This Life, I Will Save The Duke (20 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 11
“Don’t worry, I won’t misunderstand—let’s go now.”
Moonlight filtering through the tall trees mingled with the darkness, illuminating their path.
The rustling of leaves and the soft footsteps of the two walking one after another filled the air. In that quiet, Ariel managed to calm her trembling heart.
Surely this excessive kindness was a positive sign?
Please, Kaius—don’t make me anxious. Just accept my proposal.
Changing her hair and eye color had truly been the right decision. Had he ever been this kind before? She tried to recall, but not even once.
Though they had been walking for quite some time, he hadn’t asked a single question. If she kept waiting for him to speak first, it seemed unlikely they’d have any conversation at all today.
“Um… Why aren’t you asking me anything?”
Even if he accepted her healing ability as is, surely he’d wonder why she proposed a contract marriage, or what her relationship with Ludvian was. Of course, someone like him would have investigated beforehand—but wouldn’t most people still want to confirm directly with the person involved?
Kaius, who had been walking slightly ahead, turned around at Ariel’s question. A cool fragrance carried by the breeze tickled her nose.
“I was waiting for you to speak first.”
His voice was low and gentle.
With arms crossed, as if inviting her to explain, Kaius stared directly into Ariel’s eyes.
“…You might not believe me, but Ludvian isn’t my lover. I assumed you’d overheard the nobles at the banquet spreading rumors calling him that.”
Though her tone was cautious and quiet, Ariel’s gaze was confident.
Kaius scrutinized her carefully, as though searching for any trace of dishonesty. Even setting aside the rumors, what he’d personally witnessed—the festival, the escort, the dancing—everything clearly suggested that man treated her as his own woman.
And yet she claimed they weren’t lovers?
“Your eyes say you don’t believe me. But it’s the truth.”
Ariel’s boldness drew a faint smile from Kaius. Everyone else called that man her lover, yet she alone insisted otherwise—was he supposed to believe her? Even if their marriage would be loveless, he couldn’t possibly accept a woman who already had a lover.
Upon marriage,
she would become Duchess von Elbaltan. That title carried immense weight. And he himself had no intention of maintaining a merely nominal marriage.
“It doesn’t matter if he is your lover—as long as you end things before we marry.”
More than anyone, Ariel wanted to sever ties with Ludvian. The problem was, she simply couldn’t.
“Really, he isn’t my lover—but I can’t end things. For at least the next year, I have to meet him once a month, minimum. I’ll check if someone else could possibly stand in for me, though I doubt Ludvian would accept that.”
Her words were so absurd that Kaius let out a wry laugh. Despite all her explanations, her answer ultimately came down to this: she couldn’t get rid of Marquis Beloas.
“In that case, it seems we have no further reason to speak. Consider your proposal as if I never heard it.”
Kaius’s quiet voice carried a hint of mockery. As he took a step to leave, Ariel quickly stepped in front of him.
“Wait!”
Kaius raised an eyebrow.
“Ludvian is a prophet. A year ago, he came to me with the contents of a prophecy. That’s how our connection began. I have no choice but to meet him because I must fulfill what his prophecy demands.”
Ariel spoke clearly, though softly. It wasn’t something she needed to hide; most people in the palace already knew. However, Ludvian had warned that if the details became widely known and reached the demons’ ears, it would cause trouble—so they’d kept it tightly under wraps. Thus, nobles unaware of the full story naturally assumed Ludvian was her lover.
“Tell me more.”
“He said the fate of the Majeiras continent rests on me. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?”
Ariel shrugged slightly and continued.
“Besides healing, I also have the ability to accelerate plant growth. Ludvian instructed me to cultivate a flower capable of saving the continent from crisis. He comes to collect the oil made from that flower.”
Though the idea of salvation through mere flowers drew another amused scoff, things changed if it came from a prophet. If problems arose from ignoring a prophet’s words, all blame would fall squarely on Ariel.
“Going to the festival together or asking me to dance—those were all firsts. I suspect Ludvian’s sudden behavior might be because of you, my lord. And the reason I can’t refuse him is that if I defy his stubborn demands, a curse falls upon those around me.”
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she paused for breath. Once her breathing steadied, Ariel resumed.
“This has been going on for the past year—and will continue for one more.”
Having shared everything he might wonder about, Ariel silently watched for Kaius’s reaction.
“What exactly does this ‘curse’ entail?”
“It causes the people around me to die or get injured.”
Kaius looked deeply into her eyes. It seemed that this petite woman faced trials just as extraordinary as his own.
“Um… If you have no further questions, I’d like to hear your answer about my proposal.”
Her eagerness showed in her hurried words. Kaius, meeting her bright brown eyes, eventually lifted his gaze to the night sky.
Those eyes would soon be clouded with disappointment—but not yet. Everything had to be concluded only after thorough investigation, as he’d always lived. By now, reports from palace informants should have arrived; he’d simply verify if her story matched.
