“Here, Roel, drink this.”
Uncle Haven handed me a warm cup of tea. I took it absent-mindedly, not really intending to drink, just staring at the ripples on the surface of the tea.
“I’ve never seen someone cling to life so stubbornly. It’s a miracle he’s alive, a real miracle. But who is this man anyway? You seemed to recognize him.”
“…It’s him.”
“What did you say?”
“The Duke… it’s him.”
“Ah, the Duke. The Duke…? …The Duuuke?”
Uncle Haven repeated, shock evident in his voice. I slowly nodded in confirmation.
Uncle Haven’s face showed a momentary confusion, which gradually turned into utter astonishment.
“The Duke, you know… The actual Duke?”
“Yes. It’s really the Duke. Duke Leus.”
“Goodness… How did such a high-ranking noble end up here… and in this place, which isn’t even under the Duke’s domain?”
I shared Uncle Haven’s bewilderment. Why was this man here? It was startling enough that he was anywhere near the Earl Iver Manor, let alone in the Quiet Forest, and right near Anas.
‘Why Leus of all people…’
“…But when will he wake up?”
“Hmm. The antidote should take about three hours to fully work. He’ll probably regain consciousness in at least a day.”
‘That’s somewhat relieving.’
“I’ll go make some recovery potions. He’s past the critical stage, but he could still die at any moment… You need to watch him. If there’s any sign of him getting worse, come to the next room immediately.”
“Alright…”
After Uncle Haven left, I put the teacup on the shelf and buried my face in my hands.
My mind was overwhelmed with thoughts about the original story.
‘Wasn’t there nothing like this in the original?’
As far as I could remember, there was nothing in the original story about Roel being Leus’s lifesaver and getting engaged, or anything about a personal encounter.
‘But what’s this situation then…’
Since my reincarnation, events that were supposed to happen always did, like wars or big accidents making the news. Just recently, the land transition in the south occurred as I knew it would.
This meant the flow of the world was following the original story.
‘Did Leus have a fate to be in mortal danger around this time?’
Maybe it was a personal matter, not included in the book?
‘…So the only variable is me?’
Me, who knows the future, knows the original story, and recently acted differently from the set parameters of the world.
Whether it was because of my declaration to break off the engagement with Casien, or my actions to prepare for an early escape, it was a plausible assumption.
“Damn it.”
Will the story completely derail now? If something goes wrong with my escape…
“No, don’t panic. As long as I’m not caught, everything will be fine.”
Leus would need at least a day to recover. So, as long as I keep quiet as if I never interfered, nothing should go wrong.
After reassuring myself for a while, I finally turned to look at Leus.
‘His face is so pale…’
Seeing him sweat coldly evoked a sense of pity. I reached to wipe his forehead, finding it burning hot.
Despite my previous aversion to being involved with Leus, it was distressing to see someone’s life in such peril.
Especially someone I never expected to be in this situation.
Just as I was about to get a cloth to wipe his sweat, I moved my hand toward the shelf.
I stopped moving my hand, almost screaming like someone struck by lightning.
“Ah!”
It was because Leus’s half-opened eyes were staring right at me.
Startled, I covered Leus’s eyes too forcefully, making a loud thud.
‘What’s going on? The antidote should take at least three more hours to work…’
Wasn’t he supposed to be unconscious for a whole day?
But now he’s regaining consciousness… does this make sense?
For a moment, I purely wondered if Leus was not a human but a monster born to play the role of a villain.
However, there was no reaction from him.
‘Was he just briefly conscious…?’
As I thought this, I felt Leus’s eyebrows move under my hand.
Then, a harsh, grating voice came from Leus.
“Remove… your hand.”
What should I do now?
My mind raced faster than ever before.
I concluded:
‘Now that this has happened, I should just run away and destroy the evidence!’
He’s probably not in his right mind due to the pain, and if I run now, how would he know who I am?
I removed my hand and headed towards the door, but Leus, quick to notice my escape attempt, firmly grabbed my wrist.
Unable to get away from Leus, I could only twitch my hand.
Thankfully, Leus couldn’t move his other arm. Thinking I could escape if I shook him off, I exerted force on my trapped arm, but it didn’t budge.
‘How can he have such strength when he was on the brink of death moments ago?’
It seemed quicker for Leus to release my hand than to escape his grip.
I quickly changed my plan.
First, I had to make him realize I wasn’t a threat, then I’d look for a chance to run away.
I put my hand back over Leus’s eyes. A grinding sound of teeth came from between Leus’s lips.
“Are you not going to remove your hand?”
Feeling immense pressure on my wrist, I desperately resisted and moved closer to Leus.
“The antidote… hasn’t fully worked yet.”
I whispered so faintly it was almost indistinguishable.
‘This is the best I can do.’
It was a desperate choice.
I had to let him know I wasn’t an enemy but also couldn’t reveal my identity.
Leus’s frown deepened under my hand. He probably couldn’t hear me clearly and was getting annoyed.
I moved my face closer and repeated.
“The antidote hasn’t fully worked. Moving could be dangerous…”
“Enough, just… remove your hand.”
Leus’s muscles twitched under his blood-stained clothes. He was trying to sit up despite his condition.
His threatening aura was so intense that I instinctively pressed down on him with my free hand.
Leus let out a weak groan and dropped his body back down.
I quickly added, seeing Leus struggling to stop groaning.
“I don’t intend to harm you! So please, don’t move…”
Whether it was my trembling voice or the apologetic touch of my hand, Leus slightly loosened his grip on my wrist.
He must have realized by now.
Even if he was out of his mind, he must know that I, unable to free my wrist, couldn’t harm him.
Thankfully, Leus stopped trying to sit up. He seemed very annoyed, but…
‘As long as he doesn’t realize who I am, it’s all good.’
I murmured in relief.
“I’ll be administering a recovery potion soon. Could you please stay still until then…?”
“Ugh…”
Leus didn’t respond to my words, just kept groaning.
It seemed the pain was becoming more pronounced as his consciousness returned. After a while of grunting, the grip of Leus’s hand gradually loosened.
‘Now’s my chance.’
I quickly grabbed the blanket and covered him up to his head. Then I dashed out of the room without looking back.
‘I’m really sorry…!’
Feeling guilty for seeing an opportunity in someone’s pain, I repeatedly apologized in my mind, though he wouldn’t hear it.
As I was calming my pounding heart outside the room, I bumped into Haven Uncle coming out of the opposite room.
“Loel? Why are you out here? Did something happen to the Duke?”
“No… He’s too strong, that’s the problem…”
Uncle Haven couldn’t make out my mumbling and asked again, sounding puzzled.
“Huh? What did you say?”
“No, it’s nothing. But Uncle, I’m thinking of heading back now.”
Uncle Haven looked at his watch. It had been just past midnight when I left the Count’s mansion, but now the clock hands pointed to 3 a.m.
“Alright. It’s gotten late. Shall I take you back?”
“I can go by myself.”
“I’m worried about you going alone…”
Uncle Haven seemed more concerned than usual, probably due to Leus’s assault.
I understood his worry but waved my hand to reassure him.
“If you leave, who will look after the Duke? I’ll be fine.”
“Then at least let me walk you to the front…”
“Actually, I have a favor to ask, Uncle.”
“A favor?”
He nodded, signaling me to go on.
“When the Duke wakes up…”
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.”
_____
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