I Have A Terminally Ill Duke As My Husband (1 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 15
“It seems Prince Thingklay’s plans aren’t going as intended, which might be why he’s growing impatient.”
“After that incident, he probably hoped I’d kill him. Even if I only have six months left to live, my presence isn’t something he can simply ignore.”
Recalling how the Crown Prince had repeatedly sent assassins to kill Thingklay during the journey back to the palace—only to fail each time—Luan asked with a faint smile,
“Prince Thingklay?”
“He is currently confined within the prince’s quarters. Though he was indeed trapped in a scheme, the fact remains he attempted to violate a woman in his capacity as a prince—not merely as a common soldier—and the woman died. Thus, it’s expected he’ll likely be exiled from the capital.”
“His Majesty the Emperor must be relieved of one worry, then. And what about the Viscount’s daughter?”
“According to my informants, she has gone to the ducal residence.”
“The ducal residence, you say? How intriguing. I wonder what decision the Duchess will make…”
At the thought of Mercian, Luan’s lips curled into a gentle smile as he remembered how she had squirmed in his arms the previous night, dreaming as she ate.
What’s with that sudden smile of his? It’s kind of scary…
Could it be that if the Duchess betrays him by siding with her sister, he plans to kill her?
“If the Viscount’s daughter leaves the ducal residence, inform me immediately.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“By the way, Cassel—I have a question. I’ve been suffering from insomnia, yet I slept deeply and soundly last night without any sleeping medicine. What could possibly explain that?”
“Well… Insomnia is typically quite difficult to cure. However, I’ve heard psychological factors are among its common causes. Perhaps you’ve recently found some psychological comfort that allowed you to sleep well? But why ask this all of a sudden—could it be that you didn’t take any sleeping medicine last night, Your Grace?”
“A psychological cause, hmm? Then perhaps sleeping next to my wife gave me that sense of psychological stability. Or… could it have been because of how delightfully soft she felt?”
Luan murmured, recalling how Mercian’s plump, supple body had clung snugly to his own.
After all, I did keep feeling the urge to touch her again and again…
I wanted to swallow up those little chewing sounds she made, and how adorably she ate her breakfast!
“Your Grace? Are you even listening to me? Your Grace?”
“Yes, Cassel. Report back to me shortly!”
Seeing that Luan clearly hadn’t heard a word he said—and had replied with something entirely unrelated—Cassel sighed in resignation, bowed his head, and left the room.
So the Crown Prince has already approached the Viscount’s daughter.
Luan rose from his seat and walked to the window, gazing outside.
The warm sunlight streaming through the window mirrored the feeling in his heart whenever he looked at Mercian.
For some reason, he missed his wife.
Was she meeting her sister right now?
How would she react upon hearing I’m preparing to start a rebellion?
Would she seek proof of my treason—for her sister’s sake, or for the sake of our house?
Or… would she reject my proposal—for my sake?
Surely that couldn’t happen?
Thinking of Mercian, who’d taken on that round, clumsy form while rummaging through his study at Lucianne’s request, Luan found himself smiling unconsciously.
Perhaps I should leave behind a few pieces of evidence so she doesn’t waste her efforts?
I myself don’t care much—I’ll be dead soon enough—but if I die without clearing out this filth, it might later trouble my wife’s reputation.
At the very least, I must ensure her safety.
No—if that bastard even thinks of harboring ill intentions toward her…
Just imagining it filled Luan with inexplicable irritation.
[This is the timeline separator]Damon Arponbark.
Known as the “little devil of the Imperial Palace,” he was a brash, arrogant, and selfish crown prince.
Born to Emperor Viseluke and Empress Antwarte through the typical politically arranged marriage of the imperial court, he naturally ascended to the position of Crown Prince.
Having been overprotected by Empress Antwarte since childhood, Damon grew up conceited and self-centered.
Viseluke had initially thought his son’s poor manners were merely youthful and would improve with age—but as Damon became increasingly uncontrollable, Viseluke grew disillusioned and began considering Harmon, son of Empress Marianne, as his true heir.
