His bare skin was exposed through the collar I had torn. The startled Grand Duke opened his mouth.
“You······.”
The Grand Duke also held onto my clothes as if to tear them. I looked up at my body held by him.
The Grand Duke was supporting my waist, which was bent backwards as if it would break.
And as the moonlight moved, I could see my skin revealed under the thin clothes held by the Grand Duke.
At that moment, the Grand Duke also lowered his head following my gaze.
“Huk!”
“Kyaak!”
The Grand Duke let go of my collar.
At the same time, I flailed my arms to avoid falling backwards, but then.
– Slap
I ended up slapping the Grand Duke’s cheek. Then I fell and hit the back of my head on the stone floor.
“Ahh!”
I couldn’t get up. My head was throbbing and tears welled up.
I was so flustered that I made an unbelievably ridiculous body movement.
As I barely managed to get up, the Grand Duke was looking at me with surprised eyes, holding one of his cheeks.
“What were you trying to do to me?!”
‘Do?!’
“Do what, Your Highness! What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?”
“I was just taking a walk! Didn’t you pounce on me?”
“Pounce?! I just thought you were an assassin!”
This is unfair.
“I thought you were an assassin and attacked······!”
“Attack? Hah!”
The Grand Duke snorted.
“It was quite an excellent attack indeed. You almost knocked half my face off just now with that slap. A very novel attack.”
“Your Highness. Ah······ I’m sorry.”
I have no words even if I had ten mouths. The preposterous thing I just did.
In the middle of the night, suddenly pouncing on the Grand Duke and choking his neck······.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. Which side of your face did I hit? Where-.”
“Wait, don’t come closer.”
The Grand Duke gestured to stop me.
“I’m really sorry, your footsteps were so quiet I really thought you were an assassin.”
“I’m the one who escaped a brush with death. Why are you calling me an assassin?”
“Then do you think I would have attacked you knowing it was you, Your Highness!”
My voice rose without me realizing.
The Grand Duke looks at me with round eyes.
“You······ could have at least said ‘Who’s there!’ or something! If I had heard your voice I would have stopped.”
“The one who speaks first during a fight dies. Your body slows down when you move your mouth.”
I looked at him.
Grand Duke, what kind of life have you lived to say such things.
No, I can guess your past life without asking.
That’s when it happened.
– Awoooooooo!
The sound of a wolf howling was heard from afar.
Then with lightning speed, the Grand Duke stood in front of me and took a defensive stance.
‘What’s going on?’
After a moment, the Grand Duke who had been exuding killing intent sat down.
“It was a sound from far away.”
“I knew that, Your Highness. You startled me.”
The Grand Duke looked at me after my nonchalant reply.
His hair was all disheveled.
‘I did that!’
I unconsciously raised my hand to fix his hair. As I lifted one arm and hesitated, the Grand Duke also flinched slightly.
“······!”
“Sorry, I thought you were going to choke me again. My reflexes are a bit quick.”
“······.”
“What is it? Are you feeling upset again?”
“······No.”
I was upset. How could he think I would······ attack him.
At that moment, the Grand Duke let out a small laugh. Then that laugh grew bigger. This was the first time I’d seen the Grand Duke laugh like this.
I stared at him in surprise. Then he said, trying to hold back his laughter:
“Ah, sorry. These experiences are so novel I don’t know how to react.”
He keeps laughing.
“Your Highness. What’s so novel?”
“Getting slapped so hard by a subordinate like this······ somehow······ isn’t this situation just too funny?”
“······.”
“Your hair has become a bird’s nest.”
“?!”
I touched my hair in surprise. Indeed, my silver hair was a complete mess.
“Did I do that?”
“Your Highness’s hair has become a bird’s nest too. Well······ that kind of hair suits you in its own way.”
“It suits you too.”
“What?”
“It’s very natural. Like······.”
“Like what?”
Suddenly the Grand Duke closed his mouth without saying anything. Then his face and ears turned red on their own.
“Like what, Your Highness?”
