Love Me Just Once (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2
When he opened his eyes again, what Idren saw was a blue sky.
Looking up at the clear azure heavens bathed in warm sunlight, he thought to himself, “The weather is lovely—just as clear as the southern skies.”
Then, flustered, he sat up abruptly.
Edgroon, the capital of Aglante, was a place where it snowed for one-third of the year. Naturally, such a clear, blue sky should never have been visible.
Standing firmly on both feet, Idren realized he was on a boat. The expanse of blue waves around him and the gently swaying floor brought him back to reality.
“…What is this?”
Blinking in confusion at the utterly impossible surroundings, Idren was bewildered.
Edgroon was inland. The Sigrasil Castle stood just before a range of steep, towering mountains.
Moreover, if his memory served him correctly, he should have been trapped deep down in a well—
not floating on this calm river.
Idren looked around. He saw small boats decorated with colorful flags and vibrant flowers blooming along the banks. The scenery felt strangely familiar.
Wasn’t this almost exactly like the little canal between southern Aglante and Reden?
As he stood there dumbfounded by the impossible view, someone spoke to him.
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
Turning around at the vaguely familiar voice, Idren’s eyes widened.
“…Penrel?”
The young knight with black hair narrowed his brows slightly and replied.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Staring blankly at the man before him, who looked as vividly alive as any living person, Idren murmured.
“Penrel Soar… how can you possibly be here…?”
There was no mistaking it—this knight with black hair and a similar build had surely died last year.
Idren remembered Penrel’s death clearly. During the war with Brinwell, Penrel had died in his stead—no one else’s.
Less than three years into his reign, Brinwell—led by the former Grand Duke Consort’s own blood relatives—had invaded with an army, claiming they sought vengeance for the deceased princes, offspring of the previous queen.
The war, which began in early spring, had consumed the entire year.
Idren had done his best, but his efforts had borne little fruit. At the time, he had simply been too inexperienced to stand against Brinwell’s aging king.
By the war’s final days, he had been surrounded by Brinwell’s forces, accompanied only by a few trusted knights.
Among them, Penrel had impersonated him to lure the enemy away—and ultimately perished.
Afterward, the tide of battle turned, forcing Brinwell’s army to retreat, but the loss of his long-time companion left a deep wound in Idren’s heart.
So how could Penrel possibly be standing here now?
Idren wiped his face with a trembling hand.
“Could it be… that I’ve died? Penrel, is this the afterlife?”
Yet the land visible in the distance looked far too much like Reden to be the paradise people often spoke of.
Watching his master scan the area with bewildered eyes, the knight finally spoke.
“What do you mean, Your Highness?”
[This is the timeline separator]After a brief, awkward exchange, Penrel realized his master had no idea where he was and proceeded to explain the situation.
“It is the fourth month of this year, Your Highness, and you are on your way to the Reden royal palace. You are scheduled to meet King Dares and Prince Mahanas there.”
Throughout his explanation, the knight’s expression remained deeply concerned for his master’s state of mind.
“You also mentioned it would be nice to meet your future bride while you’re there.”
Then Penrel asked again.
“Are you truly alright?”
Idren dismissed it with a hurried excuse, claiming he’d merely been momentarily confused. Penrel’s expression clearly showed he didn’t believe the flimsy explanation, but he didn’t press further.
After sending the knight to the back of the boat—claiming he wanted to be alone—Idren sat down and gazed at the water’s surface. Gentle ripples parted before his eyes.
Unbelievable as it was, it seemed he had returned to the past.
Of course, the notion of a man traveling backward through time was utter nonsense, so this must surely be a vision appearing just before death.
Thus, Idren chose not to ask Penrel anything further. He didn’t want to risk shattering this illusion.
Still, he wasn’t pleased that of all possible moments, it had to be this particular time.
As far as he knew, this was three months before the wedding ceremony. Since he recalled meeting the King and Crown Prince of Reden in the fourth month, the timeline was unmistakable.
Early in his reign, after Reden’s king accepted his marriage proposal, Idren had been invited to Reden once half the bride price had been paid.
Though Reden lay in southern Aglante and Edgroon, Aglante’s capital, sat in the north—making travel inconvenient—he had accepted the invitation, eager to meet Ophelia at the Reden palace.
He had wanted to show her how much the once-scrawny boy had grown. He’d come to repay the kindness she’d shown him and the conversations they’d shared, assuring her she needn’t worry about anything if she stayed by his side…
How utterly hollow that dream had been.
Recalling just how foolish his past self had been, Idren sneered bitterly.
