I Have A Terminally Ill Duke As My Husband (1 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 14
“A guest? For me?”
Mercian, who had been learning how to make the sweet pumpkin soup she ate this morning from the chef Jang, frowned the moment she entered the drawing room at Charles’s words.
“Sis?”
“Oh my? My adorable little sister Mer. How did you lose so much weight in just one day? Are the people here perhaps looking down on you because you’re from a viscount family?”
Seeing Lucianne approach her with exaggerated greetings as if they hadn’t seen each other in years, while glaring at Charles, Mercian let out a ridiculous chuckle.
Sigh. The one who looks down on me more than anyone here is you, sis.
Yesterday at the wedding, Lucianne had left with an expression that seemed to wish for my unhappiness—what on earth is going on now?
“Why are you saying such things, sis? Everyone here treats me so well.”
Treats you well? Well, you’re the kind of kid who thinks people are nice to you as long as they feed you properly. Seeing how you’ve gained even more weight in just one day, it seems that duke has absolutely no interest in Mer.
If that’s the case, maybe it’ll be easier to seduce that stupid girl.
“First, send everyone around us away.”
“What?”
“It’s really important.”
What is she planning to say now? From Mercian’s experience, such over-the-top behavior usually meant something useless, but knowing Lucianne wouldn’t just leave if refused, Mercian sighed softly and said,
“Charles, give us a moment.”
“But madam, the head maid instructed me to stay by your side at all times.”
“It’s fine. So please let me talk alone with my sister for a bit.”
At Mercian’s words, Charles glanced worriedly at Lucianne, bowed her head, and left.
Sigh. It’s only been one day since the marriage, and she already acts like she’s truly the duchess?
Who do you think made it possible for that wedding to go smoothly yesterday…
Lucianne felt anger rising as she looked at Mercian sitting in front of her, completely unaware of her efforts, but she held it in and took a sip of the tea placed before her.
“What do you want to say?”
“Mer, you should be grateful to me.”
“What?”
“Do you even know who made it possible for your wedding to finish safely yesterday?”
“You’re not seriously going to say it was because of you, right?”
Is she planning to spout nonsense like she got married because I couldn’t spill soup on the dress?
Lucianne lowered her voice and spoke, looking at Mercian who stared at her as if asking what nonsense this was.
“You don’t know that the duke is plotting treason, do you?”
[This is the timeline separator]Imperial Palace, Luan’s office.
“As Your Grace predicted, the crown prince has approached the young lady from the viscount family.”
“Is that so? He moved faster than expected. Thanks to that, we’ll have plenty of time to deal with the crown prince.”
Luan quietly gazed at the red line that had grown darker than yesterday.
[This is the timeline separator]Two weeks ago, as the two-year war with the Alomand Kingdom was nearing its end, Luan was stationed in a village that had already surrendered to wipe out the last resistance forces.
“What do you mean? What did Thingklay do?”
At Luan’s question, Cassel hesitated before answering.
“He tried to rape a woman who was with the remaining resistance group, but…”
Before Cassel could finish, Luan started walking.
“Where is that bastard? And the woman?”
“We’ve locked Thingklay in the temporary prison. The woman’s condition isn’t good. The doctor said she was pregnant.”
Sigh…
Luan hurried to the temporary village hospital and flung open the ward door.
“Y-Your Grace! Be careful!”
The moment Luan opened the ward door, a white light passed through his body.
“Ugh!”
“Your Grace, are you all right?”
Cassel, who had followed, supported Luan as he stood up and walked toward the bed where the woman lay.
“I’m fine.”
The woman, who had worn a satisfied expression seeing Luan stagger as he entered, murmured something with her few remaining breaths as he approached.
“…I… curse you… for my husband’s revenge…”
“H-Hey, madam, what are you saying? Madam!!”
Cassel rushed to the woman and shook her, but soon her hand dropped limply off the bed.
“Your Grace, she’s dead.”
Cassel looked at Luan with a panicked expression.
“Let’s go to Thingklay first.”
Temporary prison.
“Your Grace, I’m truly wronged. That woman seduced me, I swear!”
Luan silently stared at Thingklay, who spoke with an aggrieved face.
Thingklay Arponbark.
The youngest son of Emperor Viseluke Arponbark, son of Empress Ohara, and the empire’s troublesome third prince.
Bringing him along at the emperor’s request when the war began had been a mistake.
No, to be precise, it was the crown prince’s scheme.
To make him fail, he insisted one of the princes had to join the war and recommended the most useless and troublesome one—Thingklay.
For two years, Thingklay had caused all sorts of incidents.
Yet he had always stayed within the line…
What on earth happened this time?
Luan spoke to the half-out-of-it Thingklay.
“You violated military law. I clearly told you—during war, never touch women or the weak.”
“It’s been two years, Duke. Because of those damn military laws, I haven’t touched a woman once! But when that woman came on to me so aggressively… Argh!”
Before Thingklay could finish, Luan kicked him in the chest.
“Y-You’re kicking me right now? Do you even know who I am!”
“You’re nothing but a subordinate who broke military law!”
“Hah! The war is almost over—as soon as we return to the empire, someone like you…”
“Your Grace, please calm down first. No matter what, touching a prince is…”
“I was told I could kill him if needed.”
“…What?”
Luan pulled a scroll from his pocket and threw it in front of Thingklay.
“If he causes trouble, I may execute him under military law—that was the condition. Did you think I’d bring a troublemaker like you without such terms?”
“N-No way. Father would never do this to me. This is obviously fake!”
At Thingklay’s words, Luan smiled coldly and said,
“Those who violate military law face execution.”
