This Life, I Will Save The Duke (20 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 13
My mind raced the entire time I faced him.
How could I cover it up without raising suspicion?
A late-night stroll? But that wouldn’t explain why I’d wandered near the annex. Then it suddenly hit me—the scrap of paper I’d scribbled on earlier that day. Yes, that would be enough. Having prepared her excuse, Ariel didn’t enter right away but instead asked him first.
“Are you hurt again?”
Her acting was flawless—the worried tone, the concerned expression, even the way her eyes darted toward his injured arm.
“But why are you here? Did you come looking for me? Do you need treatment?”
Kaius, who had been gazing at her, slowly nodded. Seeing this, Ariel suppressed a smile inwardly before finally stepping over the threshold of the annex.
Passing by him, Ariel walked straight to the bed and said to him,
“Take off your clothes and lie down.”
At her bold words, a faint smirk tugged at Kaius’s lips. She had entered without hesitation, even though she must have seen he wasn’t seriously injured, and now she was telling him to undress.
Truly fearless.
Kaius closed the distance between them with wide strides, stopping just close enough to touch her if he reached out.
“How did you know?”
His eyes locked onto hers, as if searching for something hidden, and he posed the question directly.
“Know what?”
She tilted her head with an innocent look, as if genuinely bewildered. At that expression, another quiet chuckle escaped Kaius’s lips.
“Let me rephrase that. Why did you come here?”
Without the slightest hesitation, Ariel turned her head toward the desk and replied,
“I left something behind. If you didn’t come for treatment, I’ll take my leave now—it’s very late.”
As Ariel walked toward the desk, Kaius let out a soft snort. He had just seen the contents written on that paper a moment ago.
Contract marriage. Greenhouse. Flowers. Treatment. Secret. One year. Divorce. Dragon. A word beginning with “Ma” but with the rest erased. Aside from a few incomprehensible terms, everything else clearly related to him.
If his senses were as ordinary as a commoner’s, he might have been completely fooled—but Kaius was a warrior who wielded aura. Her hesitant gestures outside the door, her quiet sigh… From these alone, he was certain she hadn’t come merely to retrieve that scrap of paper.
Still, he decided to play along with her adorable little lie. After all, it was he who stood to benefit from her unexpected appearance.
Kaius sat on the bed and began unbuttoning his shirt. Ariel, having retrieved the paper, let out a quiet sigh of relief as she watched him undress obediently.
Seeing his bare, unmarked torso, Ariel’s cheeks flushed. She’d have to treat him often once they were married, yet she couldn’t imagine ever growing accustomed to this.
Quickly averting her gaze back to his eyes, Ariel untied the ribbon from her hair and blindfolded him with it.
“I don’t care how you change.”
“But I do.”
Having removed the artifact, Ariel began the treatment.
***
“Is Berryhouse making good preparations for the ‘Le Cordon Bleu’ competition?”
Emperor Hart asked Catherine, who sat across from him, sipping tea with perfect poise.
“They seem to believe the steak won’t make much difference, so they’re focusing their efforts on desserts.”
“These days, desserts do capture people’s interest quite well. Have you still not found out what Kaldenbach is preparing?”
“No, not yet.”
Catherine answered nonchalantly. Taking a bite of the fluffy bread in her hand, she smiled—a smile as soft as the bread itself.
Though Berryhouse’s official representative was her father, Duke Lantiano, most of its key ideas actually originated from Catherine herself. Even the opportunity to build the capital’s hotel had come about because Catherine had spurred both her father and Emperor Hart into action.
The nobles of the capital disliked change.
They still clung to their sense of superiority over others and craved special treatment. But Kaldenbach refused to indulge them. While everyone knew Kaldenbach led the way in innovation, this time they’d failed—and Berryhouse had seized precisely that opening.
Le Cordon Bleu. The judges would all be nobles, and they wouldn’t favor Kaldenbach. No matter what Kaldenbach prepared, Berryhouse was certain to win.
“Didn’t you mention a distant relative staying with the Elbaltan ducal house? Why not try recruiting her?”
Emperor Hart, holding his steak knife, caught sight of Catherine’s smiling face.
“So you’ve already done it, I see. As expected—you move quickly, and I like that.”
Emperor Hart chuckled softly and began slicing his steak. At the sight of blood oozing from the meat, Catherine’s brow furrowed slightly.
“It’s not because I’m afraid we’ll lose. It’s just a precaution for the slightest possibility.”
Emperor Hart raised an eyebrow.
“But Kaius will act personally, won’t he?”
“Even so.”
Catherine’s confident demeanor pleased Emperor Hart. He was willing to support anyone—anyone at all—if it meant humbling Kaius’s arrogance. As he chewed the meat, Emperor Hart’s expression hardened. Spitting the chewed meat back onto the empty plate, he rang the bell to summon a servant.
“Cut up whoever cooked this and have a new steak grilled.”
Emperor Hart’s notoriously finicky palate was well-known. It hadn’t always been this way. Legend had it that ever since tasting the steak young Kaius von Elbaltan once ate, his tastes had changed completely. Jealousy had reshaped even his appetite.