To cut to the chase—he’d never gotten to see Ophelia. Throughout his entire stay at the palace, she’d claimed illness and never left her chambers.
He should have realized it then—that Ophelia would never welcome him.
But his past self had been painfully oblivious, taking her letter at face value. Her excuse that she was unwell and couldn’t show her face, along with her promise to meet again, had carried no more weight than a single sheet of paper.
“…Pathetic fool.”
Condemning his former self with a single phrase, Idren rose to his feet.
They would reach Reden soon.
[This is the timeline separator]Horses awaited them at the dock—sent by the Reden royal palace.
Just as he had in the past, Idren mounted one. Penrel, checking the formation nearby, asked quietly,
“Didn’t you say you’d buy some flowers?”
Now that he thought about it, he probably had said something like that back then. Idren shook his head.
“What’s the point? She won’t accept them anyway.”
Then he spurred his horse forward. The knight, looking bewildered, followed on horseback.
Reden—a kingdom possessing nothing beyond its long history and scenic beauty—had a capital that was small as well. They arrived at the Reden palace before long.
Dismounting in front of the palace—small in scale but lavishly adorned—Idren thought the road had felt shorter than he remembered, even though the scenery was unchanged.
Perhaps it was because this was an illusion. He gazed silently at the white-stone palace.
True to spring, the Reden palace was splendid. Its façade bore intricate, ornate reliefs, and vibrant flowers—unseen in Edgroon—twined around the buildings. Idren scanned them indifferently.
Beside him, Penrel was wide-eyed, marveling at the spring floral display, and he glanced sidelong at his master.
To dispel the knight’s suspicion, Idren ought to show at least half the enthusiasm he used to—yet he felt no desire to. He let out a soft sigh.
Suddenly, he wondered why Prince Reden wasn’t in sight.
In his past life, Prince Mahanas had come out to greet them even before they reached the palace.
But now, no one appeared—and worse, a commotion echoed from somewhere. Idren lifted his head, seeking the source of the noise. Near one building, a crowd had gathered, murmuring excitedly.
Penrel, noticing the same thing, lowered his voice.
“It seems something’s happened.”
Without answering, Idren dismounted and walked toward the crowd as if entranced.
He knew the source of the disturbance all too well. Pushing through the throng, Idren reached the center and looked up.
The balcony of the princess’s chamber stood wide open.
During his brief stay at the palace in the past, he had looked up at it many times—but it had never once been opened.
Yet even more astonishing was the figure seated on the balcony railing.
All he could see was the person’s back, darkened by the sunlight—but Idren recognized her instantly.
He murmured dazedly,
“…Ophelia?”
As if his words were a signal, the woman’s back tilted forward.
[This is the timeline separator]The very first thing Ophelia Mebasa did upon realizing she was in the past was smash her head against the wall.
Next, she tried strangling herself—and when that failed, she bit her tongue. Anything to wake herself from this nightmare.
Of all times—to be back in the Reden royal palace right before her marriage.
She had grown accustomed to all manner of horrors in life, but this was exceptionally cruel.
Seeing her cowardly brother—who in her reality had died a pitiful death—now strutting around with his head held high made her want to vomit.
It wasn’t just her brother who wore that repulsively slick, greedy expression. Her avaricious father, and Reden itself—propping up his hollow pride—remained unchanged.
This isn’t right.
Trapped in her room, clawing at her hair like a madwoman, Ophelia muttered over and over, “This isn’t right. This isn’t it.”
In her reality, everything had been perfect. Her father, king of a ruined kingdom, had begged her again and again but received nothing. Her brother had met a similar end. And she had taken clean, thorough revenge on her enemies.
Only after thoroughly mocking them all had Ophelia ended her own life. That had been her truth.
Not this foolish, powerless existence as a princess.
Yet the nightmare wouldn’t end.
No matter how many times she closed and opened her eyes, she remained in the princess’s chamber in the Reden palace. Nothing had changed.
Princess of Reden—on the verge of marriage. A princess going mad.
Ophelia desperately denied it all, but no one listened. They assumed her mind had snapped from losing her long-betrothed fiancé.
Once she understood nothing would change, she stopped. She no longer bit her tongue, hanged herself, or slammed her head into walls.
As time passed and nearly a month had gone by in this nightmare, she finally saw a brilliant light.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
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.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Cowardice? Bitch you barely even look at him or speak to him 😦😡
Finally! Put her in her place!!! She should treat you better 😡😡😡
That caught him by surprise 😭🥺🤣 that he almost choked