How To Choose A Knight (28 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 13
Axel left for hunting, and Jade, left alone in the house, tried with clumsy hands to wash dishes and tidy up various things, however haphazardly.
Of course, it remained just an attempt. She had little talent for cleaning.
“Where… am I supposed to put this?”
She sniffed it—it was herbs—but had no idea where this jar had originally belonged. In the end, she simply pushed it aside quietly.
Glancing around, she found the house quiet and clean, mirroring its owner. There was no corner that truly needed her.
What should I do today?
She had made up her mind not to regret the time spent in the forest. Yet, it felt as if a new compulsion had taken hold—that she must enjoy today, no matter what.
“Huh… I still can’t seem to relax…”
Jade scratched her cheek.
Suddenly, the faces of the people she had personally hired came to mind—Bernard, Mori, Emil, and Marieen.
Their constant nagging echoed in her ears:
“Can’t you just spend a single day without thinking about anything?”
“Yeah, I guess I really can’t.”
Jade admitted it plainly.
Well, some people just weren’t cut out for it. Still, she could at least suppress the urge to rush outside immediately—that counted as progress, in its own way.
Lately, the temperature swings had been so extreme she felt slightly chilled. After sniffing her nose, she hurriedly prepared to go out.
Being alone in such an empty space easily invited useless thoughts. Once outside, she’d surely find something—anything—to do.
Well, maybe just go pull up some grass or something.
[This is the timeline separator]The mage had grown accustomed to the forest, and there was nothing unsettling nearby. Focusing was effortless.
Thanks to that, today’s goal was quickly accomplished—or perhaps the blind beasts had simply been dazzled by the vividly falling autumn leaves.
Axel checked the sky and surveyed his day’s haul. The creatures sprawled at his feet were plump and well-fed.
He dragged them back home and left them in the front yard. The oddly conscientious mage always offered a final prayer for the creatures he caught, saying it was fine to call it hypocrisy.
She’d surely want to do the same today. Axel flung the door open.
“Hey.”
Surprisingly, there was no sign of life inside. It wasn’t strange, really—since he’d finished early, the sun was still proudly blazing in the sky.
Still, it felt unusual. Whenever he opened this door, Jade always came to greet him as if it were only natural.
It was almost laughable that after just a month, he already found this absence unfamiliar. Such was the speed with which human warmth seeped in.
Instead of the usual teacup Jade would hand him as part of their routine, Axel poured himself a drink of water, then inspected the house.
Ever since Jade moved in, a gentle warmth had always lingered indoors—not just from burning extra firewood, but from the presence of another person.
On the table before the hearth lay all sorts of dried plants, apparently left mid-task, and the pot atop the fireplace bubbled vigorously. Despite its unappealing color, it emitted not an unpleasant odor but a faint, bitter green scent.
As he debated whether to lower the flame or leave it be, the sound of the door opening reached him.
Turning, he saw Jade clutching the doorknob, bent over and panting heavily. She took several deep, ragged breaths, clearly out of breath.
“What are you doing?”
Axel asked dryly, and Jade straightened up. Meeting his eyes, her face immediately lit up with her usual, effortless smile.
Her openly trusting gaze felt oddly burdensome. Axel shifted slightly backward.
Ever since he’d saved her from the monster, she’d often looked at him like this. The mage seemed far too quick to let her guard down—not like a newly born puppy, yet somehow just as naive.
She’d claimed she’d been through a lot out in the world, yet it hardly seemed true. Someone who’d truly endured hardship wouldn’t wear such a bright, innocent smile.
“Oh, you’re back early for once! I saw your haul in the front yard—you must’ve worked hard. Ah, I’m exhausted.”
“Did you go for a run or something?”
“I was fetching something from Oli’s place, but the fallen leaves along the path looked so beautiful… like an expensive carpet in a reception hall. I just couldn’t resist running across them.”
You have no idea how splendid the way they scattered beneath my feet was.
Her cheerful chatter seemed oddly soothing, despite the sweat glistening on her forehead and the flush brightening her cheeks.
Compared to the anxious, stifled woman he’d met on day one, the difference was as vast as heaven and earth.
That was the power of this forest. Though forcibly cut off from the outside world, the moment of separation also brought relief from burdens—because mere survival demanded all one’s attention.
Gradually, the worries that once weighed you down were simply forgotten.
Was I ever like that?
Back when everything around him glittered like gold, yet he felt no happiness. When the stench of ugly greed disgusted him so much he wandered battlefields.
He hadn’t merely postponed the reins—he’d cast them off entirely. Unlike the mage, whose isolation followed an accident, his had been a deliberate choice.
So, had he appeared far more at ease than her back then? Axel wondered for a moment.
“Why are you staring like that? It’s embarrassing.”
Her tiny nose crinkled slightly. Unwilling to admit he’d been studying her face, Axel replied coolly.
“There’s a smudge on your cheek.”
Her small hand rubbed the soft skin, wiping the stain away.
“Huh? How did that get there?”
