My Husband Has Changed (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
Yannick had somehow quietly disappeared by now. Adel kept her gaze fixed on her feet during the prolonged silence, then finally mustered the courage to glance up. Valentin seemed to be pondering what she had meant.
“…….”
While he did so, Adel carefully studied him. His handsome face bore a healthy flush, and his slightly lowered lashes cast a pleasing shadow on his cheeks. His bobbing Adam’s apple and steady breathing, along with the warmth radiating from his body standing so close, were all distinctly tangible.
Every ‘sign’ emanating from him was unmistakably that of a living person. There was not the faintest trace of ominousness or any mark of a malevolent monster.
‘I even borrowed Greta’s consecrated necklace from Archpriest Padre and wore it here, yet he showed no reaction at all.’
Moreover, Valentin still lightly held her elbow.
‘If His Highness had truly been resurrected by some cursed force, surely at least one of the many priests who stood vigil over the coffin would have noticed something.’
She thought coolly.
‘Just consider how, right after awakening, a priest anointed His Highness’s forehead with holy water and offered a blessing. A demon couldn’t possibly have remained so composed through that.’
Her mounting suspicion gradually eroded in the face of rational recollection. If a monster truly resided within Valentin, his smooth recovery alone would have been utterly implausible.
The Ansgar family was blessed with Morrig’s favor. Sacredness, untouchable even by the foulest entities, had been passed down through generations of heirs. Since magic and divine power were opposing forces, any foolish, unfortunate demon attempting to possess him would have shown signs of affliction long ago.
‘It was overly sensitive of me from the start.’
Adel exhaled in relief.
‘I’ve never heard of a monster capable of breaching Morrig’s veil. And if beasts suddenly went berserk, it would make more sense if another monster had merely drawn near the outer walls.’
As reason returned, embarrassment began to well up inside her. To have panicked at superstitious fears and gone so far as to summon hunting hounds—her ears burned with shame.
‘Perhaps this time, Greta was simply mistaken? Of course, His Highness has changed dramatically enough to startle anyone, but maybe it’s just from his time on the battlefield. Even Greta’s wound might not be the work of a monster—perhaps the Healer misjudged it….’
“Adel.”
Frowning in deep thought, she only snapped back to her senses when her face was gently grasped. Valentin’s large hands cupped her cheeks lightly, lifting her gaze.
He looked oddly anxious.
“Oh.”
Meeting his eyes with surprise, Adel suddenly realized she had been lost entirely in her own thoughts right before him. It was not just unguarded—it was outright rude. Her cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been completely absent-minded today….”
“…….”
“Um… how do you feel? Are you well?”
His finely shaped lips moved as if forming words. The voice that barely slipped out was as soft as a whisper. Adel tilted her head slightly, not truly expecting coherent speech; after all, since regaining consciousness, the only word he’d properly uttered had been “Adelheid.”
Assuming he’d be just as incomprehensible now as always, she was caught off guard.
“Oh, al…ways…think…ing…”
“Your Highness?”
“I…wor…ry…about…you…”
Though indistinct, the words carried clear meaning. Adel’s eyes widened in astonishment. This was the same man who, just this morning, couldn’t utter a single syllable—and now he was forming recognizable words. There was only one plausible explanation.
Overjoyed, Adel seized his sleeve.
“You just spoke clearly—didn’t you?”
“I…wor…ry…you’re…hurt…”
“We must get you to rest and have your condition checked immediately. Wait just a moment—I’ll call the butler.”
The instant Adel hurriedly stepped away, Valentin caught her wrist. Her body lurched forward as he yanked her back, nearly losing balance. She was about to crash straight into the stone wall. Reflexively, she squeezed her eyes shut just before impact.
“…….”
A heavy thud struck her shoulder—but the expected pain hardly came. When she opened her eyes, she understood why.
Just before she hit the wall, Valentin had thrust his hand between her shoulder and the stone.
“Good heavens.”
Alarmed, Adel immediately grabbed his hand to inspect it. His knuckles had been crushed between her shoulder and the protruding stone, torn open and now oozing blood steadily.
Adel paled instantly. It would have been better if her own shoulder had taken the blow. Her face twisted with guilt.
“Y-your wound is serious! At this rate, your hand might… Does it hurt terribly?”
Valentin, however, seemed utterly indifferent to the gash on his hand, as if he felt no pain at all.
“……Good…heavens.”
After watching her fret over his hand for a while, he finally spoke. Adel looked up sharply. His voice, hesitant yet deliberate, followed once more.
“Your…wound…is…serious…at…this…rate…com…pletely…hurts…you…”
“……Your Highness?”
“I…wor…ry…al…ways…”
Only then did Adel realize he was repeating her own words. She blinked dazedly at him, utterly bewildered.
‘So… what exactly is happening right now?’
Before she could fully grasp the situation, Valentin swiftly moved again and seized her arm—almost as if anticipating her next move.
In an instant, his tall shadow loomed over her.
“…….”
The corridor was dark, lit only by the occasional torch set into the walls. Even in the gloom, Valentin’s golden eyes gleamed with unnerving clarity, ringed as though by metal.
A cold shiver ran down Adel’s spine at the sight.
Could a human’s eyes really look like that?
Instinct whispered: This is a beast beyond your power—run.
