This Beast Never Sleeps at Night (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2
“It’s been a while, Adele.”
“……!”
Startled, Adele lifted her head—and he quietly crinkled his eyes in a smile.
Instantly, her eyes—cold as glaciers—seemed to melt, sparkling warmly.
This was the real Christine she remembered.
His lips drew close, nearly brushing her earlobe.
“Now, we start with your left foot.”
“Hah!”
The warm puff of breath tickled, and Adele hunched her shoulders. But soon, she naturally moved her foot where he gently pulled her.
The two of them landed lightly as if flying, right in the center of the ballroom.
Soon, others began gathering around them in pairs.
The hall quickly grew lively to the cheerful strains of the dance music.
“I can dance now without stepping on your feet. All thanks to you, Adele.”
“Chris……”
“Count Christine Weiss.”
He cut her off firmly.
“Of course, you may still call me Chris as before. I’ll grant you that privilege—since it’s you.”
Adele had so many questions for him.
But right now, she could only stare at him, dazed, unable to utter a word.
“Now, we start with your left foot, Chris. One two, one two……”
“Do we really have to? This is the sort of thing only fancy nobles do.”
“So you don’t want to?”
“Who said I didn’t want to? It’s just annoying.”
“Ouch! You just stepped on my foot on purpose, didn’t you?”
“Sorry. It wasn’t intentional—just a mistake.”
“One two…… Hey, again!”
“Ha ha! This time, it wasn’t a mistake—it was on purpose!”
“Hey! Chris!”
The old barn, which became their private ballroom whenever adults weren’t around, still held vivid memories—the scent of aged hay and the playful laughter of a boy.
And ten years had passed.
It seemed Adele wasn’t the only one who’d endured much during that time.
The Christine dancing now to the waltz was no longer the pretty boy he’d once been.
He stood a full head taller than her, his lean frame now as solid as stone. His deep, rough voice and the prominently defined Adam’s apple clearly marked him as a man now.
And he danced astonishingly, flawlessly.
“What are you thinking about?”
When he gazed intently at her, Adele flustered and looked away.
“……It’s just been so long since I’ve danced.”
Adele’s earlobes flushed as she answered.
Had he noticed, by any chance?
Just thinking that made her whole face feel hot.
“Don’t worry. I’ll lead—just follow me.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Adele naturally surrendered herself to him.
One two, one two……
Whenever he turned, she turned with him; when he reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, she melted gracefully into his embrace. Each time, the formal-looking dress flared out below her slender waist, then wrapped around her curves.
It was strange. Though they hadn’t seen each other in so long, Adele could perfectly anticipate every one of his movements.
One two, one two……
Before long, both their breaths had grown equally quick and shallow.
The sharp stares of others had long vanished from Adele’s mind.
They were back in that old barn again, and before her stood only Christine.
Adele smiled broadly, revealing her neat, white teeth.
When was the last time she’d smiled like this?
A few days later.
“Sigh that hard, and the ground might cave in!”
Adele, sitting before the fireplace, looked up in surprise.
Mia had silently approached and was now peering down at her, clicking her tongue. Snow had piled noticeably on Mia’s hat and coat—apparently, it was snowing outside.
“Mia! You startled me. At least make some noise when you come in.”
“I called you several times. What on earth were you thinking about that you didn’t even notice someone coming?”
Mia briskly brushed the snow off her coat and hung it naturally on the wall. Then she added more logs to the flickering fireplace.
“You didn’t even notice the fire was nearly out.”
Her actions felt as natural as if she were in her own home.
Mia was the wife of a baron who lived next door to Adele. Her family held only a noble title, with neither wealth nor influence—making them no different from commoners.
Yet she’d helped Adele greatly when she’d been cast out from the marquis’s household, enabling her to settle here. She’d also played a big part in finishing the formal-looking dress this time.
“What thoughts? Would you like some tea?”
As Adele rose from her chair, Mia grabbed the hem of her skirt.
“Just sit back down for now.”
Adele had no choice but to sink back into her seat.
Mia immediately began her questioning, as if she’d been waiting.
“Did you enjoy yourself at His Majesty the Emperor’s banquet?”
“Yeah.”
“And the gifts?”
“Everyone shared them and enjoyed them.”
“What about that girl, Seira?”
Only then did Adele realize Seira had also been at the banquet that day—the woman who always surrounded herself with people and seemed desperate to devour Adele.
Her encounter with Christine had been so intense that she’d completely forgotten about Seira.
“Oh, Seira……”
“I guess she bothered you less this year.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Hmm…… Mia gave a small nod, then asked curiously,
“But what’s wrong?”
Adele shook her head vigorously.
“Nothing’s wrong.”
Mia didn’t believe her. After all, just moments ago, when she’d entered the parlor and spoken to her, Adele had ignored her completely and only sighed.
“No, something’s definitely wrong.”
Every year after returning from the Emperor’s birthday banquet, Adele would become unusually talkative—sometimes even turning the kitchen upside down making cookies and bread.
She always pretended to be cheerful to hide her hurt.
‘But what’s with her reaction this time?’
Could something serious be troubling her?
As Mia narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing her carefully, Adele gently clasped Mia’s hand.
“Really, nothing happened—don’t worry, Mia. His Majesty enjoyed the cookies I made, and Seira stayed quiet. The banquet was truly enjoyable.”
“Then why were you sighing so absentmindedly?”
“Me?”
“It’s clearly one of two things: either you’re deeply worried, or you’ve fallen in love. But you falling in love? That’s impossible……”
“Mia, let’s have some tea! I happen to have delicious black tea!”
Adele quickly stood up, her cheeks already flushed pink.
