The Runaway Female Lead Doesn't Run Away (13 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 16
“How strange. I’m certain this is the right way…”
Dahlia, who had personally looked up the doctor, glanced at the paper with the address written on it and scanned her surroundings.
It had already been two hours since she started walking the streets alone.
Though it felt as if she’d only walked a few blocks from where she’d been earlier, the atmosphere here was oddly gloomy—nothing like the bustling city district teeming with lively people.
‘Should I turn back now…?’
By this point, enough time had passed that others must have already noticed her disappearance.
Her maid and guard knight were probably already out searching for her by now. Or worse—they might have already reported it to the mansion.
That would mean she’d never again get the chance to use lemon tart as an excuse to wander the city alone—unless it was today.
And above all else…
‘Someone seems to be following me from behind…!’
There had been a man tailing her since earlier.
At first, she assumed it was merely coincidence—they were just heading the same direction—but no matter where she went, he kept following, and even when she deliberately slowed down, he showed no sign of passing her.
Right now, she wanted nothing more than to forget the doctor altogether and just return to where she’d come from, but she didn’t have the confidence to shake off her pursuer and make it back to the city proper on her own.
If only there were people nearby… but aside from the occasional passing carriage, not even an ant was in sight.
Terrified and regretful, Dahlia silently choked back tears as she quickened her pace.
At the same time, she began mentally preparing for any possible emergency.
‘If that man following me tries to grab me, I’ll punch him…!’
And that exact situation soon came to pass.
With a sharp sound, someone suddenly seized Dahlia by the shoulder.
Instinctively bracing herself for the worst, Dahlia squeezed her eyes shut and swung her arm wide.
But the man easily blocked her strike and spoke.
“Dahlia.”
A familiar voice, whispering right into her ear.
“…Your Grace?”
It was Clayton.
Glancing back, she saw that the man who had been following her had already vanished—likely fleeing the moment Clayton appeared.
“Dahlia.”
Clayton called her name again, watching as she anxiously glanced behind her.
Only then did Dahlia fully grasp her situation, biting down on her lip in realization.
It was Clayton who broke the brief silence that followed.
Noticing no sign of the people who should have been accompanying Dahlia, he furrowed his brow.
“Why are you alone here? Where’s your guard?”
“I—I, um…”
Watching her flounder, Clayton turned to Cedison, who had been observing the scene from behind, and issued an order.
“Bring Dahlia’s guard and maid before me. Now.”
Hearing Clayton’s sharp command directed at Cadison, Dahlia grabbed his arm.
“No, no! It’s not their fault! I wanted to walk alone, so I deliberately gave them other tasks and snuck off—but then I got lost!”
Her voice was frantic.
She felt guilty, knowing they’d be punished because of her.
Clayton let out a short, exasperated breath as he looked at her.
“You got lost? Don’t tell me you don’t even know where you are.”
“W—Where exactly are we…?”
“Hah.”
Seeing her genuinely bewildered expression, he let out a dry laugh.
They were currently in the old district—an area notorious for its poor security, unlike the new city.
Moreover, this place was mainly inhabited by prostitutes and various criminals; even during daylight, respectable women rarely walked its streets alone.
For a noble lady to recklessly wander into such a place invited who-knew-what kind of danger.
Yet here she stood, blinking those innocent eyes, utterly unaware of how close she’d just come to disaster—leaving him utterly speechless.
Sensing from his increasingly grim expression that she was in a dangerous place, Dahlia spoke in a trembling voice.
“…I promise I’ll never wander off alone again. Please, don’t punish my guard and maid. I beg you.”
Clayton silently watched Dahlia, utterly crestfallen as she pleaded, then turned to Cadison.
“Fine. Dock their pay for two months and be done with it. But tell them clearly—if this ever happens again, it won’t end with mere dismissal.”
“Yes, understood.”
Relief washed over Dahlia’s face upon hearing the Duke’s decree.
Two months’ wages were something she could easily make up for herself later, so she was genuinely grateful for such a lenient punishment.
She lifted her head to thank Clayton.
“Thank you. I won’t let this happen ever a—”
Gurgle.
Her stomach, entirely lacking in tact, chose that moment to announce its hunger—freezing her in place.
“…”
“…”
Clayton, too, fell momentarily silent at the unexpected sound, and as the quiet stretched on, Dahlia’s head sank lower and lower toward the floor.
As always, though, it was Clayton who broke the awkward tension first.
“Let’s have a meal first.”
