Don't Pick That Flower (2 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 2
Carlos introducing himself to the witch and his overall demeanor toward her was astonishing enough—but what came next stunned everyone even more.
“I’m taking her with me.”
Baron Silas frowned.
“I understand your desire to take the witch away for your amusement, but she’s already been reported to the temple. If you take her now, it’ll put me in a rather difficult position…”
Without a word, Carlos handed him a check. The grand seal of the Esper ducal house stamped prominently on it caught the eye, but what truly seized Baron Silas’s attention was the amount.
Thirty thousand gold.
The temple did offer a reward for capturing a witch—but it was merely three hundred gold.
Faced with an offer a hundred times greater, Baron Silas’s eyes widened in disbelief.
A cold voice dropped over his head as he remained transfixed on the check.
“What will you do?”
It was a ridiculous question—there was no need to deliberate.
“I’ll prepare everything immediately.”
He could simply tell the temple the villagers had filed a false report.
They might scold him for not verifying properly, but he didn’t care.
Thirty thousand gold meant far more to him than the temple’s nagging.
Baron Silas chuckled inwardly and tucked the check into his inner pocket.
*
What on earth was going on?
Unable to adjust to the sudden turn of events, Irene blinked slowly, curled up in the corner of the carriage.
Though it was her first time riding in a carriage—and thus fascinating—she had no time to marvel at it. Being placed inside meant she was being taken somewhere.
Hadn’t that man himself declared he’d take her away?
She didn’t know where he intended to bring her, but she was certain it wouldn’t be anywhere good for her.
…Perhaps he planned to indulge himself with her before killing her.
Her heart, which had briefly calmed at the thought of having survived a little longer, began pounding again.
‘Should I run away now?’
Irene’s gaze fell on the door.
If she opened it, could she escape?
But what if she failed? She’d surely be beaten severely…
Having already experienced it once, she knew exactly how painful that would be.
While she hesitated, unable to flee easily, the carriage door opened and Carlos climbed in.
Thus robbed of her chance to escape, Irene quietly abandoned the idea.
Right after him, an unfamiliar man also entered the carriage.
Wearing deep navy clothes matching his hair color and a monocle with a long silver chain, the man placed a hand over his chest and bowed deeply toward Irene.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss.”
Flustered by the unfamiliar, overly polite address—something she’d never heard in her life—Irene’s cheeks flushed slightly.
“I am Dewey Limmon, a humble servant of His Grace. Please feel free to call me Dewey.”
“My name is Irene.”
Her voice remained soft, but it didn’t tremble as much as when she’d told Carlos her name.
After all, Dewey wasn’t as frightening as Carlos.
Carlos sat opposite Irene, while Dewey took the seat beside her.
“Here.”
No—he tried to sit, but Carlos stopped him.
“Your seat is here.”
Dewey had never once sat beside Carlos before.
Though startled by the unexpected instruction, he understood why Carlos was doing this and smiled.
“Understood.”
Once seated, Dewey pulled out a pen and notepad from his coat and addressed Irene.
“I’d like to ask you a few questions. If anything makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to answer.”
Irene nodded to show she agreed.
“First, how old are you this year?”
“I’m twenty.”
“Excuse me?”
Dewey, about to jot it down, turned to her in shock.
Carlos, too, seemed surprised—he opened his tightly shut eyes and stared at her.
“Are you truly twenty years old?”
“Yes.”
“You’re an adult, then?”
When Irene nodded again, Dewey let out a dry chuckle.
He’d thought she looked no older than fifteen or sixteen—yet she was already an adult.
“Though human ages are always hard to judge, this seems a bit excessive…”
“Huh?”
Not understanding his mutterings, Irene tilted her head questioningly, so Dewey simply replied “Nothing” and continued his inquiries.
He proceeded to ask about her family, likes, hobbies—a lengthy interrogation.
Though puzzled why someone would ask such questions of a toy meant to be played with and then killed, Irene answered faithfully without questioning his reasons.
“Have you ever experienced anything strange in your life?”
This one, however, she couldn’t answer right away.
Not because it made her uncomfortable—but because the question was far too broad.
“What do you mean by ‘strange things’?”
“Hmm… good question.”
How should he even explain this?
As Dewey scratched his head in confusion, Carlos—who had been silently listening—spoke up.
“Have you ever used magic?”
Magic. The fantastical word, utterly foreign to her entire life, made Irene shake her head.
“Have you seen spirits?”
“No.”
“Had prophetic dreams? Any unusual tattoos marked on your body?”
When Irene denied all of these, Dewey’s expression grew grave.
“My lord… this is…”
“She’s definitely the one.”
Carlos answered firmly.
What exactly was certain?
Irene didn’t understand Carlos’s words, but Dewey clearly did—he finally relaxed and smiled.
“Then I’ll conclude the preliminary questioning here and move to the driver’s seat.”
Dewey leaving meant she’d be alone with Carlos.
‘I don’t want that.’
Irene wished Dewey wouldn’t go, but he had no way of knowing her thoughts—and left without a second glance.
*
Not long after Carlos departed with Irene, a priest sent by the temple arrived at Silas’s territory.
Baron Silas greeted him with an apologetic air.
