How To Choose A Knight (28 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 11
A man who had approached without a single footstep stood at her feet and spoke softly.
“Come down.”
Jade only relaxed when she saw his ashen eyes faintly illuminated by the gentle light. She released the tension in her arms and dropped to the ground.
“Ugh…”
Sliding down against the tree trunk, she found herself staring straight into the monster’s unfocused eyes.
Ugh, how revolting. As she grimaced and shook off the goosebumps on her arms, Axel clicked his tongue.
Only then did her mind settle enough to see the situation clearly. What pierced the monster was not light—but a sword.
Yet that light had unmistakably appeared far longer than the blade’s length and looked thick, as if wrapped in something.
“W-What was that just now?”
Still struggling to catch her breath, she stammered the question, but he merely retrieved his sword with an indifferent motion. The deeply embedded blade seemed to have shattered even the monster’s bones, producing a loud, clattering sound as it was pulled free.
“It was definitely not just a sword…”
“It was a sword. Thrown like a lance.”
So that’s how he hunted deer without a bow. Just how incredibly strong was he?
Jade tried to push herself up, but her legs refused to cooperate—perhaps the shock was only hitting her now. After all, today had been the hardest she’d ever run in her life.
She was a mage, yet she found herself criticizing mages for their pitiful stamina. Ugh, mages!
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No.”
His gaze, which had been inspecting the blade, turned toward her, but the deepening dusk in the forest obscured his view.
Axel ran the edge of his sword through his gloved hand. Blood streamed down where it touched, revealing the blade’s pure white steel beneath.
“Monsters don’t usually come this far—guess you looked tasty. Excuse me.”
In one swift motion, Axel looped an arm around her slender waist and hoisted her up. She squirmed in surprise, but it was useless. Jade found herself slung over his broad shoulder like a sack of grain, dangling helplessly.
“No, I can walk!”
“Be quiet. Unless you want to run into another beast, do as you please.”
It was humiliating. The worst part? Compared to Axel, she was so much shorter that he carried her with perfect stability.
Jade huffed indignantly but, as he’d said, kept her mouth shut. She’d had quite enough commotion for one day.
Axel flipped the monster onto its back with his free hand and kicked it deep into the woods—likely wary that other beasts or monsters might be drawn by the scent of blood.
Then he began to run.
Though Jade felt she’d been chased by the monster for quite a while, his pace covered the distance home in what seemed like an instant. Before she knew it, they were inside the fence.
He locked the door tightly the moment they entered and placed her gently onto a chair. Jade slumped forward, utterly spent.
“What a mess…”
Thinking back, she couldn’t help but sigh.
Damn it—nearly killed by something that pathetic.
Even in a world where offensive magic was notoriously inefficient, that monster should’ve been easily manageable on her own. She’d sometimes incinerated whole groups of creatures that size.
“So that’s why older mages always tell the young ones they must visit Athanase Forest—to lose their magic, grow desperate, and learn humility…”
Jade muttered like someone half-drunk.
Axel removed his leather gloves and tossed them onto the table, then closed the shutters tightly to block any stray light before turning back to her. The dim candlelight cast shadows over the corners of his eyes.
Looking down at Jade’s pale face, Axel slowly asked,
“Why didn’t you come back earlier? Oli said you’d gone home long before this.”
Jade let out a short sigh.
“Just being stupid, I guess. Honestly, I saw a rare mushroom and got distracted. The sun hadn’t set yet, so I thought it wasn’t dangerous… I’ve never seen wild beasts or monsters around here before. Sorry for causing trouble.”
He frowned slightly.
“Yeah, normally you wouldn’t. I suppose I forgot to warn you—mages are prey monsters crave.”
“So even though I can’t cast magic, I still taste good? That’s unfair…”
Without a word, Axel suddenly bent down and grabbed her ankle.
Startled by his unexpected move, Jade jerked her leg, but froze in even greater surprise when she felt his hand on her foot. Only then did she realize her shoe had come off.
He turned her pale, scraped foot this way and that, then fetched the healing potion she’d prepared. But Jade refused it.
“That stuff’s really precious. It’s not worth using on this. It’ll heal on its own—consider it punishment for my carelessness.”
Axel set the glass vial down on the table with an almost dismissive clink and said gruffly,
“You should’ve shouted.”
“Huh?”
“I was nearby—I would’ve come if you’d called. What were you thinking, just hanging there silently? If the monster hadn’t made noise, I might never have found you.”
Jade blinked.
“Uh…”
“What kind of confidence do you have, anyway, when you can’t even use magic?”
Her voice came out dazed and foolish.
“You… would’ve come?”
She hadn’t expected it. Sure, Axel had become somewhat tolerant of her—but only because she’d worked hard not to annoy him. Coming to her rescue on purpose would’ve required a great deal more.
For one, he’d have to notice she hadn’t returned by late evening. And then, he’d have to decide that saving her was worth risking his life against a monster.
Not to mention—he’d have to carry yet another useless burden back home. All in all, it made no sense for him.
Yet Axel had noticed her absence, followed her trail, killed the monster, and brought her back safely.
She surely meant nothing to him—he’d once said he’d only taken her in out of obligation to Oli.
So his matter-of-fact tone—“I would’ve come if you’d called”—genuinely shocked her.
“So you’d just leave me to die at the monster’s hands? Your nights must be peaceful indeed.”
Axel spoke with an irritated frown. Jade stared at him, dumbfounded.
