I Became the First Love of the Impenetrable Male Lead (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
Startled, I blinked—and Ian’s prominent Adam’s apple bobbed up and down in response.
So the warmth pressed against my forehead right now was Ian’s…
His… lips?
Could something like this really happen?
“Hey, rookie? I think you can let go now.”
“Yes.”
With that brief reply, the breath tickling my forehead retreated.
“I… I pulled you because a carriage was coming up right behind you, and I worried it might be dangerous. I guess I used too much force. I didn’t expect you to…”
He barely swallowed the rest of the sentence—how he hadn’t expected me to follow so limply.
“Anyway, sorry.”
At that moment, Ian’s previously dazed expression hardened.
“Why are you apologizing to me?”
“Huh?”
“You just saved me, didn’t you?”
“Oh, right. I did save you.”
Which led to this unfortunate incident.
I glanced sideways at Ian’s face again. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to attach any particular meaning to the accidental contact between his lips and my forehead.
“By the way, what brought you to the square?”
I asked, smoothing my forehead, which still tingled strangely.
“I came on an errand from the captain.”
“The captain sent you on an errand?”
Because the vice-captain position was vacant, Gabriel often assigned errands to Rosebelia.
In truth, those errands were merely a pretext—to let Rosebelia, whom he was grooming as a potential successor, familiarize herself with the captain’s duties.
Of course, when Rosebelia wasn’t around, he’d occasionally assign tasks to other knights too…
But why assign it specifically to Ian, a rookie?
Besides, the captain couldn’t possibly be unaware that Ian was a prince, could he?
“Yes.”
“Why would the captain…?”
“Are you asking me for the reason?”
Ian raised an eyebrow slightly, his expression clearly saying he’d simply done as instructed.
“Oh, right. Did he say anything else?”
“No.”
Though he hadn’t saved Daisy as in the original story, Ian had still appeared in the square. The thought that he might have crossed paths with Daisy made my head spin.
If Ian had come all the way to the square, why hadn’t things unfolded as in the original?
“When did you arrive at the square?”
“Just now. I took the shortcut the captain told me about, and as soon as I stepped out, I saw you, Senior—I was a little surprised too.”
I let out a sigh of relief.
I knew that shortcut Gabriel had mentioned well. Though a bit complicated, it significantly shortened the travel time from the knights’ barracks to the square.
Moreover, that shortcut was on the exact opposite side from where I’d encountered Daisy earlier.
“What did the captain send you to do? Hand it over—I’ll take care of it, and you can head back.”
The original plot had already changed. But if Ian had shown up in the square even belatedly, what if Daisy hadn’t gone home early?
What if Ian, wandering around, ran into Daisy and some unexpected variable arose…?
“No, the captain entrusted this task to me.”
His unexpected reply abruptly cut off my train of thought.
I’d intended to help him both to prevent a meeting with Daisy and because, as a prince, he was surely unfamiliar with running errands—but now…
“Right. That makes sense too.”
“What I meant was…”
“Then carry out your assigned duty faithfully, rookie.”
As I waved and turned to leave nonchalantly, Ian quickly stepped in front of me.
“Why not handle it together?”
“Having two people do a one-person job is a waste of time.”
“What if you saw it not as a waste of time, but as a senior teaching a junior about their duties?”
He really wouldn’t let it go.
“I prefer working alone.”
“Do I make you uncomfortable?”
Me? Uncomfortable with you?
“No? Not at all.”
The corners of Ian’s mouth curved gently upward. Just that faint trace of a smile on his sculpted face made me unable to look away for a fleeting moment.
Must be because he’s the male lead in the original story—he’s disgustingly handsome.
Truthfully, if I had to be honest, I leaned more toward finding him uncomfortable. After all, Ian and Rosebelia were destined to become mortal enemies in the future…
“Good to hear. I was worried you might be uncomfortable with me because of that time I asked you for a sparring match and you misunderstood it as a confession…”
“Not at all?”
His words struck right at the heart of the matter, and I could feel my carefully raised smile trembling slightly.
Right—even I thought it was shameless to dwell on the future like that.
I wasn’t unafraid of the original story’s ending. But at least the Ian standing before me now didn’t frighten me.
Because the Ian I’d imagined while reading the original and the Ian I’d met face-to-face were clearly different.
“Then please help me. Since you said you’re not uncomfortable with me at all, Senior.”
I had no good reason to refuse. A rookie couldn’t possibly handle the task alone skillfully, and he genuinely needed help.
The captain, of all people—who understood this better than anyone—why had he insisted on sending a rookie?
Could it be that he was keeping an eye on Ian?
“Senior?”
“Fine.”
It wouldn’t hurt to build a rapport with Ian.
I held out my hand to him. Ian calmly placed his hand onto my open palm.
“What are you doing now?”
“Wasn’t it obvious? You told me to put my hand here.”
I let out a small sigh and wiggled my fingers, now completely covered by Ian’s hand.
“Let’s put that aside first. The captain must’ve written down your errand instructions, right?”
Only then did Ian’s expression shift to one of sudden realization, and he rummaged through his trouser pocket.
