This Life, I Will Save The Duke (20 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 16
His hand caressing Ariel’s cheek was soft and warm, unlike his seemingly emotionless gaze. When his slowly moving fingers brushed her lips, Ariel snapped back to her senses and gently pulled his hand away.
The places his fingers had touched now burned as if scorched by fire, contradicting the chill that had just made her body tremble. As though trying to revive a memory of drowning, Ariel turned her gaze toward the cold, deep river water. Kaius watched her, his eyes calm and still. On his indifferent face, the only movement was the wind stirring his hair.
As the swiftly moving boat gradually slowed and turned toward a small tributary of the river, a soft, involuntary sigh escaped Ariel’s lips.
“How beautiful…”
It was a firefly habitat. Though it didn’t seem to be a popular spot—evidenced by the absence of people—she liked it precisely because it offered quiet enjoyment.
As she repeatedly reached out to catch fireflies and then released them, her loosely worn hat slipped gently off her head. Fireflies clung to her hair, cheeks, long eyelashes, and lips. Kaius, who had been silently watching, reached for her hat—and toward him, Ariel let out a small, bright laugh.
“Fireflies must like handsome people too. Look, they’re clustering all over your face, Your Grace.”
She cupped the firefly from his cheek in her small, slightly curled hands and held them out to him.
“Your Grace, try doing it like this, just like me. Then it’s not hard at all to catch a firefly.”
The firefly in her palms rose into the sky. Her eyes followed it upward, while his eyes remained fixed on her.
He had intended only to use this woman—to have her heal him and satisfy his desires under the title of Duchess.
Yet seeing her laugh and chatter right before him felt dazzling. Even the ship’s lantern had been dimmed, leaving only the faint glimmer of fireflies for light.
It was another inexplicable moment—like when he had impulsively bought her ribbon without even realizing it.
***
Soon after, Kaius began concrete negotiations regarding marriage with King Leon.
Dressed impeccably in his gray formal uniform, he appeared refined and elegant, every bit the distinguished noble of the Empire. Kaius slowly swirled the glass of red wine, its base resting against the dining table.
“We’ll skip the engagement and proceed directly to marriage.”
“Immediately?”
King Leon sighed deeply at Kaius’s declaration that he would take Ariel with him when his delegation departed.
“Could you delay your departure by a few days? It’s so sudden—my queen will be heartbroken.”
“I can postpone it by a day or two, but no longer. I apologize.”
King Leon, knowing full well Kaius’s situation and that he hadn’t come alone, nodded in agreement.
When the conversation shifted to wedding gifts, King Leon suggested a modest gold mine, but Kaius had already arranged to send over the deed to a mana stone mine. The House of Elbaltan had that much influence—and considering what Ariel would be giving him in return, this much was only fair.
Only then would it be a balanced exchange.
As they left after the meal, Kaius asked King Leon for a favor: to let him personally tell Ariel about their conversation today. The king readily agreed—and shared one more piece of information.
“You’re contacting Elia Company, aren’t you? Then you should meet Edward Camelon, the royal court mage.”
***
Leaning idly against the windowsill, Kaius drank the peppermint tea Ariel had sent him. His mind felt clearer. Outside the window, white and pink rose blossoms swayed in the breeze. The wind tousled his black hair, strands falling to brush lightly against his forehead.
After the second night in the secondary residence, Kaius’s resolve had already tilted. He’d planned to seek out Ariel the next day, but urgent news from Kaldenbach forced him to postpone seeing her. Count Hammond, head of the delegation, was an agent of Emperor Hart—so Kaius’s absence from the palace had been kept secret.
On his way back after handling the urgent matter, he received a message from the knight he’d assigned to watch over Ariel: she’d left the palace with Marquis Beloas. Kaius immediately headed to the festival grounds.
He hadn’t liked seeing her alone on a boat with Marquis Beloas—but he’d allowed it, thinking it might be his last chance to sort out his feelings.
But the moment he saw her boat veer elsewhere, heard the scuffle, and overheard Marquis Beloas urging her not to marry him, Kaius finally realized—
How arrogant his so-called consideration had truly been.
In his heart, she was already Kaius von Elbaltan’s wife.
She belonged to no one else—she was his woman alone.
“Your Grace, I’ve met all five people named Elia Camelon in Retiana, but none appear connected to Elia Company. Their representative, Servan Carje, said he only met someone named Edward a few times and knows nothing else. Still, it may take more time to uncover who this Edward really is—there are simply too many people by that name, and we don’t even know his surname.”
Lemon quietly approached and reported the findings from the past two days of investigation.
“Tell Edward Camelon, the royal court mage, that I wish to meet him.”
