How To Choose A Knight (28 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 4
“Is the pain any better?”
Jade, who had been momentarily lost in thought while watching him, jumped in surprise when he unexpectedly spoke to her.
“Huh?”
Noticing the look in the man’s eyes as they flicked back toward her—clearly brimming with disdain—Jade desperately held back the urge to pout.
Don’t make yourself look unlikeable. You don’t even know who this guy really is! Just because he saved you doesn’t mean he isn’t a complete villain!
The man asked again.
“I said, is the pain feeling better?”
Jade lightly touched the makeshift bandage on her forehead and replied.
“Oh, yes. I had a terrible headache earlier, but it’s fine now.”
Having asked the question himself, the man quickly lost interest and turned his attention to drinking water instead. Watching his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed made her throat suddenly dry.
“Um….”
His gaze snapped back to her at just one word—dry, ashen-gray eyes.
“That’s… water, right…?”
At her transparently obvious question, the man snorted and pushed the cup toward her across the table.
Still, Jade only took a cautious sip after sniffing it and confirming its clarity—a habit ingrained in her after being served poisoned tea more than once.
All she tasted was cool freshness. From then on, she gulped it down greedily. In that moment, that water was the sweetest, most refreshing thing in the world.
An awkward silence settled again once she set the cup down. The man, now turned away, was busy with his hands, while Jade stood there with nothing to do.
It had been roughly seven years since her parents passed away, and about four years spent roughing it in monster-hunting squads.
Though born as the heir of a noble family, years of hardship had sharpened her intuition, teaching her how to choose her words carefully.
Gathering her courage, Jade stepped briskly toward the man and spoke in a friendly tone.
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
She intended to strike up conversation and ask him various questions.
But the man refused to follow her lead. Instead, he bluntly tossed out an unexpected remark in a flat voice.
“Go outside and turn left. There’s a place to wash up behind it.”
“Huh?”
Seeing her bewildered expression, he kindly explained that she smelled like rotting leaves from the bottom of a lake.
Not rose perfume—rotting leaves from a lakebed!
Stunned by his harsh assessment, Jade immediately dashed out. Fortunately, there was a well-screened spot in the backyard, suitable enough for washing—though the boiled water was scarce, making it rather chilly.
After washing up and returning, she felt refreshed and even more spirited.
“There shouldn’t be any more rotten-leaf smell now! I’ll help with anything you need!”
By now, a gentle, savory aroma filled the house. The man glanced briefly at her, fell silent for a moment, then swiftly pushed something toward her.
“Cut it into edible pieces.”
She received a loaf of black bread. Confused by its unfamiliar appearance compared to the usual white bread she knew, Jade nonetheless threw herself into her first assigned task with enthusiasm.
“Ugh, darn.”
Of course, from the man’s perspective, she was just hacking wildly at the bread. Even a quick glance showed the cross-section was a complete mess.
“…Hey.”
“Yes?”
“Keep your wrist straight and saw gently from the top down.”
“Oh!”
Jade nodded and tried to follow his instructions—but wait, how exactly do you saw bread?—her patience ran out, and she finally just tore off the last piece by hand. The tough loaf refused to yield neatly like in pictures.
She recalled watching the castle’s head chef effortlessly slice bread in the kitchens before. Was black bread somehow different? Jade tilted her head in puzzlement.
The man tossed out a remark in his usual indifferent tone.
“Looks like you’ve lived a pampered life.”
Without even a twitch in her fingertips, Jade smiled naturally.
“Oh, well—I guess I do look pretty refined and delicate, right? I know! Haha, but I’ve actually rolled around in the dirt way more than you’d think.”
It was truth, lightly seasoned with a touch of lie.
The Broens were a famed lineage of mages, and their territory was quite affluent. Yet it was also true that Jade had traveled far and wide through monster-hunting expeditions.
Still, though he’d helped her, he was also a complete stranger—so it was better to keep her family background hidden.
Unnecessary information could easily stir up unnecessary greed.
Fortunately, Jade had enough experience as a mage to confidently pass herself off as a guild mage encountered by chance.
But the man’s next words struck her off guard.
“You’ve rolled around a lot, yet never cut bread before, I take it?”
“W-well… no, I’ve never really cut bread before. I usually just tear pieces off and eat them.”
The man snorted and, seemingly deciding to ignore her entirely, turned his full attention back to his own cooking.
Thus, the meal laid out on the table consisted of torn bread, butter, a simple soup, and a small portion of fruit preserves.
Having gone without food for a full day, Jade barely had time to observe etiquette before immediately digging into the soup. Without even realizing it, she blurted out an exclamation.
“Wow, what is this?”
When the man gave her a “what do you mean, ‘what’?” look, Jade excitedly cried out.
“You’re seriously good at cooking!”
This wasn’t flattery—it was sincere. The man truly could cook.
The seemingly plain broth warmed her mouth perfectly, seasoned just right with a pleasant umami that stirred her appetite. Moreover, the occasional chewy bits carried a mysterious, aromatic flavor that lifted her mood—who knew an unfamiliar vegetable could have such a satisfying texture?
After that, she ate with single-minded focus. Despite the limited selection, everything tasted so good her stomach roared in approval.
The butter, though much softer than the kind served at the manor, was smooth and nutty, melting the dry bread right in her mouth, while the fruit preserves were sweet and easily crumbled.