“Like boys······ who’ve just had a scuffle. Ahem. Never mind.”
What’s this?
“Your face, is it really okay?”
“It feels much better after laughing. It’s good to loosen up the facial muscles too.”
He replied while turning his body the other way.
– Pfft
I burst out laughing at his words.
“What is it? Is there something on my back?”
“No. Your Highness’s words were just······ suddenly so funny.”
“?”
“You sound like some kind of doctor. Loosening facial muscles, really.”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
The Grand Duke who was looking at me said:
“······You have quite a unique sense of humor. I can see why you get along with Arcadia.”
“I don’t think I’m as close with Your Highness yet.”
“You have a personality that never backs down, huh?”
Even as he says that, the Grand Duke is still laughing.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
I said once more, and then.
“Thank you again for saving my life. I only said it once before and couldn’t say it again. But today I almost······ hurt you like this again.”
“Not at all.”
“?”
“I could tell from when we danced, but you’re actually quite clumsy with your body movements.”
Ah, he’s talking about that bombing-like dance with Daisy Antoine.
How embarrassing.
“Yes. I’m not very good at dancing.”
“From now on, make sure to always carry a sword. That’s an order.”
As he said that, the Grand Duke laughed once more.
“I’ve hardly ever danced before. Your Highness must have danced every day! Hmm······ with lovely young ladies at balls, but I don’t have much experience.”
Not much, but none at all.
I felt a surge of annoyance at the Grand Duke teasing me for not being able to dance.
My emotions are all over the place, why am I like this.
“I’ve never danced every day. I’ve hardly ever danced either.”
The Grand Duke suddenly said seriously.
“Yes, well. And Your Highness should also be a bit more careful on night walks.”
“?”
“Your Highness was also only blocking with bare hands since you didn’t have a sword. Who knows when someone might target Your Highness.”
“This?”
The Grand Duke pulled out a dagger he had on his waist.
“You had one!”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you use it?”
“······Just in case. My opponent was also quite small.”
He looks at me.
“A familiar scent made me hesitate.”
Scent?
Is he talking about my scent?
‘Do I perhaps have an unpleasant smell? But I just bathed earlier.’
“Do I smell?”
“That’s not it.”
The Grand Duke said hesitantly, choosing his words.
“You have your own unique fragrance.”
“!”
The Grand Duke examined my face, then stood up as if to end the situation. Then he took off his outer coat and draped it over my shoulders.
“Do you have spare clothes?”
“Yes, Butler Hans prepared several sets for me.”
“That’s good. Keep this on until we return to the castle. Ah, you’re barefoot.”
“Yes, I just wanted to walk comfortably. I was on my way to the wild garden.”
“······Will you be alright? We still have quite a way to go.”
“Yes, I like being barefoot. Very occasionally.”
Then he also took off his shoes.
“I’ll follow your example then.”
He started walking ahead.
“Your Highness, the castle is that way though?”
“I was also on my way to the wild garden. If it’s alright, shall we go together?”
“!”
‘A walk with the Grand Duke.’
“That would be nice.”
Then he showed a smile like a cool breeze. It was a kind and gentle breeze.
[This is the timeline separator]The Grand Duke kept walking ahead.
What’s going on? Is there a reason he can’t show his front?
“Your Highness, please slow down a bit.”
Then he stopped in his tracks. He speaks without turning to look at me.
“You’re right, walking barefoot feels good. I can feel the earth closer.”
“Right?”
I finally caught up beside him.
“Look over there, Esther.”
Where he pointed, there was a field of wildflowers so vast the end was not in sight.
“Ah!”
I let out an exclamation without realizing.
Flower buds that had just started blooming were shyly peeking out in the night garden.
Silver lily-of-the-valley under the moonlight, evening primrose with a color like yellow chicks, white baby’s breath, and blue baby’s breath. Countless tiny flower blossoms spread out like an ocean.
“It’s beautiful······.”
I marveled.
Then the Grand Duke said:
“This is my favorite place in the north.”
I quietly looked at him.
His profile as he gazed at the flower field was warm.
