I Held the Leash of a Blind Beast (1 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 8
Rona hastily straightened her clothes and glanced at Illeon. He was occasionally so sensitive to sounds that he seemed like someone who could see, and she found herself tensing up without even realizing it.
‘You didn’t see anything, right?’
True to his words, Illeon looked drowsy—as if he hadn’t slept all night because of her troublesome behavior and was about to drift off again.
“Sleep well.”
Rona tiptoed back into the room.
“Seriously, what even is that book?”
The Palegara War Chronicles? If it had been published in Korea, it would’ve saved countless insomniacs who suffer counting sheep every night.
“I’ll have to be more careful next time.”
Next time? Next time? Rona mulled over why those words felt so strange.
“Oh, I get it now.”
Illeon was supposed to regain his sight sometime today or tomorrow. That meant he only had two days left where he’d need to borrow someone else’s eyes to read.
“Haaah… What’s wrong with Karina, really?”
Rona pulled an extra pillow close and adjusted her posture. Because she’d just been holding Illeon’s warm body, the usual coolness of her pillow felt oddly unfamiliar.
“If only Karina slept with Illeon once, she’d understand.”
Just how perfect a body pillow he was. He truly slept through the night without waking or tossing and turning—a miraculous experience for Rona, who usually struggled to sleep with anyone beside her.
Rona let out a big yawn.
“Let’s get a little more sleep.”
The second round of sleep felt even cozier and sweeter.
Meanwhile, Illeon still couldn’t fall asleep.
Perhaps because of the butler’s cheeky remark, he’d had a strange dream about kissing Rona.
The moment he jolted awake from the dream, real-life Rona suddenly seemed even more problematic.
“Her sleeping habits are truly terrible.”
Rona’s bare shoulder was pressed against his chest. Her one-piece nightgown had ridden up considerably, and she clung tightly to him with her leg hooked over his, refusing to let go. Illeon lay stiff as a log, unable to sleep a wink.
“Chocolate-colored…”
Illeon murmured shyly.
If her cheeks had turned red, it must mean she was embarrassed—perhaps even a little self-conscious about him?
If she truly felt nothing, she wouldn’t have blushed, would she?
“Huh.”
Illeon was overwhelmed by a sudden urge to see Rona. It was almost laughable—the man who once commanded imperial borders like a war god now longed to regain his lost eyes for such a trivial reason.
He wanted to see whether the woman he cared for was shy around him. What expression would she make when nervous?
He didn’t want her to tell him or explain it—he just wanted to see it with his own eyes.
Even in dreams that felt vividly real, he couldn’t see Rona. To be merely a blind man even in his dreams left Illeon feeling strangely hollow.
On the day he lost his sight, Illeon had been riding at the forefront of a vast battlefield, crushing the barbarians. The barbarian king had long since fallen to his sword. He was chasing down the retreating remnants, spurring his horse fiercely.
Ssshhhk.
Hearing the faint sound of something slicing through the air, Illeon twisted the reins to dodge and swung his sword. He was such a formidable knight that he could even deflect incoming arrows with his sword aura—but this time…
Poof.
The arrow, disintegrated into dust upon colliding with his blade, stirred up red powder. The crimson hue was so intense it felt ominous even in midair. In that instant, Illeon held his breath.
“It’s poison! Everyone, be careful!”
His soldiers swiftly scattered in perfect unison. Illeon covered his nose and mouth, but his eyes stung slightly. He realized too late that he should’ve covered his eyes as well—not just his nose and mouth. It was already too late.
The first to lose sight was his beloved warhorse, which had served as his legs for seven years, galloping tirelessly in his stead.
Hee-hee-hee-hing! Hee-hee-hee-hing!
The battle steed, which had kept charging faithfully despite taking arrows and sword strikes, suddenly let out pained cries and thrashed about wildly.
Cedric, his trusted aide-de-camp and right-hand man, rushed over to calm the horse—but the panicked animal collapsed sideways, foaming at the mouth.