Soup, bread, fruit—bite after bite.
While Jade ate as if she hadn’t eaten in a month, the man watched her from the sidelines, chin resting in one hand, his expression distinctly unimpressed.
He was thinking: So she really wasn’t raised that delicately, after all. If she were, she wouldn’t be devouring this mediocre fare so eagerly.
Only after thoroughly satisfying her hunger did Jade remember her original purpose. Ah, right—engage in gentle conversation and find a way out.
When she looked up, the man was watching her with a look of utter indifference—her enthusiastic meal had clearly lasted quite a while.
Feeling embarrassed, Jade smiled and said,
“I was really hungry, you see. Um… I’m Jade. Jade… Brown!”
She hastily concealed her true surname. The man’s reply was simple.
“Axel.”
Jade’s eyes twitched nervously at the corners.
He speaks so curtly… Will he even give proper answers to my questions? I have so much I want to ask.
She barely managed to restrain her lips from twisting into a grimace and instead forced her voice to sound gentle again.
“Thank you so much for taking me in and for letting me rest somewhere warm. Um… there’s something I’ve been wondering about.”
She decided to ask her most pressing question first.
“Could you tell me… why you tied me up?”
“What?”
The man furrowed his brow.
“Tied you up? What are you talking about?”
“When I woke up…”
His expression turned harsh, and Jade’s voice instinctively faltered. Maybe… maybe there was some misunderstanding?
Arms crossed, he finally replied in a voice as cold as a snowstorm, recalling the events of several days prior.
“Oh, I get it now. I wrapped your arms in cloth to keep them still, and swaddled you in blankets so you wouldn’t catch a chill—but maybe I should’ve just dumped you on the floor instead. Right?”
He jerked his chin toward the room where she’d first awakened, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Jade couldn’t believe it and ran straight into the dim room. There on the floor lay scattered remnants of blankets and cloth—discarded like shed skin.
And of course, the one who’d shed them was Jade herself.
She returned with exaggerated politeness, sat back down in her chair, and put on the brightest, most cheerful smile she could muster.
“Heh… ha! You know, misunderstandings happen sometimes when people are alive… Sorry about that.”
But it was too late—even her innocent blinking couldn’t fix it. The man’s face had grown ice-cold, as if he’d mentally erected a vast wall between them.
“So this is why you shouldn’t go picking up strangers.”
“Ah…”
“If Oli hadn’t stopped me, I wouldn’t have even bothered—I’d have hauled you right back to the lakeside.”
“So Oli is that kind old gentleman I saw earlier? What a truly warm-hearted person…”
The man didn’t even bother answering, just tilted his head slightly to the side. Jade coughed awkwardly a few times.
“Ahem. This question is just in case my memory isn’t fully intact yet.”
“I don’t know why you have so many questions.”
“If you could possibly take pity on me—a girl who suddenly fell from the sky and hit her head—I’d be so grateful. Anyway… Is this really Atanase Forest? That… infamous Atanase Forest?”
She clasped her hands tightly over her chest as she asked. Her eyes were so full of desperate longing that Axel instantly saw through her.
“So you’re a mage.”
This part didn’t matter if it was revealed.
But clearly, this man was no ordinary person. How could a commoner so easily grasp what Atanase Forest meant to a mage? It simply didn’t make sense.
Thinking quickly, Jade calmly answered.
“Yes. I am indeed a mage.”
“Then you’d know in an instant—spells don’t work here.”
A sigh slipped out, mixed with a groan of frustration.
But it wasn’t time to give up hope yet.
“Um… I can call you Axel, right? Axel, do you ever go outside the forest?”
“No. And for your information, I don’t know the way out.”
How considerate. She hadn’t even asked him to accompany her out.
“I-I see, haha! There must be plenty of people living here in Atanase Forest, right?”
Axel gave a short, dry laugh.
“I’m not really fond of roundabout ways of speaking.”
“Do merchants come into this forest? Judging by the items in your house, it seems likely.”
At her sudden shift to direct questioning, the man’s eyes crinkled faintly in amusement, and he gave a nod.
“They do come in, yes.”
“Wow, that’s a relief! I’ll just ask one of those merchants to guide me out. I’ll only need a little help—I’ll make sure to pay them properly.”
Axel stared unblinkingly at Jade’s face, now lit up with hope, and his lips curled into a faint, wry smirk.
When the male lead is punished by carrying the female lead’s child and having periods like a woman
“I’ve given birth to two children for you, yet you still think about him.
Was I nothing but his substitute to you from beginning to end?”
Synopsis:
Meng Huan, a scumbag who has dated countless girlfriends, transmigrates to a female-dominated country.
Day 1: Whether it’s female dominance or not doesn’t matter. The beauties here are passionate and amorous. Isn’t it easier to date them than in modern times?
Day 2: After a night, Meng Huan discovers the differences in the female-dominated world. Men here actually have chastity locks and menstrual cycles. This hinders his ability to perform, damn it!
Day 3: What’s wrong with sleeping around? I don’t want you to marry me. I’m meant to be a playboy. I don’t care about male virtues… What? You want to drown me in a pig cage? Marry, I’ll marry!
Day N: Meng Huan inexplicably vomits and receives the shocking news of his life… He’s pregnant.
_____
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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
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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