The Regressed Empress Tames the Hunting Dog (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
The Second Prince’s welcome party had ended safely, and life had returned to its usual routine.
Although the princes were still staying at the royal palace, each of them was occupied with their own duties, so it seemed they could enjoy a slightly more relaxed life—at least until the gold mine was discovered.
On her way back to her room after finishing today’s tasks, Bellia was lost in deep thought.
‘No matter how I think about it, this won’t do.’
Something was missing.
Her plan to use Kalid to bring down Raoul was progressing well, but at this rate, she’d end up relying solely on him.
“Your Highness. Is something troubling you?”
Sir Ben, her guard, quietly asked beside her.
Just as Bellia was about to respond with gratitude for his concern, her eyes fell upon the large sword hanging at Sir Ben’s waist.
What if she learned swordsmanship? It would surely be helpful.
Bellia stopped walking and spoke softly.
“…Sir Ben.”
“Yes?”
“May I try holding that sword once?”
The moment Sir Ben heard Bellia’s sudden request, he flatly refused.
“No.”
“Not even once?”
Bellia looked at him with wide, pleading eyes, but Sir Ben’s expression remained unchanged.
“Yes. It’s dangerous.”
“I’ll just hold it—nothing more. You’ll be right beside me watching, won’t you? I won’t swing it.”
“…Your Highness.”
Sir Ben called her name with a deeply troubled expression, but Bellia’s eyes were already sparkling with desire for the sword.
No one could stop Bellia once she set her mind on something—least of all her own knight, Sir Ben.
“…Sigh. You may hold it—but only hold it. It’s truly dangerous.”
Unable to win against her, Sir Ben finally drew the sword from his waist and placed it in Bellia’s hands.
With Sir Ben’s help, Bellia’s face lit up as she held the sword for the first time.
But the moment she gripped the hilt tightly, the cold metal’s touch—hard yet strangely chilling—made her freeze briefly. Then, she gathered her strength in both hands and lifted the blade.
“It’s heavier than I expected.”
Her arms trembled as she held the sword.
Had Sir Ben not been there to support her, she would have dropped it immediately.
Realizing how stubborn she’d been, Bellia’s cheeks flushed red.
“I’m sorry. It would’ve been dangerous if you hadn’t helped me.”
After carefully taking back the sword and sheathing it properly, Sir Ben smiled warmly.
“No need to apologize. Has your curiosity been satisfied a bit now?”
“Hmm… Is there a lighter sword than the one you carry?”
“There are lighter ones, yes—but even those would be too heavy for you, Your Highness.”
“Really?”
Bellia pouted slightly, clearly disappointed.
She’d thought learning swordsmanship might offer some help.
But perhaps swordsmanship was simply beyond her—someone who’d spent her whole life reading in the library or taking leisurely garden strolls as her only exercise.
“What a shame.”
Bellia let out a genuinely regretful sigh.
Watching her, Sir Ben asked gently with a kind smile.
“But why the sudden interest in swords?”
“…I just thought I might need some way to protect myself.”
Sir Ben pondered her words carefully before replying.
“For one, Your Highness rarely moves about much, so swordsmanship would be physically demanding for you.”
Though he was merely stating a fact, Bellia was about to feel disheartened by his words—
When Sir Ben grinned and asked,
“How about horseback riding instead? I’ve heard many ladies these days enjoy it as a hobby.”
“Horseback riding?”
“Yes. In an emergency, you could ride away on horseback. I think it might be more beneficial than learning swordsmanship right now.”
Sir Ben was fully aware that Bellia had received marriage proposals from imperial princes.
If she married a prince, she would have to leave alone for the empire—a prospect that surely filled her with great fear.
Thus, he understood exactly where her desire to protect herself came from.
“Horseback riding, huh…”
Bellia fell into quiet contemplation at Sir Ben’s suggestion.
Being able to ride a horse would undoubtedly be useful someday.
Indeed, horseback riding was just as valuable a skill as swordsmanship.
Her expression brightened as she reached this conclusion.
“That sounds good. Sir Ben, could you teach me to ride?”
“You’d be better off learning from a professional.”
“Well… I’d rather not let others know I’m learning something new.”
Since Sir Ben was certainly skilled enough to teach her riding.
“Does that mean you don’t want anyone—neither the king nor the princes—to know?”
Sir Ben asked cautiously, wondering if that was her intention.
Bellia smiled gently in reply.
“It’s not quite that secret—but I’d rather not cause unnecessary worry by making a fuss. Besides, I simply thought it’d be nice to learn from someone comfortable, like you.”
After all, Bellia never particularly liked meeting strangers. Knowing her well, Sir Ben nodded.
“Understood. Though I may be inadequate, I’ll do my very best.”
[This is the timeline separator]Bellia felt slightly awkward in her outfit, which clearly outlined her figure, making her walk somewhat stiffly.
She wasn’t wearing her usual dress but riding attire—and even a hat—which felt unfamiliar. Somehow, it made her feel a little embarrassed.
As she hesitantly entered the indoor riding arena tucked away in a corner of the royal palace, Sir Ben greeted her with a bright smile.
“You’ve arrived.”
He stood holding the reins of the horse Bellia would practice on.
“Thank you, Sir Ben.”
“Not at all. It’s my greatest joy to be of help to you, Your Highness.”
Bellia smiled, visibly more at ease at Sir Ben’s gentle words. Naturally, he then asked,
“You’ve studied all the theory, I presume?”