“Your Highness! Your Grace, the Grand Duke!”
Thunder began rumbling from the dark, storm-laden sky.
Krrrooom.
Beneath the furious, flashing heavens, the blood-soaked earth began to soak up the rain. Cedric’s horrified face, staring at him, faded to black and white before vanishing into darkness.
“Your Grace!”
That was the last thing Illeon ever saw with his own eyes.
Thus, after winning a decisive victory in the seven-year war—where he should have returned as a triumphant general—he came back instead as a retired officer who’d lost his sight.
He hadn’t returned to his domain but stayed at his capital mansion solely to seek a cure for his eyes. Yet no one knew of this poison. The Emperor, concerned for his nephew, had ordered thorough investigations into the barbarians’ secret remedies, but no clue to healing Illeon’s eyes was found anywhere.
At first, he believed he’d recover. Countless remedies rumored to benefit eyes and body were sent to the Grand Duke’s residence—but none restored his crimson irises.
Then, all sorts of people came and went—wandering gypsies and tribal elders from minority groups. Normally, he’d have dismissed such notions as absurd, but since neither physicians nor apothecaries could concoct an antidote, he grasped at straws and subjected himself to every folk remedy imaginable.
Once all human efforts were exhausted, he turned to the divine. Dubious cultists—people he’d never associated with in his life—arrived, each praying to their own deity to restore his sight. They hoped for a miracle if not a cure, yet no god answered. Each gave the same excuse: Illeon lacked faith and sincerity.
At this point, the chance of Illeon regaining his sight was virtually nonexistent. His most loyal aide, Cedric, tormented by guilt for failing to protect his lord, left Illeon’s side. Illeon couldn’t stop him as Cedric departed for the distant East in search of a cure for his eyes.
Wasn’t all this his own fault for losing his sight?
But it wasn’t his fault. At the front lines of battle, where countless blades and arrows flew toward enemy commanders, there was simply no way he could have closed his eyes—not even if he rewound time a hundred or a thousand times. Maintaining constant vigilance against enemy attacks was the very foundation of defense.
His body, honed by years of training, sometimes moved on its own. That keen instinct had saved his life countless times—but it couldn’t protect his eyes.
When all hope vanished, Illeon thought death would be better. Yet he couldn’t die. The first reason was Bernar, the butler who’d tied him to his bed to prevent it; the second was his guilt toward Cedric, who’d wandered far away searching for a cure.
Once Illeon stopped harming himself, Bernar finally untied him. But he couldn’t live as he once had. With the foundation of his life gone, Illeon sank lower than a man. Rumors spread through the capital that the Grand Duke, having lost his sight, howled like a beast every night. People whispered that despite his glorious wartime deeds, he’d gone mad from slaughtering too many on the battlefield.
The fall of a knight with broken wings knew no end. Those who’d envied and resented him seized the peace after the war to tear him down relentlessly.
Even those dark days now felt distant like a dream. A life with Rona had healed all the wounds from the mire he’d endured.
If Rona stayed by his side, he felt he could keep living.
Loveless marriages were common. Yet even without sight, he could respect and love Rona. And as Grand Duchess, she’d never worry about money again.
“But not yet.”
He didn’t want to propose under such conditions. Couldn’t she just give him a little of her heart as he was? That fragile pride—to be seen as a man before Rona—was all Illeon had. Thus, he couldn’t possibly make a proposal like, “Stay by my side in exchange for the Grand Duke’s fortune.”
“Don’t rush.”
Illeon scolded himself for his impatience.
There would be many more days ahead when he couldn’t see.
[This is the timeline separator]Around lunchtime, the butler Bernar called for Rona.
“His Grace hasn’t awakened yet.”
“Really?”
“When I went to pay my morning respects, they said he didn’t sleep a wink all night.”
“Yes. I read to him until dawn.”
And then I slept soundly myself.
“He’s skipped both breakfast and lunch, and judging by how deeply he’s sleeping, he probably won’t wake until afternoon. If you have errands outside, feel free to step out briefly.”
