Dietrich Calypso jumped out of the third-floor window with Celia Brillion on his back.
He leapt from the height of three stories and landed lightly on the grass-covered ground. Avoiding people’s eyes, he brought Celia to a stable located on the outskirts of the imperial palace.
“Whinny—”
The horses inside the stable snorted roughly at the unfamiliar presence of Celia. After setting her down, Dietrich approached the agitated animals.
As Dietrich gently stroked their manes, the horses instantly calmed as if by magic. Celia found it quite remarkable how obediently the animals responded to him.
“They say no truly bad person is ever loved by animals.”
In response to Celia’s words, Dietrich shook his head.
“That’s probably because wicked people just end up killing the animals.”
It was an incredibly pessimistic remark.
Dietrich led Celia into a small dwelling attached to the side of the stable.
The tiny room contained nothing but a straw bed and a single nightstand. Judging by the thick layer of dust, it hadn’t been used in a long time.
Dietrich roughly brushed away the dust and seated Celia on the straw bed. He wore a dark violet tunic, having chosen it over armor to avoid the clinking sound metal would make.
“If they realize you’re missing, the Crown Prince will immediately search my estate. But he’d never suspect you’ve been taken to a stable.”
“……”
“How’s the bite?”
Dietrich’s voice carried through the night air—uncharacteristically gentle. Still, Celia wasn’t fooled by the kindness.
“I don’t know.”
Celia tightened the loose folds of her robe as she answered. Dietrich, who had been silently watching her, knelt on his left knee on the floor and tore a section from the sleeve of his dark violet tunic.
“It irritates me.”
“What does?”
“Everything.”
What exactly was irritating him? Was it her? Or perhaps the situation, refusing to unfold as he wished?
‘What does it matter? If I can survive and bring about the downfall of this wretched empire, that’s enough for me.’
After finishing that thought, Celia placed both hands neatly on her knees. Dietrich reached toward the upper part of her robe.
His large hand, calloused from years of gripping swords, began unbuttoning the robe one button at a time.
Thud.
Moonlight slipped through the palm-sized lattice window, softly illuminating the two.
Celia sat on the straw bed, while Dietrich knelt on one knee on the floor, undoing the buttons of her robe.
Celia studied Dietrich’s face closely.
His eyelids beneath neat eyebrows were unusually long. The red eyes beneath them were fixed entirely on her.
She saw no trace of the lust she’d often witnessed in other men.
Still, like calm ripples, his gaze remained steady on her, until at last he unfastened the final button.
Thud.
Her collarbone became fully exposed, and the cold air brushed against her skin. With an expression utterly devoid of emotion, Dietrich pressed his hand firmly over the bite mark on her collarbone, as if it were a brand.
His touch felt so hot it seemed she might suffer burns instantly. Celia flinched, and Dietrich withdrew his hand, murmuring quietly.
“It’ll be over soon.”
He rolled up the torn cloth strip and pressed it several times against the wound. The sensation of the bite mark being mashed was strange.
As Celia winced in pain, furrowing her brows, Dietrich set the cloth aside. Whether from repeated rubbing or not, the red bite mark had faded significantly compared to when he first saw it.
“It’s better now.”
Muttering softly, he firmly re-buttoned Celia’s collar. Celia, who had always been the one exploited, wasn’t accustomed to someone protecting her.
“The dress must be uncomfortable, but bear with it a little. I’ll bring you new, more comfortable clothes as soon as I can.”
When Celia didn’t respond, Dietrich seemed to hesitate briefly before speaking.
“If it’s truly unbearable, I can give you my tunic.”
Celia stared blankly at Dietrich, who was about to remove his tunic, and said,
“There’s no need to go that far.”
“……”
“I know you’re being kind to me only because you need my ability. So you don’t have to pretend to be gentle.”
Seeing her eyes—watching him yet somehow hollow—Dietrich fell silent. He rummaged inside his tunic and personally placed an object into Celia’s hand.
When Celia gave him a questioning look, Dietrich gestured with his chin for her to open her palm. Celia looked at the object in her hand and was startled.
What he had given her was none other than a dagger—a palm-sized blade with a pitch-black sheath.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
Dietrich lowered his gaze in response to Celia’s question. A deep shadow fell over his intense eyes.
“Because using your ability damages your body.”
Celia said nothing. From the moment she collapsed, coughing up blood, she realized he had figured out the truth—that her power destroyed her from within.
What would change if she denied it now? Dietrich added, seeing Celia’s silence,
“If danger comes, don’t hesitate—use this dagger. I made sure to pick one with an especially sharp edge.”
Celia drew the blade from its sheath. Indeed, as he said, the tip was sharpened to a deadly point.
“Are you giving me this so I can kill the Crown Prince, just like I killed the Emperor?”
“The Crown Prince will be deposed regardless of whether you lift a finger.”
“……”
“Because I will make it happen.”
Dietrich’s words were utterly, utterly strange. Celia stared at him, bewildered.
“You must use your ability only for me. Until then, keep this dagger.”