[This is the timeline separator]Back in the new city, Dahlia ran into her frantic maid Samantha and guard knight, who had been desperately searching for her.
The two briefly sighed in relief upon seeing her with Clayton—until Cadison relayed the Duke’s orders, at which their faces turned deathly pale.
Feeling inwardly apologetic toward the two, now pale as ghosts, Dahlia settled into a fine restaurant alongside Clayton.
As the ordered dishes were laid before them and her hunger began to ease…
‘Now that I think about it, this is the first time we’ve properly faced each other and talked since that kiss at the garden party!’
It suddenly dawned on Dahlia that this was her first real encounter with Clayton since the garden party—and belatedly, she began to feel awkward.
But awkwardness was the least of her worries.
She realized, to her horror, that her eyes kept drifting—unconsciously—to his lips.
As she brought a bite of steak to her mouth, she stole another brief glance at Clayton’s lips.
Each time they moved, vivid memories from that day came rushing back uncontrollably.
‘I’m going insane.’
Sneaking glances at someone else’s lips like some kind of pervert—just as shame began to well up inside her, Clayton, who’d been focused solely on his plate, spoke up.
“You’re going to stare a hole through my face.”
His voice was calm, clearly aware she’d been watching him covertly.
“If you have something to say, just say it.”
“N—Nothing at all!”
“Then I will.”
Setting his cutlery down on the plate, he wiped his lips with a napkin and continued.
“What’s the real reason you went there?”
“I already told you—it was just that I took a wrong turn…”
“You expect me to believe that someone who’s lived in the capital for over a decade accidentally wandered into that place?”
Ah, right.
In her panic, she’d completely forgotten that the original female lead had lived in the capital for a very long time.
“And how do you plan to explain that outfit of yours?”
“…”
Her plain attire—which had even unsettled her own maid—certainly wouldn’t sit well with Clayton.
But she obviously couldn’t say she’d been seeking a doctor for contraceptive pills.
Desperate for a plausible excuse, she lifted her water glass.
‘What should I do? He won’t buy a simple lie. What excuse can I possibly give?’
But perhaps because she was too lost in thought, she dropped the glass before it even touched the table.
Crash.
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the restaurant.
Snapping back to reality, Dahlia bent over in embarrassment.
A waiter hurried over to clear the broken pieces, but Dahlia was quicker.
As she reached for a shard of broken glass, Clayton tried to stop her.
“Dahlia, what are you doing—”
“Ah!”
A short cry escaped her as she clutched her finger.
“Madam, are you all right? It’s dangerous—please let us handle this.”
“I—I’m sorry. I was just distracted by something else…”
“No, you should attend to the bleeding first.”
The waiter, eyeing the red droplets seeping between her fingers, spoke with concern before hurrying off to fetch medical supplies.
Wrapping a napkin tightly around her finger to stanch the bleeding, Dahlia turned toward Clayton to apologize.
“Your Grace, I’m so sorry for causing such a commotion… Your Grace?”
But the words died on her lips as she caught sight of his ashen face.
[This is the timeline separator]Bang!
Clayton stormed into the mansion, slamming the door open, startling Jason, who rushed toward him.
His disheveled clothes and the visibly strained veins in his eyes clearly signaled that something was terribly wrong.
“Your Grace! What on earth happened?”
Clayton staggered toward his room, his voice hoarse as he responded.
“Send someone to the Herz estate immediately.”
“What?”
Jason, who had been supporting him, unusually flustered, continued hesitantly.
“But today isn’t the scheduled—”
He couldn’t finish his sentence, however, under Clayton’s piercing glare.
Clayton looked dangerously unstable—as if one wrong move might push him over the edge.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (10)
Poor rose that’s a fkd up role and ml he’s soo creepy, can’t believe fl finds him sexy
Oh poor rose ! No wonder she could live that way….
What a twist, the duke drinks blood from a man. As disturbing as that is what creeps me out more is that they made a household their bloodbank and they were raised for it crazyy
Inline Comments (67)
Clayton murmured with a cold, sharp smile.
You ignored her first. To me ,you don’t have rights to anything about her
And so, unintentionally, Dahlia ended up ditching Samantha and Daniel yet again.
Noo. They won’t trust you again girl. Anyway I am still mad at Clayton
Unlike the Duke, who didn’t even care whether his own wife was being humiliated
Yes. So I want you to become male lead. Clayton did a lot of mess. But there is bot a chance for you🥲
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VKotaku28
Dahlia.. I am going to dock your points for poor preparation