Mia’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“Adele! Are you really in love?”
“Are you crazy? Someone like me falling in love……”
When Adele shook her head as if it were absurd, Mia asked cautiously,
“Could it be…… not him?”
“Him?”
“Count Christine Weiss.”
“……!”
Adele nearly tripped over her own skirt.
Mia sighed as if she’d expected this.
“Good heavens—you too?”
“Me too?”
“They say Count Weiss appeared at the banquet this time. Rumors were flying that his otherworldly beauty utterly devastated the ballroom. And now even you’ve fallen for him……”
“No, it’s not like that!”
Adele’s voice rose without her realizing it.
“Well, I’m glad if it’s not.”
“Of course it isn’t!”
But Mia didn’t believe her—Adele was flustered in a way Mia had rarely seen.
Still, she was genuinely curious. Count Weiss, a hero of the empire and an immensely wealthy noble, was the subject of much public fascination. She’d always assumed the rumors about his insane beauty were just gossip spread by idle tongues.
But if even Adele—who usually found men terrifying—had been captivated……
Was he really some kind of overpowered character?
‘No wonder the Emperor has his eye on him.’
Mia gave her friend sincere advice, feeling sorry for her.
“Just in case—I’ll say this: if you feel even the slightest attraction toward Count Weiss, drop it quickly. He’s going to become the imperial consort soon.”
“The consort?”
Adele’s expression hardened.
“Rumors say he’ll soon be made a marquis and engaged to the Imperial Princess. By the time they marry, he’ll likely be a duke.”
Mia’s husband handled document disbursement for the imperial court. Though only a low-ranking official, this gave Mia insight into palace affairs. The fact that she spoke so confidently meant it was almost certain.
“So he’s going to marry Princess April?”
“Yes. Since the Crown Prince is still young, His Majesty needs a reliable son-in-law—especially to deal with the Council of Elders.”
The Kalime Empire had a ‘Council of Elders’ composed of five prestigious noble houses. Most empresses had come from these families.
But the current Empress wasn’t from a distinguished lineage, and the Emperor had poor relations with the Council.
Moreover, the heir, the Crown Prince, was still a child.
Thus, the Emperor needed a strong, dependable consort—someone young and capable, not from the Council families, yet powerful enough to stand against them!
‘You really are amazing, Chris.’
Adele felt proud of Christine.
Rising from a miner’s son to a count was incredible enough—but to become the Emperor’s consort?
Then why did her chest feel so hollow?
“Adele… are you okay?”
Mia asked, studying Adele’s expression.
She looked as if she’d just heard news of her beloved man’s engagement.
“Of course. What could possibly be wrong with me?”
Adele grinned and rolled up her sleeves.
“This won’t do. I’m hungry—let’s make something to eat. Bread or pie? We’ll make plenty and share some with everyone!”
Just as she headed briskly toward the kitchen,
“Visitors! Visitors!”
Tanya came rushing in, flustered after returning from shopping.
Tanya had followed Adele when she’d been cast out from the Oswald household. Though she was Adele’s only maid, she was now as good as family.
“Visitors?”
Adele took Tanya’s shopping basket, worry in her voice.
Anyone coming to see her would either be sent by the Oswald family or people coming to harass her, calling her “the villainess who poisoned her husband.”
There was no way it could be welcome guests.
“I don’t know who they are! I saw a huge carriage following me and ran straight here. What should we do?”
“Don’t worry. If they’re troublemakers, I’ll beat them out myself.”
Mia bravely seized the poker from in front of the fireplace.
“Then I’ll throw this and hit them right on the head!”
Tanya also grabbed a potato the size of a fist from her basket.
Seeing this, Adele quietly chuckled, then calmly said,
“You don’t need to go that far. Just serve them poisoned tea, and it’ll all be over.”
Whoa.
Mia and Tanya were dumbfounded. Given that Adele was already falsely accused of being a poison expert, how could she even joke like that?
Neigh!
Just then, the sound of a horse’s whinny came from the small manor’s garden.
Mia dashed to the window and quickly pulled back the curtain.
A large, elegant carriage stood before the garden, lightly blanketed in snow.
“Who could it be? I’ve never seen that family crest……”
Mia muttered, then soon whispered in a dazed voice,
“Adele, it’s definitely someone here to harm you!”
“Who is it?”
Seeing Adele’s pale face, Mia quickly added,
“If a man like that proposes to you holding a bouquet, you’d surely die of a heart attack.”
“What?”
The carriage door opened, and people began stepping out one after another, each carrying enormous bouquets.
But the reason Mia was so stunned was that the man standing among those flowers was even more beautiful than the blooms themselves.
“You must be cold—have some tea first.”
Adele offered the warm black tea Tanya had prepared.
Right now, only she and Christine were in the house.
Mia, sensing the atmosphere, had taken Tanya and gone back to her own home.
But Christine didn’t even glance at the tea. He didn’t sit down either, as if ready to leave at any moment.
And then, bluntly and accusingly, he asked,
“Why did you just disappear that day?”
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
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MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (37)
Another obsessed person I met, that’s exactly what I prefer.
It seems like sweet love at first sight, but I know better than that.
Is this man some kind of monster or something? A werewolf?
Inline Comments (4)
“If Lord Weiss went so far as to bring you flowers, it clearly means he’s comple
Why do I have an odd feeling their love will be tragic- Adele seems scaryyy
“I’m not generous enough to love a traitor.”
Ohhhhh myyyy gooosh- this man, idk if I’m a fan 😭😭
“If Lord Weiss went so far as to bring you flowers, it clearly means he’s comple
I meant the princess
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Anna Anna
The man is in love, as far as I can see; it’s not just a childhood friend.