***
“The treatment’s finished. Do you still need more time before giving me an answer?”
Having removed the ribbon from Kaius’s eyes, Ariel turned away, embarrassed by his bare form, and asked. When the sound of him dressing stopped, Ariel stole a sidelong glance. Seeing him fully buttoned up and brushing back his loose hair, she turned to face him again.
“Why do you want to marry me? If it’s because of the Empire’s pressure, I could agree to call off the engagement.”
“No!”
Oops.
Seeing Kaius’s startled eyes, Ariel belatedly realized her mistake—she’d acted far too hastily.
But patience was a luxury only the privileged could afford. She didn’t have that kind of time.
“I’ll likely be injured often—like tonight or last night. Will you always be there to treat me?”
“Yes! Of course. I’ll treat you anytime, even if I have to wake up in the middle of the night.”
Her swift, resolute answer—utterly devoid of hesitation—calmed Kaius’s expression noticeably from just moments before.
In this deal, all she stood to gain was the gold mine he’d pay King Leon as part of their marriage agreement. Clearly, the best solution would be for him to break off the engagement himself—yet she’d refused.
This deal was unfair.
It benefited only him, entirely one-sided.
In matters like this, there was almost always something hidden—and hidden matters inevitably caused problems. That very suspicion kept him from readily agreeing.
As if determined to uncover that hidden thing, Kaius held her gaze and refused to let go.
“Tell me.”
“Yes?”
“Your real reason for wanting to marry me.”
Because I want to save you. You’re going to die—all because of me. That was the truth, but how could she possibly say such a thing unless she’d lost her mind?
“Well… because of the promise with the Empire…”
“Not that. Your real reason.”
His piercing gaze seemed to see straight into her soul, leaving her breathless. Her flimsy excuse clearly wouldn’t convince him.
Then what could she say to dispel his doubts?
Unable to bear his intense stare, Ariel turned her head away—but Kaius’s hand cupped her cheek and gently turned her back toward him.
“Well… Honestly, I greatly admire you, Your Grace. Your victory over the Demon Realm, your business acumen—I thought that, along with the prior reason, spending a year by your side would let me learn so much. You know the situation in Retiana well, after all.”
She blurted out the first thing that came to mind, meeting his gaze directly. It wasn’t entirely a lie, so speaking with sincerity wasn’t difficult. She didn’t know if he’d believe her, but she couldn’t think of any other reason right now.
Yet at her words, the corner of Kaius’s lips twisted slightly, and a subtle pressure tightened around her cheek.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes. It’s the truth.”
Amused by how easily she spoke falsehoods with that gentle face, a mocking laugh slipped through his lips.
“You might as well claim you’re acting as Emperor Hart’s spy—maybe he promised to forgive your debt if you married me?”
He’d suspected this all along, and now he finally voiced it aloud.
“No, I’m not!”
Ariel snapped back, her voice sharp with anger. Heat radiated from her cheeks, still gripped in his hand—clearly furious. Twisting her head, she pulled free from his grasp and continued,
“Don’t insult me! I’d never do something like spying. It’s true Emperor Hart used the debt to pressure me into this marriage—but that’s all.”
She glared at Kaius boldly, her eyes blazing as though proclaiming her innocence.
Every fiber of her being declared she wasn’t lying—and indeed, she spoke the truth.
Kaius sensed it instinctively. Five years as a military commander had granted him that much discernment. Could it really be such a trivial reason?
“It’s true. That really is the only reason.”
To erase the lingering doubt in Kaius’s eyes, Ariel repeated her sincere falsehood—convinced it had worked.
After a long moment of staring at her, Kaius’s hand moved toward her face again. She tried belatedly to dodge, but he was faster. His fingertips, which had been gently stroking her cheek, slowly traced her lips. Startled, Ariel tried to pull back, but his grip tightened, holding her in place.
“What’s this…?”
Blinking in confusion at his unfamiliar action, she remained still as his fingertips slowly explored her lips.
“W-wait a moment.”
Her face burning hot, Ariel twisted her head again and broke free from his grasp. Kaius released her willingly and let out a soft chuckle.
“You said you admired me.”
Putting distance between them, Ariel covered her lips with the back of her hand.
“This has nothing to do with admiration.”
As Kaius closed the gap again, Ariel darted toward the door in an instant. Seeing he wouldn’t stop, her mind went blank with panic—she flung the door open and fled.
Only when she’d left the annex and entered the corridor leading to her bedroom did she realize she still hadn’t heard his answer.
“I thought he’d give me permission…”
Hesitating, she glanced back—but the thought of returning to the annex filled her with a little fear.
Male lead is a clingy little husband
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
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MANGA DISCUSSION
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Chapter Comments (2)
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!
Kaius is everything that is right with this world. I would have liked him to stay and accompany Ariel since he is her fiancé, but following her and rescuing her from Ludvian was way better hahaha. They get their moment alone, even if Ariel doesn’t take advantage of it.
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Rahzel Everlasting
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.