Edward Camelon. Elia Camelon.
Were they family or relatives? Meeting Edward Camelon would surely provide answers.
***
Ariel, having slept in, was now sharing a late morning coffee with Anna.
Through the wide-open window, the fresh scent of the forest, birdsong, and warm sunlight filled the room.
“I’m sorry. Because of a family matter, I couldn’t stay to protect you, Lady Ariel.”
Anna spoke quietly, her expression stiff. Yesterday, she’d been called away by news that her younger sibling was injured and had only returned this morning, learning about yesterday’s incident then.
“It’s alright—you came back safely. Besides, His Grace instructed the maids to wash me thoroughly with warm water, so I didn’t catch a cold. And I even got to drink precious ginger tea.”
“Lady Ariel, that’s not the point! If you get hurt again, I’ll really be angry.”
Though she sounded stern, Anna’s voice was heavy with guilt—even though it wasn’t her fault at all.
“I’m sorry—it really was an accident. I only meant to mimic it a little.”
She meant it. She herself had been startled by how deep the cut turned out to be—her eagerness had outpaced her poor knife skills.
“This time, I see Duke Elbaltan a little differently. He seemed indifferent, but he saved me in an emergency.”
A faint smile touched Ariel’s lips as she nodded slowly. Yesterday could have ended badly if he hadn’t arrived.
On the table lay Kaius’s handkerchief, neatly folded after being freshly laundered. She thought she might hear his proposal accepted today—and that hopeful thought made her smile again, her eyes drifting toward the vanity drawer.
More precisely, to the golden ribbon inside—the one he’d tied for her.
“By the way, how’s Eric?”
Ariel swiftly changed the subject.
“He’s fine. His arm is broken, but they said rest will heal it.”
As Ariel asked how Eric had gotten injured and whether Anna’s mother was well, a maid announced Ludvian’s arrival.
So it had come.
But she didn’t want to meet him and spoil her current lighthearted mood.
“Tell him I’ve caught a cold and can’t get out of bed.”
If she claimed to be ill, he’d leave. After all, he’d need to recover quickly to tend to his flowers. A little later, the maid returned to report that he’d obediently gone—though he’d said he’d visit again tomorrow.
***
Ariel and Kaius’s first meal together was set in the rear garden of the North Palace.
Beneath the shade of plane trees, a modest-sized table was prepared with steak, wine, salted bread, and a selection of fruits including grapes.
“Your Grace, I used your handkerchief well.”
Kaius gave a slight nod and began eating. Throughout the meal, Ariel chattered nonstop. Kaius genuinely wondered where such endless energy came from in her small frame.
She spoke about the medicinal properties of various greenhouse-grown plants, how to use them, the fireflies of Retiana, and even the origin of the famed salted bread.
Even though he never offered a single reply, she remained undeterred.
That wasn’t to say he hadn’t listened. Kaius now knew Ariel possessed deep botanical knowledge and had a strong interest in plant-based healing. And one more thing—
He’d need to build a greenhouse in the ducal residence.
Once that thought formed, he realized it was time to finally give her the answer she’d been waiting for.
“I’ve never seen snow in my life.”
A quiet sigh escaped his lips—given that his domain, Tris, received heavy snowfall each winter.
“Let’s get married.”
“What?”
“I just proposed. Let’s marry.”
“Oh…”
It’s done. It’s finally done. She’d crossed the greatest hurdle at last.
She was so overjoyed she momentarily forgot he was right in front of her, lost in her own thoughts. Now she’d go to the Brandt Library once she arrived in the Empire.
To find the Demon Realm Herbal Compendium.
Would it still be there at this point in time? She’d stumbled upon it years ago while searching for an ancient tome about dragons in her quest for vengeance against Ludvian. But since she’d found it a few years later in her original timeline, she worried it might not exist here yet. The book’s contents were too sensitive to entrust to anyone else, and her flower cultivation duties had kept her from going herself—so she’d patiently waited until now.
“You don’t seem very happy. I thought you’d be quite pleased.”
Her sudden silence—so unlike the chattering girl from moments before—drew a quiet chuckle from Kaius. He even felt a faint sense of emptiness.
Snapping back at the low, steady sound of his voice, Ariel looked at him and smiled brightly.
“I am happy. Very, very happy.”
Seemingly satisfied with her answer, Kaius slowly nodded and took a sip of wine.
A gentle breeze blew, afternoon sunlight filtering through the tree shade to prick at Kaius’s eyes. Narrowing them slightly, he looked at her—and her image overlapped with the portrait he’d seen not long ago.
“Ariel—your appearance. Your hair and eyes.”
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
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