I Became the First Love of the Impenetrable Male Lead (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
No matter how many times I blinked my eyes, nothing changed. The person before me was unmistakably Daisy.
“How on earth did you…?”
“Rose, what’s going on?”
Edwin, who had followed behind, gasped sharply upon seeing Daisy.
Before I could even check on Edwin, a thunderbolt of a phrase struck my ears.
“I’ve come to learn swordsmanship from Lady Rosebelia.”
“Excuse me? You came to learn swordsmanship?”
This wasn’t how it happened in the original story.
Weren’t you just supposed to secretly visit Ian normally?
“…Is it not possible?”
Her dejected expression resembled a puppy with its tail drooping. Just as I hesitated over my reply, Edwin asked in a trembling voice,
“Rose, who is she?”
Edwin’s eyes, slightly widened in surprise, remained fixed on Daisy.
In the original story, Edwin had instantly fallen for Daisy when she visited the knights’ barracks to see Ian—and it seemed this hadn’t changed at all.
“She’s the person I rescued in the square.”
“My apologies for the late introduction. I am Daisy Elijah.”
When Daisy smiled brightly, clutching the hem of her dress, Edwin let out a breath he’d been holding.
“Are you truly here to learn swordsmanship?”
“Ever since I saw Lady Rosebelia’s swordsmanship in the square that day, I couldn’t sleep at all. Your image kept flashing before my eyes as you wielded your sword, and I thought I’d like to learn it myself too… Is it really not allowed?”
I forced the corners of my mouth upward slightly to hide my awkwardness, intending to refuse gently so Daisy wouldn’t be hurt.
“Well, swords are inherently quite heavy. I’m afraid they’d be too much for you to handle, Daisy…”
The moment I uttered her name, Daisy covered her mouth in surprise, though a faint blush still bloomed on her cheeks before she could fully conceal it.
“You could certainly practice light movements with a wooden sword without issue, but as you know, this is a knights’ barracks—it’s simply not a suitable place for you to train.”
“I see.”
Her previously bright face instantly fell into disappointment.
“Wouldn’t it be better to practice gradually at the training grounds in the ducal residence…?”
“But I want to learn from Lady Rosebelia.”
Considering Daisy’s physical condition, refusal was the right choice—but facing those sparkling eyes filled with such earnest eagerness kept weakening my resolve.
Come to think of it, wasn’t it the Duchess herself who strictly controlled Daisy at the ducal residence?
“Have you received permission from the Duchess?”
Daisy shook her head guiltily.
“I think you’ll need to obtain her permission first.”
“I suppose so… But I really, really want to learn…”
As the thought crossed my mind—perhaps I should help her since she’s showing such determination—Daisy suddenly clutched her head.
“Are you all right?”
I immediately stepped forward and grasped her shoulders, and she leaned her weight against me.
“I suddenly feel a bit dizzy.”
Daisy had been frail since childhood and had always been overprotected.
For several years now, she’d frequently complained of dizziness, yet even renowned physicians summoned to examine her could only say they found no cause—and eventually, they even suggested she wouldn’t live long.
“How much do you walk each day?”
“Even a little walking makes my heart race, so I rarely leave my room.”
That meant she hardly took even light walks, and consequently, her exposure to sunlight must be severely limited.
“And you eat very little, I assume?”
“Yes. I never feel hungry.”
Just as I’d suspected while reading the original story.
In fact, someone close to me in my previous life had shown similar symptoms—my mother, who passed away in an accident when I was young.
She’d suffered from a chronic condition: arrhythmia.
“Have you ever experienced chest pain or difficulty breathing?”
If she felt chest pain or shortness of breath, she’d need medical intervention—but fortunately, unlike my mother, whose arrhythmia wasn’t severe, Daisy said she’d never felt pain.
I remembered dragging my mother outside by the hand when I was little, forcing her to exercise because it was supposed to help. At first, she struggled, but thankfully, her condition gradually improved.
“No, I’ve never had that.”
“I see.”
In the original story, Daisy’s condition had sharply deteriorated in the latter half—heart pain and repeated fainting spells brought on by heartbreak over Ian.
If I managed her condition appropriately now, before her symptoms worsened, perhaps I could prevent that tragic decline.
“But why are you asking about all this…?”
“Senior, the Captain is looking for you.”
A sudden voice made my heart drop.
Passing by Edwin, who still stood dazed, the person walking toward me was Ian.
The original story’s male lead, female lead, and even the secondary male lead—all three of us meeting unexpectedly made me swallow hard.
“Really? Got it.”
I glanced down at Daisy, who was still nestled against me.
Daisy briefly met Ian’s gaze, then turned away with an expression utterly devoid of interest.
Thankfully, she didn’t seem interested in Ian—but it was safest to eliminate potential risks beforehand.
“You should probably head back for today, Lady Daisy.”
“Oh! Now that you mention it, I almo—”
“Yes?”
“Never mind. It’s nothing.”
Her previously drooping eyes now held a faint, enigmatic smile.
“Did you come here alone?”
“My carriage is waiting outside. I’ll see you again soon, Lady Rosebelia.”
Watching Daisy’s figure recede gracefully into the distance, I finally let out a sigh of relief.
By the way, why had Edwin been so quiet this whole time?
When I glanced sideways, I saw Edwin standing frozen like a stone statue.
“Edwin, what’s wrong with you?”
“…It’s just that…”
“Go on, I’m listening.”
“I think I’ve met my destiny.”
Hearing Edwin murmur as if in a dream, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Seems that way. Congratulations.”