“Here it is.”
“Let me see.”
Wait… what’s this…?
The paper Ian handed me didn’t contain knightly duties—it was a list of Gabriel’s miscellaneous personal errands.
Did this guy somehow get on the captain’s bad side?
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
I hesitated, unsure whether to speak or stay silent, and simply patted Ian’s shoulder instead.
“At least the bookstore is nearby—let’s start there.”
*
While busily rushing about, I found myself back in front of the restaurant.
Had they finished eating by now? Or had they already left?
Because of Rosebelia’s memories absorbed into me, I couldn’t help but keep worrying about it, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it.
I paused briefly and looked up at the restaurant. Ian, who’d stopped beside me, suddenly asked,
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, really.”
“If you’re hungry, I’ll treat you.”
“You? Why?”
“You agreed to spar with me.”
His unexpected reply made me burst out laughing, and Ian stared at me intently.
Noticing his gaze scrutinizing my face with almost stubborn persistence, I belatedly waved my hand dismissively.
“Never mind. I’m not hungry…”
Before I could finish my sentence, the restaurant door opened. Kaiden stepped out.
I quickly grabbed Ian’s cloak and pulled him into the alley to hide.
“Why are we hiding?”
“Just for a moment.”
“Who is it?”
“Do I really have to answer that question?”
At my words, which slipped out like a sigh, Ian nodded obediently as if in agreement.
“No, I don’t need to know.”
“It’s fine now. Let’s go quickly.”
Once Olivia’s carriage, now carrying her too, had driven away, I released Ian’s cloak.
Though their carriage had clearly departed, I could still hear cheerful laughter echoing from somewhere—it lingered in my ears like a ghostly echo.
“Should we return to the knights’ barracks now?”
“Yes.”
Just as Ian turned without hesitation toward the main road at my words, the loud clatter of hooves made me grab his cloak again.
A carriage barely missed Ian, passing right in front of him.
“Rookie, this is the middle of the square—you always need to watch your surroundings carefully. Another accident like earlier could…”
Why are you doing that again?
Ian was looking up at me as if cradled in my arms.
He was tall and quite heavy, but the sight of him squeezing his body into my arms looked so unexpectedly pitiful that I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I think it’s safe now.”
“I agree entirely.”
Instead of just agreeing, shouldn’t you straighten yourself up?
“Rookie, my arms are about to fall off, you know?”
“My apologies.”
“No need to apologize—just be extra careful in the square. You never know what might pop out.”
“Thank you, Senior. You’ve saved me again.”
Ian, now standing upright, gave a slight upward curve to his lips.
Why did I get the feeling he was actually enjoying this situation?
“Let’s go.”
“There’s somewhere I’d like to stop by quickly—may I?”
“Where?”
The place Ian indicated with a glance was the general goods store we’d visited earlier. Since it was close by, I nodded without hesitation.
After saying he’d be right back, Ian headed into the store and returned shortly.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes, let’s return to the knights’ barracks now.”
“Wait a moment.”
“What? More places to stop by?”
“No, this.”
When I turned around, having walked ahead, Ian held out something cupped in his palm.
It was wrapped individually in thin paper, and its round shape made it look like candy.
“Where did you get this?”
“I bought it at the general goods store. It said ‘sweet enough to make your head spin,’ so I got curious.”
When I picked one up, Ian’s palm moved even closer toward me.
“They’re all for you, Senior.”
“Do you have your own portion?”
At my question, Ian shook his head firmly.
“No, I don’t really like sweets.”
“Then why did you buy it?”
“…Do you really not know why I bought it?”
Ian looked down at me, frowning as if he’d just heard something absurd.
Ah—I see. He bought it for me.
“Did you already know I liked sweets?”
It was one of the few things Rosebelia and I had in common—our insane love for sweets.
“I gathered information about you because I wanted to spar with you, Senior.”
“Then why not just bribe me with sweets to get me to agree?”
It was meant as a joke, but Ian hesitated briefly before replying.
“Because I also learned you’re not the type to accept a sparring match through bribery.”
“You’re far more serious about sparring than I thought.”
“Didn’t I tell you? That sensation was completely new to me. Sparring with you is the sole joy in my life right now.”
I paused, about to shove the candy Ian had offered into my pocket with both hands.
The sole joy in his life? Was it really that significant?
“Anyway, thanks—I’ll enjoy them.”
“Then I look forward to our next sparring match as well.”
“When is it?”
“In two days.”
His quick reply, as if he’d been waiting for me to ask, made a faint smile slip out.
“So it’s not a bribe after all.”
“It’s not a bribe. Consider it my thanks for saving me twice today.”
I suppressed a laugh and popped a piece of candy into my mouth. The description was accurate—it was sweet enough to truly make your head spin, sweet enough to momentarily erase all thoughts.
“Aren’t you really not going to eat any?”
“No. As I said earlier, I don’t like sweets…”
Ian suddenly stopped speaking and narrowed his eyes, staring intently across the street.
“What’s wrong?”
Following his gaze, I saw a man approaching us from the opposite direction.
Wait… that face…
It looked distinctly familiar to me too.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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