“You probably got it while handling dirt. The sunlight’s harsh, but the season of rain is near. Don’t run around—the wind’s cold.”
Once sweat cools, you’ll fall ill in an instant.
Axel delivered the warning flatly, but Jade showed no sign of listening.
Right—this mage liked to pretend she was perceptive, but it was precisely that: pretense. Later, she’d inevitably act however she pleased, wearing that clueless, oblivious expression.
“That’s impossible. I feel like these are the healthiest days of my life. What are you going to do with the things in the front yard?”
He already knew what she’d say next. He’d been around her long enough to anticipate it.
“Can I say a prayer for them first?”
Of course.
The only quiet moments this mage ever had were probably when praying for dead creatures.
Strangely enough, she looked devout then—and he was slowly growing used to her many different sides.
As Axel quietly watched her long eyelashes, her clear eyes met his.
“Done?”
“Yep.”
The moment she gave her assent, he moved his hands.
Though she looked like someone who’d detest such tasks, she sat beside him calmly and watched the whole time without flinching. Even as blood splattered, she remained fascinated only by the deftness of his movements.
“It moves as smoothly as slicing butter. Is there no resistance?”
“You get good at it with practice.”
“Really? Can I learn too?”
“I said this morning—don’t harbor useless hopes.”
He gestured toward her slender, frail-looking arms. She looked somewhat convinced but still dissatisfied.
“Compared to you, sure, I’m nothing—but among mages, I’m actually on the healthier side.”
At his skeptical look, Jade’s eyes widened.
“I’m serious!”
“Alright, fine.”
“So that means I’m not even worth talking to anymore?”
Huffing, Jade began listing off examples of frail mages she’d known.
“One collapsed after running less than a minute—turns out his heart was racing so fast he panicked.”
“Hah.”
“Another time, someone cried when told we had to walk instead of using a horse or carriage. Know why? They said their bodies were precious too, and they were scared of getting hurt.”
“Don’t exaggerate. I won’t fall for it.”
“I swear it’s true! Look at me—I just ran all the way from Oli’s place!”
Axel regarded her with indifferent eyes.
“Ever consider that your comparisons are completely off? The people you mentioned probably had bodies as fragile as matchsticks.”
“Of course I haven’t considered it! Comparing myself to a knight would be unfair—I’m not an idiot.”
Grinning slightly, Jade sprang to her feet and started bustling about.
She went inside, retrieved the dried plants, and began crumbling them into powder on a cloth. Then she mixed the powder with water to make a thick paste.
Just as Jade often watched Axel, now Axel watched Jade.
He thought he’d never seen a mage scurry around so energetically in his life. Most mages he knew either sat quietly at desks arguing with parchment or chanted spells with dignified solemnity.
After that, Jade climbed a nearby tree to pick dried fruit left over from the cooling weather, dashed off somewhere else, and came sprinting back like an arrow. Even though Axel had already stored the meat, she continued moving frantically.
Having never returned this early before, Axel had no idea how she usually spent her days—and now he felt oddly baffled.
He knew she fetched water, gathered small fruits and edible plants—but he hadn’t realized she was this relentlessly active.
What on earth was she trying to accomplish with all this effort?
There was no moment of rest. If she’d been moving like this since morning, it bordered on overexertion.
Now that he looked closely, the flush on her cheeks seemed less like healthy vitality and more like a strange fever rising from within.
Axel frowned.
“Hey.”
“What?”
Jade, absorbed in her strange green concoction, didn’t even glance up.
“Who on earth… figured out… how to use… this bizarre… ingredient…”
She was so engrossed her speech slurred.
“I need to… catch some bug… for it… but that one’s… kind of…”
“Forget it. Go to bed early today. Put that down.”
Cutting off her incomprehensible muttering, Jade jerked her head up in surprise.
“What? Why? No! This has to be made and left to ferment before the day ends!”
“Fine. I’ll give you time while I prepare dinner. But after that, no more.”
“What kind of nonsense is that? Why so suddenly?”
Ignoring her protests, Axel stood abruptly and headed toward the kitchen. Her face—from the corners of her eyes down to her cheeks—was worryingly flushed. She kept blinking wearily and rubbing her arms too.
If she fell ill, it’d be a nuisance for him. Not that he was confident in nursing her properly—but as a human being, he couldn’t help feeling uneasy about it.
She’d probably feel better after a warm meal and a good rest today. Starting tomorrow, he’d have to tell her to cut back on running around so much. Or maybe give her a scarf to wrap around her neck.
Ah—now that he thought of it, there was also a strange hat tucked away somewhere.
Axel recalled the pile of clothing stashed in the storage shed as he poured oil into the pan. It hissed and began to sizzle.
Male lead is a clingy little husband
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
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Chapter Comments (13)
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
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I feel like Axel must of royal bloodline. Jade is so cute! They are gonna be so cute together
How come the comments are showing up every chapter? I thought the comment would only show up on the chapter you commented on?
How come the comments are showing up every chapter? I thought the comment would only show up on the chapter you commented on?