“What? What are you talking about—execution for touching some woman!”
“She died. Because of you!”
“What? Come on, Duke, it’s just one woman—and an enemy at that. Not even an imperial citizen, and you’re talking execution?”
“It’s two. The woman was pregnant. So you killed two people. Execution will proceed via military trial immediately upon return to the empire. Watch him closely so he can’t escape or take his own life!”
“Y-Your Grace!!”
Luan left the prison, ignoring Thingklay’s desperate cries.
Ugh!!
Barely a few steps out of the prison, Luan suddenly couldn’t breathe—as if his heart had hardened—and collapsed.
[This is the timeline separator]“So this is a curse?”
When Luan opened his eyes at Cassel’s words, Cassel, the military doctor Fabian, and several people who had surrendered from the Alomand Kingdom to the empire were looking at him with serious expressions.
“What happened?”
“Well, that is…”
As Cassel hedged at Luan’s question, a kind-looking elder stepped forward and spoke to Luan.
“Your Grace, it seems you’ve been cursed.”
“A curse?”
At Luan’s question, Cassel nodded and answered.
“From our investigation, it appears the deceased woman deliberately approached the prince.”
“Deliberately?”
“Yes. Knowing her husband died in the war, she intentionally approached the prince afterward.”
“To lure me. To curse me.”
“Yes. To her, Your Grace was the enemy who killed her husband.”
“Can the curse be lifted?”
“We’re currently investigating the woman, but according to the kingdom’s people, it seems to be a witch’s curse.”
“A witch’s curse?”
At Luan’s question, the elder pointed to a thin red vein on Luan’s wrist and said,
“Yes. It’s called a witch’s curse—a curse where this vein gradually moves toward the heart. Usually, it takes about six months for the vein to reach the heart, and the moment it does, the heart hardens.”
“The heart hardens?”
“Yes. For now, there are no symptoms, but as the vein moves toward the heart, you’ll experience increasingly frequent pain and dizziness, and later you may lose consciousness.”
“Is there a way to break the curse?”
“Well…”
“There isn’t one?”
“No one knows exactly how to break a witch’s curse. It’s also called the curse of love—some say it lifts if you truly love someone, but even that isn’t certain.”
“Truly love? What’s the standard for ‘true’?”
Luan tilted his head and muttered at the elder’s words.
“There’s a saying that the curse lifts if you love someone enough to give your life for them.”
At the elder’s words, Luan gave a cynical smile and said,
“Enough to give my life? That’s ridiculous.”
“Perhaps because of the rumors that Your Grace is cold and cruel enough for your heart to be frozen, that’s why such a curse was cast.”
At Cassel’s words, Luan laughed as if it were absurd and thought,
Giving your life for love, not honor.
What kind of foolish act is that.
“Thank you for telling me. Everyone, you may leave now.”
After the Alomand people left, Luan said to Cassel,
“Cassel, confirm exactly what this curse on me is. And find a way to break it.”
“Yes, Your Grace. Or perhaps you could try this thing called love.”
“Love is something only fools do. That woman cursed me for her husband’s revenge, but the result was losing her own life and her child’s. Throwing away your life for revenge—isn’t that truly foolish? Even if her own life doesn’t matter, what sin did the child—who hasn’t even been born yet—commit? It would have been far more practical and rational to give birth to the child, raise them well into a fine knight, and then have them kill me!”
Practical and rational.
No, how can someone apply practicality and reason to human emotions like that?
No wonder people say he’s ruthless and his heart is as cold as ice.
“Of course, that makes sense. But perhaps because the husband she loved died, she no longer wanted to live?”
“Cassel, what about the child then? Did she ask the child if it wanted to die with her?”
“W-Well, it was still in the womb…”
“The most foolish thing in the world is risking your life for someone you love. Have they ever thought about what happens to the other person after you’re dead?”
“Your Grace is right, but still… somehow that doesn’t feel quite right.”
“Stop with the nonsense and go investigate.”
“Yes, Your Grace. I’ll look into Your Grace’s curse secretly, keeping it confidential.”
“It was six months, right…”
“Yes.”
“No need for that. Exclude the word ‘curse’ and spread the rumor that I’ve been poisoned and will die within six months.”
“Yes? But…”
“Whether I die from poison or a curse, dying is the same, isn’t it?”
“Why on earth?”
“The crown prince’s movements are suspicious. He might try to kill Prince Harmon soon.”
“His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Yes, as you know, the crown prince is absolutely not fit to become emperor. His Majesty the Emperor has been secretly teaching Prince Harmon the crown prince’s etiquette and education for a very long time.”
“But…”
“Why do you think he attached Prince Thingklay to me when I went to war? One of two reasons: hoping I’d kill the prince in battle, or hoping the prince would cause me to lose the war.”
“Then what do you plan to do, Your Grace?”
“First, once the rumor spreads that I’m poisoned and dying soon, and my illness becomes visibly apparent, the crown prince will wait for my death before trying to kill Prince Harmon.”
“Then…”
“If I can break the curse within six months, great—but if not, I should at least eliminate one threat so the empire doesn’t fall.”
“Your Grace.”
“For now, keep this between just you and me. And watch Thingklay closely. It would be troublesome if he died before we return to the empire, after all.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
From that day on, to spread the news of his poisoning faster, Luan began eating only one meal a day and deliberately losing weight.
After some time passed and Luan’s weight dropped sharply, it became accepted fact that he would die in six months.
He had planned to endure the six months well, deal with the crown prince’s matter, and quietly accept death.
But marriage was an unexpected variable.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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