“Oh…”
“Drop the amazed tone and from now on, come home before the sun touches the treetops. If you’re late, don’t go outside the fence alone.”
Axel strode off, leaving her behind. Jade quietly watched his broad back disappear.
This seemingly indifferent landlord knew nothing of Jade’s family name or her standing. In his mind, she was probably just an ordinary mage who earned coin with magic outside and ate whatever was served.
He surely expected nothing in return. So he must have saved her simply because it was the right thing to do.
And maybe—just maybe—he cared about her a tiny bit, too.
How could someone like him be living in Athanase Forest?
Something stirred deep within her chest—rising, falling, spreading through her limbs until it blossomed into pure joy.
Out here, in Athanase Forest, she’d encountered unexpected kindness with no strings attached. How could she not be happy?
Jade grinned broadly, leapt to her feet, and limped quickly after him.
“So does that mean you’ll go out with me every day now?”
“Why would you think that? It means stay put inside the house.”
“But what if I find moonflowers that only bloom under moonlight? They only open at night!”
“What would you even use those for?”
“I heard the liquor made from them is amazing. Oli’s got some spirits in her storeroom.”
“…….”
Sensing reluctant interest in his silence, Jade giggled sweetly.
“Anyway, you know you’ve saved me twice now, right?”
“Must be endlessly grateful, then.”
“Yup. See how touched I am—I’m practically crying!”
He glanced down. Her eyes sparkled brightly—completely dry. Axel snorted.
“All I see is shameless eyes.”
“Nope. Seriously though—thanks for saying you’d come whenever I called.”
“Did I say that? Sounds like a bit of a stretch.”
“No, you definitely did.”
When Axel asked why she hadn’t called for him, Jade realized that her time trapped here in this forest might not be meaningless after all.
There’s nothing more valuable than getting to know a good person.
It had started a little clumsily, but she was certain it would become a bond so precious that parting would ache.
Because now, she understood Axel.
He was a man who believed helping or saving someone was simply the right thing to do. No matter the inconvenience, he wouldn’t ignore someone in distress. Though he claimed not to be a knight, he possessed a knight’s honor and steadfastness more than anyone.
His nature was fundamentally good and trustworthy—and perhaps, just a little, he saw her in a favorable light.
Jade had always been starved for people like that.
Of course, she also thought she might not need to tiptoe around him quite so much anymore—but that was just a minor, welcome bonus. And since it had flickered through her mind for only an instant, she kept it to herself.
[This is the timeline separator]After the night the monster chased her, Jade simply did what she wanted.
Of course, she still fetched water and visited Oli’s house to help with chores.
But she stopped watching her every move so carefully—Axel had never really minded her behavior anyway.
Jade resolved to treat her arrival in this forest as a turning point in her life.
It might be a meaningless interpretation. Perhaps her fall here was merely an accident orchestrated by someone with ill intent—after all, plenty of people wished to hinder her.
But with so much time, such beautiful scenery, and such good people around, it felt wasteful to spend her days consumed by suspicion.
Worrying here wouldn’t change a thing anyway. The merchant wouldn’t arrive until the day water’s power weakened and earth’s strength surged.
So she’d make the most of this time.
This clarity came thanks to Axel’s unexpectedly noble character—and it truly helped her. The nightmares that used to plague her every other night now came only once every three days.
By day, Jade scoured the forest diligently, sketching inaccurate maps and marking important plants growing near Axel’s home.
In the evenings, she pestered the returning Axel with all sorts of questions, eager to learn. At first, he tried to escape with a tired expression, but now he simply sighed and answered slowly, as if resigned.
Most questions were trivial.
“Why didn’t you build your house near the pond?”
“Where do you usually go hunting?”
“Do you know how to fish? Can I go with you to the lakeside?”
She’d even casually asked about his life beyond the forest—but those questions were usually flatly ignored.
Still, the more she spoke with him, the more it felt like they were growing closer, and that felt nice.
She already knew he deliberately kept a boundary in their conversations, despite their easygoing exchanges.
But really—was it too much to ask for him to say her name just once? It wasn’t even hard to pronounce!
Anyway, ever since she’d adopted this new mindset, days in the forest flew by faster than ever!
Before she knew it, the sun had dipped low, casting long shadows across the table. Each day passed with fierce devotion.
And then…
“…….”
“…….”
“Hey.”
“Don’t say it… I know already…”
She even tried cooking.
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Chapter Comments (15)
Inline Comments (64)
If only I’d had the chance to say a proper goodbye—to tidy things up—would it ha
I have a feeling in this chapter, he too will realize his feelings- or come to be mad at Jade
Before those behind could stop him, the young man gulped down the plain water fr
Hhahahah your brother must love you a lot~~ he’s probably gonna reunite you with Jade
“A handsome man with a good body.”
Hahah looks like someone is getting an entertaining sister in law hehheh
YOUR COMMENT
2. Inline comments are now available. Tap the end of any line in a chapter to share your thoughts instantly.
Log in to comment.
It is so sweet how preciously the treat the eggs because they are empathetic to the old hen’s struggle. Idk why I didn’t expect that from their character. I wonder how fervently her aides and servants are searching for her right now? I feel like one of them should be clever enough to investigate the uncle
It is so sweet how preciously the treat the eggs because they are empathetic to the old hen’s struggle. Idk why I didn’t expect that from their character. I wonder how fervently her aides and servants are searching for her right now? I feel like one of them should be clever enough to investigate the uncle
I feel like Axel must of royal bloodline. Jade is so cute! They are gonna be so cute together