Adel wrenched her arm free and hastily stepped back. But for every step she retreated, Valentin closed the distance just as quickly.
“…D-don’t… come… closer… please…”
They stood locked in tense opposition, repeating this push and pull several times. To an onlooker, it might have seemed comical—but the moment Adel’s back touched the wall, she was overwhelmed by sheer terror. He’d been herding her into a corner from the very beginning.
Like a beast cornering its prey…
There was no space left to retreat. Resigned, Adel turned her head aside.
“…Huh.”
Her heart pounded wildly, her breath coming as fast as if she’d just sprinted a great distance. Suddenly, her half-sister Charlotte’s mocking voice echoed clearly in her mind.
‘It’s said that in Bitzleben, since ancient times, there’s been a demon that mimics human speech.’
‘…….’
‘Don’t dismiss this lightly—remember it well. Given your utter incompetence, I worry you’d fail to distinguish demon from man and disgrace yourself.’
A shadow that mimics human speech—the Dragon of Bitzleben. The suspicion she’d barely suppressed as mere paranoia and overreaction now surged uncontrollably, flooding her senses. Ridiculous as it seemed, Adel no longer had the presence of mind even to laugh at herself.
“…….”
Slowly, he stretched out an arm, trapping her between his body and the stone wall, cutting off her last possible escape.
Completely enveloped in his shadow, Adel was engulfed by paralyzing fear.
“A….”
She panted, pressed against the cold wall behind her. Her mind screamed a sharp warning: Push him away and run—now!
But her body refused to obey. The fear that if she turned her back, razor-sharp fangs would sink into her throat froze her entirely.
In that moment, Valentin reached toward her neck. His right hand gently grasped her bobbing Adam’s apple. Adel let out a short gasp in surprise.
“Huh.”
Contrary to her expectation, his grip held no strength at all—only an exquisitely careful touch, as if cradling a fragile bird.
Warmth radiated from his large hand. She could feel her own pulse beating against his firm palm, echoing back in steady thumps. Gradually, Adel began to calm.
Their eyes met.
Strangely, even at this moment, Valentin remained breathtakingly beautiful. He tilted his head slightly, as if coaxing affection from her.
“Adel… speak…please…speak.”
“…….”
“Jus…t…a…bit…lon…ger…keep…going…”
His desperate gaze traced her lips, almost obsessively searching them. Only when he pried her lips open with his fingers, repeatedly brushing over the gap between them, did Adel understand what he wanted.
He seemed to believe that once her lips parted, her usual lovely voice would emerge.
“Hmm? Adel.”
When she still hesitated to open her mouth, he began pleading outright. With great effort, Adel swallowed the saliva pooling in her mouth and, trembling, finally managed a few words.
“I… I don’t understand… what Your Highness wants from me. And why… you keep… repeating my words… I’m too dull to comprehend…”
Her breathless, stumbling voice sounded twice as awkward as usual. Yet Valentin smiled brightly, as if even this pleased him immensely.
“I…don’t…un…der…stand…what…Your…High…ness…wants…from…me…”
He echoed her words with narrowed, delighted eyes—nearly as if savoring a piece of music or fine art.
His hand around her neck tightened ever so slightly, as though wanting to feel the vibration of her Adam’s apple more keenly. His fingertips traced her lips, relishing the breaths hidden between each syllable—completely unaware of the terror this instilled in her.
“Why…you…re…peat…my…words…I…can’t…un…der…stand…”
He paused briefly, then quietly studied her. His gaze slowly traveled from her face down her throat, over her heaving chest, to her trembling hands. Only then did he seem to notice Adel’s true state.
Their eyes met again—his questioning, hers glistening with moisture. The last thing Adel saw before tightly shutting her eyes was Valentin tilting his head in genuine confusion.
“…….”
He released his hold on her. Looking flustered, he smoothed his lips and stepped back several paces.
“Don’t…un…der…stand…words…well…I…ap…ol…o…gize…”
Mumbling something that sounded like an apology—or perhaps not—he quickly crossed the corridor and vanished. The moment she was alone, all strength drained from Adel’s body. She slowly sank to the floor.
‘What on earth just happened?’
Utterly bewildered, she couldn’t collect her thoughts. Could it be because she’d just heard that strange tale from Greta? She’d felt an intense, irrational dread at the simple act of him mimicking her words and actions.
Suddenly, Adel remembered the necklace around her neck. Morrig’s emblem, which was supposed to crack upon contact with evil, remained perfectly intact—without a single fissure.
‘If it’s unharmed, that means only one of two things is true about my current situation.’
Either Grand Duke Ansgar was unquestionably human without a single flaw—or he was a demon so powerful it could defy even Morrig’s divine power…
She’d never heard of the latter. But if, by the slightest chance, Valentin was indeed a monster hiding his true nature within the fortress, then there was only one course left.
It was time to write a letter to Father Padre.
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.”
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Most Commented This Week
Who Spent the Night with the Tower Master (Completed Main Story)
I Decline the Ex-Boyfriend of the Regretful Male Lead (Completed Main Story)
Long Live the Emperor, Minus Me (Completed Main Story)
After Linking the Villainess and Male Lead (5 Chapters Left to Complete)
Captured into the Bedroom of the Enemy Emperor (1 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Became a Supporting Character in a Martial Arts Novel (Completed Main Story)