“Of course.”
Right after deciding to learn horseback riding, Bellia had gone straight to the library and devoured every book on the subject.
She’d already mastered the basics thoroughly.
Seeing Bellia lift her chin proudly, Sir Ben smiled faintly and nodded.
“Then let’s begin mounting right away. I’ll hold you steady—just take it slowly and carefully.”
Sir Ben placed a mounting block for Bellia to step on.
“Step onto this. Put your left foot in the stirrup here.”
Following his instructions carefully, Bellia stepped onto the block and placed her left foot in the stirrup. Then, recalling what she’d read in books, she climbed into the saddle while taking care not to let her shoe touch the horse’s flank.
“Well done. You handle it as skillfully as someone who’s done it many times.”
“I visualized the movements in my head over and over after reading the books. I suppose that helped.”
Bellia confidently slipped her right foot into the opposite stirrup and answered with a proud smile.
“Being able to execute imagined movements so precisely means you have a natural talent for riding, Your Highness.”
Bellia scratched her cheek, slightly embarrassed by such praise for merely mounting a horse successfully.
Sir Ben truly was a kind teacher.
He was full of affection for Bellia and, unexpectedly, gifted at teaching as well. His calm, clear explanations helped Bellia quickly grow accustomed to riding.
“It seems you truly have talent, Your Highness. You’re already bonding well with the horse.”
“It’s really fun!”
Bellia beamed as she dismounted.
Though Sir Ben guided her down step by step, the whole process clearly wasn’t too difficult for her—proof that her coordination wasn’t as poor as she’d assumed.
“If only I hadn’t spent all my life cooped up in the library—if I’d held a sword since childhood, maybe I’d have talent for swordsmanship too.”
Though clearly meant as a joke, Sir Ben considered it seriously and nodded.
“That might be true. After all, His Highness is exceptionally skilled with the sword.”
“…If only I’d started learning swordsmanship when I was younger.”
Bellia expressed her regret.
Sir Ben took it as her acknowledging it was too late to begin now—but in truth, it was her lament over the timing of her reincarnation.
If she’d returned to an even younger age, she could have thoroughly trained in swordsmanship to better protect herself.
Then, instead of agonizing over rejecting Raoul’s proposal, she could have focused solely on safeguarding the Ronica Kingdom and bringing him down.
“Sir Ben… Is it truly impossible for me to learn swordsmanship now?”
“Hahaha. Your Highness, no.”
“But if you taught me well, it’d be fine, wouldn’t it?”
Riding had turned out easier than expected. Receiving praise from Sir Ben felt satisfying, and she also felt surprisingly agile in her own movements.
This subtle boost in confidence made Bellia quietly yearn for swordsmanship as well.
“It’s not about teaching. Wielding a sword is indeed for self-defense, but…”
Sir Ben paused briefly.
Then, with a serious expression, he continued,
“It’s also used to harm others.”
Hearing just that much, Bellia understood his unspoken meaning: one shouldn’t take up the sword lightly without fully grasping the responsibility of being able to hurt someone.
“…I’m sorry for being so stubborn.”
“Not at all. It’s I who should apologize—for being unable to support your enthusiasm in any way.”
At Sir Ben’s somber expression, Bellia smiled brightly and met his eyes.
“What are you saying? You’ve already become such a wonderful riding instructor for me!”
“Hahaha. Did you know? It’s not that I always say kind things to you—rather, you’re always the one praising me like this.”
“Is that so?”
Indeed, Sir Ben truly was a good person.
Bellia felt genuinely happy that her ever-present guard was none other than him.
“I truly feel fortunate that you’re my knight.”
Just as their enjoyable first riding lesson ended and she turned toward the exit to leave—
“…Your Highness?”
Kalid was already there, leaning against the wall and watching Bellia with a somber gaze.
“What brings you here?”
Wondering why Kalid would come all the way to the riding arena, Bellia approached him.
“I have something to tell you.”
“Since you came all the way here yourself, it must be urgent?”
But he gave no reply.
He simply looked lost in thought.
“Your Highness?”
When Bellia called him again, Kalid finally spoke.
“A reply from Her Majesty the Empress has arrived. When I went to see you, they said you were at the riding arena.”
“Oh, I see. Shall we continue our talk in my room? This doesn’t seem like the place for it.”
Kalid nodded.
But subtly, his gaze passed over Bellia’s shoulder.
Noticing his odd expression, Bellia turned—and realized she hadn’t properly introduced Sir Ben to Kalid yet.
“This is Sir Ben Horilt, my personal guard. He’s been by my side protecting me since childhood.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Second Prince Your Highness.”
Sir Ben bowed respectfully.
But Kalid glared at him with clear displeasure before letting out a dry, mocking chuckle.
“How delightful.”
His tone betrayed no hint of actual delight.
Still, since Kalid was never particularly kind by nature, neither Bellia nor Sir Ben paid it much mind.
“Then, Sir Ben, I’ll return with His Highness. Please take care of the cleanup.”
Bellia quickly bid Sir Ben farewell and headed outside with Kalid.
Just as they were about to leave the riding arena, Kalid turned his head slightly to glance back.
“…”
His peculiar gaze lingered briefly on Sir Ben before vanishing instantly.
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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Why the chapter stop here i want mooooore😭
Poor clozé her sister will go on another country to mary she will be allone
I wante to see the face of the first crown when he knows