up your mind?”
“Just drink more sake.”
“Will I hear your answer before the bottle’s empty?”
“For now, just keep drinking.”
Since his proposal was clearly meant to tease me—was he determined to get an answer no matter what?
If I said I admired him, he’d insult or mock me; if I said I couldn’t, he’d probably scold me for disrespect.
Gritting my teeth inwardly, I was about to pour more sake for the sly fox—then changed my mind and only dampened the bottom of his cup slightly.
My disciple started to down it in one gulp again, but paused when he saw how little I’d poured—barely a mouse’s drop—and gave a small chuckle as he looked at me.
“What’s this, Master?”
Was my attempt to buy time too obvious…?
“Sake should be drunk slowly.”
Pretending not to notice, I replied sternly. My disciple smiled faintly and asked,
“Are you worried about my health… or the aftermath of rejection?”
“Both.”
Seeing him now pick up a fried rice cake as a side dish reminded me of an incident from my past life.
Right. Now that I thought about it, his alcohol tolerance was enormous. Back before reincarnation, around the time he suddenly rose in the imperial succession struggle—
He’d once had a drinking contest with the Eighth Imperial Princess. She’d died from drinking too much, but he’d been perfectly fine.
I’d heard they’d drunk all day… Well then. With that kind of tolerance, a few cups from me wouldn’t get him drunk.
Weakly picking up my own cup, I took a couple of sips. Unlike my disciple, I wasn’t a heavy drinker—I had to be careful. If I got drunk and babbled nonsense, it’d be disastrous.
Just as a cool sensation slid down my esophagus, a brilliant idea struck me.
My disciple was asking me to admire him because he knew that, at this point before reincarnation, I still admired the Third Prince. That’s why I’d been annoyed—but maybe I could use this to my advantage?
After all, he wasn’t interested in men nor did he like me—so even if I claimed to have a crush on him, he wouldn’t accept my feelings.
If I openly declared my admiration, he’d tease and mock me at first—but eventually, he’d find it annoying.
Maybe that annoyance would even lessen his wariness toward me.
It might seem out of character for someone known as a flirt to cling to him… but that’s others’ perception. Didn’t he seem to know about my past admiration for the Third Prince?
If I pretended to be smitten with the Thirteenth Prince, wouldn’t the Thirteenth Prince himself find my changed behavior less suspicious?
‘Wow. Am I a genius? This actually seems like a great plan.’
Alright. I’ll do it.
But switching my admiration suddenly from the Third to the Thirteenth Prince would look suspicious—so I’ll start by keeping both options open, then gradually shift later.
‘Wow, this is really good. Am I actually a genius?’
The moment I made up my mind, I asked casually,
“Are you still curious?”
My disciple, who’d been pouring and drinking sake alone, paused and looked at me—as if he’d already forgotten his own proposal.
“Your answer. About admiration.”
I quickly clarified. Only then did a strange smile appear on his lips as he said,
“The way you put it makes it sound as if I’d confessed my admiration to you first and was waiting for your reply.”
“…….”
“Yes. I’m still waiting for your answer.”
My disciple gave a knowing smile.
Suppressing the urge to flick his forehead—what’s there to smile about?—I took a calm breath.
Then, deliberately putting on the charming expression I only used when playing the flirt, I said brightly,
“Now that I think about it… admiring Your Highness might not be such a bad idea.”
The moment my words ended, his knowing smile dimmed slightly. Though he’d been the one to suggest it, he clearly hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. He must’ve assumed I’d refuse.
Seeing him look almost aghast, I deliberately added once more,
“After all, Your Highness is the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”
“!”
For the first time since we’d started drinking today, I saw him genuinely shaken by my words. It was so amusing I nearly burst out laughing.
But I held back my laughter and rambled on like a lecherous admirer of beauty,
“Far more graceful than those winter chrysanthemums Your Highness wished to admire. Yet, being so noble, you’re someone I’d never dare to harbor feelings for… But since you’ve laid the groundwork yourself…”
I left the rest unsaid and gave a bright smile. My disciple, who’d been staring at me intently, let out a short sigh: “Ha.”
Then, with a laugh bordering on hollow, he murmured in a voice barely audible,
“So that’s how you’ll play it?”
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.]
This is truly just very frustrating why is the princess sooo infatuated girl have a back bone don’t ruin yourself for a man
How many chapters are replaced with that one about princess bomoon? Is it 3rd time already? 😭