“I’m terribly sorry you came all this way, but that woman wasn’t a witch after all. It was merely a misunderstanding by the villagers.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. Honestly, I feel awful making you travel such a distance for nothing. About this matter…!”
Before Baron Silas could finish his sentence, a sword pierced his chest.
The blade pierced his heart instantly—he collapsed without even a final cry.
The priest dropped the blood-soaked sword onto the floor and rummaged through the baron’s clothes.
Soon, he found the check for the enormous sum of thirty thousand gold—and his eyes narrowed.
“So he’s already made his move.”
Usually so slow, yet quick when it mattered.
Well, his life was on the line—it was only natural he’d act fast.
The priest flicked his fingers, and a violet flame ignited the check.
“Since you lied, you must be punished.”
He gently placed the burning check atop the cold corpse and walked out of the reception room.
Moments later—
“Fire!”
“The lord’s mansion is on fire!”
A blaze far fiercer than anything seen during the witch’s appearance rapidly consumed Baron Silas’s estate.
*
The carriage, racing through the verdant forest, had by now entered Montro.
The nearest city to Irene’s home territory—and also the gateway into the Northern Province.
Arriving at the upscale inn where they’d reserved rooms in advance, Dewey alighted from the driver’s seat and knocked on the carriage door.
“Pardon the intrusion, my lord.”
When the door opened, Dewey saw Irene dozing uncomfortably against the carriage wall—and Carlos staring at her silently.
Carlos’s violet eyes, fixed on her, swirled with a tangled mix of longing, urgency, and anxiety.
“My lord.”
At Dewey’s second call, Carlos finally turned to look at him.
His eyes, now dry and devoid of emotion, revealed nothing.
“We’ve arrived at the inn.”
“I see.”
“Shall I wake the young lady?”
Carlos paused briefly, then shook his head.
“No. I’ll do it.”
When Carlos reached toward Irene, Dewey naturally assumed he’d shake her awake.
But that assumption proved utterly wrong.
Instead, Carlos wrapped his arms around her shoulders, slipped his hands beneath her knees, and lifted her up.
In other words—he carried her like a princess.
Treating her as delicately as fragile glass, Carlos stepped out of the carriage with Irene cradled carefully in his arms.
Dewey’s eyes widened in surprise at his master’s unexpected action—then, understanding dawned, and he gave a wry smile.
“Please protect her this time, without fail.”
Hearing this sincere advice, Carlos—who had been walking into the inn—stopped abruptly.
His gaze fell upon Irene’s peacefully sleeping face.
“…I will protect her.”
His arms tightened around her.
“I’ll protect her—without fail.”
As if vowing never to let her go again.
*
Irene, who had been sleeping so deeply she hadn’t even noticed being carried, finally awoke in the late evening as the moon dipped lower in the sky.
Rubbing her eyes drowsily, she stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling.
‘Where am I?’
And why was she here?
As the last remnants of sleep faded, memories she’d momentarily forgotten came rushing back.
Everything—from meeting Carlos at Baron Silas’s estate to leaving the territory with him.
Her last memory was Dewey stepping out of the carriage and her nervously watching Carlos in the awkward silence that followed.
She must have fallen asleep after that.
Though she hadn’t slept properly since being imprisoned as a witch, it was still unbelievable she’d dozed off in front of such a fearsome predator.
“Heh.”
Amused by her own absurdity, Irene gave a small laugh and stepped out of bed.
She lit the candle on the nightstand and looked around the now-bright room.
A bed, a plush-looking armchair, a table, and a luxurious carpet with a pleasant texture.
Every item was far too fine for an ordinary commoner. The room itself was larger than Baron Silas’s reception hall.
Irene felt uneasy being left alone in such a lavish room.
That man wouldn’t have done this without reason…
She cracked the door open and peered outside. The corridor was thick with darkness—and utterly empty. No matter how many times she checked, no one appeared.
Realizing she was completely alone, Irene moistened her dry lips.
Now was her chance to escape without being caught.
“Where… should I go?”
She had no family left, no home to return to.
Even her lifelong home territory was no longer an option.
Not only did she not know the way back—if she did return, she’d surely be branded a witch again and burned at the stake. There was no going back.
So where could she possibly go?
Setting her jaw, Irene stepped out of the room.
No matter where she ended up, her first priority was escaping that man’s grasp.
She removed her shoes and tiptoed, lifting her heels to avoid making noise.
She hadn’t brought the candle for fear of being spotted—but that turned out to be a mistake.
Confronted by a pitch-black staircase stretching endlessly into the dark, Irene sank down in despair.
“How am I supposed to get down?”
If she stumbled and fell while rushing down blindly, it’d be disastrous.
Just as she debated returning for the candle—
“Need to borrow some light?”
A low, raspy voice—perfectly suited to the darkness—spoke from behind her, accompanied by a sudden beam of light.
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.]
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MANGA DISCUSSION
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Chapter Comments (1)
Carlos closed the distance, grasped her shoulders, and ran his fingertips down her bare back.
is this smut???
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Blairwoods
Carlos’s violet eyes, fixed on her, swirled with a tangled mix of longing, urgency, and anxiety
He knew her???