“As for that answer… I’ll postpone it a little longer.”
Ariel, who seemed about to speak further, silently sighed and nodded.
“…I see you haven’t decided yet. Understood.”
In an instant, the mood shifted—the previously chattering girl now weighed down by heaviness. After a long silence spent staring at the ground, Ariel removed his jacket and handed it back.
“Go back inside the banquet hall. I won’t return.”
“I’ll escort you.”
Kaius’s overly polite gesture offered her no comfort.
“No, I’d like to walk alone. I’ll go ahead, then.”
Ariel offered a strained smile as she turned away. Kaius watched her retreating figure for a long while.
“Haa…”
As she headed toward the North Palace, a deep sigh escaped Ariel’s lips.
She had completely misunderstood.
That strangely unfamiliar moment dancing with him, the warmth of him draping his jacket over her shoulders—those had sparked hope in her heart.
Maybe, just maybe, he’d accept her proposal right away.
He hadn’t outright rejected her, yet she couldn’t hide the disappointment stiffening her face at his hesitant reply. Unable to face him any longer in that state, she had fled.
What more could she possibly do to win his heart? The future, which had felt bright when they first started walking together, now seemed a little bleak.
***
“Your Grace, I have a report.”
Late at night, Kaius sat at a table in his bedroom with his aide Lemon and Carsen, captain of the Elbaltan Knights. Since arriving at the Letiana royal palace, Carsen and several knights had been carrying out Kaius’s special orders.
“It appears the relationship between Princess Ariel and Marquis Beloas is somewhat misrepresented.”
White smoke curled from Kaius’s lips as he looked at Carsen, signaling him to continue.
“What’s inaccurate? To me, it matched the rumors exactly. Just now, you were torn between him and the Marquis—shouldn’t that dilemma not even exist?”
Lemon was clearly frustrated. To him, Kaius was a god, the very heavens. He was the one who had brought victory in a war no one else could win over five long years. It infuriated Lemon that such a man would enter a political marriage with a princess from a poor nation—let alone one who already had a lover.
“Lemon.”
At Kaius’s quiet rebuke, Lemon fell silent. Push further, and he’d be thrown out of the room on the spot.
Before coming to Letiana, Kaius had already gathered most of the information available outside the palace. However, matters inside the palace proved harder to uncover, prompting his separate investigation orders.
“According to what I found, when Marquis Beloas first appeared, the princess initially refused to comply with him. Immediately afterward, people in the palace began dying. Everyone believed it was a curse brought on by the princess defying the prophecy. Similar incidents have occurred occasionally since then.”
Kaius’s eyes slowly narrowed as he listened. Ludvian Beloas. Whether the deaths were caused by a curse or not, the root cause was undoubtedly that man himself. Ariel’s claim that he was coercing her through threats appeared to be true.
“And what is your opinion, Sir Carsen?”
Kaius wanted to hear the judgment of the man who had conducted the investigation firsthand.
“I believe the information gathered within the palace is closest to the truth.”
Kaius nodded, stroking his chin with his fingers, and took a deep drag from his cigar.
To her, Marquis Ludvian Beloas was not a lover—and to him, Ariel was essential. Healing potions were difficult to procure and reserved only for dire emergencies. That alone was reason enough to take her, but no matter how urgent, he couldn’t willingly swallow poison.
First, he needed to uncover why she had proposed marriage in the first place.
“And the prophesied flower…”
“Enough about the flower.”
Flowers held no interest for Kaius—they were just flowers, after all.
“Is that all for your report?”
In response, Carsen pulled a rolled-up paper from his coat.
“Please take a look at this.”
Unfurled, the paper revealed a woman who looked strikingly like Ariel von Retiana.
“This is what the princess looked like before.”
Noticing Kaius’s puzzled expression, Carsen added an explanation.
Lemon, examining the portrait, couldn’t tear his eyes away, uttering a sound of awe. The woman in the painting had the silver hair and golden eyes he’d dismissed as mere imagination.
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
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MANGA DISCUSSION
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Chapter Comments (4)
I don’t understand Ariel. I mean, she used to say that the appearance artifact interfered with her healing magic, which is why she had to take it off to heal Kaius, but this time, she did it without removing it. And they don’t even mention that her appearance changed or that she had silver hair.
I really don’t understand Ariel. I mean, she says she’s in love with Kaius, and right now when he gets close, she struggles to break free and then runs away. In fact, admitting her feelings would have been the best way to make him believe she wanted to keep the engagement with him.
Ugh, Ariel should have been firmer in pushing Ludvian away. I would love it if Kaius got way more involved in that and took her away with him instead of letting her stay with Ludvian—even if that parasite ended up being the third wheel, I wouldn’t have minded!
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Rahzel Everlasting
Yes! Ariel actually told Kaius, I thought she would keep that to herself and keep suffering on her own, but Kaius is still being so stubborn about not giving in. Ugh, this man is seriously getting on my nerves!