This Life, I Will Save The Duke (20 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 15
The water was darker than the outside.
Ariel, submerged in the water, removed her cloak that hindered her swimming. Afraid she’d be spotted by Ludvian if she surfaced immediately, she moved a bit farther away. Fortunately, she had taken a deep breath earlier anticipating the ship’s collision, making this possible.
Just as her breath began to run out, she cautiously surfaced—but nobody was around. Relying on the faint moonlight, Ariel swam to the riverbank and leaned against a large tree, panting heavily.
Though frightened at being alone in the forest, she had at least escaped the greater danger. Ludvian’s actions right now were completely unexpected.
As her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, she could see herself a little more clearly. Her disheveled appearance and stinging wrist made her laugh bitterly at her own sorry state.
“It hurts.”
Now that she thought about it, her dagger seemed to have vanished into the water as well.
“Sigh…”
Ariel let out a deep sigh and reflected on what had just happened.
A ship suddenly appearing without even a lantern lit.
A tall man standing steadily on the swiftly moving vessel without a single sway.
An attack carried out without the slightest hesitation.
Though she hadn’t seen his face clearly, her heart had already settled on someone.
Kaius von Elbaltan.
She didn’t understand exactly what was going on, but thanks to him, she’d managed to escape danger. At the moment of impact, Ariel had leapt into the water.
If she’d been dragged away by Ludvian, she couldn’t even imagine what might have happened—just the brief thought sent chills down her spine.
Just as Ariel stood up to return to the palace, she heard the crunch of footsteps on branches. Moonlight filtering through the large trees brightly illuminated Ludvian’s red hair.
Startled, she pressed herself against the tree and held her breath. No matter what, she absolutely had to avoid encountering Ludvian now. Looking around, there was nowhere suitable to hide. At this rate, he would surely spot her. If so, her best chance was to flee while she still had some distance between them.
Her moment of hesitation was brief, and Ariel began running in the opposite direction from where Ludvian had appeared.
***
At first, he had only intended to watch from a distance.
If everything had gone as planned—simply viewing the fireflies and quietly escorting Ariel back to the palace—Kaius would have held back. It was Marquis Beloas who had crossed the line. Knowing she was a strong swimmer, he deliberately attacked the ship to capsize it.
Tracking someone’s presence wasn’t difficult for Kaius—especially when the target was an ordinary person. When focused, he could sense breathing from quite a distance. On such a quiet night, that range expanded even further.
Strolling leisurely as if taking a walk, he suddenly launched himself forward in an instant.
Heavy, gasping breaths.
Completely careless movement.
Light footsteps trailed by heavier, urgent ones. From these signs alone, he deduced that Ariel was being pursued.
Thanks to his exceptional vision as a warrior and his eyes already adjusted to the darkness, Kaius immediately spotted Ariel. Right behind her, Marquis Beloas was closing in fast.
Should he step in front of the Marquis and rescue her?
Causing trouble with a noble of a foreign country while serving as part of an envoy delegation would be terribly unwise. Worse still, if this turned into a public spectacle of two men fighting over their betrothed, it would be nothing short of humiliating. And if word of this ever reached Emperor Hart’s ears, the consequences would be even more disastrous.
Thus, this matter had to be resolved quietly.
In a flash, Kaius swept forward, wrapped his arms around Ariel’s back, covered her mouth, and darted away swiftly. Startled nearly into unconsciousness, Ariel thrashed about, but her struggles were utterly futile—his grip only tightened further.
“Stay still.”
Even while running, Kaius’s breathing remained perfectly steady as he whispered quietly. But Ariel, already panicked beyond reason, heard nothing. Convinced she’d been caught by Ludvian, she flailed with all her might to escape.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Kaius quickly concealed them both nearby and whispered gently into her ear.
“Ariel. It’s me. Your fiancé.”
But as his breath brushed against her cheek, her panic only intensified, and she shook her head violently as if possessed.
“Get a hold of yourself.”
His words failed to reach her at all. Another low sigh escaped Kaius’s lips. She was truly an annoying woman.
“Stay still.”
His voice dropped even lower, now heavy with commanding authority.
“It’s Kaius. The man who will become your husband.”
Kaius…? Even in her dazed state, that single name cut through her thoughts with startling clarity. Sensing her calm slightly, he spoke again in a hushed tone.