“Really?”
Rona’s eyes sparkled.
“Now that I think of it, I haven’t properly arranged clothing or other necessities for you.”
The attentive butler must have remembered Rona mentioning yesterday that she wanted to get fitted for clothes. After all, this was the first time she’d stepped out, even briefly, since beginning work at the Grand Duke’s residence.
“Then I’ll just pop out for a bit.”
“Very well. Be sure to return before His Grace has dinner.”
“Yes.”
Rona quickly prepared to go out and headed straight for the Harrington Count’s residence. Today, she was determined to meet Karina no matter what.
[This is the timeline separator]Rona stepped down from the carriage. Having visited once yesterday, the place felt slightly familiar.
“Hello. I’ve come to see Miss Karina.”
The guard, recognizing her, immediately called a servant.
“Good day.”
The elderly butler greeted her with a gentle smile.
“Is Miss Karina at home today?”
“Yes. She’s just busy preparing to go out.”
Rona spoke quickly.
“Then may I see her, even just briefly?”
“I shall inquire.”
After the butler left, Rona let out a short sigh of frustration.
“Going out?”
Karina, who’d grown up her whole life in a rural village, had no friends in the capital. That must be why she’d formed such a special bond with Illeon.
Yet now she’d caught the Crown Prince’s eye and visited the palace daily? It was astonishing. And given that this was the Crown Prince from the original story, surely…
“Wasn’t the Crown Prince the mastermind?”
She’d carefully read only the beginning of . In the original, Karina healed Illeon’s eyes fairly early on.
Later, there’d been hints that the Crown Prince might be the hidden villain. But she couldn’t recall exactly how far she’d read—she’d skimmed haphazardly before eventually giving up, so she couldn’t even remember what clues had made her suspect a plot twist.
“Of all people, the Crown Prince? What even happened in the original?”
Picturing the man with the mastermind aura, Rona frowned. In the original story, the Crown Prince and Illeon did seem to become rivals later on.
She was certain of it because the cover featured both Illeon, the male lead, and Sabiel, the secondary male lead. If Sabiel were eliminated early despite being on the cover, that’d be a blatant violation of genre conventions. The cover emphasized the love triangle so strongly that something significant must happen.
Yet in the original, Sabiel only held one-sided feelings for Karina—the heroine never reciprocated.
“This is such a problem—I never read the ending.”
If Countess Harrington was willingly acting as Karina’s chaperone and supporter, that changed everything. The Harrington family was a well-known noble house in the capital, wealthy enough to adopt a distant relative’s child without batting an eye—thanks to owning multiple iron-producing mines.
It was even said that during the war, the Harringtons, as arms dealers, had amassed such immense wealth they might hold more liquid assets than the royal family itself. Prosperity brought generosity. It was obvious how warmly the Countess, at the pinnacle of wealth, would treat Karina. Just then, the elderly butler returned from checking Karina’s intentions.
“Please follow me.”
Rona followed him toward the main building. Unlike yesterday’s brief meeting in the annex, her words—“I wish to repay the kindness Miss Karina once showed me”—must have piqued Karina’s curiosity.
Knock knock.
After Rona knocked on the door of the reception room—far more luxuriously furnished than yesterday’s—Karina herself opened it without ceremony.
“Come in.”
“Miss, you really shouldn’t do that.”
The butler scolded sternly, but Karina beamed brightly.
“Why not? I have hands and feet too.”
“And please, speak more casually to the staff.”
At his words, Karina looked slightly embarrassed.
“In the countryside, we always spoke this way—using honorifics with elders and caring for those younger than me. It just feels natural to me.”
The butler sighed as if she were hopeless, and Karina’s curious green eyes turned toward Rona.
“What brings you here?”
Facing the heroine for the first time, Rona took a short, steadying breath.
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
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Haha, just picturing this is so hilarious. Imagine Duke Illeon fan girling.
The real blind guy is here; calling someone else’s woman his 😂