The Runaway Female Lead Doesn't Run Away (13 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 9
The gaze that had lingered on her hair slowly began to shift.
From the pale nape of her neck to Dahlia’s faintly reddened lips.
And in the man’s eyes, which had been silently fixed between her slightly parted lips, a fleeting blaze of heat flickered—only to vanish instantly, replaced by something secretive.
His eyes now held unmistakable intent.
‘Huh…?’
Had it started then? That was when the current of air surrounding the two of them reversed.
‘Could this atmosphere possibly mean…?’
The fingers that had been toying with her hair had already reached her white neck.
The man’s gentle touch slowed Dahlia’s thoughts.
Finally, as she looked up at the man leaning toward her, Dahlia seemed to belatedly grasp the situation and let out a short sigh.
A red alarm rang loudly in her head.
Desperate to avoid whatever was about to happen next, she tried to pull back—but Clayton moved faster.
Because he tightened his grip around Dahlia’s neck.
There was no more escaping. Regardless of her will, their bodies began to naturally press together.
Heat spread through her entire body, and the hands clutching her clothes grew damp with sweat.
Just as the distance between their faces narrowed and his hot breath, which had been brushing her cheeks, seemed about to swallow her lips whole—
Thud.
Dahlia’s stiffened body instinctively moved.
“…”
“…”
More precisely, she pushed Clayton’s face away with both hands.
Caught off guard by the sudden barrier, Clayton froze mid-motion.
And the strange, charged atmosphere between them dissipated instantly, as if doused with cold water.
“What are you doing?”
Clayton broke the icy silence first. He tilted his head slightly to one side, his brows furrowed in displeasure.
Startled by his intimidating expression, Dahlia quickly hid the hand that had been covering her lips behind her back.
“Ah, um… It’s just… this…”
Even in the darkness, his reddened eyes plainly demanded an explanation—as if asking, “What on earth do you think you’re doing?”
Thus, Dahlia frantically scrambled for an excuse.
“Well, I mean… um… uh…”
But nothing suitable came to mind. Of course he wouldn’t understand—just a few days ago, they’d been lying together in the same bed, and now she was suddenly pushing him away.
Actually, she didn’t even need to go back days.
Hadn’t she herself been fondling Clayton’s body just that afternoon? From his perspective, her behavior must seem utterly baffling.
Suddenly recalling her own actions from earlier that day, her face flushed—but she quickly steeled herself again.
And with no better option, she resorted to the classic yet most effective tactic:
“Cough, cough…! The truth is, I haven’t been feeling well since earlier. My body feels strangely chilly and achy—I really need to rest soon… I think I might even have a fever…”
Pretending to be ill.
She deliberately placed a hand on her forehead and slumped her shoulders to appear weak from fever,
making sure to punctuate her act with intermittent coughs.
Too focused on keeping her eyes lowered for the performance, she couldn’t see Clayton’s face.
But she could feel his silent, unblinking stare—clearly unimpressed by her sudden claim of illness.
‘Should I have used a different excuse…?’
Who would believe someone who’d seemed perfectly fine just moments ago was now suddenly sick?
Even a passing stray dog would clearly see this as an obvious ploy to avoid a kiss.
Most likely, a sharp male lead like him had already seen right through her.
Convinced this approach wasn’t working, Dahlia lifted her eyes to meet Clayton’s again—only to hear:
“If you say so, my lady.”
Perhaps her desperate plea had gotten through. Contrary to her expectations, Clayton wordlessly leaned back and stood up matter-of-factly, looking down at her.
“If you think you need a doctor, I’ll call Jason. Though I doubt you really do.”
The smile at the corner of his lips revealed he knew she was lying.
Yet, surprisingly, he didn’t seem annoyed at all—without hesitation, he turned and walked away.
Thud.
As the door clicked shut behind him, Dahlia’s body went limp. Leaning back against the sofa, she let her tense muscles relax.
“Phew… I’m saved.”
Whether or not Clayton had seen through her, Dahlia breathed a sigh of relief simply for escaping the immediate danger.
But her relief was short-lived—suddenly remembering something, she straightened up.
“Come to think of it, this same situation could happen again!”
She’d gotten lucky this time, but there was no guarantee things would go so smoothly next time.
After all, the two of them had long since crossed any boundaries regarding physical intimacy.
“I really need to figure out a plan…”
She couldn’t keep pretending to be sick forever. As long as they had to live as husband and wife, she’d inevitably have to play defense.
