Spent the First Night with the Male Lead, Thinking I Was Terminal (10 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 12
“Are you all right?”
Admon asked gently.
Seeing him like this, Clea thought it was unlike the man everyone knew.
Perhaps it was because he looked colder than anyone else—he was often described as someone who never showed the slightest interest in others.
Though Clea believed one shouldn’t judge people by appearances, she let out her characteristic smile.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that instead?”
“What about me?”
“You still treat Lloyd kindly, even though he seems ridiculous for being born into a grand ducal family.”
“If he looks ridiculous even to you, then he’s nothing at all to me.”
‘Just flattery.’
Even though this was clearly an annoying matter for him, he prioritized Clea’s feelings above all else.
Receiving such concern after so long made her chest tingle.
Was the pain returning again?
She briefly checked her own time.
The clock hands were still moving.
Yet, for some reason, the second hand felt slower than usual.
‘It must be just my imagination.’
Her imagination.
Clea dismissed everything as mere imagination, just as she always had before.
She had experienced a similar illusion once before.
But for her, who felt the same pain and emptiness over and over, it was nothing more than false hope.
After all, nothing like this ever happened to Aria in the original story.
When Aria met Admon, there was no description of the second hand feeling unusual or moving slowly.
Her story was simply about enduring pain until she finally achieved true love and liberation.
In that sense, even the condition of ‘true love’ was vague.
Though so many people admired her, only Admon—no one else—could break her curse.
She was certain that trying to identify that subtle difference would be utterly futile. She moved her hand from her eyes and looked at Admon.
Thanks to Admon, who always put her feelings first, Clea found strength even in this suffocating silence.
“How about having some tea together?”
“I’ve already taken up too much of Your Highness’s time. Why don’t we share a cup of tea after you’ve finished your duties, Admon?”
Seeing Clea’s smile, Admon had felt slightly worried.
He felt the same way now—she looked dangerously fragile.
As if she might fly away at any moment.
He wondered.
What exactly was the nature of their relationship?
Could his own feelings truly be called “liking” her?
‘I’m already drawn to her so much.’
Still unable to sort out his own emotions, he looked at her.
Meeting his gaze, Clea slowly headed toward the door.
“Then I’ll see you later.”
He wanted to hold Clea back as she tried to leave, but she moved faster than he could react.
‘I shouldn’t cause him any more trouble.’
Convinced she mustn’t waste any more of his time, she quickly stepped out, opening the door and leaving the room.
The moment she stepped outside, she unexpectedly came face to face with someone she least wanted to see.
“If you’re going in, go ahead. I’m done here.”
[This is the timeline separator]Obern couldn’t believe the current situation.
“Get out of my way! Move!”
“Your Highness!”
Just that morning, when Lloyd had shown up, Obern had thought Admon would finally come to his senses.
Clea was already engaged.
In Obern’s eyes, she was a ticking time bomb—ready to explode at any moment.
A time bomb that could become a blemish on Admon’s reputation.
As the sole legitimate heir to the throne, Admon was constantly under public scrutiny.
If Clea were to claim, even falsely, that Admon had assaulted her, his honor would plummet into ruin in an instant.
‘He says he’s disowned the Odoi Family, but how can anyone believe that without proof? There’s no evidence!’
Obern remembered the last time he’d encountered Clea.
Even as a child, she had been desperate enough to do anything for her family’s sake.
A trembling child, terrified of being abandoned by her own house.
Remembering that image, Obern pressed a hand to his throbbing forehead.
That night, on the bridge.
After overhearing their conversation, Obern had assumed Admon wouldn’t believe a word she said.
He’d hoped Admon would coldly draw a line and walk away—letting her freeze to death if she must.
But instead, Admon had brought her to the imperial palace.
Not caring about public opinion, he’d repeated the same mistake yet again.
‘Why did you let her leave alone? Since she’s your fiancée, you should’ve taken her with you by force if needed!’
When Lloyd had appeared without warning, Obern had felt both irritation and relief.
He’d assumed Lloyd’s arrival would finally end this awkward situation.
Yet Lloyd had stormed off, and Clea—who should have followed him—was still inside Admon’s office.
‘What if His Majesty hears about this?’
Burning with anxiety, Obern locked eyes with someone just stepping out of the office.
“If you’re going in, go ahead. I’m done here.”
Clea Odoi, wearing a kind smile she’d never shown before, acting sweetly courteous.
Obern’s eyes widened as he spoke to her.
“Please spare me a moment of your time.”
Obern stared at Clea with unmistakable hostility.
His gaze was so sharp it could make even the air around him tense with sweat.
As the Crown Prince’s right-hand man—someone willing to do anything for Admon—if he set his sights on someone, no one knew what might happen.
But Clea showed no reaction to Obern’s glaring hostility.
“Why should I waste my precious time on you?”
Clea lifted the corners of her lips.
Seeing that expression, Obern stiffened involuntarily.