Though generally slow-witted, Damon sensed that Viseluke was favoring Harmon over him.
From that point on, Damon seized every opportunity to try to kill Harmon, forcing Viseluke to entrust Harmon’s safety to Luan.
Though Luan had little interest in getting entangled in imperial power struggles, he accepted the Emperor’s request, believing Harmon would be a better ruler than Damon.
He had agreed lightly, thinking, “I’ll be dead in six months anyway—might as well clean up one piece of trash before I go.”
But now—there’s absolutely no way I’ll tolerate that bastard coveting my wife!
Luan resolved to eliminate Damon before his own death.
[This is the timeline separator]
House of Beannoman.
Crash!!
“Lucy! What on earth is going on?”
“What a foolish girl you are!!”
Penelope stared at Lucianne, bewildered as Lucianne furiously hurled objects around her room in a fit of rage.
“Ughhh!!”
“Lucy!”
“Mother! How could you possibly have given birth to such an ignorant, unreasonable child?”
“Lucy… did you go to see Mer?”
“Honestly! I was only speaking for your own good, and yet…”
“Lucy, please calm down. You already suffer from gastritis and a weak heart—you absolutely shouldn’t get this agitated. Take a deep breath and sit on the bed.”
Guided gently by Penelope’s hand, Lucianne sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Hah… hah… phew.”
“There, are you a little calmer now?”
“I’m sorry, Mother. *sniffle* I’m just so upset because of Mer…”
Seeing Lucianne burst into sorrowful tears—as if she’d suffered some great wrong at Mercian’s hands—Penelope stroked her back tenderly and asked,
“There, there, Lucy. Stop being so upset. What exactly did Mer say to make you, of all people, this angry? Did she dare speak rudely to you just because she’s now Duchess?”
“It’s not that…”
[This is the timeline separator]House of Canoluph.
“What? Who’s doing what?”
Mercian stared back at Lucianne in disbelief, as if the words made no sense at all.
“I’m telling you—Duke Luan Canoluph, your husband, is planning a rebellion.”
Luan is planning what?
Of all the absurd things to say! A man with only six months left to live is going to start a rebellion? What’s the point of that?
Is she seriously expecting me to believe this?
Mercian felt irritation rise as she watched Lucianne whisper tensely, casting nervous glances all around.
Ah—just as I was about to finally enjoy my pumpkin soup, I have to sit here listening to this nonsense?
“Well then, thank you so much, Sister! I really appreciate you coming all this way to share such a huge secret with me.”
“Yes, you certainly should be grateful—yesterday, His Highness the Crown Prince intended to ruin your wedding, but I stopped him.”
“You did? How? Did you bribe him with the gold coins from your dowry?”
“What nonsense! Though you wouldn’t know—you see, a woman of my beauty doesn’t need to prepare anything special.”
I don’t even want to ask why—but I already know what you’re going to say, Lucianne. Still, if I don’t ask, I’ll just get even more tired.
Mercian looked at Lucianne, who clearly expected her to ask for an explanation, and finally said,
“Why?”
“Well, obviously—any man would find it impossible to simply walk past someone as beautiful as me. Yesterday, I bowed my head respectfully and begged His Highness the Crown Prince not to ruin my little sister’s wedding. You might not like me much, but to me, you’re my one and only sister.”
Watching Lucianne speak as if the wedding had only gone ahead thanks to her intervention, Mercian fell into deep thought.
She expects me to believe that? That the Crown Prince—of all people—would abandon a rebel just because some beautiful stranger asked him to?
It’s obvious. He must have charmed her into gathering intelligence from the ducal house for him.
Do I really look so naive that I wouldn’t realize this is all because you want to become Crown Princess?
Back when I lived at the viscount’s estate, maybe I would’ve believed you. But things are different now.
I’ll spend the next six months here peacefully, and after that, I’ll move to the countryside alone.
Even if Luan truly intends to rebel, I don’t care.
