Could it be Ian?
Why is Ian here?
No matter how I think about it, there’s no reason for him to attend Kaiden’s birthday party…
While I was gauging the man’s identity, he straightened his slightly bent back. Just when I thought the eye level looked familiar, I noticed his unusually tall height and sturdy physique.
It’s not common to find someone with this height and such a physical build.
It didn’t take long for my doubt to turn into conviction. As I examined his hair, which looked unusually dark today, I lowered my gaze slightly.
I met the eyes that were not fully hidden by the mask, eyes that held the sea, and my lips curled into a wide smile.
“You finally arrived.”
The man in front of me was Ian.
“Lady, have you been waiting for me?”
Could he even say such things?
As I chuckled briefly, David, who had risen, approached with a swagger.
“Who are you? I am…”
“Do I have to answer that to you?”
David seemed to flinch at the emotionless, cold voice.
Ian had only looked at David, but whether he felt overpowered by Ian’s presence, David suddenly coughed.
“Are you some noble young master from a great family? But taking someone else’s partner is not good manners.”
“David Collin, sir? Who are you saying is my partner?”
“Rosebelia Winters is my partner, of course.”
As my fist involuntarily clenched, Ian tightly grabbed my fingertips as if he could not let go just yet.
“I thought that matter was settled long ago.”
“So… you’re going to leave me now and go with that man?”
“He seems much more appealing than David Collin, sir, so I don’t see any reason to refuse. Sir, you should work on yourself more.”
David let out a series of incredulous laughs.
“Shall we go, Lady?”
With Ian’s escort, I walked right past David. Fortunately, the place where the argument with David had occurred was somewhat deserted.
“What happened?”
Leading Ian to the balcony, I immediately closed the curtains.
“What are you talking about, Lady?”
“Don’t try to fool me. You are Klein, aren’t you?”
Smirking, he then took off his mask. It was indeed Ian.
“When did you realize it was me?”
“I doubted it when I heard your voice, but I knew as soon as I saw your eyes.”
“You knew by looking at my eyes?”
“People with such beautiful eyes are rare.”
His smile disappeared as soon as I finished speaking.
Did I say something wrong? Does he hate being called pretty?
As I licked my lips, Ian asked in a low, soft voice.
“Do you like my eyes?”
What kind of question is that?
Whenever I looked into Ian’s eyes, I felt like I was facing the sea beyond the walls.
The scenery that had once freed me brought an involuntary smile to my lips.
“I could look at them all day.”
At my words, the sea slightly rippled.
I closely examined Ian, who seemed to be greatly swayed.
I had only seen him in a uniform, so facing him in formal attire felt strangely new.
I never thought I’d meet Ian dressed in a suit and dress.
“But this look is a bit awkward.”
“People say that. If you keep looking, you’ll go blind.”
“What?”
Ian’s gaze met mine. His calm but somewhat persistent eyes made my cheeks tingle.
“It really hurts my eyes.”
“Oh, the necklace I wore today does sparkle too much…”
“No, it’s not because of the necklace.”
Ian looked into my eyes as he spoke.
He wasn’t talking about the necklace; he was complimenting my appearance.
“Women usually do make an effort to dress up…”
“You always look beautiful, even without dressing up, senior.”
Why is he like this?
“And today is…”
His usually calm eyes suddenly shimmered. They were shaking like a fierce wave.
“You look especially beautiful.”
Was he always this shy and complimentary?
He said he wanted to be friends and must have strategized with this flattering approach.
“Thank you. You look great today too.”
“Is that so?”
Ian’s ears turned red in a flash as he seemingly accepted the compliment with composure.
I felt it earlier, but perhaps he’s weak against compliments?
“By the way, who was that man earlier?”
“Ah, that man? How should I say it? Someone who unilaterally claims to be my partner? No. Maybe someone my mother has chosen as my marriage partner?”
“Marriage partner?”
“There will probably be several more behind him. If I say I don’t like that person, they will immediately bring the next person in front of me?”
David Collin was just the beginning. Olivia would continue to push husband candidates in front of me whenever such an event occurred.
They’ll selectively choose flawed men like David Collin.
“Do you not want it, senior?”
“I have no thoughts of marrying right now. But the empire is strangely obsessed with marriage. Especially if a woman doesn’t marry until late in age, there’s a lot of talk…”
“So?”
I stopped the hand pressing my forehead at the slightly irritated voice.
“Huh?”
“Will you marry?”
Ian was now glaring at me with his brows furrowed.
Just like an angry person…
Maybe Ian is also feeling pressured about marriage and empathizing?
“No, I’ll endure as much as I can. If I don’t want to do it, I won’t. I don’t want a marriage that’s forced upon me.”
“What if the pressure continues?”
“Then I’ll just run away.”
“Excuse me?”
I burst into laughter at Ian’s astonished face.
“I’m joking. If there was somewhere to go, maybe…”
Wait?
Maybe the reason Rosebelia went into exile in another country could be complex? The pressure from home could have been one of the reasons.
His visit to the Knights, asking them to kill him, wouldn’t have been pleasant either.
‘Can you kill me?’
Suddenly, Ian’s words to Rosebelia came to mind, and my heart trembled.
What if Ian says something like that to me…
“Senior?”
“Ah.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine…”
As a warm sensation spread over my shoulder, my mouth automatically closed. Looking down, I saw the coat Ian was wearing just a while ago.
“How is your body?”
“Huh?”
“You collapsed, didn’t you?”
Ian’s brows narrowed again, as if recalling my appearance that day.
“I’m fine.”
“I have found a renowned doctor. It would be best to check your pulse again.”
“I’m really fine. I’m not hurt or anything.”
“I’m not at ease.”
Is he worried that if something’s wrong with me, I won’t be able to duel with him?
After all, I know what our duel means to Ian, and what motivation it gives him.
“Shall we go now?”
“It’s a chilly wind, so it would be good to go inside.”
As I nodded, Ian walked straight to the curtain. Between the slightly parted curtains, I saw a familiar face.
Wait, isn’t that Olivia?
“Klein, it’s not time to go out yet…”
I grabbed Ian’s sleeve as he pulled the balcony door and yanked him toward me.
Wait, this situation is very familiar, isn’t it?
“Ah!”
But why am I falling backward?
Of course, I stepped on the hem of my dress, and my shoes slipped, causing my ankle to not bear weight properly. As a result, it was not Ian but I who lost balance.
Feeling my body becoming one with the floor, I reached out haphazardly.
After hearing a crashing sound, I squeezed one eye shut and then slowly blinked.
There should be some pain, but…
All I felt was a strong arm wrapped around my head and waist, and the hot breath brushing my lips.
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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