“You’re simply not important enough to me for that.”
Clea’s patience had already run out after meeting Lloyd.
Now, she was entertaining a reasonable suspicion.
Perhaps Obern had summoned Lloyd to the palace specifically to take her away.
She wasn’t so naive as to miss the animosity Obern directed toward her.
She’d endured hostile stares many times before.
Thus, a single man’s hostility wasn’t enough to make her shrink back.
‘At least, not unless every single person in the banquet hall was glaring at me.’
She recalled memories she’d rather forget.
Suppressing the bitter taste rising in her mouth, she forced a smile.
No matter how hard she tried to change their perceptions, nothing ever shifted—as if she were cursed like the villainess in a novel.
Once, she’d run away as far as she could, but in the end, she’d been left exhausted all alone.
Eventually, she’d given up on trying to win anyone over.
Having finished her thoughts, Clea turned her gaze back to Obern.
She, too, knew how to separate personal feelings from duty.
Now that she’d finally met someone who genuinely intrigued her, she wanted nothing more than to spend her remaining time in joy.
She’d even considered asking Admon to abandon his duties and spend time with her.
But instead, she’d walked out of his office herself.
‘Even if I’m going to die, I shouldn’t ruin the future of someone who’s meant to live.’
Admon was the only person who looked at her without prejudice.
She wanted to thank him, not make things difficult for him.
But Obern was a different matter entirely.
Unlike Admon, whom she rarely met, she often crossed paths with Obern.
And every time, he never failed to look at her with contempt.
“I don’t know what kind of impression I’ve made on you, but rest assured—I have no intention of harming the person you serve.”
Therefore, she had no desire to stand before Obern any longer than necessary.
After all, facing each other would only bring mutual discomfort.
Clea turned to step aside first.
But Obern’s next words made her stop immediately.
“How can anyone possibly trust you? You’re that Clea Odoi.”
Where should she even begin correcting him?
If it were Admon, she’d have shown patience time and again—but unfortunately, this wasn’t Admon.
This was the very person who kept interfering in her relationship with Admon.
Even as she tried to let it go—despite suspecting he’d summoned Lloyd— he refused to stay silent.
Clea’s hostility slowly began to burn.
She wiped away even the faint smile she’d worn moments before.
As coldness settled over her face, Obern swallowed hard.
“Didn’t I already say it? I’ve disowned Odoi.”
She looked at the mark drawn on the back of her hand.
Time was passing, regardless of her will.
How wonderful it would be if she could stop time.
This was the very thought the female lead had kept repeating throughout the story.
Because the world was too beautiful. Because everyone around her was too kind.
She had desperately wanted to live.
And Clea?
“How can I possibly believe that?”
“How can you believe it? Hmm. How should I explain it so even someone as dull as you might believe? Would you believe me if I said I’m going to die soon?”
“…….”
“Exactly. You have nothing to say, do you? I don’t feel the need to prove anything to you—because, frankly, you mean nothing to me. Just like Lloyd.”
“Meaning” was truly an important word.
Ever since she’d fallen into this world, Clea had been searching endlessly for “meaning.”
What was the meaning of her possessing Clea Odoi’s body?
What was the purpose of living out this life in her place?
And even if it came to that—what possible meaning was there in being persecuted for crimes she, as the villainess, never even committed?
She felt a suffocating pressure rising within her.
‘Ah, this isn’t good.’
Back then, when she’d felt utterly suffocated and struggled to breathe—
Clea had once experienced something truly awful.
‘How had people looked at her then?’
Perhaps they’d taken satisfaction in seeing the villainess wretch pathetically, or perhaps they’d stared at her with disgust.
So many eyes had been on her that she couldn’t pinpoint any single reaction—but overwhelmed by them all, Clea had ended up vomiting, filled with injustice.
Why must she bear the weight of things she never even did?
“Ugh.”
“……Princess?”
Clea tried her best to suppress the nausea.
Back then, at least she’d had a handkerchief—but now, she didn’t even have that.
In the end, she couldn’t hold back what rose in her throat and vomited.
It was blood—bright red, just like Admon’s eyes.
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Chapter Comments (17)
Inline Comments (209)
“Your Highness’s lips, perhaps.”
Oooh girl…😏 She wants something else for dinner i see 🙈
At this rate, heading straight to the bedroom instead of dining was only a matte
….😏🙈 You perverts sitting in a tree k.I.S.S.I.N.G😆
He desperately wanted to shout right then and there, grab Clea’s wrist, and drag
These brute losers ….how can their duchy even functioning properly…? That’s what I wanna know
YOUR COMMENT
2. Inline comments are now available. Tap the end of any line in a chapter to share your thoughts instantly.
Log in to comment.
I wonder if subconciously he knows that she is sick.
Its quite weird that his aide calls her a close friend when its quite clear that Admon barely registers her presence 🤣
Urgh …i love this …she ain’t no damsel in distress, she’s fierce….i think I’m in love