Die If I Can't Marry Off My Favorite (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
“Come to think of it, I’d momentarily forgotten—what was it you said was difficult just now? Is there something I can help you with?”
Just as a pleasantly warm atmosphere had settled in, Canis suddenly asked me.
Had I really said something was difficult?
“Oh… right. Ah.”
That’s right—I’d just been pondering how to meet Asperan.
This was perfect timing. Canis, as Asperan’s closest confidant and the captain of the palace guards holding a high rank, would surely know the proper way to request an audience with the sovereign.
I readily shared my concern.
“I have something important I’d like to discuss with His Lordship, but I don’t know how to arrange a meeting. Could you possibly tell me the proper procedure to request an audience?”
“An audience?”
Canis rubbed his chin thoughtfully, lost in contemplation.
“Ordinary officials must submit formal audience requests through an aide or chamberlain, but Miss Shuria, you may go directly to the office. Your position is comparable to that of Mr. Prom, the head of the research institute. Is this matter urgent?”
I nodded. At that, Canis declared heartily,
“Excellent! His Lordship happens to be nearby right now. He stopped by the training grounds briefly to observe the knights’ drills. Come with me!”
“R-right now?”
“Yes! Isn’t it urgent?”
“Well, yes, but…”
Still, this is far too sudden! Besides, I haven’t even figured out how to phrase my request to persuade Asperan yet!
But Canis gave me no chance to refuse.
“Then let’s go, Miss Shuria! I’ll guide you myself!”
Canis herded me toward the training grounds like a goatherd driving his flock. Helplessly, I allowed myself to be led along.
For some reason, my encounters with Canis always seem to end like this—is it just my imagination?
[This is the timeline separator]“So… you came to see me?”
Both Canis and I nodded vigorously at Asperan’s question.
Asperan sighed as if exasperated, wiping away the sweat trickling down his face. I swallowed hard.
‘Damp and glistening… my absolute favorite…’
Water droplets fell steadily from his dark, slicked-back hair, slightly deeper in hue than usual.
A faint flush had returned to his previously pale cheeks, and his lean torso, wrapped tightly in a thin shirt, displayed a sculpted, perfect symmetry.
Determined not to miss a single precious moment of this sight, I stared unblinkingly at Asperan. He frowned slightly.
Then, without warning, he tossed a large towel over my head.
“Ah! I can’t see!”
“Your Lordship? Why did you do that?”
Canis quickly pulled the towel off my head as I flailed about. At Canis’s question, Asperan furrowed his brow again.
“…I just got a very unpleasant feeling.”
“An unpleasant feeling?”
“Never mind. Just state your business.”
Asperan tossed the sweat-dampened towel aside, crossed his arms, and leaned against a tree.
Which made his truly magnificent biceps stand out even more… Ah! No, that’s not the point.
I mentally slapped myself hard across the cheeks. With my favorite person right before my eyes, my desires seemed to be clouding my judgment more and more.
Before Asperan could chase me away for making him uncomfortable, I hurriedly got to the point.
“I came to make an earnest request of Your Lordship.”
“A request?”
Asperan swept his wavy hair back and asked. I took a small breath, clasped my hands together, and stood respectfully.
“Your Lordship, could you possibly spare me some time once a day?”
The moment I finished speaking, the knights circling the training grounds suddenly erupted with a loud “Wooow—!”
My eyes involuntarily turned toward them. Why were they reacting like that? Did they spot a squirrel or something? But there was nothing in the training grounds except the knights themselves.
Asperan also glanced toward the commotion. The knights instantly fell silent upon meeting his gaze.
Having swiftly quelled the disturbance, Asperan turned back to me.
“Continue. Why do you need me to spare time?”
Alright. Now I had to persuade him well. Recalling the rough plan I’d prepared in my mind, I began to speak.
“It’s about the Moonlight Wolfhounds. Your Lordship mentioned taking them on the Beltraum expedition, but for that to succeed, they’ll need regular interaction with others besides me.”
“Why?”
“Over the past two weeks, I’ve observed enough of their behavior to know they show absolutely no interest in anyone outside their pack. So, to coordinate effectively during the expedition, we must first integrate ourselves into their pack.”
“…”
“But once they mature fully, they’ll certainly refuse to accept new members. That’s why we must start building rapport with them now—especially you, Your Lordship, as their master.”
“…Hm.”
Asperan gave no clear reaction. Seeing this, Canis stepped in to support me.
“Wouldn’t it be good to set aside time once a day to walk the puppies? Your Lordship needs rest—you’ve been overworking yourself.”
I nodded enthusiastically. Asperan tapped his chin lightly.
Finally, he spoke.
“Once a day is too much. Once a week.”
Once a week? Who was he kidding? I protested.
“At that frequency, Your Lordship, we won’t even learn their names, let alone build any bond. How about five times?”
“No. I’m busy. Twice.”