I’d expected you, Edwin, to remain unchanged even if the story altered.
But if Daisy’s fate doesn’t change, then even if the two of you end up together…
Shaking off the negative thought, I hurried toward the main building where the Captain’s office was located.
*
“Klein, what are you doing here?”
Ian, who had been leaning against an old tree, slowly lifted his heavy eyelids.
Reflected in his eyes was Jace, a new recruit who’d joined the White Knights alongside him.
“As you can see, just sitting here.”
“I heard a beautiful lady visited the barracks earlier—did you happen to see her?”
Ian’s brow slowly furrowed.
‘A beautiful lady?’
There had been a woman who clung persistently to Rosebelia like thorny vines.
‘Could he possibly be referring to her?’
A quiet scoff escaped through his tightly closed lips.
If one were to describe someone as beautiful, the only person truly worthy of that word was…
Ian recalled standing atop the city walls a few days prior, gazing at the sea at Rosebelia’s suggestion. The view had been breathtaking.
But what had captivated him even more was Rosebelia’s pale face bathed in soft moonlight, her golden hair shimmering unusually bright…
And the languid sound of her laughter carried by the wind.
Sometimes, when he closed his eyes, that scene would flash before him again. After the phantom-like image of Rosebelia faded, a strange tingling would linger just below his sternum.
With her faint smile and closed eyes, Rosebelia had seemed almost otherworldly—
as if she might vanish into thin air at any moment, prompting him to unconsciously clutch the edge of her cloak.
“Klein? Are you even listening?”
“I heard you. Do you know who she is?”
Ian asked, pressing a hand against his chest as if something heavy had settled there.
“They say she’s the young lady of House Elijah, the one Lady Rosebelia rescued in the square.”
“Oh.”
When Ian acknowledged it, Jace’s eyes widened.
“You’ve seen her, Klein?”
“I have.”
“Lady Rosebelia is a dazzling beauty, but they say this young lady is a delicate, pure kind of beauty—is it true?”
“Not quite…”
His casually wandering gaze snagged on something. Rosebelia had just emerged from the Captain’s office and was now deep in conversation with Edwin.
When Edwin leaned toward Rosebelia and casually touched her arm, Ian’s fingertips instinctively curled inward.
‘What is this feeling?’
The sudden surge of irritation refused to subside easily.
“Klein?”
“…”
“Why are you staring so intently all of a sudden?”
Jace, following Ian’s line of sight, gave his shoulder a light, knowing pat.
“You admire Senior Rosebelia and Senior Edwin too, huh?”
“Admire?”
“I admire them both as well. My goal while in the knights’ barracks is to grow closer to the two seniors.”
“When you admire someone, you want to get close to them?”
Ian, still unable to tear his eyes from Rosebelia, asked with a dry expression.
“Of course. When you look up to someone, you naturally want to become friends and draw nearer to them.”
For an instant, Ian’s Adam’s apple bobbed sharply.
“You mean… you’d want to be the one closest to them, above anyone else?”
“Huh? Well… if your admiration is strong enough, I suppose that could happen…”
Before Jace could finish, Ian gave a slow nod. He closed his eyes for a long moment, as if confronting his own feelings, then opened them again.
‘So this is what admiration feels like.’
His eyes, which had been unconsciously following Rosebelia, now gleamed with unmistakable clarity.
*
“What? Kaiden?”
Olivia looked up at Arnold, her delicate brow furrowed.
“Yes. It seems he’s been training privately with Schultz, who used to be Lady Rosebelia’s swordsmanship instructor.”
Olivia remembered Schultz well—he’d been a senior knight who’d served as the Winters family’s personal guard for quite some time.
“Why on earth would Kaiden…?”
“The young master once asked me whether he’d ever become skilled enough to spar with Lady Rosebelia. I suspect he sought out Schultz because he wants to duel her.”
She’d stripped Schultz of his position because she disliked how devotedly he followed Rosebelia.
She could have expelled him entirely, but keeping him at the manor was meant as a message to Rosebelia—
to make it perfectly clear what happened to those in House Winters who dared to side with her.
It was also a warning: if you don’t want to end up like them, leave this place at once.
‘Why do both Kaiden and Vivian follow Rosebelia so devotedly?’
Just seeing Rosebelia, who looked so much like Liliana, strutting around the manor made Olivia’s skin crawl.
‘Besides, it’s been years since Liliana died—yet people still associate House Winters with Liliana, the former Marchioness, and Rosebelia.’
Born into a humble viscount’s family, Liliana had possessed striking beauty that drew attention wherever she went.
Olivia could still vividly recall the moment Hermann, whom she’d loved for so long, fell instantly for Liliana at first sight.
Each time that memory resurfaced, the desire to completely erase Liliana’s lingering shadow from this estate consumed her.
Going forward, House Winters should be represented by Kaiden and Vivian—
not by someone like Rosebelia, whose only claim to fame was her beauty inherited from that lowly viscount’s bloodline.
“Keep a discreet watch.”
“Pardon? But Schultz’s training methods are rather harsh.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Schultz had treated Kaiden exactly like any other trainee, despite knowing he was the heir to the marquisate.
‘Which is why Kaiden ended up with countless minor injuries…’
A cold smile played on Olivia’s lips as she recalled the past.
“You yourself entrusted Kaiden’s training to me and explicitly said not a single hair on his head should be harmed. Surely, training with Schultz risks injury to the young master…”
“That’s precisely why I want you to watch. It should make for quite an interesting scene.”
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
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