‘Do I really need to take actual contraception…?’
When she thought about obtaining Selfbane herb, she was scared off by its reputation as a poison and its side effect of sterility.
‘I should look for a reputable apothecary in the capital later.’
Surely there had to be other contraceptive remedies besides Selfbane.
Vowing to quickly find a trustworthy physician, Dahlia’s day finally drew to a close.
[This is the timeline separator]Meanwhile, the one who greeted Clayton upon his return was Jason, the butler, tidying up the bedroom.
Having confirmed the duke had gone to the duchess’s room, Jason had only begun cleaning late—and was now flustered to see Clayton return so soon.
After all, whenever the duke visited Dahlia after bathing, he always spent the night there.
Jason hurried toward his master.
“My apologies, Your Grace. I assumed you’d be sleeping in Her Ladyship’s chamber tonight… I’ll finish cleaning quickly.”
But Clayton dismissed it with a wave and issued a different order.
“That can wait. Instead, inform Marquis Landrofil at dawn tomorrow—I’ll attend the garden party in two days’ time, together with the duchess.”
Jason repeated the order, puzzled.
“Pardon? But the garden party begins at one in the afternoon…”
“I know.”
Even though he knew, he still intended to attend. Jason tilted his head, baffled by this sudden decision.
He, better than anyone, knew how much Clayton avoided daytime activities.
Thus, Jason cautiously voiced his concern.
“Has… something changed with your condition, Your Grace?”
“Changed.”
Clayton answered Jason’s question plainly, pouring himself a drink from the bottle on the table.
“Call it less a change and more a discovery.”
He lifted the now-filled glass and flicked his wrist.
The amber liquid inside swirled violently—as if ocean waves crashing ashore.
“It was like a wave.”
He murmured softly, as if recalling something profound.
Today had been unforgettable for him—a day marked by an event he’d never forget.
The weather had been as foul as ever, the park held no special appeal, and people’s prying attention remained as irritating as usual. Everything was just as it had been in previous years.
Except for one thing—the woman who had filled the empty space beside him.
Yes, perhaps that truly was a change.
Reflecting on Jason’s question about change, Clayton looked down at his own hand. Instantly, the vivid sensation from earlier returned.
The warmth of the afternoon sun, the coolness of the breeze—and above all, the relief from that suffocating thirst that had burned his throat.
All of it had rushed over him like a wave the moment his hand touched Dahlia’s.
At first, he’d dismissed the strange, unprecedented feeling as mere illusion. But—
‘It wasn’t an illusion.’
It was neither a dream nor a mistake—it was reality.
Staring at his palm as he recalled what had just happened, Clayton clenched his fist.
That morning, the moment he’d stepped out of the mansion, an unpleasant feeling had begun creeping up inside him—
briefly giving way to muttered curses at the predictably grim state of his body ahead.
Yet, strangely, the moment he’d touched Dahlia, all that discomfort had melted away like snow.
Startled by this unprecedented experience, he’d hidden his emotions and acted composedly—though he’d nearly grabbed her when she’d tried unconsciously to pull away.
He’d thought he was managing well enough… until the moment Dahlia had nestled into his arms, shattering all his restraint.
‘Which is why I ended up making some clumsy excuse to leave.’
He’d never spent a daytime outing with Dahlia before, so he hadn’t noticed it sooner.
They’d shared intimacy at night several times, but his body had never had issues at night to begin with—so he hadn’t even realized there was a change.
He’d gone to Dahlia’s room just to verify—but hadn’t even gotten the chance to try, much less confirm anything.
‘Cough, cough…! The truth is, I haven’t been feeling well since earlier.’
Remembering how Dahlia had just pushed him away with that excuse of illness, Clayton tugged at the corner of his lips.
Seeing this, Jason—who had been watching him—asked again, his voice even more serious now.
“Your Grace, has something truly happened regarding the curse?”
The Seyear ducal family’s ancient curse—this was the very reason Clayton struggled with daytime activities.
Clayton lifted his head toward Jason, who looked ready to summon the physician immediately.
“We’ll see. Whether it’s a problem… or a miracle.”
The smile lingering on the man’s lips deepened further.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (17)
It is the carriage bringing the not-mistress Dalia.
On the fence about this, but na yeon is probably avoiding intimacy due to contraception
Good for you designer! Then let’s move to the next location
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🥲
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.
VKotaku28
Is the curse about you being vampires without out the need for blood?