I really thought every time.
“Your Highness seems to really love nature.”
“Hm?”
“I felt it on the islands too, you like taking walks and even on the way from the islands to here you kept going into forests.”
“Ah······ that.”
“?”
“Since I was young, whenever I had something to think about I would go to the forest. It calms my mind.”
“You’re truly a nature person.”
“Is that, sarcasm?”
“Ah! No. It’s a joke.”
I laughed without realizing. He also smiled.
“You keep making jokes to your lord. You, you have quite a playful side.”
“It’s not a joke. I’m serious.”
I tried hard to hold back my laughter.
Suddenly I thought.
The scent of dawn forest from the Grand Duke may have been his scent since he was very young.
Somehow I felt like I had gotten to know the Grand Duke a little bit, even if just a tiny amount.
“What kinds of things does Your Highness like?”
“Hm?”
“Please let me know from time to time. It seems necessary for serving you. For now I know you like walks, so I’ll strengthen security at those times.”
He had a bewildered expression for a moment. Has he never thought about what he likes? After a while, his long blue eyes curved gently.
“I don’t like many things. I find it hard to give my heart easily, you see.”
“······.”
“Ah, I quite enjoy teaching things to others occasionally.”
“Like what?”
“Dancing, for example?”
“Dancing?”
I must have frowned without realizing. Seeing that expression, the Grand Duke laughed again.
“Will you step onto my feet? I’d like to teach you the steps.”
“!”
“Excuse me.”
When I hesitated, he lightly lifted me up. Then he slowly placed my feet on top of his own.
My heart is pounding.
I froze stiff.
A distance where his breath felt like it would touch my cheek.
We faced each other at that distance.
“You’re too light. You should increase your food intake a bit more, Sword Master. It will take a lot of strength to protect me.”
I couldn’t give any reply.
“Should we hold hands? Or do you want to hold my waist?”
Why did his voice tremble slightly?
“I’ll, I’ll just hold Your Highness’s collar.”
“Right, you do like grabbing collars.”
He laughed again.
But I couldn’t laugh due to the tension.
“Where shall I hold you?”
He asked carefully.
“Just······ my shoulder.”
“Alright.”
I grabbed the Grand Duke’s shirt collar. Then he held my shoulders and slowly moved his body.
“One, two, three, four, and turn.”
As he turned, my body felt like it would fly up. He carefully held my waist.
Such a careful touch.
“This is the basic step.”
He carefully examined my expression with a tense gaze.
“What use would I have for learning this?”
“You might use it someday. You might go to the imperial palace someday, and there······.”
He closed his mouth. Suddenly his expression became sorrowful.
“Your Highness?”
Seeing my face, he smiled again. Then he opened his mouth, seeming very awkward.
“When you go to the islands, you’ll have to meet······ Shanglian again. You might have to dance then.”
“Your Highness. Why such vulgar words suddenly.”
I was worried about him.
‘Is he sick somewhere?’
“Ah, was that awkward?”
“Yes. It doesn’t suit you.”
“Arcadia said you really liked it when he said it.”
“When did I ever?”
“Didn’t you laugh heartily?”
“Me? No, Your Highness. I just laughed. Such vulgar words don’t suit Your Highness. Lord Nugent tends to speak quite colorfully.”
“I see.”
He suddenly became dejected.
I asked.
“The budget deliberation time is approaching, isn’t it, Your Highness?”
“Yes. It seems we’ll have to go to the islands soon.”
“May I go with you?”
He stopped moving.
The silver moonlight poured down over his shoulders as I looked up. For a moment I was dazzled.
His deep blue eyes looked at me intently. His voice lowered.
“Would you do that for me?”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
Was it my imagination that his breath felt hot on my cheek?
That’s when it happened.
“Huaaaaaam!”
“Kyaak!”
Startled by a loud yawn from somewhere, I jumped off the Grand Duke’s feet.
Someone rose up like a corpse from the middle of the flower field.
______
In This Life, I Won’t Be Foolish To Lose You Again (Female-dominant)
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
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