Even though it made sense to introduce herself to the werewolf clan, Jade couldn’t quite figure out why she needed to be introduced to the new emperor. But since she was planning to marry the duke anyway, did it matter if the duke wanted to introduce her to the emperor or the werewolves?
Her mother was still the bigger problem. Jade only needed to introduce the duke to her mother. But getting permission from that one person was proving to be so difficult.
Just as her mother feared, Jade wasn’t entirely without fear at the thought of the Tigrian king learning of her existence. But she now knew that she couldn’t hide the fact that she was the duke’s mate forever. It was because she had learned about the characteristics of the race from books about werewolves.
Werewolves were a race that moved as a group. That was why the existence of the leader, the alpha, was very important, and the alpha’s mate who could influence the alpha was just as important.
Now that she knew such things, she didn’t want to make things difficult for the duke, who was the alpha, just for the sake of her own safety. She wanted to be someone who was helpful to the duke, not a shackle.
And for now, she thought it might be okay for a while since the Tigrian king probably didn’t even know that she existed in this world.
Even if that king found out that she was the tiger shapeshifter princess, she decided to trust the duke who said he would protect her. Of course, she didn’t want to depend on the duke for her safety forever.
‘I want to protect myself too.’
She no longer wanted to just faint like before when someone she loved or she herself was in danger. This was exactly why she came to the second library of the Ulpaz Duchy every single day.
She needed to learn about herself, about the duke, and about this world of shapeshifters. In order to protect herself and the person she loved.
[This is the timeline separator]Hugrey sent official letters to the leaders of the werewolf families on the continent, stating that he had imprinted on the human Chloe Liden.
In fact, when he only had to deal with King Stockston of Tigris, he had no intention of announcing the fact of imprinting even if he postponed the wedding. There was still the danger of the unforeseen, even if Tuscan Stockston didn’t know the fact that Chloe was alive yet.
He thought the safest path was to hold out as long as possible so that Stockston wouldn’t know anything, rather than revealing everything and trying to protect Chloe.
But things got complicated when Calcus Trascan became the emperor. The young lion cub who became emperor had declared that Chloe be handed over.
To think that trying to protect Chloe from the tiger cub would lead to hearing such words from the lion cub. What a ridiculous situation this was.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand why Chloe’s mother, Charlotte Liden, had decided to join hands with that Calcus bastard. If Chloe became the empress of the Elaion Empire, it would be difficult for the Tigrian king to touch her.
But that was before he had imprinted on Chloe. Chloe was already his woman. He was also capable enough of protecting her.
The young lion emperor was set on sending a marriage proposal to Chloe if he didn’t officially declare her as his mate. Saying that he needed to make her empress as soon as possible so that Tuscan Stockston couldn’t touch her.
She was already his woman, so why was this bastard trying to protect another man’s woman?
Anyway, he could no longer hide her. He had no choice but to officially announce that Chloe was his mate and protect her. In order to protect Chloe from the greedy Tigrian king and the Elaion emperor obsessed with his own affection, he needed the support of the entire werewolf race.
[This is the timeline separator]“Why are you so exhausted?”
The duke, who had been stroking Chloe’s hair as she lay on the bed, spoke in a scolding tone.
“I ran around too much today.”
Chloe said triumphantly.
“Running?”
“Yes! I found out I’m incredibly fast.”
After confirming the extent of a tiger shapeshifter’s physical abilities, Chloe had recently been trying her best to manifest her abilities. In fact, all her senses had become so sensitive that they could not be said to be human at all, and she sometimes felt a sense of overflowing power within her body.
At such times, she felt like she could transform into a tiger at any moment. She had never succeeded even once, and couldn’t predict when she would be able to, but still.
“Yeah, if you run hard, you might be able to run a little faster than a cat.”
“Hmph! What are you talking about! I’m really fast!”
“Generally, wolves are a bit faster.”
Chloe never thought she would end up comparing the physical abilities of shapeshifter races in bed. But when the duke spoke like that in a mocking tone, Chloe didn’t want to lose to him.
“If a tiger is determined, it’s faster.”
“No matter how determined, a weak tiger is slow.”
This wolf duke really seemed to think she was a cat, judging by the way he spoke. She wasn’t a cat, but a proper tiger!
“Actually, I’m also good at jumping and climbing trees!”
“So did you jump and climb trees today too?”
The duke was now openly teasing her. With one hand fiddling with the string of her pajamas.
Chloe swatted his hand away.
“I will soon! Once I manage the tiger transformation!”
That was the problem, she couldn’t do it yet.
The smile disappeared from the duke’s face, whose hand had been swatted away. He seemed to have finally realized that she was properly angry.
Jealous, full of desire, and insensitive, just like a wolf.
“Why do you want to do the tiger transformation so badly? You don’t need to do that, I’ll protect you.”
“I need to be able to protect my own body.”
Chloe found herself shouting inadvertently. It was a sincere wish that had always been in her heart, blurting out.
“Am I not good enough?”
Chloe noticed that the duke’s face had darkened slightly. He seemed to think that she didn’t trust him.
“No, that’s not it. I just don’t want to be helpless and unable to do anything, like when Clyne died and my mother was hurt. I want to be able to protect the people I love. I can do that. Because I’m a tiger shapeshifter.”
The duke stared at her silently.
“I’ll protect you too, Duke.”
Realizing that the mood had become too heavy because she brought up her brother, Chloe deliberately spoke cheerfully.
“Yeah, I’ll be counting on you.”
Finally, the duke spoke, relaxing his expression.
“As a tiger shapeshifter, you’ll probably become one of the most powerful shapeshifters if you can just manage the tiger transformation. Dozens of times stronger than ordinary humans. But it’s okay even if you can never transform into a tiger. Don’t push yourself too hard. I love you just the way you are, Chloe.”
“……”
For a moment, Chloe’s mind went blank. It seemed like the duke had just said he loved her.
“You love me?”
“Of course. I love you, otherwise I……”
“But you’ve never said that to me before.”
“Oh… I haven’t? But it’s so obvious…”
“What kind of stupid, idiotic wolf is this!”
She was so happy but also angry at the same time that a curse slipped out from her heart.
If it’s obvious, you don’t need to say it? You should keep saying it. When you’re so good at saying other things!
Chloe no longer worried about whether or not the duke loved her. The duke had only not said the words “I love you,” but he was expressing his love for her through all other words and actions.
Still, it was nice to hear it directly like this. It was the thrill of finding the one missing piece in the puzzle picture of happiness and completing the picture.
But this stupid wolf had not been saying these important words on the excuse that it was obvious.
“Still, you’re not a stupid idiot.”
The duke, who had somehow started fiddling with the string of her pajamas again, lowered his face to her shoulder. This time, Chloe didn’t swat away the hand of this lovely and mischievous stupid idiot. It was something like a reward for finally saying “I love you.”
[This is the timeline separator]“Hugrey.”
Upon seeing the emperor’s face at the coronation ceremony, Chloe blinked several times before finally calling out to the duke. Thanks to the duke constantly demanding that she call him by his name, the word “Hugrey” now came out naturally.
“What is it?”
Chloe looked up at the duke, who was too calm in his response. Seeing his expression, it occurred to her that the duke had already known.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“About the emperor being Calcus Tacan?”
The duke spoke her thoughts for her so naturally that she could tell he had deliberately not mentioned it.
Even when she thought he was a man, the duke had been having a battle of nerves with Calcus. She didn’t know well then, but the duke’s jealousy and possessiveness were quite considerable, so it was only natural that he disliked Calcus.
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.”
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