“I’ll let go of your hands, so please stay quiet. Marquis Beloas is very close by.”
When Ariel nodded, his arms loosened their hold. As she slowly turned around, she found Kaius standing right before her. Relief flooded her heart, and her eyes welled with tears. Not wanting him to see her like this, she quickly turned away again. Silent tears nonetheless spilled down her chin.
“…”
Her crying caught Kaius completely off guard. He hadn’t expected to witness such vulnerability from her.
“Thank you…”
Kaius carefully examined Ariel. Her soaked dress clung tightly to her figure, and her loose hair hung in complete disarray. When his hand reached to smooth her hair, she flinched slightly at the touch.
Slowly gathering her hair into one hand, Kaius pulled out a golden ribbon from his pocket.
Buying the ribbon had been an impulsive act.
While waiting for Ariel and wandering through the festival grounds, he’d come across a vendor cart selling ribbons—and before long, the golden ribbon was in his hand.
“…”
She couldn’t fathom what was happening. Kaius, of all people, was tying her hair for her? Without thinking, Ariel raised her hand to her head and gently touched the knot. The texture confirmed it was indeed a ribbon.
Moments later, warmth settled over her chilly shoulders as Kaius gently turned her toward him. His eyes focused solely on her as he fastened his cloak tightly around her. During this quiet exchange, Ariel simply stared back at him.
“We’ll be moving quickly.”
Ariel understood his meaning from his actions. Kaius lifted her onto his shoulders, cradling her securely. Her dress made it impossible for him to carry her on his back, and the dense branches all around ruled out carrying her sideways.
Though physically uncomfortable pressed so closely against his large, solid frame, Ariel felt even more uneasy in her heart.
Their bodies were fully pressed together, and she couldn’t stop noticing his arms encircling her back and thighs. She just wanted to get down from him as soon as possible.
“Where are we going?”
Had her voice been too quiet for him to hear? She opened her mouth to repeat herself but decided against it—running must already be taxing enough; carrying her as well probably made speaking difficult.
It amazed her how confidently he ran despite her knowing nothing of the area. Her curiosity was answered only when she felt herself being placed onto a boat—he had brought her to the vessel he’d arrived on.
After setting her down at the bow, Kaius walked toward the boatman. Taking the chance, Ariel examined her hair, which had puzzled her since earlier. It wasn’t the blue ribbon that had bound her wrists—it was different. Once Kaius finished speaking with the boatman and sat down facing her, the boat began gliding slowly through the water.
Their knees kept bumping together with the boat’s motion. Annoyed, she looked away toward the dark river, then glanced sideways back at him. Kaius remained silent, lost in thought as he gazed at the flowing water.
Could it be… he’d been watching over me this whole time…?
“Why.”
He turned his head and looked directly at her.
Meeting Kaius’s gaze, Ariel pulled her long, damp hair forward.
“Did you buy the ribbon?”
That wasn’t what she’d really wanted to ask.
His brief nod only stirred more questions in her mind, yet strangely, unlike usual, she found it hard to voice them.
Was it meant for me?
Did you buy it back at the festival?
Why gold? You hate gold, don’t you?
…No. They were all trivial questions. There was only one thing she truly wanted to know.
Are you accepting our marriage? Can I really believe that now?
She wanted to ask, but she knew pressing him further would only lead to a bad outcome. After all, they’d agreed to meet again tomorrow—she could wait just one more day.
Finding his steady gaze too overwhelming, she lowered her eyes slightly—only to realize her feet were now trapped between his long legs. Just as she wondered if it must be uncomfortable for him not being able to stretch them out, he extended one leg fully toward her.
Slightly flustered, she lifted her head—and their eyes met once more. His warm breath brushed against her face. As they remained silent, simply gazing at each other, his hand reached toward her cheek.
Startled, she flinched and leaned back a little—the memory of the day he’d traced her lips flashing through her mind. A soft chuckle escaped him.
“The river wind is biting. Your hair’s still wet—put on a hat.”
Embarrassed by her own misunderstanding, she turned her head aside. Kaius’s hands moved slowly from behind her shoulders to lift the hat onto her head. The moment his fingers, which had rested lightly on the brim, slid gently onto her cheeks—
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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Rahzel Everlasting
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.