“I fully understand how occupied Your Lordship always is, of course. But twice is still far too little. So, as a reasonable compromise, how about four times?”
“What do you mean ‘reasonable compromise’? You’re just picking your preferred number. Three times. No more.”
“I can’t possibly concede any further, Your Lordship! Please, let it be four times.”
“Three.”
“Four!”
Like a rabbit that had lost all fear with its liver already exposed, I stubbornly insisted—not ‘three,’ but ‘four!’
Asperan pinched the bridge of his nose as if pained and muttered,
“…You’re the first person who’s ever pushed their opinion so insistently in front of me.”
Finally, with a deep sigh, he relented.
“Fine. Four times it is.”
“Just as I expected! Your Lordship’s magnanimity is deeper than the ocean and wider than the sky!”
Beaming ear to ear, I bowed deeply.
And so, starting the very next day, my special operation to grow closer to Asperan began.
[This is the timeline separator]Hair perfectly smooth without a single strand out of place—okay.
Eyes utterly free of impurity, paired with a trustworthy, gentle smile—okay.
Crisp blouse without a wrinkle, navy skirt and top projecting a neat, professional image—okay.
Spotless boots, free of mud or any other stain—okay.
Finally, after slinging a small bag filled with essential work items over my shoulder and donning a black fur coat—comfortable, sturdy, and wonderfully warm—I was battle-ready.
Satisfied, I spun around before the full-length mirror. Perfect—no matter how many times I checked, there wasn’t a single flaw.
Today’s battlefield was named “My First Puppy Walk with His Lordship.”
My goal for the day: to showcase my competence so brilliantly that Asperan would exclaim, “I’m glad I kept you by my side!”
With the confidence of an undefeated general, I straightened my chest and marched proudly toward the kennels.
In the kennel’s play area, our Moonlight Wolfhounds—Sammeomma—were spinning around together, playfully tussling over a single toy.
As I approached the fence, the pups wagged their tails and came running to greet me at the gate. My sweet darlings—so well-behaved.
Sammeomma’s condition today was absolutely perfect. Cuty looked wonderfully healthy, bouncing energetically; Tiny’s gentle face was utterly endearing; and Awesome’s bright black eyes sparkled with sharp intelligence.
I scratched each pup under the chin, then took a brush from my bag to tidy up only the most visibly unruly tufts of fur.
Next, I fitted them with specially commissioned harnesses—crafted by Beloi Castle’s finest artisans—and attached their leashes.
While doing so, I explained today’s afternoon walk to them.
“Today, we’ll be walking with someone else. But don’t worry—you can just be yourselves, Cuty, Tiny, and Awesome. Run, sniff, and play as you always do. Understood?”
“Woof!”
All three barked loudly in unison. These clever pups really seemed to understand every word I said.
Gripping the leashes firmly, I stood up.
“Alright then, shall we go?”
“Woof!”
The meeting spot I’d arranged with Asperan was the familiar pine forest trail near the research institute—the very place I always took Sammeomma for walks.
Standing at the trailhead with the pups, I waited—and right at the appointed time of 2 p.m., Asperan appeared.
I quickly bowed in greeting.
“I greet Your Lordship!”
“Yes.”
Asperan gave a light nod in acknowledgment and stepped forward to stand before me.
Our eyes met, and I couldn’t suppress the fluttering in my chest—I happily wiggled my toes. Truly, my favorite person looked absolutely stunning today as always.
His tired, slightly deeper-set eyes, the stark contrast between his jet-black hair and pale skin—everything was perfection itself. He resembled an elegant leading man from a classic black-and-white masterpiece film.
While I admired his appearance, Asperan was also gazing steadily down at me.
He remarked offhandedly,
“You’re dressed rather lightly today. Usually, you bundle up so much I thought you might roll around on the floor.”
“What? It wasn’t that bad!”
I instinctively jumped up, protesting loudly.
Admittedly, before Canis gifted me that temperature-regulating magic necklace, I did wear about three layers of coats because I was so cold.
And yes, I did fully armor myself with scarves, hats, and gloves… but I certainly never lost my balance and rolled around!
‘Wait a moment—how does he even know what I used to look like?’
Could he have come to see me? I tested the waters cautiously.
“By the way, Your Lordship, how did you know I used to wear so many layers?”
“…Just happened to see you passing by.”
Asperan answered curtly, as if it were nothing.
But I knew better. The research institute was in such a remote location that no one would pass by unless they specifically came here.
As far as I knew, Asperan hadn’t visited recently to meet with any researchers.
Which could only mean—he had personally come here specifically to see me, and no one else.
My lips curled into an involuntary smile. The mere thought that he hadn’t forgotten about me lifted my spirits inexplicably.
I’d sensed it faintly before—but surely, Asperan felt something for me too…
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Oh my, I understand Shuria’s stressed feelings.. I also often do it when doing assignments..
is canis the second male lead? because the aura of the second male lead is very strong…