“Are you sure you won’t regret giving me this dagger?”
“If I thought I’d regret it, I wouldn’t have saved your life in the first place.”
With that, Dietrich stood up. The small room seemed even smaller as his muscular frame rose to its full height.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he leaned toward Celia. Placing both hands on the straw bed, Dietrich stared intently into her eyes.
Celia thought his face was uncomfortably close.
After watching her for a moment, a voice tinged with weariness escaped Dietrich’s lips.
“You do know how to handle a dagger to some extent, right?”
“All I know, I learned from my father.”
“What an excellent teacher and father. Judging by how he took the Emperor’s life in an instant, his fundamentals couldn’t have been poor.”
Dietrich’s gaze fell to the dagger in Celia’s hand.
“I’ll teach you a few techniques. Follow me.”
Dietrich extended one hand toward her. Celia took it with her free hand—the one not holding the dagger.
His fingers, interlaced with hers, were surprisingly warm, unlike the hands of a man who had held swords for so long.
When they stepped outside, the horses in the stable were silent, seemingly asleep. To avoid waking them, Dietrich led Celia to the opposite side of the enclosure.
It was a space backed by rough, jagged stone walls. Celia ran her hand over the hard, coarse surface.
Dietrich stomped a few times with his military boots to flatten the dusty ground, then released her hand.
He stood facing Celia, unarmed, and gave a slight nod.
“Try using the dagger on me.”
Celia couldn’t understand why Dietrich was doing this. But since Dietrich, a master swordsman, was offering to teach her directly, she saw no reason to refuse.
“Attack me with the intent to kill. Think of me as your mortal enemy.”
“And if I end up killing you?”
Dietrich gave a low chuckle.
“I respect your confidence.”
“……”
“I’ll defend using only my left hand—my right will remain still.”
Even a master swordsman, wasn’t this an outrageous underestimation? Celia felt a sting to her pride.
Clutching the dagger, Celia lunged at Dietrich’s neck.
She had learned from her father that since human skin is thicker than it seems, targeting a vulnerable spot like the neck was the most effective way to kill with a dagger.
Dietrich stood still, waiting until Celia entered his range.
Puzzled, Celia moved her hand. Her dagger finally reached Dietrich’s neck—completely unguarded.
The moment she saw blood welling up on his neck, Celia’s pupils trembled violently.
Their eyes met in midair. Despite the blade at his throat, Dietrich remained utterly unmoved.
His eyes were profoundly calm, in stark contrast to Celia’s, which swayed like a stormy sea.
One might think it was Celia, not Dietrich, who had a blade at her neck.
Celia hesitated—should she just plunge the dagger deep into Dietrich’s throat? Her hand trembled faintly.
Instead of driving it in, she pulled the dagger away.
With a metallic clang, the dagger in her hand fell to the ground—struck down by Dietrich’s left hand.
“There was hesitation.”
“……”
“Didn’t I tell you earlier? Attack with the intent to kill.”
Dietrich bent down and placed the fallen dagger back into Celia’s hand.
Celia stared, expressionless, at the droplet of blood on Dietrich’s neck.
Now she finally understood Dietrich’s true intention in suddenly offering to teach her.
He had tested her.
Whether she was truly capable of harming him—or not.
He had staked his own life on it.
All strength drained from Celia’s body. The dagger slipped from her grip and rolled across the floor.
She glared at Dietrich as if she wanted to kill him.
“You’re truly not in your right mind.”
Cold Male Lead Became My Clingy Husband (Female-Dominant)
Feng Bai Su transmigrated into a matriarchal novel, becoming the sister of the female protagonist and the Seventh Princess of the Feng Ling Kingdom.
After working herself to death in her previous life, finally reincarnating as a princess, she only wanted to be a lazy fish who could eat, sleep, and play.
Until she met the male protagonist from the book, Wei Jing Mo, and he took a liking to her!
Wei Jing Mo is the top young man in Feng Ling City, talented in both appearance and ability, from a prestigious family, with a cold and otherworldly appearance, a figure like the bright moon in the hearts of noble ladies. It was thought that only the most powerful and talented noble lady in Feng Ling City would be worthy of such a brilliant young man. Who knew that this young gentleman would secretly admire the infamous Seventh Princess?
Short scene 1:
Feng Bai Su looked at the young man crying like a pear blossom in the rain before her, and couldn’t help but doubt her life.
Wasn’t the male lead described as a cold and otherworldly figure in the book?
Then who was this poor little thing crying with swollen red eyes and tear-stained face?
Short scene 2:
Wei Jing Mo stared intently at Feng Bai Su who was about to go out, wanting to say, “Be careful on the road.”
Before he could speak, Feng Bai Su suddenly bent down and bit his cheek.
Her peach blossom eyes were full of disdain: “Tsk! You’re so clingy!”
Wei Jing Mo: “…”
A talented fox spirit female lead with a flirtatious appearance but actually abstinent VS A cold-looking but actually naive and clingy little jealous male lead