I’m sorry, but I have no desire to get involved in this conflict.
Having made up her mind, Mercian put on a grateful expression and said,
“My goodness! So I was able to finish my wedding yesterday safely—all thanks to your stunning beauty, Sister! Thank you so, so much! I don’t really have anything to give you… wait! I know! Those three dresses I bought from the atelier a few days ago—I’ll send them over to your estate. Honestly, I think they’ll suit you far better than me. Well then, take care! See you next time—or actually, let’s just not see each other unless absolutely necessary.”
Dresses? Does she really think I came here just for some trivial gowns?
You’re supposed to follow my instructions, find evidence of your husband’s rebellion, and bring it to me!
Panicking, Lucianne grabbed Mercian’s wrist as she stood up.
“Mer, aren’t you even worried? Your husband is planning treason! If this gets out, both you and your husband will be executed—and our entire family too!”
“Oh, of course I’m worried! That’s why I’ll go tell Luan right away.”
“Tell him what? You’re not seriously going to tell him to kill His Highness the Crown Prince, are you?”
“Oh my! How did you guess? Since I only have six months left, I should at least get to rule the Empire for two months before I die. So instead of rebelling in six months, he should just do it tomorrow! If he succeeds, I won’t be Duchess anymore—I’ll become Empress! And since you contributed to this rebellion, I’ll personally ask Luan to reward you with a good husband once he becomes Emperor. So for now, Sister, you just go home and wait for news of his successful rebellion. The moment he becomes Emperor, I’ll contact you immediately. Now, I’m really busy, so I’ll have to ask you to leave on your own—sorry, but I can’t see you out. You do know the way out of the ducal residence, right?”
Convinced she’d heard enough, Mercian stood up, gave Lucianne a quick bow, and walked straight out of the reception room.
Furious at being dismissed so rudely, Lucianne waited in the reception room for a long while—but Mercian never returned.
.
.
.
“What a foolish girl you are!!”
Lucianne muttered bitterly as she finally returned home, unable even to voice the simplest instruction—to have the Duke watched.
Hearing her daughter’s words, Penelope grew anxious.
“What if His Highness learns you couldn’t extract any information from Mer? He won’t leave us alone, will he?”
“Mother, don’t worry. His Highness is already completely infatuated with me—you don’t need to be concerned. Besides, I’m supposed to meet him again tomorrow, and I’ll explain everything well then.”
“What? You’re meeting him again tomorrow? Goodness, he’s seeking you out so quickly—he must truly intend to make you Crown Princess!”
“Exactly, Mother—you just trust me.”
Just you wait, Mer. How dare you ignore me like that.
I’ll find proof of the Duke’s rebellion, and neither you nor him will get away unscathed.
Lucianne hugged Penelope tightly, making that silent vow in her heart.
[This is the timeline separator]“Where is the Duchess?”
As Luan entered the ducal residence, he asked Edward, who tilted his head in confusion before replying,
“She said she was going to the garden a while ago.”
“The garden? Understood.”
Luan hurried to the garden, but Mercian was nowhere to be seen in the wide expanse.
“Did she return to her room?”
He knocked on Mercian’s door but received no answer. Opening the door, he found the room completely empty.
What’s going on? Could something have happened to her?
Or is she perhaps searching my study for evidence of my rebellion?
Luan went to the study and carefully searched every corner—but Mercian wasn’t there either.
Could she be in the kitchen, then?
Hoping against hope, Luan hurried downstairs to the kitchen.
“Jang, have you seen the Duchess?”
“If you’re asking about Madam, she took a whole basket of the apple pies I just baked a while ago.”
“Apple pies? I see.”
Maybe she’s in the garden after all, and I just missed her. I should check from above.
Realizing the garden would be fully visible from his room window, Luan quickly returned to his room and opened the window.
The moment he did, his eyes met Mercian’s—she was perched on a large tree branch directly in view, leaning lazily against the trunk, eating a pie with a blissfully happy expression on her face.
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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