“No, it’s just the beginning.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“It’s a time-consuming matter, not easily resolved.”
“You look very tired.”
“Do I?”
“Yes. If you had informed me in advance, I would have gone to your mansion.”
“I made a promise to you, so I had to keep it.”
As Kaern finished speaking, he stopped walking and turned his head towards me.
“You still call me ‘Duke.'”
“Uh, yes. It feels a bit awkward.”
“Awkward?”
“Yes. I guess it’s because I’ve been used to calling you something else…”
I fumbled for words, making a clumsy excuse.
“Even if I want to hear it?”
“Uh…?”
I hadn’t expected him to say something like this.
Looking into Kaern’s eyes, I realized I couldn’t just brush off this situation lightly.
Above all, I didn’t want to ignore his wish.
‘Maybe it’s for the best.’
I had called his name countless times when he wasn’t around.
So all I had to do was replace the word ‘Duke’ with ‘Kaern.’
Trying to shake off my nervousness, I clenched my fist slightly and slowly parted my lips.
“Ka…ern.”
Finally, I called out his name.
Not when I was alone, but while being with him.
It was strange.
As I called his name, the anxiety and tension that had filled my heart vanished, replaced by anticipation and excitement.
Was it because of that?
The uneasy and tormented look that had been flickering in his eyes seemed to fade away gradually.
“Once more.”
“What?”
“Could you say it one more time?”
“…Kaern.”
Responding to his low request, I called his name again.
“Good, Helena.”
Kaern responded by calling my name.
“Kaern.”
The initial difficulty was gone, and there was no more hesitation.
“It sounds nice. Continue calling me that from now on.”
“Yes, I will.”
Afterwards, I pretended not to notice the peculiar atmosphere between us and slowly walked further into the garden.
“This garden must be managed by you, just like the one at the Duke’s mansion.”
“Yes. Unlike the spacious garden at the Duke’s mansion, I arranged this one to suit its smaller size… What do you think? Is it alright?”
“The garden seems to resemble you.”
“Resemble me?”
“Yes. It feels warm and comforting.”
Surprised by his unexpected compliment and feeling acknowledged, my mood lifted considerably.
“Come over here. There’s a place I really want to show you.”
Excitedly, I impulsively grabbed his wrist and led him to my most cherished spot.
“Please have a seat here.”
Soon, we reached a bench, and I gently guided Kaern to sit down.
He complied easily, sitting on the bench as I instructed.
I sat down next to him and continued speaking.
“This is my favorite spot in the garden.”
I had always wanted to show this place to Kaern, but I never expected the opportunity to arise like this.
Unable to hide my joy, I chattered away to him, and he just quietly watched me.
“Duke?”
“Kaern.”
“Oops, Kaern.”
He slightly furrowed his brows, correcting my use of his title.
“Kaern. Kaern.”
I murmured his name a few more times, trying to get used to it.
Then I realized I was still holding onto his wrist.
“Oh, sorry.”
I quickly released his hand, startled.
“Have I been holding onto your hand this whole time? Did I grip it too hard?”
I asked as I carefully examined his wrist, but it was hard to see in the dark night.
“It’s alright.”
“Phew, that’s a relief.”
I smiled faintly at his reassurance.
“You like this place?”
“Yes. Sitting on this bench at night, looking at the garden, it almost seems like the flowers are soaked in moonlight. Don’t you think so?”
Beaming, I sought his agreement, and Kaern slowly nodded his head.
“I see.”
“It’s also beautiful when the crescent moon is out. The sky is filled with stars. I regret that I can’t show you both views at once.”
That night, with the full moon hanging high, barely any stars were visible.
“We can see it next time.”
“Next time? Oh, right.”
His mention of a next time momentarily startled me, but I quickly masked my surprise and continued.
“Of course, you can come and see it anytime. Ah, you can come tomorrow too.”
Wait, tomorrow won’t work.
Caught up in my excitement, I had forgotten the situation he was in.
As I was about to correct myself, Kaern spoke first.
“I’d like that, but I won’t be able to for a while.”
“The work is still unresolved, right?”
“Yes. So, about what we were discussing earlier. You want to study abroad?”
“Yes? Ah, yes.”
Kaern naturally brought up the conversation we had at his mansion earlier.
I calmed my fluttering heart and carefully observed his face.
He didn’t look as upset as when I first brought it up at his mansion.
“The empire is offering support for those who want to study abroad. I really want to seize this opportunity.”
“Then go.”
“What?”
“Go ahead. Even if you don’t get support from the country, don’t worry about the expenses.”
He willingly encouraged me to study abroad, even offering to handle the expenses.
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
“But an annulment is absolutely out of the question.”
As I hesitated, he firmly rejected the idea of an annulment.
“But Kaern…”
“Absolutely not.”
He sternly shook his head with a hardened expression.
“The study period might be several years.”
“Several years?”
“Yes. It’s a long study abroad, and I plan not to return until it’s completed.”
I was alert and precise in conveying my thoughts to him.
“Are you really planning to go away for that long?”
“Yes. It’s not just about the expenses, but I feel I might miss this opportunity to fulfill my dream.”
“Ah…”
Kaern sighed deeply at my unchanging answer.
“Still, no matter how many years it takes, go ahead. But an annulment is absolutely not an option.”
His response remained the same.
Kaern was as adamant, if not more, than I was.
“Our conversation will keep going in circles like this.”
“You still call me ‘Duke’…”
“Kaern.”
I corrected myself after he pointed out I used ‘Duke’ again.
“Are you really okay with this? I might not return for 10 years.”
“Several years, even decades, doesn’t matter. As long as you return and marry me.”
“Why are you so fixated on marriage? You don’t even…”
I almost blurted out that he was expecting too much from someone he didn’t even have feelings for.
Luckily, I managed to stop myself in time.
“Let’s think straight.”
I regained my composure.
What should I do? How can I convince him?
But no clear solution came to mind.
I didn’t want to be at odds with Kaern like this. He had already taken on too much responsibility and sacrifice as my fiancé.
I have to find another way.
‘I might have to deceive him…’
Soon, a war will break out, and Kaern will have to leave the capital.
Since he won’t be able to watch over me during the war, he’s encouraging me to study abroad.
To an outsider unaware of the situation, studying abroad during a war might seem riskier.
However, unless it’s a total war crucial to the nation’s fate, most wars are not about crushing the opponent and enslaving them, but rather a kind of territorial conquest. Therefore, battles usually don’t advance much beyond the borders. This means that most citizens of the empire, unless they live near the border, continue their daily lives without much disturbance, simply hoping for the safe return of those who have gone to fight. The empire itself, about a decade or so ago, occasionally had to return lands taken in the heat of conflict. But ever since Kaern was appointed as the supreme commander, there has been no news of a single defeat in battle.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
